New Pool

[White Gold]

I have a Intex 18 X 42 that I got last year for fathers day. I drained it last year and stored for the winter and we got it out and filled it about 10 days ago. I put in about 130 lbs of salt and now the water is green. I just use the color test strips from HTH. I filled it with city water and our water is very hard. The ph appears to be about 8 and with the test strips I'm having a hard time gettting a control on the Chlorine level. Is it possible that my SWG is not working and how do you tell if it is? It's a Intex model designed for this pool. I use the cartridge filter system. I really enjoy my pool but I'm sick of friends telling me a pool is too much trouble and to get rid of it. Help me prove them wrong. Thanks in advance. Ty

[BigDave]

Your pool needs chlorine.
You need a good testkit - a Taylor k-2006 - available online, check the link in the moderator's sigs on this forum.
Is it a Easy Set or frame type pool?
What kind / size filter do you have?
Have you added any stabilizer?

Can you drain it and refill it for not too much? This will be the quickest way to clear the water. If you do, you can add bleach as it refills, take control of the water by testing every day (more often until you establish a stabilizer level). Intex pools with small cartridge filters are difficult and time consuming to clear after an algea bloom.

Your SWG may be working but unable to build enough chlorine to start the pool.
It is easy to keep a pool if you follow the methods on this site and it's sister site , poolsolutions.com. Read up! We're here to help.

Decide if you want to refill or fight this algae outbreak and let us know, There's plenty of good advice here.

[White Gold]

It's a Easy Set. It's not dark green just a light green so I don't think I need to drain and refill. I can kinda see the bottom. I'll get stabilizer and bleach tomorrow. I'll also find out what kind and size of filter. Thanks again.

[BigDave]

You must have a reliable way to test your water (not strips). If a wall mart in your area has the HTH 6-way kit, buy one. (Check availability (http://www.walmart.com/ip/HTH-6-Way-Test-Kit/17043668)) If not, pick up a cheap OTO / Phenol Red test kit.

Order a Taylor K-2006 (no substitutes) - you can find it throgh the links in this forum's moderators sigs.

With no stabilizer, your shock level is 10ppm FC according to Ben's Best Guess Chart (http://poolsolutions.com/gd/best-guess-swimming-pool-chlorine-chart.html).
You'll need a gallon of 6% household bleach to get to 10ppm but it won't stay long. I'd start with a gallon and a half but no more.

Test and add chlorine as often as you can (but at least twice a day) to keep your FC at or above 10. The OTO test won't directly read 10, dark yellow (darker than the comparator's top) is close enough. If you get to orange on the OTO without stabilizer, you've gone too far - stop adding bleach until it comes back to yellow.

Stay on top of this, when fighting algae, if you you're not winning, it is.

Run the filter 24/7 and clean it as necessary. You can shut off the SWCG for now, we'll deal with that after the pool's cleaned up.

You'll need 2-2.5 lbs granular stabilizer. Put it in an old stocking and hang it in the pool in front of the return to the pool. Squeeze it every couple days to help it dissolve. If you get the k-2006 or the HTH 6-way, don't try to test for CYA for a week, this stuff disolves very slowly.

Get back to us with your test results and what you've done.

[Watermom]

Is your pool green and cloudy or green and clear?

[White Gold]

The water is green and clear. I put a gallon of bleach in last night and now the algae is dead and laying on the bottom or at least that's what I think has happened. Gonna get some more bleach and some stabilizer. Thanks.

[BigDave]

Do you have metals in your fill water? Since it's city water, you should be able to get a report.
The reason I ask is green and clear could be metals not algae. Probably the reason for Watermom's question.
Dead algae is usually cloudy white/blue.
Do you have a way to vacuum out the stuff from the bottom?

[White Gold]

I'll check the metals. We had a test of our water a couple months ago. Yes I do have a vacuum.

[White Gold]

Pools all clear. Finally got numbers right except ph. Waiting on better test kit to get better reading. Thanks for all the help. This board makes it lots easier for me since I'm about 80 miles from a pool store.

[BigDave]

I love good news! Thanks for sharing. What is your pH?

[White Gold]

It's over 8 the best I can tell with the strips. I have put a couple pounds of stabilizer in a sock and it's almost gone. Di I need to add more?

[BigDave]

...add more?I have to answer that with a question - sorry. Is your chlorine holding? Can you dose chlorine once a day and stay above the minimum on Ben's Best Guess Chart (http://www.poolsolutions.com/gd/best-guess-swimming-pool-chlorine-chart.html)? 2 lbs of stabilizer should put your CYA between 35ppm and 40ppm. You should keep your FC between 3ppm and 6ppm at all times. Do not let it drop below 3ppm.

As far as the pH goes, I don't trust the strip and high is safer than low so I wouldn't try to move it until you can get a better measure (k-2006 kit). In the meantime, try to find a source for muriatic acid and read Using Muriatic Acid to Safely Lower Your Pool's pH (http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?13111) to learn how to use it.

[White Gold]

The kit is supposed to be here this week so I'll check it then. Chlorine is holding good even in our blazing sun and heat.