Algae and cloudy pool..Someone pleeease help me!!! I NEED ASSISTANCE!

[smoovie]

Last year first year with the BBB method, opened up to green pool. I've been adding bleach, the pool is not green anymore but now very cloudy. I'm not sure about reading the whole chlorine results with the Taylor drops. It's just off the charts pink. Ph 7.4 TA 60 CYA 35 CH 100, I have a vinyl liner. I was reading somewhere about putting in Diatomite Filter Media for cloudiness? Also, can I use the clorine puck feeder as well since my CYA is so low?

I have been brushing the sides and bottom constantly and getting the floating "whatever" with the net, I haven't vacuumed because I can't see anything. Could someone PLEASE help me get a clear pool again?

16X32 inground, 21,0000 gal.(?) Hayward S200 High Rate Sand Filter Hayward Super Pump 1 HP 2GPM

[waste]

Hi again ;)

Time for a good dose of POP (Pool Owner Patience)

It sounds as if you have enough chlorine in the pool to 'work on' the algae. Please let the pool go until tomorrow - stop stirring up the stuff, let it settle so you can see what you need to vacuum to waste. :)

I suspect that you want to have a pool party this weekend for Memorial day. You can use DE to assist your sand filter or a flocculant to speed up the water's clearing. You could also 'vacuum blind' and hope to remove the majority of the 'stuff' on the bottom - if you go this route, push the vac-head slowly, so as not to stir too much up.

You can use the feeder. (however, I think your CYA = 35 is fine for the Cape.)

We're here to help, but there is no miracle nor instant fix.

[smoovie]

I still have a cloudy pool. I'm starting to see the floor of the shallow end as of yesterday. I also vacuumed blindly twice and I believe I got the most of debris off the floor. I have been running the pump 24/7 since Monday the 20th.
I took water samples to 2 pool stores yesterday are here are their results

Store #1: TC 4.8 FC 4.3 TA 85 PH 7.0 CH 150 Stabilizer 10
Store #2: TC 6.5 FC 6.5 TA 87 PH 7.2 Total Hardness 108 CYA 47

Could someone please tell me how much B, B, or B to add to get it right? I really don't want to have to get chemicals from the pool store!

16X32 inground vinyl lined, 22,000 gal, Hayward S200 High Rate Sand filter, Hayward super pump 1 HP, 20 GPM

[PoolDoc]

Store #1: TC 4.8 FC 4.3 TA 85 PH 7.0 CH 150 Stabilizer 10
Store #2: TC 6.5 FC 6.5 TA 87 PH 7.2 Total Hardness 108 CYA 47


I think you've provided a truly magnificent example of why it's impossible to "get it right" when you depend on pool store testing. As is often the case, the CYA test results are the most random. But, neither you nor I -- nor the pool stores -- have any certain knowledge of what your pool chemical levels are.

Have you ordered a K2006, yet?

[smoovie]

I have a Taylor test kit...readings this morning were PH 7.4 TA 60 and as far as the chlorine..I added 121 oz. of 8.25% bleach last night and the chlorine test were off the chart dark pink. I also added about 2 lbs of Washing Soda this morning after taking my readings. I can actually see the bottom of the pool to where it starts to slope to the deep end, so I guess I'm heading in the right direction?

Oh, also CYA is around 35.

[PoolDoc]

Why, why did you add "Washing Soda" (soda ash, sodium carbonate)?

Adding stuff you don't have to add, when you are trying to clear the pool, just complicates an already challenging situation! Don't do that again! Add what you must, till the problem is solved, THEN work on tweaking water chemistry!

And, get a K2006 (link in my signature for Amazon) -- "pink" off the chart indicates DPD color match testing, which is NOT reliable at the high chlorine levels needed to clear algae! Get an OTO kit in the meantime.

[smoovie]

I just purchased the other test kit. I added the washing soda to raise the both the PH and TA. My numbers today were...PH 7.6 TA 80. I had been reading here about if the pool water is not balanced it will also create cloudy water. My TA started at 40 and I've been working on raising it. I forgot to mention that I also have an Aqua Chem Chlorine and PH test kit, I'm not sure what OTO stands for. ;-(
Thank you for continuing helping me out, it's much appreciated!

[smoovie]

My pool is still cloudy, I've been adding bleach nightly. I'm waiting on the kit I ordered. I was hoping to be able to swim in it Monday, but that's not looking too good at this point.

I would like to know how I would go about adding Diatomite to perhaps clear up the cloudiness. I vacuumed yesterday, I didn't get much debris in the basket at all, but when I was vacuuming I could see a small bit of brown being stirred up, my PSI didn't rise on my filter so I didn't backwash. Question is though, where is that brown stuff going? I can't vacuum to waste since nothing happens when I put in that mode.

I am also the person who is still waiting on an answer to my 'waste' settting not working in another thread.

[smoovie]

My CYA is 47, how many gallons of 8.25% bleach do i need to raise shock level to 30?

[PoolDoc]

Is it *really* 8.25% bleach? What brand?

Mostly, we've seen 6% bleach -- you'd need about 12 gallons of 6%, for a 23,000 gallon pool.

[smoovie]

Yes, it's 8.25%, Walmart brand.

[Watermom]

Ben,
They are also selling the 8.25% Walmart generic bleach here.

[Spensar]

After knocking out the obvious algae, your pool goes cloudy, and it will take more chlorine than you think to get it clear. Sometimes it goes to clear pretty quick, sometimes it takes several days to get there, but you need to keep the chlorine level up. Better to err on the side of more chlorine than to little. I pound it with 10-20ppm until the water is clear, then when the chlorine drops to a maintenance level, work on balance PH, TA and CYA.