cloudy water- high TA low PH

[novicepoolgal]

So about 2 weeks ago my pool was clear. I checked it the next morning and the water was really cloudy. It has been cloudy since. At one time I couldn't see the bottom of the pool at all. After doing all the water testing I figured out that I had high TA over 200 and normal PH. I've been trying to lower the TA with muriac(sp) acid. It has worked at clearing the water some (it's still cloudy but I can see the bottom), but also have lowered the PH too low. My thought is to lower the TA to 80 and then start trying the raise the PH. Will this clear the water or will I need to do something else too. I could also be doing everything wrong. This is just a INTEX metal frame pool we bought so my kids to play in during the hot Texas summer. We are now regretting the purchase. I heard you can raise the PH with aeration, but I don't have anything to do this with. I know the Ph is probably too low to let my kiddos go splash around in, so I need an easy why to aerate the pool to raise PH or could I use the PH plus?

Also, I'm afraid to shock the pool and add anymore chemicals to my pool. So should I shock if it is time?

TA 180
PH 6.8
Chlorine 3

[Watermom]

Just checking to see if you are still around and still need some help.

Sorry that you never got a reply. We had lots of new members who all registered in a short period of time that we got behind. Hopefully we are about caught up.

So, if you still need some help, reply back and someone will try and give you some advice.

Welcome to the Pool Forum, by the way!

[PoolDoc]

membership upgraded.

If you're still having problems, you may want to check this post out

Super Simple Pool Chemistry Recipe (http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?17055)

It's not likely that alkalinity is causing your cloudiness. The 2 most common problems with Intex pools are (a) low or inconsistent chlorination, often leading to algae, and (b) poor filtration, due to the low quality OEM cartridges. Draining, refilling and following the recipe will fix the first problem. I'll post info about the 2nd.

+ The OEM cartridges in Intex / Summer Escapes / etc. filters are not high quality. The Intex manuals recommend replacing them completely every 2 weeks. A BETTER option is to replace them permanently with 2 - 3 Unicel or Filbur cartridges, and rotating them through a cleaning solution. Properly maintained, these cartridges should last all season AND filter better. So even if they cost more per cartridge, they cost less per season! Learn to maintain them, by reading this post, Cleaning-your-Cartridge-Filter-wiithout-Damaging-It! (http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?18044)

But, purchasing them is tricky. Amazon does not consistently stock them, and some of the 3rd party sellers are charging high prices and/or high shipping. So, check the Amazon link, but watch out for the prices and shipping costs.

It would be nice if you could just buy them elsewhere, but many of the online pool stores are listing Pleatco or other Asian made low quality filters, as "Unicel C-4607 type" or "fits Unicel C-4607". So shop carefully!

Here are the Amazon links:

Unicel cartridges: @ Amazon

Unicel C-4607 Replacement Filter Cartridge (Intex A or C) (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000BNPRC2/poolbooks)
Unicel C-5315 Replacement Filter Cartridge (Intex B Filter (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0039X2XZK/poolbooks)
Unicel C-3302 Replacement Filter Cartridge (Intex E) (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0040T54NA/poolbooks/)

Filbur cartridges: @ Amazon

Filbur FC-3710 Antimicrobial Replacement Filter Cartridge (Intex A or C) (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B007F8T4KW/poolbooks/)
Filbur FC-3752 Antimicrobial Replacement Filter Cartridge (Intex B) (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B002BUM8KM/poolbooks/)
Filbur FC-3751 Antimicrobial Replacement Filter Cartridge (Intex E) (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00564Q680/poolbooks/)

[novicepoolgal]

Thanks for the replies. The pool is doing much better now, but still not completely clear. I lowered the TA with acid and raised the ph with borax. I also used bleach to shock the pool. This took a while, but it is much clearer now. Now I have small peices of debris settled at the bottom of the pool which causes the pool to become cloudy after swimming. I try to vaccum the bottom before letting the kids swim. It seems to get better each time. Maybe I'm on the right track. I have started to use the pool shock treatment again instead of bleach. Thinking we should go to a a salt water filter next season.

[PoolDoc]

An SWCG (salt water chlorine generator) does not eliminate the need to care for your pool correctly. Contrary to what much of the sales literature suggests, SWCG's are just another way to add chlorine to your pool. If you don't know how to do it without an SWCG, you won't know how to do it with one.

Plus, the Intex SWCG's *also* add copper, which brings in a whole new set of problems.

Many people get into trouble unnecessarily, because these systems are 'over-sold' and don't actually deliver what people think they are buying: a wholly automatic pool.