Water getting slighty cloudy, any ideas

[rdefino]

I have an AG 18x34 and the water is getting slightly cloudy. Not sure if I should shock or what. Any ideas.

Water readings from K-2006

Chlorine Free 3.2
PH 7.2
ALK 80
CYA 30
water temp 82

Any thoughts if I should shock or what?

Thanks for any advice.

[Watermom]

Go ahead and shock it. Use the chart at this link:> http://pool9.net/cl-cya/
Keep the chlorine at shock level until you meet 3 criteria:
1) You lose no more than 1ppm of FC from sundown one evening to within one hour of sunrise the next morning
2) You have no higher than 0.5ppm of CC
3) The water is clear.

Run your pump 24/7 while you are trying to clear the pool, cleaning your filter as needed.

Go ahead and run the CH (calcium hardness) test one time. Although vinyl pools don't need calcium, sometimes if it is high it can cause problems. Also, did you run the CC test when you did your FC test?

By the way, what are you using as your source of chlorine? Your CYA is pretty low. Are you having trouble making it through a hot sunny day with a chlorine reading?

Hope this helps.

(Hint: Use a 10mL sample instead of a 25mL one. It will make your chlorine testing reagents last longer. You'll multiply the drop count by 0.5 instead of 0.2.)

[rdefino]

Hi, thanks for the reply.

I did not do the CC when doing the FC. I will next time.

I was using just straight chlorine 3in tablets, but I just started using HTH 3in tablets with stabilizer and algecide.

I have a straight stabilizer, should I use it with the HTH tablets?

Thanks

[Watermom]

I wouldn't use the HTH tablets at all. We don't recommend any type of algaecide except 60% Polyquat and even then, most pools don't need it. I never use it in my pool.

The other trichlor tabs that you have --- check the ingredients and make sure they don't contain copper. If they don't, you can use them but you can't shock a pool with trichlor tabs. To shock the pool, you can just use bleach. What is your volume?

[rdefino]

Really? I have a hug tub of the HTH tablets and rather not dump them.

Volume ~14000 gal

[rdefino]

How much bleach do I need to shock with?

[Watermom]

In a 14K gallon pool, each quart of 8.25% bleach will add 1.5ppm of chlorine and each of the 121-oz jugs will add about 5.5ppm. Shock level is based on your CYA reading so with a CYA of 30, you'll want to add enough bleach to take your chlorine level up to 15ppm.

http://pool9.net/cl-cya/

[rdefino]

Should I use a stabilizer also? Can I use Diclor instead of bleach?

[Watermom]

You can use dichlor instead of bleach to shock with but just be aware that most dichlor that is sold these days has unwanted stuff blended into it. Two that we know of that are safe to use are listed on the following page. http://pool9.net/ssr/

If you use trichlor or dichlor, you won't want to add the stabilizer since both of those products have stabilizer (CYA) in them already.

[rdefino]

Hi there,

I picked up some bleach to shock with. I do have a gallon of Poolbasics Stabilizer, Cyanuric acid 25% Inert Ingredients 75%.

Should I add the stabilizer with the bleach, or before, then add bleach?

thanks

[rdefino]

Also When you say "to take your chlorine level up to 15ppm" do you mean FC or CC?

thanks again

[Watermom]

I have never seen stabilizer sold that was only 25% cyanuric acid. Not sure about it. Let me ask Ben about this. And, take chlorine up to 15ppm FC. You certainly would not want CC that high! Ideally, CC is 0.

[rdefino]

I just tested this morning and the FC is at 15 and the Calcium test I got 30ppm.

Supposed to be a raining gloomy day, but I will test FC again tonight.

thanks