HELP! My pool keeps turning more and more green [Archive]

sunnyd0111

06-01-2018, 10:42 AM

Hello everyone!
My husband and I bought our house 5 years ago and it came with a 24’x54” above ground round pool. We always had an easy time keep the pool clean and clear every year until last year. Two years ago our pump stopped working right before needing to close the pool down. Due to finances, we were unable to afford a new pump and went ahead and closed the pool. Last summer we purchased the pump before opening the pool back up, but we struggled with keeping the water blue. It stayed hazy most of the summer. Last weekend we opened the pool up and the water was green. My husband and I vacuumed it really well and then threw in 6 bags of shock. That didn’t make a difference. A friend of mine mentioned the BBB method, and while searching more online we discovered that pouring straight bleach in did the same as shock, so my husband added 4 gallons of bleach. The water turned even more green. Last night he threw in 5 bags of shock but the water is still green this morning. What do we need to do to fix this?

PoolDoc

06-01-2018, 12:57 PM

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24' x 54" AG pool => 13,100 gallons = PF 9.1

What I've posted below is as much information as I can usefully give you, till you have reported test results back. The doses are set up to attempt to avoid problems, even if you've already added some of the nasty chemicals pool stores sometimes sell.

You may be thinking, "I'll get the pool store to test for me!". Do NOT do that. Pool stores, as a class, are NOT trustworthy. The goal of 'pool store testing' is to SELL chemicals. Testing programs for pool stores ADVERTISE (to pool stores, not to YOU) how much more chemical they can sell! Some individuals stores are trustworthy, of course, but the ONLY way for you to know that is if YOU have ALREADY tested your pool.

So, there's no way out of the mess but for YOU to learn to test your OWN water. Sorry!

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TODAY, buy a cheapo OTO (yellow drops) / phenol red kit from somewhere (or the HTH 6-way from Walmart)
ASAP, get an HTH 6 Way test kit from Walmart (https://www.walmart.com/ip/101959375) or Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B01JLY4KEM/poolbooks/)
Report pH & chlorine levels today, in a forum post HERE.
Report exact chemical names (read the bags) of the "shock" and other chemicals added.
Report stabilizer (CYA) levels as soon as possible. (NOTE: HTH kit only tests CYA 3x! Read instructions carefully!)
For now, STOP adding ANY chemicals except bleach and borax OR muriatic acid, as needed.
Take pictures of your pump and filter, INCLUDING labels and post them on Imgur. Post the link here.
Begin adding 1 gallon of 10% pool bleach or 2 gallons of 6% PLAIN household bleach each PM. See links below for the 'right stuff'.

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Testing

TODAY: A cheapo OTO/phenol red kit from SOMEWHERE (unless you get the HTH kit today!)
ASAP: HTH 6 Way test kit from Walmart (https://www.walmart.com/ip/101959375) or Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B01JLY4KEM/poolbooks/)
SOON order a K2006 (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B004BGF7TI/poolbooks/) from Amazon
LATER, order CYA reagent refills: 16 oz R-0013 (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B003VZORS2/poolbooks/) and Disposable plastic lab funnels (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B01F77I9MG/poolbooks/)/B]

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[B]Reporting:

Once you have the kits, report the results PLUS water source, equipment (heater?), and presence/absence of aeration (waterfall, spillover, etc.)

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Chemicals (the RIGHT Stuff!)

Chlorine:
10% Pool bleach - Walmart Pool-Essentials-Chlorinating-Liquid (https://www.walmart.com/ip/48938023)
6% PLAIN Walmart household bleach (https://www.walmart.com/ip/43888100)
Dichlor - 55% chlorine / 50% CYA - [ Sams 50# Dichlor bucket (https://www.samsclub.com/sams/prod14250500.ip)
Dichlor - 55% chlorine / 50% CYA - Sams 24 x 1# Dichlor bags (https://www.samsclub.com/sams/prod14250499.ip) ]
Trichlor - 90% chlorine / 56% CYA [ Sams 40# Trichlor bucket (https://www.samsclub.com/sams/prod14250498.ip) ]
Cal hypo - 68% chlorine / 46% calcium hardness

Other:
Borax - 20-Mule-Team-Borax-Box (https://www.walmart.com/ip/20850525)
(NOT Boraxo detergent!)

Muriatic Acid - Lowes / Crown-1-Gallon-Muriatic-Acid (https://www.lowes.com/pd/3024039)
(Read muriatic acid instructions linked in my blue signature box!)

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Basic DOSES for YOUR pool:

1 gallon of 6% bleach ADDS 5 ppm of chlorine
1/2 gallon of 10% bleach ADDS 4 ppm of chlorine
1 lb bag of dichlor ADDS 5 ppm of chlorine and 5 ppm of stabilizer

pH DOWN dose (pH above 7.8): 1/4 gal of muriatic acid
pH DOWN dose (pH at or below7.8): 1/8 gal of muriatic acid
READ handling muriatic acid safely page linked in my blue signature box!

pH UP dose (pH at or above 7.2): 1/2 box of borax
pH UP dose (pH below 7.2): 1 box of borax

When adjusting pH, add a dose WHILE the pump is running. Wait a day, retest and dose again if needed.

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IMPORTANT Warning:

Until you are an expert at deciphering chemical names, and can distinguish sodium hydrogen carbonate from sodium dichloroisocyanurate, and so on
AVOID THESE POOL CHEMICALS:
Clorox brand POOL chemicals
Arm & Hammer brand POOL chemicals (A & H baking soda + washing soda are fine!)
HTH brand POOL chemicals (Dry-Tec, made by HTH/Arch, are often fine)
Pool Time brand POOL chemicals
United Chemical brand POOL chemicals
All "Multi-function" chemicals
All 3-in-1, 4-in-1, 5-in-1 chemicals
Flavored bleach: scents, thickened, colored, 'gentler', etc: PLAIN bleach ONLY!!!!
Stain removers (most add phosphates = algae fertilizer)
Non-fuming muriatic acid (unless you KNOW it is only diluted with water!)
Most algaecides (polyquat is OK. Copper is OK if you don't mind green hair)
Almost all 'boosters'.
Ammonia based products: Yellow Out, Green to Clean, etc.
Bromide based products: Yellow Treat, etc.

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