new member questions

[Leigh Anne]

Hi all. I joined the poolforum today. I am almost embarrassed to post here because I seem to know so little about my pool. It is a 24ft above ground, 52" pool with a sand filter. I replaced the sand as instructed by my pool store. I use a simple testing kit that tests the chlorine and PH levels. They are both within normal range. My problem is like many I am reading about here...cloudy water!!!

I have shocked, clarified (which by the way only made it cloudier).

For anyone else with my problem, my kids have made up a new game called find the swimmer. As soon as they go under, they are invisible!!!

advice anyone?

[Leigh Anne]

ps. The pool holds 14,000 gallons of H20. The jet that spits water back into the pool is spitting out white stuff. What's up with that?

[debs_pool]

Leigh Anne,

Welcome to the forum. I'm pretty much a "newbie" to this forum too. Do NOT be embarrassed by your lack of knowledge. This is my fifth year with my pool and it's my FIRST year to be pro-active and actually learn about my pool! You have found the right place! These people are great.

I'm sure you'll get some responses to your post. You'll get the BEST help if you can POST some NUMBERS so people will know more about your pool and it's water ... so they can help you the best way possible. If you have a test kit (I ordered Ben's finally! from the pool solutions website) that is a DROP-BASED kit -- you can get it at Wal-Mart or somewhere like that ... and test for the following and then post #'s:

FC
CC
TC
pH
Alk
Cal
CYA

Here are some suggestions that will help you (did me -- and I'm still learning!):

#1 - Find the "stickies" at the top of each topic on this forum
(i.e., "Best Guess Chart", A beginner's guide to pool chemistry, etc.) and read these.

#2 - Also go to www.poolsolutions.com and read everything there. There is a long list of reasons a pool can be cloudy -- that's why #'s are important -- so that people here can give you the best response possible!

#3 - Ask Questions! Great people here -- just keep checking back -- somebody will chime in to help you out.

#4 - Learn POP (Pool Owner Patience -- I believe it's the hardest thing to learn of all! LOL)

#5 - Glad to have you at the pool forum -- read, read, read -- somebody else may have the exact problem and you check out all those responses!

[CarlD]

Leigh Anne:

We ALL have to start learning sometime. There's no reason to feel embarassed. The best time to start learning is right now.

It's been suggested that you post numbers--that's always a good first step.

Then you should read the stickied posts at the top of some of the topics here, like this one: Pool Chemicals and Pool Water Problems. There are some at the top of the Chlorine topic, and the Testing and Chemistry topic.

Most of the advice you'll get here will be covered by them. However, the test results will allow us to zero in YOUR specific problem and suggest a solution.

One of the best things you'll learn is that pool care isn't hard, isn't complicated, and isn't difficult to understand. It's just made to seem that way by an industry that wouldn't make half as much money if people knew what we advocate here.

There's a book sold in pool stores called "Taming the Pool Monster". IMHO, it's a waste of money since it starts by assuming that your pool is a monster that needs to be tamed. It's no such thing. The only monsters that need to be tamed are the pool stores, pool services and pool chem companies.

The pool itself is easy and simple once you know what it is you need to do. It's not mysterious, magical or logic-defying.