HELPppppppppppp

[raptureready1953]

I went to visit my daughter and when I came back pool was GREEN. DARK GREEN. Dear hubby forgot to put chlorine in and now I do not know what to do. Been battling all summer to get a cya reading. It says 0 no matter what I do. So today I tested the ph and it was high so added acid. Waiting a couple hrs for that. My chorine says OK. More toward the ok on the low side, but thats because hubby put a gallon of chlorine in it two days ago but only a lighter green today so he says. What do I do? How much chlorine can I put in it? 4500 gal. Vinyl, he has been running the pump 24/7. I have vacuumed it to no avail. Will go out and test in another thirty min or so. I was reading that sometimes you need a 25 level to keep chlorine level up in pool to keep out algea. But is that safe to swim in? When can I go back in the water? I sure wont while it is green. YUCK

[raptureready1953]

just clicking reply in email...thanks again

[Spensar]

With 4500 gallons, 1.5 gallons of 6% bleach will raise the chlorine by 20 ppm. 1 gallon brings it up by 13 ppm, so the one gallon that was added two days ago was starting on the right track. The thing is the chlorine gets used up PDQ killing off the algae, so you need to read the chlorine levels 2-3 times a day and as much as required to keep the level up.

If you add 1 gallon in the morning to a black/green pool, it will be zero by night. You need to keep the chlorine level high, or else the algae will grow back. It sounds like your hubby added a gallon, it probably lightened up, but then the chlorine was gone and the algae came back.

If the CYA is low, try keeping it at a minimum of 15 ppm and the green will fade to cloudy, then finally clear. There should be a lot of dead crud in the bottom of the pool soon enough, vacumm it to waste. There are a number of recent threads on this topic so I'd recommend looking around. But before that, go hammer the algae with lots of chlorine to start. :D

[raptureready1953]

total values

CL 0.6 I know this, this is my problem, how to keep level up so algea does not exist

ph is 7.8

TA 220
Hardness 350

CYA 30.

What do I do now? thanks again

[Spensar]

Right now, hammer it with chlorine. Your numbers are pretty good. You can bring the ph down a bit but right now the big thing is to kill off the invaders. Here's a thread about cleaning up once the algae is getting killed.

Your CYA is in a sweet spot, so liquid chlorine is great.

http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?p=34819#post34819

[Spensar]

Here is the link to the sticky on busting up cleaning up green pools! This works!

http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=3833

[RavenNS]

Vacuum to waste...
test & add chlorine frequently... liquid is fine for now as your cya is okay..
use bleach calculator & "best guess table" for keeping your pool at shock levels for a couple of days.

Good luck & within days you shall swim again :)

[raptureready1953]

Im sorry I dont get it...how many gal of clorox a day? One ok? Do I add in intervals? Like 2 to 3 c at a time? Vacuum three times a day...
Shock is to be 25? My tester doesnt go that high... If I keep it at shock level how does one swim in it? Its not suppose to be above 3 to swim... I am so confused..I have read and read and read... :( :( :(

Would it just be easier to dump the water, wash the pool and start over?

[RavenNS]

you can buy a better tester that does go that high... ( I even have some "guess" strips that go higher).

If you don't mind dumping, cleaning, & refilling... then yes, it probably is easier ( & faster)... especially since your TA is a bit high.

If not interested in going that route, then use the bleach calculator & test as frequently as you can.
It does take time. waiting is so hard ;)

Good Luck :)

[Spensar]

You want to "shock the water, so put the full gallon in at once. Check your chlorine levels 2-3 times per day. I'd vacum and brush once a day.

If you have a drops tester that reads to about 3 ppm and turns the test water yellow, after shocking the test water should come out nice and dark brown, indicating that the chlorine levels are up there. If the test water is getting in the range of your test kit to read, add chlorine. 1.5 gallons will put in about 20 ppm so I would start with that level until the green clears up.

If you do dump and refill, it would be good to shock the new water in case any live algae is in any nooks or crannies. After that be sure to keep your pool at 2 ppm minimum if you CYA is low.

[ivyleager]

#1. Im sorry I dont get it...how many gal of clorox a day? One ok? Do I add in intervals? Like 2 to 3 c at a time? Vacuum three times a day... Shock is to be 25? My tester doesnt go that high...

#2. If I keep it at shock level how does one swim in it? Its not suppose to be above 3 to swim... I am so confused..I have read and read and read...

#3.Would it just be easier to dump the water, wash the pool and start over?

In order to test pool water at higher levels, use the shot glass method of dilution, a shot glass being 'one part'. Take one part pool water and one part distilled water, mix together, and use this mixture to test the chlorine. Take the chlorine reading and multiply by 2. If still too high to measure, take one part pool water and 2 parts distilled water, mix, then test, take chlorine reading, and multiply by 3.

Now, to answer your questions:

1. The amount of chlorine you'll need to add depends upon what residual chlorine you have in your pool. Test the water at least 2x day. You'll most likely need to add chlorine after each test to bring it back up to shock levels. For your pool shock level being 15ppm. See below chart:

Ben's 'best guess' chlorine guide. Use the info in this chart to help you figure out what levels of chlorine you need to maintain in your pool based on the amount of CYA (cyanuric acid, also called stabilizer) that you have in your pool. (FC = free chlorine)

Stabilizer(CYA) . . . Min. FC . . . . Max FC . . . 'Shock' FC
=> 0 ppm . . . . . . . .1 ppm . . . . . 3 ppm . . . . 10 ppm
=> 10 - 20 ppm . . . .2 ppm . . . . . 5 ppm . . . . 12 ppm
=> 30 - 50 ppm . . . .3 ppm . . . . . 6 ppm . . . . 15 ppm
=> 60 - 90 ppm . . . .5 ppm . . . . . 10 ppm . . .. 20 ppm
=> 100 - 200 ppm . . 8 ppm . . . . . 15 ppm . . .. 25 ppm

Now, one gallon of bleach will raise the chlorine in your pool to 13, which is pretty close to 15 (shock level). If testing reveals ZERO chlorine in your pool (which may occur due to the algae), then you'll need to add a smidge more. To add the bleach, IF YOU DO NOT HAVE AN INLINE CHLORINATOR, then pour all at once SLOWLY through the skimmer. Or, if you wish, pour around the perimeter of the pool. KEEP FILTER ON 24/7. When I had my first algae bloom at start up years ago, I never vacuumed; brushed and brushed so algae would get filtered, then backwashed about 2-3x/day.

2. Well, if the pool is green, why would you want to swim in it anyway? I keep my chlorine around 5ppm as my CYA is 70ppm. Perfectly fine. My suits do not fade. I do not glow in the dark. If your pool clears and while waiting for the chlorine to come back down, go ahead and swim if chlorine is <10ppm, just wear an old suit. Remember, the free chlorine level is dependent upon the CYA level. Think of it this way, the CYA binds to the chlorine, making higher levels not as toxic. If you have zero CYA and a chlorine of 10, then that would be very high, indeed.

3. Think of this as a learning process.

Good luck.

CaryB

[raptureready1953]

THANK YOU ALL SOoooooooooooooo much. I will keep everyone posted. I appreciate the help so so so very much. Hope to get it cleared soon!!

[raptureready1953]

Day 2 still no change. Color may be a little lighter green. But green nonetheless.

CYA is still up there between 30-50. FC is way up there too. Using test strips for that, and it came out darker than the HIGH that was listed. Put in 3 gallons chlorine this morn. Swept. I have a stinky vacuum that came with the pool but cant afford another better kind, and my pool does not have the capabilty for back wash. We also have no skimmer. Cheap vinyl pool. Any more ideas out there?

[Sully]

Keep doing what your doing..........
1) chlorine at shock level
2)keep filter running
3) keep brushing and vacuuming

Its not going to clear up overnight, practice some patience and the 3 steps above......you'll walk out one morning staring a a crystal clear pool.........I promise!

[raptureready1953]

Keep doing what your doing..........
1) chlorine at shock level
2)keep filter running
3) keep brushing and vacuuming

Its not going to clear up overnight, practice some patience and the 3 steps above......you'll walk out one morning staring a a crystal clear pool.........I promise!
Before it snows in Fl? :D LOL. Thanks for the help.

[raptureready1953]

Another lesson learned. I do not think all chlorine is the same. LOL. AND 3 qts do not equal a gallon. Oh me. Needless to say I still have a green pool. Brushed several times today. Vacuumed once. Just put more clorox in. UGH UGH UGH:confused:

[Simmons99]

Again test and keep your chlorine level high. There are SO MANY threads where I have seen people get frustrated - but it always has worked out as soon as they have the correct amount of chlorine and it is kept at the right level consistantly ..... then poof blue cloudy pool ....and then a clear blue pool.

[raptureready1953]

I think my problem must be consistancy. My five way tester only goes to 5. BUT it now is way over that, almost a dark brown. The other test strips are way over 10. That is what it has been over the last three days. I am hoping for some change soon. Thanks.

[Simmons99]

You can go to a pool store and pick up a Taylor FAS-DPD chlorine test kit - it will test up to 50ppm I believe

OR

You can purchase DISTILLED water and put like 4 parts distilled water to one part pool water and then multipy your results by 5 - but not as accurate as a good test kit.

[raptureready1953]

Oh ok, thanks. Dont have the money for any more test kits. Wish I did. I would buy one on this site. Will try the distilled water asap. Thanks for the info. Much appreciated. I am not sure what color the pool water is . To me its more a light green gray...nothing like the green of yesterday. ???

[raptureready1953]

I think I have cloudy blue today. I went out to test and I could actually see about 1/4 in into the pool . I actually saw some of the liner. LOL. My ph was super high, so added some reducer. Another gal. and half of clorox. Told dh to pick up some more clorox today, almost out.

Hope this turns clear soon. Thanks yall (probably does not help that we have humid rainy afternoons for the rest of the month. yuck)

[Simmons99]

DON'T adjust PH with high chlorine levels - the high chlorine will mess with the PH test. Err on the side of caution and wait for your chlorine levels to drop below like 20ppm.

What have your chlorine tests been looking like? Make sure you are backwashing and scrubbing - now the filter needs to start cleaning out the dead algae. Keep the chlorine levels high to make sure that none starts growing again.

[raptureready1953]

Hi My husband says that we have no capability to back wash on this vinyl pool. But I have been scrubbing. Trying to keep the chlorine level up. I only have a five way tester, and I also have strips. I go by the color on the five way. It is really brown. The test strips, the color is on the high side ..I think its over 10 on the strips, 5 on the other. I put in a gal and half a while ago. Swept, ... now later I will go out and maybe add more chlorine, and then sweep. Tonight I will vacuum if its not thundering and lightning. And add another gal and half. Does that sound about right? My pool holds aprox. 4500 gal. Its an intex vinyl.

[Spensar]

Sounds like things are coming along. Instead of backwashing, can you take out the cartridge filter and hose it off? There will be a lot of gunk to come out, and since you can't backwash, washing out the gunk will greatly speed up the process. I don't have one so I'm not sure how you you clean them without replacing them. I'm assuming you can wash it off and pop it back in instead of replacing it every time. After it's nearly clear and the bottom free of stuff, you replacing it would be a good idea.

Are you buying clorex brand bleach? If so make sure it is the plain ordinary bleach with no additives or "spring fresh", etc. You want straight sodium hypochlorate. If the is a Walmart near you, their house brand is usually the cheapest and doesn't have additives. (Just want to make sure you aren't accidently putting bad stuff in your pool!)

P.S. You WILL be able to see the bottom of the pool.

[ivyleager]

Hi My husband says that we have no capability to back wash on this vinyl pool. We also have no skimmer.

Okay, you have a small Intex pool that holds 4500 gals, and filtrations appears to be the major limiting factor. I'm ASSUMING that you've kept the filtration system (such that it is) on 24/7 and changed out the cartridge(s) as it is most likely fairly gunked up by now. If so and still no change, I'd recommend letting the chlorine drift down to almost zero, adding some polyquat per bottle recommendations, and then reshocking. Then again, dumping and refilling seems reasonable, too.

Good luck.

CaryB
Caniac

[Spensar]

I'm not sure that the algae is dead, dead, dead yet, so letting the chlorine down to zero may be a little early. Visibility is not close the bottom yet, and any results have only come along over the last couple of days with consistent high chlorine levels. I'm not sure what benefit their is in letting the chlorine drift to zero and putting in algaceide. From what I understand, teh aglae got going from yo-yoing chlorine levels.

I'm just going with my experience, but I kept the chlorine levels very solid until I was reading zero CC for a couple of days and was starting to see the bottom of the pool through the fog.

Until the CC is zeroed out, backing off the chlorine may not be the best bet and I'd err on the side of caution.

RR1953, if your kit doesn't give you cc levels, can you get it tested at a pool store? If they wonder at the chlorine levels, just tell them you are zapping a bunch of algae and ignore anything else :-) ! That cc reading is a good thing to know now.

[raptureready1953]

What is CC? No pool store around here. Would have to drive an hr and half. The pool is now just cloudy. Like you said it looks foggy. GOod description. Will keep doing what I am doing for now. If not clear in two days, I am dumping and refilling. Thanks for all of everyones help.

[Simmons99]

What is CC? No pool store around here. Would have to drive an hr and half. The pool is now just cloudy. Like you said it looks foggy. GOod description. Will keep doing what I am doing for now. If not clear in two days, I am dumping and refilling. Thanks for all of everyones help.

CC= combined chlorine - it is chlorine that has been "spent" but not burned up in the process of killing organics. You will ususally have it when your pool has been heavily infected with organics (algae, tanning lotion, urine, etc.)

When you shock the pool - it not only kills the bad stuff, but it also "burns up" the combined chlorine (CC).

CC are tested with the FAS-DPD chlorine test kit I told you about a couple of days ago.

You mentioned your test is dark brown - are you diluting with distilled water and testing - 4 parts distilled water and one part pool water? If so - then your chlorine level is too high - you should get a vibrant yellow - but not dark brown.

You should go to http://www.poolsolutions.com and read the articles and check out the "sticky" threads at the top of the forums - they will help you understand this process a lot better and the terminology.

[raptureready1953]

the color is a funny brown...but I am in the process of shocking. Its vibrant yellow when level is about 5.

[Spensar]

Keep vacumming and cleaning the filter too, to get the junk out. Over the next day or so, you should see clearer water. Like Ivy said, filtering is becoming the challenge now.

[raptureready1953]

Hi Everyone

Well I learned how to open my pump tonight with DH help. I washed the filter out really well, and its up and running. Added more clorox, hope morning time will give me a nice clear pool.

Now, once it is clear, how do I keep it that way? Do I let the chlorine level drop back to 5 to 10? My cya is still between 30 and 50.

Thanks again so much for all the help I have recieved. I went and read the stickies, and a lot of other stuff too. Thanks for this site.

[Spensar]

Once it's clear, with that level of CYA, chlorine at 3 to 5 ppm will do the trick. The #1 thing to keep a clear pool is to not let the chlorine level down. Other things like PH and alk should be balance but if they go out of range it isn't a disaster like letting the chlorine go low for a few days.

[raptureready1953]

Thanks again. Went out this morn to check and its still so cloudy. At least not green. More of a grey blue?

Today I just stuck a strip in, results
total Hardness 250 ok
tot. chlorine 10 high
free chlorine 10 high
ph 8.4 very high
tot alkalinity 120 ok low
stablizer(color is between)50-100

[raptureready1953]

another question...could my pool be still cloudy from too much chlorine? Its not clear yet. :mad:

[aylad]

Your pool isn't going to be cloudy from too much chlorine, if you're using bleach. Your pool is cloudy because it's still full of dead algae that is suspended in the water. The chlorine does the killing, the filter does the removing. It may take several days for it to all filter out. That's why running your pump 24/7 and very frequent brushing are recommended when killing off an algae bloom.

Don't worry about your pH being high for now--with your chlorine that high, it sometimes gives false high pH readings. Wait until you're ready to let your chlorine start dropping and retest your pH before trying to treat it.

Janet

[BlueBlobTX]

Chemical folks, please correct me if I'm giving wrong advice here!

If you have an Intex pool, whose life expectancy isn't more than a few years, I would not worry at all about high PH or ALK. You might have to use a little more chlorine, but that's about it. Low PH is a problem, obviously, but high PH as far as I know only poses a risk of scaling, which shouldn't be an issue with a disposable pool.

Sounds like you are dealing with dead algae. If you search the forums, you'll find some posts on how to vacuum to waste with an Intex. I've never tried it... we can't afford to lose that much water in the drought we're in down here. But you're going to have to get the dead stuff out at some point. Run the filter and change the filter often. They don't clean real well and at under $10 a piece at Wally World, I just stock up on them. You should be seeing a bunch of brownish gunk on the filter by now. Time to replace, else it will end up back in the pool. Hopefully you're Intex came with the vac that runs off the skimmer and pump... it should be able to pick up the leftover dead algae. I don't have that and had to buy a Pool Buster to get it up, but once it's gone, it's gone.

After this, just follow the advice on this website and keep your chlorine levels up, using liquid bleach as directed and it should be smooth sailing.

Lori

[raptureready1953]

Help. I dont have a skimmer, and the vacuum is this brush thing that you hook a hose to . I do not have any more money for filters or clorox. My whole monthly budget went to what I have done already. I am so upset I could cry. And have. All because dh would not add clorox while I was gone to help with the baby. UGH UGH UGH. My pool is still cloudy, but chlorine level is high. I have swept and vacuumed and no change. AT ALL. Dont want to refill because lack of rain, but I do not know what else to do. Maybe just dump it and wait till spring. :( Oh, I do have a little over 12 qts left of clorox. I feel like dumping them all in the pool at once later this eve. Would that work?

Oh and our nice walmart said they are not selling those filters next yr or the pumps. I said well thats nice, why sell the pool then .. Where can I get replacement parts if I need them? And He said. Go on line and buy them from the company. Wow. How bout that!!! I live in a booney town, and no pool store either unless I go to Dothan, about an hr and half away. Thanks again for all the help.

[chem geek]

Chemical folks, please correct me if I'm giving wrong advice here!

If you have an Intex pool, whose life expectancy isn't more than a few years, I would not worry at all about high PH or ALK. You might have to use a little more chlorine, but that's about it. Low PH is a problem, obviously, but high PH as far as I know only poses a risk of scaling, which shouldn't be an issue with a disposable pool.

Lori,

Yes you are correct, especially about the ALK (TA). However, high pH has other issues in addition to increasing the risk for scaling (you may notice cloudiness first). These issues include the following:

1) Greater likelihood of precipitating metals in the water. This can be avoided with a sequestering agent, if there are any metals in the water at all.

2) Greater likelihood for irritation of the eyes. Both high and low pH can irritate the eyes.

3) Lower effectiveness of chlorine, though this isn't as extreme in the presence of CYA. With a CYA of 50, TA of 120, FC of 10, going from a pH of 7.5 to a pH of 8.4 reduces chlorine effectiveness by about 20% so you would use Ben's chart with increased FC levels accordingly.

raptureready1953,

With your 8.4 pH, 250 CH, 120 TA, 50-100 CYA, your pool is quite a bit out of chemical balance with a relatively strong tendency to scale (the LSI or CSI is over 0.9). Normally, we tell people not to worry about the saturation index because you generally have a lot of leeway with it, but I've seen reports on this forum that cloudiness occurs at around 0.75 or 1.0 so this may very well be the source of your cloudiness. Since the high pH has other problems (see above), I would suggest you lower the pH to get closer to 7.5 by adding the appropriate amount of Muriatic Acid. [EDIT] Note the post from Simmons99 (http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=5481&page=5#46) below since high Chlorine can cause a false high pH reading (I wish I remembered that the first time!). [END-EDIT]

It may be very true that you are still clearing out algae, but you might as well deal with your pH while your filter is collecting your algae.

Richard

[raptureready1953]

Richard

Thanks for the information. Will check on it after the sun comes up!!

[Simmons99]

Again the high PH reading could be caused by the high chlorine levels - stop using the strips- they can be very inaccurate.

GET distilled water and dilute the water for the chlorine test (the yellow drops test) as was posted earlier in this thread and add chorine based on the test results - don't just add all the bleach you have.

[raptureready1953]

Ok, will go to town later and get distilled water. Right now, it is still cloudy. Looks like someone poured milk in it. I want to go swimming so badly. It has been almost two weeks like this. Chlorine level is still high even with my five way tester.

[raptureready1953]

Ok this beats all I ever saw. If I did the distilled water / pool water right, it came out to 25> Does that sound right? Also, my ph was way below norm levels . I did that with just the pool water. NOW WHAT ??? Oh my... I never in my lifetime......................

[Simmons99]

Did you dilute the sample for the PH? Dilution only works for the chlorine. Did you add acid? Did you get a lot of acid rain - PH usually doesn't bounce from one extreme to another.

Cloudy usually means that it needs to be filtered - however without complete test results we cannot be positive.

Is the chlorine level holding overnight? If so - then you have killed all the algae.

[raptureready1953]

Ph Is high. Still, yes I added PH Decreaser. Chlorine is holding. It is still 25 this morn. But pool is still cloudy. I do not understand it at all. Pump is running good ... (I tested ph with strip, threw strip away and used my 5 way tester). Would it be ok to dump only half the water and refill ? I hate to do that but I do not know what else to do. Would CYA make pool cloudy? I dont have a skimmer, and had to putit in a coffee filter inside the puck holder. (floater). I wish I had my husbands camera at home I would take a pic. Thanks so much for the help.

[raptureready1953]

went and tested cya again. Its about 25... was 30 last wk. Chlorine is still way up there. Pool still cloudy. We decided to empty some of the water and refill. Hope this works. Looks so pretty blue, but so milky. REREAD why pools can get cloudy. Well it cant be algea then if my chlorine level is holding, right? So I give up. must be the ph balance is out of whack. Going to refill a little more than 1/4 of the pool then start over.

[Simmons99]

You can try the refill - it could be a high calcium level - but it's hard to tell without test results.

PLEASE remember that the PH test is not accurate (drops or strips) above like 10-15ppm of chlorine - it will give you a false high reading. Best NOT to adjust PH when your chlorine levels are high.

[raptureready1953]

Water hardness is 50. I dumped about 1/4 of the pool water out and noticed brown stuff on the bottom in places. I vaccumed it up and refilling now. Will retest chlorine level and see what happens after it is filled.

[raptureready1953]

Hi again. I refilled the pool . I had only dumped about 1/4 of it. Water temp is cooler, but still cloudy, but not as cloudy. I can see the bottom of the pool now. It is blue with milky color? I noticed brown stuff as I said on the bottom in places. I vacuumed it up, and came back out later and more is there, I vacuumed that too. The pump runs 24 /7. New filter. Chlorine level is still about 25. And holding. What else can be wrong? Is that brown stuff alegea? Why is the clorox not killing it if it is algea, and the chlorine level still so high?

Ok, now for the PH. Most said do not bother with it until I get algea/chlorine problem fixed. I did the five way tester. The one where you add the pool water and then the drops. The color comes up really light, but then turns to purple after a few seconds. So that is going from low to high on the numerical scale. From add soda ash to add acid. ?????? How can that be. Is there a time to tell the number, color? Right after dropping in the drops? Or wait a few seconds for color to change?

Thanks again everyone. If that brown is not algea, I will wait for chlorine to go to safe swimming level and then I am jumping in. LOL.

[waste]

Rapture, here's a thread (fingers crossed :D ) that describes a persistant form of algae that takes hold this time of the year (at least in some locations) 5612
As Simmons said a couple of posts above, with that much chlorine in the water, the pH test is useless (Waterbear, I believe, addressed the chemistry side of why - something to do with high chlorine changing the scale of the test). Getting the algae completely removed from the pool should be the first concern, then you can play with the other perameters of your water once the cl levels have dropped to normal range.
Please give the thread I linked a read and see if it sounds like the stuff you have, if it is, follow the advice there for dealing with it, then we can get you back on track with your other chems.
Sorry I couldn't give you the 'magic answer' to your problem, but sometimes these things just take a little time, patience and perserverience :) - good luck, keep us posted - Waste

[raptureready1953]

WOW that sounds just like my pool exactly. So what to do. I read it. I have had levels up to 25 for three days now. Still some cloudiness, and brown trying to go back to the bottom. OK. So if I now get rid of it, and I let my chlorine level go back to the norm for swimming, wont it just return? WOW. MY bil has the same stuff. We live on a dirt road so I thought it was just dust. And also mowing the lawn. Geesh. What a mess. Thanks for the link though. At least I know its algea and not dust/dirt from the rd. Going to go and increase chlorine even more. Thanks again.