I'm confused

[topless]

I have tried to search for answers, but my pool test numbers are so different, I'm not sure what to add.
I just opened the pool Friday, it was green and cloudy so I spent the first 36 hours trying to keep the chlorine high.
My pool is IG and gunite(?) appr. 20,000 gallons. It's a free-form shape and that's my best guess.
The first 24 hours I used 68 gallons of bleach. I closed the cover because it rained 1.4" last night. I opened it back up this morning, the water is cloudy, but blueish. I got one of Ben's test kits late last year, so I used it this morning.

Temp - 69
FC - .5
TC - 4
ph - 6.8
TA - 250
CAL - 0
cya - 0

Last year I had too much cya, over 150, but I got my test kit too late in the year to use it. I knew my chemistry was screwed up. I also have a foaming problem related to adding the wrong kind of algaecide trying to get rid of a re-occurring issue with mustard algae.
I added about 2lbs of cya and another gallon of bleach and a lb of borax. How do I add calcium?

[CarlD]

I have tried to search for answers, but my pool test numbers are so different, I'm not sure what to add.
I just opened the pool Friday, it was green and cloudy so I spent the first 36 hours trying to keep the chlorine high.
My pool is IG and gunite(?) appr. 20,000 gallons. It's a free-form shape and that's my best guess.
The first 24 hours I used 68 gallons of bleach. I closed the cover because it rained 1.4" last night. I opened it back up this morning, the water is cloudy, but blueish. I got one of Ben's test kits late last year, so I used it this morning.

Temp - 69
FC - .5
TC - 4
ph - 6.8
TA - 250
CAL - 0
cya - 0

Last year I had too much cya, over 150, but I got my test kit too late in the year to use it. I knew my chemistry was screwed up. I also have a foaming problem related to adding the wrong kind of algaecide trying to get rid of a re-occurring issue with mustard algae.
I added about 2lbs of cya and another gallon of bleach and a lb of borax. How do I add calcium?

Wow! You are really all over the MAP. First, while your pH is low, you have a gunite pool so it's probably OK. I would NOT, repeat NOT add borax or soda ash to raise pH. Only use aeration--search the site for ways to aerate.

When your pH rises above 7.2, add muriatic acid to lower it again and keep aerating until your Total Alkalinity is in the 80-125 range. You can do this while dealing with the algae.

Second, you have an FC of .5 and a TC of 4. That means your CC is 3.5...normally that means shocking to an FC of 35 to clear it--and you may well have to do that with the algae. Again, you have a gunite pool so you can get away with it. However, for starters, add bleach to raise your FC to 15ppm. If you use 6% ultra bleach you will need 5 gallons. If you use 12.5% (available from pool stores either in gallons or 5 gallon containers), you'll need 2.5 gallons to start.

But you'll need to test your water 3x/ day and add bleach/liquid chlorine whenever your FC drops below 15.

Meanwhile run the tests again--especially for CYA.

Forget calcium for now...get the algae dead first.

Fix pH, then keep the pool at shock levels, it may take a week or more.

There is NO quick and easy solution, just logical practices and patience.

Meanwhile, vacuum to waste and brush the pool once a day.

Don't go to the pool store and expect them to give you something to throw in that will fix it. They'll sell it to you, but it won't fix the problem.

You need lots and lots of bleach/liquid chlorine to fix it.

[topless]

Thanks for answering back. I added the 5 gallons of bleach late yesterday and tested again this morning.

FC - .5
TC - 2
ph - 6.8
cya - 0

I am going to the pool store this morning to get cya. I added 5 more gallons of bleach.
Before you posted I tried to raise my ph by adding 4 lbs of Borax. As you can see, it didn't change a thing. I have a small air leak in my suction line that I've never tried to find, so I get aeration 100% of the time. I guess that's why my pool has always run low ph.
Here are pictures of what happens after I add bleach and you can see the color here too.

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/bluetopless/toplesspool1.jpg
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/bluetopless/DSC00200.jpg

[CarlD]

No, the aeration causes pH to RISE, not fall. If you have low pH, it's not from aeration, more likely from Tri-Chlor puck.

You will need at least 5 gallons just to get your FC to shock level. With the way your water looks, you may need another 5 later in the day.

PLEASE read the stickied sections. You are going to need to test your water and add bleach 3x/day.

You may want to get the 5 gallon blue carboys of 12.5% Liquid Chlorine from the pool store--spend the extra $4 on the screw-on nozzle--it's worth it.

Each of these carboys is like 10 gallons of ultra bleach. It can be more convenient, especially when using large quantities. You bring the empty back to the store because they are reusable.

[topless]

Well, I had to postpone everything I planned for today. I went to vacuum the pool and the gasket in my valve went bad. So, while I was picking up cya, I got a new one and installed it. Right now the silicone is drying, so I can start again this evening after I put the valve back together.

[Jeffski]

That is some nasty pool water.

[haze_1956]

That is some nasty pool water.

Looks the lazy river my kids were in at a Hotel in Myrtle Beach a few years ago.

Had I known then what I know now!! :(

[Poconos]

Since you are in one of those unique situations where you need a bunch of chlorine AND calcium you may want to use Calcium Hypochlorite granules. Address two things at once. A lot easier to handle than bleach. About a year ago I got a 100 pound bucket of cal-hypo 67% for about $140 including tax. No great bargain but with the price of gas it's not worth trying to find the absolute best deal. If you have a sand filter it is especially easy to add. Just dump it in the skimmer and let it dissolve in the filter. Dissolves in a matter of minutes, not hours. Just make sure the label lists calcium hypochlorite as the active ingredient and nothing other than inert stuff. And before someone pops up and scares the wits out of everyone, if you have an in-line chlorinator be sure it is empty....no pucks.
Al

[topless]

Since my last post, I decided to use calcium hypochlorite and cya that I can purchase through a customer of mine. I decided that having to purchase a large quantity and store it is more cost effective than what I've been doing. 50lbs of cya will last a long time, but it will store in a 5 gallon pail or 2, that I have plenty of. The cal-hypo I'm getting a 100lbs, and will store it the same way.

If you think it's nasty now, you should have seen it Friday when I open it for the first time since Nov. It smelled bad too. So far, I'm having lots of fun, Friday I installed a new pump motor, this one was under warranty. This year has been cool and I have no heater. I have a lot of trees, so I will only get to use the pool this year 2 months or so. Every year I debate whether or not to just fill it in.

[Poolsean]

PLEASE be very careful with cal hypo storage. Just a spill of soda or motor oil mixing with it will ignite the cal hypo. Keep it isolated and DRY, out of any possibility if anything mixing with it.

I saw a pool distributor burn down because a guy on a forklift drove over a busted open 1 lb bag, and an oil drip ignited the cal hypo. You cannot add water to put it out!

Biolab, a more recognizable name in the pool industry, burned their GA facility down a few years ago.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NTB/is_11_44/ai_n13797497

[topless]

That's good to know. Funny, you see it for sale as shock, everywhere, but that warning is not very obvious.
I plan on keeping it in clean dry 5 gallon buckets that have rubber lid seals. I also was going to put in some of those moisture control packets. (I bought some for another reason)
But, I did not know about the oil or soda danger.

[CarlD]

That's good to know. Funny, you see it for sale as shock, everywhere, but that warning is not very obvious.
I plan on keeping it in clean dry 5 gallon buckets that have rubber lid seals. I also was going to put in some of those moisture control packets. (I bought some for another reason)
But, I did not know about the oil or soda danger.

Yeah, that's why Wal-Mart stopped carrying the good stuff--the 68% and pushed HTH to supply them only with 48%--junk. WallyWorld had a warehouse either burn down or get badly damaged from mis-handled Cal-Hypo causing a fire.

[topless]

I've been using the bleach calculator. How do you calculate for the powder?

One more question, every spring I clean out hundreds of dead worms. I have a powered cover and use water bags to weight the open end. But, the quantity of dead worms is amazing. My guess is I could fill a quart jar with them. Some I skim off the top as floaters, the rest I have to clean out of the pump strainer after I vacuum the pool. I still can't see the bottom, so I know there are more there after I cleaned last night. I don't think I have anymore algae, but the pool is still very cloudy. Is this why?

After I fixed the valve, I vacuumed the pool to waste and added 5 gallons of bleach. This morning the test results are:

temp -72
FC -1
TC -2.5
ph - 6.8
cya - 0 because I haven't added any, I'm returning the Leslies and going to use the commercial stuff later today.

I'm going to add 7 gallons of bleach this morning and hope some will still be there this afternoon when I get home.

[Jeffski]

Someone here said applying crushed limestone in the grass around your pool will keep the worms away.

[topless]

I haven't solved my pool issues, yet. It's been raining for the last 3 days, so the cover has been closed. I added my last 5 gallons of bleach yesterday and to do that I had to roll the cover back enough to expose the pool. It looks exactly the same, I didn't bother to test anything. Hopefully this weekend the rain is supposed to stop and I can get back to the pool.
At this rate, maybe by mid-July I can use it.

[waterbear]

Yeah, that's why Wal-Mart stopped carrying the good stuff--the 68% and pushed HTH to supply them only with 48%--junk. WallyWorld had a warehouse either burn down or get badly damaged from mis-handled Cal-Hypo causing a fire.
HTH still has the stronger stuff. It's Super Sock-it but it's only sold in pool stores (we carry it). The regular Sock-it is the 48% stuff. (We carry it also.)

[Spensar]

"Meanwhile, vacuum to waste and brush the pool once a day."

Be sure to follow up on this bit of advice, it's important to clearing up the water quicker. When you shock and kill the green algae, it is dead but still there. That's part of the cloudiness after wiping out the greenies and it's a lot of the fine residue on the bottom of your pool after the greenies are dead.

I opened to a green mess for the first time this spring and zapped the green stuff in about a day and a half with LOTS of 12% chlorine, then turned the pump off until the residue settled to the bottom and vacummed the junk to waste.

[topless]

The sun is out, finally, so I was able to open the pool. It's still cloudy, but blue not greenish.

temp -75 degrees
FC -0
TC -3
cya -I added this am 4 hours ago, 55 ppm
ph - 7.2
cal - 0

I just added 5.68 gallons of bleach. Monday, I get my cal-hypo granules. I also bought 3" cal-hypo tablets (65%). Boy, pool chemicals are a rip. I bought 55 lbs of cya for $44.55. 55 lbs of cal-hypo tablets for $88 and 50 lbs of granules (73%)for $75.50. That may not be the cheapest, but compared to $35 for 8lbs of cya from Leslies it is most reasonable.
I vacuumed the pool before I added the bleach. The foaming is much less, but still there.
I did put the cal-hypo tablets in my chlorinator, and plan on using it unless that's a really bad idea? They don't contain any cya, these are sold for commercial water treatment, not sold specifically for pools.

[Poolsean]

You should not use cal hypo tablets in a tri-chlor tablet feeder. It needs to be vented.
Waterbear, do you agree?

[topless]

3 hours later testing

temp -76
FC - 5
CC- 2
cya - 55
TA -280
CA -0
ph - 7.2

I'm adding 3 more gallons of bleach to bring chlorine back up.

Why is venting needed on tablets? If I can't use the feeder, then I can still crush them and throw in the pool.

[waterbear]

Poolsean,
I agree, all the cal hypo tablets and capsules I have seen are designed for using in the skimmer or some of them can also be used in a NEW floater that has never held trichlor. IMHO, they work best in the skimmer. They should not be used in a trichlor feeder which is pressurized! It is possible for an explosion to occur.

[topless]

So, I should use these by dropping them in the skimmer? How many at a time?

I tried shutting off the pump to let the pool settle overnite and it didn't change it's appearance at all. It did lose virtually all it's chlorine. I had 14ppm FC and 2 CC before, and this morning it's .5 and .5. Nothing else changed. I raised the pool level in the afternoon to the normal level several hours before shutting down and brushed everything. I think I found some additional algae that missed the chlorine shock last week. That's the only thing I can figure that would explain the big loss in FC.

[topless]

I'm finally making some progress with my pool. I can see the bottom in the 4' section and as of this morning my tests showed
temp-77
FC-6.5
CC-1.5
ph-7.5-6
cya -50
TA-300

The TA is my next area I'm going to work on. I will start adding the acid and aerating the pool. I found an interesting setup in my inherited box of pool stuff. It has a fitting that plugs into the Polaris jet and turns 90 degrees and is adjustable height before another 90 and ends with a parallel sprayer head. I checked it, and it is perfect for spraying 20 streams of water into the surface of the pool. I can aim the spray 360 degrees so I can have a fountain or straight into the water with maximum force. I remembered seeing it, but had know idea what to use it for until I saw the pictures in the other thread.
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/bluetopless/pooljet001.jpg

[CarlD]

FC 6.5, CC 1.5, CYA 50?

You need to keep your FC at 15 or it will never clear. I'd worry about that before T/A since it's still cloudy.

[topless]

I haven't dropped the chlorine those last readings were first thing in the morning after putting the FC at 20ppm last night.
I put it back up and kept it all day. Is there a reason I can't do both?
I got some muratic acid and dropped the ph to 7.2 and installed, what turns out to be a rather neat fountain. The TA has come down to 230 just today. While running it looks like this:
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i287/bluetopless/fountain001.jpg

[CarlD]

Well, you can, and at 7.0 to 7.2, the chlorine will be more effective at killing algae than at 7.6-7.8, so it will help.

I just don't want you to lose focus on your primary task--killing the algae. Nor was it clear that the measure was between shocks/before the next scheduled shock.

[topless]

That's good to know. The ph had climbed back up near 7.5 again, so I just put in another quart of acid. This morning the readings were better.

FC-14
CC-1.5
ph-7.4 (a guess, but close, a lot redder than 7.2 where it was at 7pm)

Last night, I turned the sprayer head into the pool basically straight down and it drives the streams into the water several inches. From what I read in the other thread, this will aerate the pool better.

The main drain is visible now and the water is getting some sparkle to it. Finally.

[CarlD]

Almost there....just be patient and persistent!

[topless]

Everything has been on hold for the past 4 days. Closed the pool cover and haven't been able to open it while we've received 6-8" of rain. If the weather guessers are correct, 2 more days and 2" of rain before it clears off.
I'm sure water temperature has cooled off because the warmest we've been is 74 degrees since we closed the cover.

Had a break in the rain, the water went backwards. No FC- cloudy, can't see the 4th step. Shocked the whee out of it, I stopped counting at 25ppm. Then the rain came back.