Help! newbie with cloudy water.

Hey everybody, I've got an annoying issue that I don't know how to clear up. I had a bunch of algae in my 15' circular above ground vinyl pool (with about 5300 gallons in it). I used 16 oz of super algae guard from hth to kill off the algae but now my water is cloudy. as of right now the the test strip readings are as follows:
total hardness: 400 ppm
free cl: 0-.5
pH: 7.8
total alk: 240
cya: 0
Now I know there are a LOT of things wrong here but where do I start? And is it really safe to use the clorox and borax that so many of you recommend in a cheapo intex above ground pool?
Thank you all in advance for any advice you can give a helpless newbie;-)

Update: I got dry acid and added it to bring down the alk level. after 4 hours its down to about 100 and my pH is down to 6.8. I've become a believer of the BBB system so tomorrow morning I'm off to buy some 6% clorox. But what do I use to raise the cya levels?
Thanks again.

Shawn, with a 15' pool, odds are you have an undersized pump, and an even more undersized filter. These will work OK to *maintain* your water clarity, but can take FOREVER to clean up the pool once it's messed up. In your case, this can translate into weeks, not days, to get all the dead algae out.

If you don't mind, that's fine.

But, if you want to swim before mid to late May, it might be better to drain, clean, and refill. (Of course if you have a better filter, etc. then you have other options.)

So . . . what sort of pump, filter and pool do you have?

Ben

PS. Don't worry about your other readings right now. You can lower your alkalinity later. But do add 1/4 gallon of bleach each PM, till you decide what to do: drain, or fix as is. (If you decide to fix as is, you'll need to get some stabilizer or start using diclor to add chlorine.)

the pool is a 15' framed circular intex (above ground) with a krystal clear 637r pump (1000 GPH rating) and type A filter cartridges. I will probably try to fix the water I have, since my water bill is high enough. I will put in the bleach tonight and report back with test results in the morning.
thanks for the advice pooldoc.

The intex pumps works OK for general circulation, but as Pool Doc mentioned, they really struggle when trying to clear a pool after an algae outbreak. If your budget allows it, Intex makes a sand filter/pump combo, that would serve you well. Sand is by far not the best type of filter for clearing a cloudy pool (vs DE or a typical cart filter), but 10x better than the very undersized intex carts. That said...keep up you chlorine levels and keep the filter going as much as possible.

Update: after putting in a quart last night around 6pm (by then its completely in the shade) I tested it at 11pm and didn't see a change in the test. So I added 2 more qts. and this morning the levels were
total hardness: 400
Free Cl: 3
pH: 7.5
Total Alk:180
CYA: 0
so since the pH levels are ok and the cl is ok, even though the water is still cloudy from the dead algae, would it be safe enough to let the kids go in and splash around a bit?
or do I need to get the cya up and the Alk down first?
Also I saw this "Pool first aid"http://www.lesliespool.com/lesliespo...arge/14118.jpg at Leslies and since my pump is so under powered for my pool would this help clear up the dead algae any quicker or would I be wasting my money?
Thanks again for everyone's help.

Don't worry about the alkalinity and calcium . . . at all. Just leave them alone.

Go to Lowes or Home Depot and get some stabilizer -- 3# is enough, though you'll probably have to buy more -- and a gallon of muriatic acid.
+ Put the stabilizer in an old long sock, tie the open end in a knot, and then use some twine to hang the sock more or less in front of the pool return.
+ Add acid, a small glug at a time (maybe 1/2 cup) as needed to keep the pH down. WEAR GLASSES and GLOVES, and watch out for the fumes.
(If you get it on you, rinse it off in the pool; if you get it in your eyes, flop over in the pool and open your eyes after you move away from the acid you dumped. Do NOT take the time to get to a 'clear' water source; do NOT spray water from a hose into your eyes -- you can put your eye out that way!)
+ Store the muriatic acid inside a small plastic bucket or trashcan. If you've got a tight lid for the can, use that; otherwise put the acid in a garbage bag and close it up. Do NOT open the bag / can inside. Carry it outside before opening -- the fumes are no fun.

Use borax if your pH gets too low. Other than that, add bleach as needed.

Once you get the stabilizer in the water, you should be able to dose every other day, instead of morning and evening.

BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS:

1. The pool store goop will help fill your dealer's wallet, but won't help your pool much: good filtration does NOT come in a bottle!

2. As long as the walls are not slimy, the water is not green and the chlorine is above 2.0 . . . your kids can play. But WATCH OUT -- you can't see a drowning kid on the bottom of a cloudy pool.

Best wishes,

Ben