Starting off just like I left last season :(

When did you install your new sand? If it's new I do know that it's not as efficient as older dirtier sand at removing particles.

In my world I have added a total of 12.5 gallons of bleach over the last 2 days. The filter is on 24/7 and the robot is running too.

I still have cloudy green water, but I can now see faint image of the yellow robot at the bottom.

The filter isn't getting bogged down anymore and the skimmer stocking really helps with the little stuff.

On avg what kind of timeline can I expect to see improvement and more of the bottom?

It's a 17,000 gallon 48" pool.

There isn't a timeline. Every pool will be different. Just keep hammering it with bleach and maintain a consistent shock level without letting it fall and it will clear. I'm still wondering if you could be having any metal problems since you say you partially fill with well water. It wouldn't hurt to have a pool store check for metals in the water.

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Originally Posted by stma

WaterMom: But at what point do you start considaring the filter/sand as the culprit ??/ I'm on day 11, and 23 gallons of bleach later. i have seen zero change in my pool water...still green and cloudy..so much to the point I have not vacuumed yet....brushing, yes...but I can't see past 18 inches from the top....
I'm wondering if the WalMart sand I bought (which was 1/2 the price of ANYone else locally) is actually my problem ?? (the old saying, "You Get What You pay For" is starting to ring true for me ???

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stma --- It is usually best not to jump into the middle of another thread because it gets complicated trying to help two people at once. I just replied to you in your other thread about posting a current set of water testing results. (FC, CC, alk, ph, cya). Repost that info on the other thread and also over there tell us if you bought pool sand or play sand. I doubt it is your sand. Let's continue on the other thread. Thanks.

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Originally Posted by Watermom

There isn't a timeline. Every pool will be different. Just keep hammering it with bleach and maintain a consistent shock level without letting it fall and it will clear. I'm still wondering if you could be having any metal problems since you say you partially fill with well water. It wouldn't hurt to have a pool store check for metals in the water.

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It was from my neighbor's well and they had no issues with their pool with 100% of the water from their well and I know every pool is different, but I tend to think it's okay.

If I can I will take a sample to the pool store and have it checked.

Thanks again!

I am not sure you have a metas problem. What I see is that you need to really concentrate on getting the pool cleaned first. With a cya of 80 you must keep your chlorine at 20 as often as possible. I would take it as high as 30, this way it will not get below 20 before you get to check it again. You must vacuum or keep your pool cleaner going everyday. You also have to brush the sides to make sure that all of the algae is getting hit hard with bleach. I think that you were battling cloudy water last year because your chlorine was not kept high enough for your cya. If you don't kill all of the algae, it takes hold, and with the continued use of "almost enough" chlorine, the water does not turn green, but it does not get that crystal clear either. While I am not sure there is not anything wrong with your filter, it seems to me to be a chlorine problem at the moment. You can go through a lot of chlorine when you open to a dirty pool. The brown you are describing may be coming from dirt that worked it's way into your pool from your current construction. A quick way to find out if the sides of the pool are stained from organics or metals is to get some vitamin C tablets, crush them up and put them in a sock and rub on the vinyl liner where you can see if it changes color. If it does, then it is metals and I can tell you what to do. My opinion is to get the water cleaned up first, then worry about the stains. It took my pool over a week this year of adding so much bleach that I lost count for the water to look clean and see the bottom. When there is so much in it on opening, then there may be some nasty organics that need a lot of chlorine to kill it. You will know that all is dead when the chlorine holds overnight. Keep the filter running 24/7 for now. Hope this helps, and keep us posted:)

I added about 4 gallons of bleach when I got home. My PH went up, way up around 8. I guess I overshot the borax the other day. I added a little acid and I will wait.

The robot is still going and picking up slime and crud off the bottom. I backwashed and got the green color I was used to. The stocking is still doing it's job, but not filling anywhere near what it was.

I have a sump in the pool on the other side close to the bottom and shooting the water it pumps into the skimmer. I guess I just have to wait.

I have a question as to how you tell when your Chlorine level is at 20 or even 30. Can you tell with a better test kit?

Concerning your PH bounce: HOLD OFF ON THE ACIDE!!! High Chlorine levels will affect the PH reading indicator....(I just found that out today ,page 11 in the Taylor manual)...If and when the CL levels go down, test the PH again....it will be substantially lower !!....

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Originally Posted by stma

Concerning your PH bounce: HOLD OFF ON THE ACIDE!!! High Chlorine levels will affect the PH reading indicator....(I just found that out today ,page 11 in the Taylor manual)...If and when the CL levels go down, test the PH again....it will be substantially lower !!....

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Thanks for the tip.

It rained hard last night so I added another gallon of bleach before I went to bed. I added another 3 gallons of this morning. I am starting to wonder how much bleach it's going to take. I have purchased 21 1.4 gallon jugs of it in the last 3 days and before that about 10 gallon jugs from Big Lots. My recycling guy is going to have a fit.


The pool is still light green, but it is starting to show signs of improvement. It is a bit easier to see the robot or at least the color of the robot. LOL Also the water is cleaner, with less suspended crud thanks to the skimmer sock.

The robot brought up a small pile of acrorns last night and hasn't gotten stuck, which it does when it would hit acorns. It does bring up about 5 pounds of goop each time. I will have to give the poor thing a medal for going over and above it's job description.

If I can get there I will take a sample to the pool store today.

Should I keep the sump pump running and bringing water from the opposite side of the pool to the skimmer??

First up: Big Lots bleach (which I bought 20 gallons of the other day) is no more than 3%....if its the Sno-EEE brand, you'll ntice that the ingredient legend does not give a percentage number....So the $1.30 you're paying is really not much of a deal after all....Walmart/ Aldi etc can probably give you a better deal overall...

Any how, if things are getting better in the water, you're well on your way..I'd keep the PPM's up, continue brushing and backwqshing as needed..as for me, my green water issue is turning out to be a metals issue....(THANK GOD I finally found that out)...

Sorry, but I cannot answer the question concerning the sump pump....BUT KEEP BLEACHING !!! a little improvement today will constantly improve over the next few days....You're getting there !!!! (I only wish I was so lucky)...

So with metals in the water it will be and stay green?

With the amount of bleach I have in this pool I cannot imagine how the pool has not at least turned cloudy blue.

Yesterday I tried the dilution test with what little distilled water I had (I use it to clean records) and with just a 1/4 of the vial filled with a pool sample the reading was still off the charts with the max being 3, so my gut feeling is I have a ton of Chlorine in there.

My wife had picked up the Big Lots bleach on her way home from work. I bought 7 of the 3 packs of Clorox at Sams for about $6.86. Each jug in the pack is about 1.4 gallons. I am down to a jug and a half.

The robot is coming up very light now and the water is very clean as far as particles go.

I am beginning to suspect something else since the water is taking so very long to clear. Monday will make it 2 weeks with the filter running 24/7.

My wife is off today and she is taking a sample to the pool store. Do I have to ask for them to test for metals?