Can't get a reading for CH level.

Had our 16 x 32 IG pool opened on 4 days ago. Since opening, I have added three 1 1/2 gal jugs of clorox, 6 bags of super shock, loaded the skimmers w/biogard chlorine sticks; thats all in additon to the chemicals that came with the start up kit that were added by the pool opening service. I STILL can't get any reading for CH. The rest of the stick seems to register o.k. The water is still very cloudy. Can't see bottom. HELP. I'm at my wits end.

Winwillie

If by CH you mean Chlorine, you're probably not getting a reading because you have no stabilizer in your water, and the "goo" in the water and the sun are just eating up all your chlorine. Get a drop-based kit, run a set of test numbers for Cl, pH, TA, CA, and CYA, and post them here along with info on what type of finish your pool has and what exactly (ingredient names, not just "shock") your pool opening service added to your pool. Then we can get you headed in the direction of clear water.

Welcome to the forum!

Janet

Thank you Janet, will get a kit as soon as I leave work today and send you the numbers.

Winwillie

One more thing Janet, what is stabilizer? And yes, by CH I meant chlorine.
I do have a bottle of "clarifier" left from the pool opening kit, would that be it?

It is still very cool in NY. We live out on the East end of L.I. so I'm hoping to get the water clear and warmed up before mid June when the warm weather rolls in!
Winwillie

Stabilizer is also called conditioner - it is used to raise the cya in your water which keeps the chlorine from breaking down in sunshine.

Clarifier is not stabilizer.

You will have to post your numbers, don't put anything else in the pool until you see where the water is chemically.

Welcome to the forum!

Stabilizer is another name for CYA (or conditioner). It basically keeps the sun from burning off all of the clorine during the day. You want to be between 30-50ppm.

No, the clarifier is not the same thing. A clarifier helps to bind really fine particles into larger ones so your filter can catch them. From what I have been reading on the forum the clarifiers are generally not necessary for normal pool maintenance - but I am no expert :)

O.K. Got the drop test kits. Actually, purchased the 1st one at Walmart,had to return it because there was something wrong w/the reagents particularly with the CYA test. Called HTH and they said to return it to the store. Purchased an Aqua Chem 6 way kit at KMart and here are the results.

First, our pool is an 18 x 32 IG vinyl liner. Not sure what the ingredients were in the pool start up kit. We provided it for the service. It was an HTH start up kit. The only thing that wasn't added was the clarifier.

Here are my numbers. Hope I did it right.

CI/BR = 3 - 6 TA = 170 ppm CA 20+ PH 7.2


The 6 tests in the kit are:
Chlorine, Total Ative Bromine, pH test, Total Alkalinity, Water Hardness and Stabilizer test.

Hope this help with a diagnosis.

Thank you all.
winwillie

Okay, first you don't have any Bromine in your water, so ignore that scale. Cl is 3, that's fine. TA of 170 is a tad high, but no big deal. pH 7.2, that's fine, too. Ca doesn't matter in a vinyl pool. Stabilizer is the same as CYA, and that's the result I need to help figure out what your Cl problem is. Can you run that one?

Janet

Janet,

The stablizer was the 20+. Is that the one w/the black dot? That's what the kit said is the "stabilizer" test. Am I wrong? Thank you.

Carole (winwillie)

Checked around the forum and noted that my stabilizer reading of -20 was actually none at all. So I went ahead, after backwashing the filter, and added a little over 2 lbs of stabilizer for my 20,000 gal pool as per instructions on the container. Didn't want to add the full 4 pounds as I don't want to overcorrect. I followed a 1/2 hour later w/ 4.25 gal of chlorox bleach.
Still no reading for Clorine. Am I expecting too much too soon? Should I add more bleach?
I am a little anxious about this as we are leaving on Sat for 3 days. Should I continue to leave the filter on 24/7 while we are away? The water isn't green, but still cloudy. How about clarifier? Would it help as well?

Appreciate all your input very much.
Winwillie