I don't really have any questions.............YET

So,
I just got a sweet deal on a foreclosure. Lots more space for my family (wife and 3 kids) and BONUS - Inground Saltwater Pool!

I have absolutely no experience with pools.....but am not completely helpless either and I generally like to figure things out in lieu of paying someone else to do it.

My first inspection revealed that the pool had been winterized, and generally the equipment seemed to be in good shape. I wrote down the model #'s of all of the equipment and starting printing out the operations manuals online.
Discovery #1: No Chlorine Generator - AquaLine TCell 15 - Ordered one online - $400.00
No problem I thought, I will just build a temp. piece of pipe w/ fittings to "fill the gap" where the Tcell belongs and go ahead and get the equip running.
Discovery #2: The unions that ultimately screw into the Tcell are not standard. and therefore this will not work unless you can find the actual fittings. - Found them in a local store $50 - Decided to wait for my Tcell instead.
I took a water sample into a local store and had it analyzed. They gave me all of the reccomended shock, etc....but in the process I discovered alot of extra items that I was going to need....Let's see:
Pole
Net
Brush
Hose
Skimmer basket
Vaccum Plate
Vaccum
and so on........$275
So I am basically waiting on my Tcell, so I can physically start up my pump and filter - It is driving me crazy.

I am going to try and take some pictures and document the process once I can get started!

Hello, and welcome to the forum!!

Sounds like you've been doing a lot of the background homework, and you'll find that it'll make poolkeeping much easier. I encourage you to go to our sister site, Poolsolutions.com, and read all that you can there.

I'm guessing that the pool store didn't "give" you all the recommended shock, etc....you have to be careful with pool stores and remember that they're in the business to make money, and when your pool is nice and clear, they don't make any money.....so many times they'll sell you lots of stuff you don't need. For example: is this a vinyl liner pool, or gunite/plaster? If it's vinyl, then you don't need calcium. You also don't need phosphate remover, no matter what type of pool it is. What is the ingredient in the "shock" that they sold you?

I very very very strongly encourage you to get your own test kit and do your own testing, instead of relying on the pool store. This is a plus when you're maintaining a clean pool, but is pretty much going to be an absolute necessity when trying to clean up a neglected pool. It's also going to save you a ton of money in the long run. We recommend the K=2006 or K-2006C (same kit, the C version just has more reagents) that can be purchased through the Amazon link in my sig. When you use that link (for test kits or anything else), Poolforum makes a little money on the deal, and every little bit helps. Make sure that Amato Industries is the seller, though--some of the other sellers are substituting a kit that won't be as good for your purposes. If Amato isn't listed, then check back again in a day or so after they've restocked.

If you can post the numbers that the pool store got from analyzing your water, as well as the list of stuff they sold you, we'll be more than happy to help you sort it all out, and save you some money while you're at it.

What size pool, pump, and size/type of filter do you have?

"Re-Fresh" is the shock they sold me. 68% hypo
Also picked up baking soda, muriatic acid, and a bottle of algaecide

Not sure on the pump hp....Filter is tagelus t60 sand filter, goldline aqua rite SWCG
I dont have the test results with me...will post up tomorrow

Is your pool vinyl, plaster, gunite?

You can pretty much take back the algaecide, unless it's polyquat. Algaecide is much better at preventing algae blooms in low chlorine situations than in killing an existing bloom. Otherwise, once you get your numbers, post them up and we'll be glad to help.

Thanks,
I got the pump started last night and vaccumed out a bunch of it. Also got the shock going, and am filtering all day today. I will take another water sample tonight and have it analyzed in the am

Almost forgot - It is a 35K Gallon, with a vinyl liner

OK, so I have shocked, and vaccumed and I have dead algae everywhere. Water has went from green to cloudy blue. I don't have a good test kit yet, but do have some strips. I checked it last night which was 24 hrs after intial shock:
PH 7.8
FC 1-2
TA 180-240
CYA 0

So, I backwashed my filter, and added 4lbs shock - Checked it again this am before leaving:
PH 7.8 - 8.4
FC 10+
TA 180
CYA 0
Water still a cloudy blue - dead algae still working into the skimmer
Suggestions?

Are you only using cal-hypo for your chlorine? The calcium hardness level is the one reading your pool store didn't give you that you need. If the calcium level gets too high, then you'll have cloudy water issues. Vinyl liners don't need calcium either despite what some pool stores will tell you.

Keep the chlorine high again today. Aim for a cl reading of 10. Each time you test, take the cl back up to 10ppm. There is no such thing as testing too often when you are trying to clear up a pool. You'll need to continue to do so until you can go from sundown one evening until within 2 hours of sunset the next morning without losing more than 1ppm of cl. (It would make this much easier for you if you had a good kit and didn't have to rely on the pool store or on "guess strips" as we call them. See below about picking up an OTO kit to use instead of the strips.)

Run the pump 24/7 and clean the filter whenever the filter pressure rises 5-10 psi over the clean filter pressure which may be frequently as it filters out all the dead algae.

You're going to need some cya, also called stabilizer or conditioner. The label should show cyanuric acid or isocyanuric acid as the ingredient. You'll need about 10 lbs. to get to a CYA reading around 40 which would be a good level. Get an old sock and put some of it in there and hang it in front of a return jet. Run the pump 24/7. Give the sock a squeeze every now and then to help it dissolve. Continue adding more to the sock until you have all 10 lbs in there. It will probably take you several days for it all to dissolve.

A pH of 7.8-8.4 is not accurate enough. 7.8 would be ok but 8.4 would be too high and would need to be lowered some with some muriatic acid. Instead of using teststrips for now, go to Walmart and pick up a cheap OTO/Phenol Red kit (yellow and red drops.) Use that to test pH and report back. The chlorine side of the tester will only go to 5, but you can force it to go higher with a dilution method described here: Testing Without a Good Kit

Keep us posted and, think about that good kit.

Yes, I am only using Cal Hypo right now...until the bucket is gone, then I am going to bleach! My SWCG was delivered today, so I can get that installed tonight as well (Not turning it on until clear and balanced!)
I added some muriatic this am - 1 qt

Ok, so I got home last night and vacummed out all the dead algae I could get to - Sent it all to waste. Backwashed and rinsed filter
PH still high, added 1 QT muriatic acid
5 lbs chlorine
Brushed the whole pool and dipped out any floating gunk.

This am the water is blue and cloudy - Gets a little clearer every day. I took a sample to the pool store:
FC: 21
TC: 23
PH: 8.0 ??
ALK: 100
CYA: According to them - they cannot test becasue the water is cloudy (Test strip says 0)
Here's a new one:
Phosphates: 1500 - Of course, I need to buy a bottle of Phos-Free....???

From what I can tell, I have been making progress, and am probably some stabilizer, and a couple more days of staying after it from being able to swim. Should I use the Phos-Free?

Continue with the sustained high cl levels. Run the pump 24/7 and backwash any time the filter pressure rises 5-10 psi over clean filter pressure. Continue working to lower pH. Return the Phos-Free and get your money back. You are right. You don't need it. Phosphate removers are one of the latest "must-have" products according to pool stores. In reality, they are the latest "make some money on unsuspecting customers" product.

You need a kit! Need a kit! So you don't have to rely on the pool store. Plus, your numbers will be much more accurate than what they do. Do yourself a favor and get a Taylor K-2006 or 2006C. See the link in my signature below.

You're making good progress. Keep up the fight and you're gonna win!

I went ahead and bought some stabilizer (CYA) Should I go ahead and get some in there now? or continue to only worry about CL and PH?

I'd wait a couple of days and keep shocking the pool. If you are consistent and keep it high enough, it will clear up for you. Then, you can add the CYA.

It was looking good on Sat. Not crystal clear, but getting there. The ph was good so I let the kids swim. I added 3 gal of bleach right at dark.

Sun am - Water clear, not crystal - white haze adjusted PH and swam all day w/ 6-7 people. Added 2 gal of bleach last night.

I hooked up my SWCG, but the wire connected to the flow meter has a short in it - going to fix that tonight. Anyway, I took a water sample in to the pool store from this a.m.:
FC: 27
TC: 41
PH: 8.8
ALK: 110
Salt: 2370
I know I need to get the PH Down, which I will do tonight when I get home. I also know I need a good test kit (Supposed to get my Taylor this week)
As long as I keep adjusting my PH, is it alright to let the kids keep swimming? I am assuming my CYA is less than 30 - because that is as low as my current test kit will measure.
Or should I put the pool on lockdown until I can get it crystal clear?

If your chlorine readings are right, you should not let people be swimming right now. Not only are the readings sky high, but if they are right (and I doubt that they are) that would mean that you have a CC reading of 14!) Those numbers can't possibly be right. I don't think the pH of 8.8 is right either. You can't get an accurate pH reading when chlorine levels are high.

Until your kit comes, please go to Walmart or the like and pick up a cheap OTO/Phenol Red kit (yellow and red drops). It will hopefully read to 5 but some only go to 3 on the chlorine side. But, you can force it to go higher with a dilution method described here: Testing Without a Good Kit

Then, repost with the numbers you get with the OTO kit. I'm not too confident in your pool store ..............

I already picked that test kit up - I will grab some distilled water on the way home!

So I got home and used the distilled water - my TC was somewhere in the 6-10 range
PH was dead on at 7.2......pool is crystal clear - I can see the drain in the deep end for the first time ever!
Time to get my SWCG on, and get in maintenance mode instead of battle mode.
(Bleach on standby just in case!)