First pool, might be our LAST...name says it all!

[swamp mistress]

Hi all! Newbie here....new and stupid.

Bought an Intex 15' x 42" Easy Up for the kids, spent a week clearing, leveling & setting the thing up. Started filling it two days ago (we have well water so it took the better part of two days to fill.) We were very confused at the store so bought a "starter kit" and added 4 oz of "shock" for approx. 3,800 gal. ran the pump several hours as our well water is naturally "tea color" (we were told by a local water "expert" who tested it years ago, that we have tannins, decomposed tree bark in our water.) We drink reverse osmosis water in the house, but the outside water is not filtered. At first after filling the pool the water was a clear tea color, we could still see the pattern on the liner bottom. After adding the super shock product (Calcium Hypochlorite) and running the filter most of the day the water turned dark brown and cloudy..the bottom disappeared so we added another 4oz of shock at night. The next morning, I started the filter early and discovered the pool had been taken over by gross amounts of backswimmer bugs so we added 4 oz of algecide. Skimmed the bodies off and finally figured how to hook up the skimmer that came with the pool and kids were able to play for a couple hours. Again, we treated with 4 oz of shock overnight, thinking maybe we hadn't "shocked" it enough. Woke this morning to more bugs and even dirtier looking water. I tested with strips, CL wasn't even registering up to this point so tested with another tester & drops, CL levels very low (light yellow) ..so today I dumped in an entire 1 lb packet of shock and 1/2 the bottle of Algecide, forget measuring, just kill something!!! Next we were going to add a metal defuser to see if that helps with the brown water. It could be tannins, it could be iron too. oh, I should mention that I've been rinsing out the filter cartridge about every 6 hours..it's BLACK & sticky gooey like tar. We bought a chlorine tablet floating dispenser hoping that would help bring up the chlorine level, but took it out when we added that last lb of shock. Obviously we don't know what we're doing, we're throwing everything in it trying to bring it around. I wished I'd known about PS first, we would have started with bleach. As it is, we're AFRAID to get in it, it looks like swamp water that alligators would swim in.....help us please, kids want to swim.

[pilot-werx]

It sounds like you have poor water and lots of iron in it. Right now, I would not deal with the iron issue until the water clears up. First, do not shut the filter off. Let it run and use regular bleach to get your chlorine up. If it is new water, I am not sure you need anything for algae.

Try to get your chlorine up and just let it run. The chlorine and filter will do its job, with time.

When the water clears up, I am guessing that the liner will be brown and you will have to hit it with and acid to clean it up..

[aylad]

Hi Swamp Mistress, and welcome to the forum!!

The first thing you're going to need to do is step back, take a deep breath, and relax a minute. I know that you've got a scary looking pool on your hands, but it is not impossible to fix, believe me. You DO have to stop throwing things in it hoping to make a difference, though, because what you're doing is making the situation worse, not better.

You need to test your water, using a drop-based test kit, and post some results here so we can help you get this figured out. WalMart carries a 5-way drop kit for about $15 that will work for now. If your WalMart doesn't carry it, then take a sample to the pool store, have them test it and give you the printout, then post the numbers here--but don't buy any of the stuff they're going to try to sell you. No more algaecide, no "shock", nothing--except a test kit that uses drops and measures more than just Cl and pH, if they have one, and maybe a bottle of metal sequestrant IF your water tests positive for copper or iron. Make sure they include a metals test when they test your water.

In the meantime, keep your filter running, cleaning it as needed. Use plain, unscented, generic bleach for chlorine in your pool at this point--assuming 3800 gallons, each cup of 6% bleach will raise your chlorine by 1 ppm, and you need to keep yours in the 3-5 ppm range, so add some at night before you go to bed, then again somewhere around mid-day until you can get some test numbers posted. Come back, get your numbers posted here, and we'll help you go from there.

Janet

Edit: for right now, do not worry about staining on the liner, and DO NOT put any acid on it trying to clean it up--we can deal with stains later, after your water is cleared up. There's a specific type of acid (ascorbic acid) that you use if needed, but that's a bridge that we won't need to cross for a long time yet.

[Watermom]

If it is new water, I am not sure you need anything for algae.

Just want to clarify:
When you write "you don't need anything for algae," I'm guessing that you are referring to algaecide? Algaecide is a pretty good preventative but doesn't really help much when you already have an existing algae bloom. The best thing to get rid of algae is just lots of chlorine.

(I may be wrong about what you meant but just thought this would be a good time to remind people about this.)

[CarlD]

Jan's right: Focus on the first needs first, which is your chlorine and testing.

To give you some background, NO algaecide is any good when you have algae--chlorine is still the best algaecide. There is one good one BEFORE you have algae, Polyquat 60%--but that's not usually in starter kits.

Those kits use the cheap ammonia stuff. It's a lousy algaecide and it neutralizes chlorine and vice versa--remember they always tell you NEVER mix bleach and ammonia for cleaning? There's two reasons (the other is the mix gives off a toxic gas.) It just makes things worse.

The other algaecides are copper-based and they can kill algae (but they are better for prevention) but copper is NOT a good additive as it discolors stuff and turns blond hair green.

Bleach is easy and cheap, especially in the small amounts a pool like yours needs. Plus it has no side effects and all the dry forms have those side effects.

But follow Jan's instructions and she'll get you swimming!

[swamp mistress]

ok...I'm breathing again. I'm going to have FAITH that you all can turn this mess around.

Testing - we purchased a small drop test kit when we bought the pool, it only tests for CL/BR and PH (didn't think we needed to be concerned with anything else..ha)

Update: put in new filter last night (not bad, one day = one filter) as it was BLACK, added 12 oz of hth metal control and ran pump all night long. Tested this morning:
CL 2 to 3 range
Ph 7.2

This morning I was headed to pick up bleach as I've read here...(ok, from this post on we'll only add or do what YOU tell us..) is it ok to switch to bleach after using so much of the shock? I figured at this rate the pool is becoming a chemical pool anyhow, right? (sorry, sarcasim.) I realize the staining is the least of our problems...well, maybe my children don't think so, one time in the pool has ruined their bathing suits and I think given them a deeper tan. I do have one with sensitive skin so I'm concerned for her.

While in town (we live 20 miles out in horse country) I'll buy a better test kit too, Walmart is really my ownly option other than a pool store. Oh, and just so you know we're not compete morons, we never EVER considered putting up a pool knowing about our water until the local public pool closed this year due to budget cuts. : (

Thanks in advance for your help!

[CarlD]

Switching to bleach is no problem. All chlorine is chlorine once it's in the water. You just cannot mix them together--like pouring bleach over Cal-Hypo powder or Tri-chlor tablets is a really, really bad idea! (don't ask why--just don't do it.)

You can read higher amounts of chlorine (ignore the bromine) with your tester by diluting the pool water with steam distilled water (avail at your supermarket). If you dilute it one to one, you can double the reading you get. Use 2 parts distilled and 1 part pool and you can triple the reading.

I like to use a shot glass to measure because it's simple, easy, and very accurate.

[swamp mistress]

Today: added 1 cup bleach @ 10am, another cup @ 3pm. Took new filter out and flushed it (noticably not as bad as the first filter..)

Here's the GOOD NEWS!...the water is a little clearer this evening, we can actually see the 2nd step on the ladder!! whoohoo!!!!!!!!

6pm test results: (HTH 6-way test kit from Wallmart)
CL: below .5 (I'm guessing you'll tell me to add more..)
Ph: 7.3
Cya: Black dot never disappeared
Alka: 190 ppm
Hardness: 120 ppm (test water never turned "red", only purple...took 12 drops to turn from purple to blue)

A neighbor stopped by who has a larger pool, said to add "stabilizer".....I told him I'd have to check with you FIRST! Yes? No?

[aylad]

The test kit that we favor here is the Taylor K-2006, which can be found online at http://www.amatoind.com/, http://www.spspools-spas.com/, or even better at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...SIN=B0002IXIIG (PF gets a contribution from them if it's ordered here). You can also get the same basic relabeled kit at Leslie's online stores. I know they're a little pricey, but I guarantee you the kit will save you hundreds of dollars just this summer alone (and they don't cost more than what you've already put into your pool!).

After adding the metal control, how does the water look? Can you tell any difference?

Janet

[aylad]

I typed my previous post while your last one was waiting to be modded in, which is why they're in reverse order. Anyway.......

It's good that you're seeing some improvement. You may need to add some more of the metal out until the water starts clearing. In the meantime, keep your chlorine at the 2-4 range, your pH on the low side, and keep changing your filter as needed. (You're right, add some more bleach!)

You don't need to test for CYA again until about 4-5 days after you've added stabilizer. You can get it at WalMart in a 4 lb container. I don't remember if it's labeled "balancer", "conditioner", or "stabilizer", but the important thing is the active ingredient is cyanuric or isocyanuric acid. Follow the label directions for the amount to take your pool to the 40 ppm target, but then only add about 1/2 that amount, because it's much easier to add more later to get to your target than it is to have to drain/refill water if you overshoot. Because you're having to constantly change your filter, I would add it by putting it into an old sock or knee hi hose and hanging it in front of a return. It dissolves slowly, so don't add more or retest for it for about 4-5 days after you add it. The stabilizer will protect your chlorine from sunlight, so that it can be more effective against stuff in your pool. You should be adding chlorine a couple of times a day to keep a chlorine residual in the pool--once the stabilizer is in the water, then you won't have to add it as often.

Janet