Newbie question - would we be better off to drain and start over?

[CarlD]

Let me add a few things to Ben's advice:
1) If you have to use strips, the best are by Hach and LaMotte, the ones that measure about 6 things: TC (total Chlorine), FC (Free Chlorine), pH, CH (Calcium Hardness), T/A (total alkalinity), and CYA/Stabilizer. The TC is useless but the FC works fairly well and goes to 10ppm. The pH is tough to read and a cheapo OTO kit works better for pH. CH, T/A and CYA are very tough to read so don't rely on them too much, but they will give you a fair idea. FC is the best and easiest to read, especially if it's deep purple (Means your FC is 10 or above).

2) With the DE I'd like Ben to look again...it's a cartridge filter and I'm under the impression that DE works in DE and sand filters, but not carts. Ben will correct me if I'm wrong. (Several of us use a little DE in our sand filters to improve filtration, not a lot, but between 1/3 and 1 cup, depending on the water pressure).

[RockheadedMama]

Thank Goodness! I couldn't find my thread until just now! I'm so happy! Doing a happy dance!

Thank you thank you thank you for your responses and help.

Okay, by great coincidence - on Sunday evening we put in 10 1-gallon containers of 6% Clorox (unscented). (DH says the generic at the store didn't say what %, so he bought the unscented Clorox. I told him he did good. ;o) and 1/2 cup of already dissolved (in tap water) Borax. I use Borax in everything here (clothes washing, dish washing, toilets, etc.) as the water is so hard (San Antonio, TX - and - we are in severe drought.) Then, Monday night we put in 11 @ 1.42-gallons of Clorox and, another 1/2 cup of Borax. (I was scared of putting in too much - and something here on the forum said to increase it gradually...) The water has improved by at least 30%. We can actually barely make out the outlines of the vacuum head when vacuuming!

Today, my DH finally located a Taylor kit. I cannot find the kit number on it anywhere. It says on the front "Complete Poolcare DPD Test Kit -- Free & Total Chlorine or Bromine, pH, Acid & Base Demand, Total Alkalinity, Calcium Hardness, Cyanuric Acid. But, the little plastic tester thingy shows the chlorine only up to 5. But, then again, Dr. Bartel, my bio-chem prof for my non-science major requirement class, said that while I have a great mind, it really isn't structured for the sciences. So, I can't figure out how to get a reading of 30. Taylor is already closed until tomorrow morning. Meanwhile, the scary white noise in my head is deafening.

(btw, I said cart filter - it has pleated paper like material, so I assume it is a cart filter.) My DH brought home a big bag of the powder to put on the filter, but I was afraid it would make it too stiff or hard to get out this super fine stuff. Our pressure is 28#

DH is off to the store to get another 10 gallons of Clorox and 2 boxes of Borax and we'll put that in. He is trying to make it to the pool store for the DE powder too. Then, hopefully, I will learn how to read the test results.

[CarlD]

OK, if it's a cylinder of paper, like the inside of an oil filter, it's a cartridge. If it look like overlapping fan blades, it's a DE filter. And if it's full of sand it's either really dirty or it's a sand filter!

You can't read an FC of over 5 with a DPD test kit. What we suggest is an FAS-DPD test kit, and FAS-DPD is not the same thing at all as a DPD test kit. If you have LOTS of chlorine, your DPD may read "zero" because it's actually bleached out! The other tests in the kit should be fine. You can order just the FAS-DPD test from Taylor if you want.

Carl

[RockheadedMama]

Thanks for the quick reply. DH will take this $75 test kit back then. If they don't have a FAS-DPD kit, then I will order it from Amazon or where ever it is ya'll get a little something on it. (I was just trying to get the pool ready for Mother's Day and a visit from grandkids #4, #5 and #6 but at this point will just be glad to have the pool again someday!)

[Watermom]

The kit we recommend is the Taylor K-2006 or 2006C and can be ordered through the link in my signature line below.

[RockheadedMama]

I don't know what I'm doing wrong. The pool guy at Leslie said I need to "unlock" my chlorine, I need to put some product they sell in, I think he said, "Fresh & Clear". We have put 10 gallons of Clorox in every evening, right before dark, since Sunday evening. We put in 1/2 cup of Borax on Sunday and Monday nights, then 2 boxes on Tuesday night and one box last night. The pool guy said my water tests are: FAC 0, TAC 0 CH 330, CYA 98, TA 100, pH 7.7, TDS 1900, Pho 0. The pool guy didn't use the computer to test the water, he did it with chemical drops and I'm thinking if they don't sell the kit that will measure the higher limits of chlorine, maybe my chlorine level is not really 0? Should I drain 1/2 the pool? I'm totally confused. BTW, the pool water looks great - the color is a beautiful glassy blue but, the bottom 1 foot to 18" is white cloudy with the upper levels of water being less cloudy. Overall, the water looks very nice except for the cloudiness.

[Watermom]

RH Mama,
Did you take our advice and order the Taylor K-2006 or the 2006C? We have given you some pretty specific advice throughout this thread. You really have to make a decision if you want to take our advice or the pool store's advice. It really isn't going to work well to try and do both. If you decide that you want us to help you get this cleared up, stay out of the pool store and don't add anything else that they are trying to sell you. Usually adding more stuff just causes more problems.

We are trying to help. If you want us to be able to help you get this cleared up, go back and reread this entire thread and pay close attention to the advice that has been given. Do exactly what has been suggested, get a good kit so you don't have to depend on the pool store and you will see improvement. Let us know what you decide.

Thanks.

[PoolDoc]

Do NOT get "pool-stored"! Chlorine lock is a pool biz marketing myth (though some pool guys actually believe it).

Buy a cheap OTO (turns yellow) drops kit. If your chlorine is high, it will turn ORANGE (ok) or maybe brown (not so ok). Order the DPD-FAS.

Carl, RH-mom => you can use DE to TEST any filter: if you add a small amount of DE (coffee can) to your skimmer (pump ON) and shortly after see cloudiness from your pool return . . . your filter has problems REGARDLESS of what type it is.

RH-mom => for your pool (~30,000 gallons) ONE WHOLE BOX of borax is a small amount. Add slowly to the skimmer, but don't add just a cup.

Next steps:
1. Get the OTO kit so you can get some idea whether your chlorine is high or low.
2. If it's low, keep dosing in the PM, till you can hold high levels overnight.
3. If it's high, and stays high overnight, just maintain "orange". (If it's "brown", add 2 quarts of Baquacil or Softswim shock -- hydrogen peroxide, 31% => GLOVES & GLASSES without fail!)
3. Use a SMALL amount of DE to TEST your filter. (If you have to get a large bag, you can use it later to 'help' your filter with the cloudiness.
4. Get the FAS-DPD kit from the Amazon link -- but get an OTO kit locally ASAP.

Ben