Green Pool / Swamp complete with frogs...

[PoolDoc]

Hi Jen;

1) Get a Taylor K2006 or 2006C from links below -- only order from Amazon seller "Amato Ind"; others may not be selling K2006.
2) See if your pool people can test your pool for you, now. Post results if you have them.
3) Do NOT used bagged shock -- these days it's usually a hobo stew of chemicals, most of which you don't need.
4) If you can't test a test otherwise, get a cheap OTO / phenol red kit (Walmart or whatever) and test with that.
5) Report results.
6) Meanwhile, add 5 gallons of bleach to your pool each evening, till you know more.

Ben

[JenLM]

Thank you.

OK, I will try and get it analyzed today or tomorrow. I've ordered the kit and CANNOT wait to get it so I will no longer be dependent on the pool people. =)

I will add that we have a vinyl liner and a sand filter and we changed the sand out about 2 1/2 weeks ago.

[JenLM]

OK, I had to use the testing strips, but my results are MUCH different from before I added the pool company's chemicals- 29 lb Balance Pack 100, 1 pt muriatic acid, 4 bags burnout. Since then I have also had to add 7 additional bags of shock and the Bioguard Algae maintenance.

Before- according to the pool people:
CYA 36
Total Chlorine 1.1
Free Chlorine 1.1
ph 7.2
Total Alkalinity 90
Adj Total Alkalinity 79

My results today with the test strips:
alkalinity appears to be in the 180 range
ph is around 7.6
free chlorine is 0
bromine 2

Our pool is still green, but it is more of a cloudy green than a slimy green now. We are going to start adding the 5 gallons of chlorine tonight. Do you dilute it with water first or just pour it in?

[Watermom]

You can just pour it slowly into the skimmer while the pump is running or slowly in front of a return jet.

[JenLM]

Thanks Watermom.

[JenLM]

OK, according to the test strips, my free chlorine level is between 1 and 2 now after adding 5 gallons of bleach last night. I will test again later this afternoon. That's good that it stayed up overnight, right???

[aylad]

5 gallons of bleach would have taken a 30K gallon pool up to a chlorine level of about 10 ppm. The fact that it's now 1 or 2 says that you still have a huge chlorine demand and need to get the chlorine level up and keep it up. With your CYA around 40 ppm, you need to get your chorine level up to 15 or higher, and maintain that until the pool clears up. If you don't ever get it that high, it's not going to clear. I don't know what Bioguard Algae Maintenance is, but you don't need it in your pool--you need chlorine!

Janet