swcg and green pool.

[drome59]

I'm very new to this whole pool maintenance thing. I currently have an inground 22500 gallon pool with an autopilot swcg system and a cartridge filter. The first two years I have owned the pool I only had to add salt, stabilizer and shock in the beginning of the season and I have been fine. Not exactly sure if I have been doing it wrong and I have gotten lucky but unfortunately this year shortly after opening it has turned green because I had to replace the motherboard on my swcg and I had to let it go for a couple days until the part came in. So, now I am confused not exactly sure of what to do. So far today I took my water in to get tested, because I have yet to get a decent test kit. I put in 120 lbs of salt and I have boosted it. I know that's not enough right now but I just wanted to post my results from the pool store so I could do it right. So, here they are.

free chlorine-0.1 ppm
total chlorine-0.1 ppm
combined chlorine 0.0
ph-8.0
hardness-150 ppm
alkalinity-127
cyanuric acid-10ppm
salt-2200.00

Hopefully I have not posted any unneeded info but again I'm new to all of this even though it's my third year with the pool. A lot of it is still confusing to me. If there is anything that I have left out please let me know so I could educate myself and be able to better care for my pool without wasting money. Also how much bleach should I add? I would appreciate any help anyone could offer. thanks

[aylad]

I would shock the pool with 6 gallons of bleach to get to 15 ppm chlorine, and keep it there by testing and adding more as many times a day as you can to keep it at 15 ppm until itclears. Run the pump 24/7, backwashing as needed.

Your pH is high and can be lowered with Muratic acid to 7.4-7.6 but do that before you raise chlorine because pH can test high when chlorine is over 10ppm.

Janet

[madwil]

I would also check the operations manual for your swcg... after shocking and getting rid of the algae like Aylad said!
I think most of them use more salt and recommend higher CYA for proper function.

[drome59]

It appears that I have managed to to at least turn the water blue through hitting the boost and letting my robot do it's thing over night. I'm gonna post some more numbers after I get my water tested and hopefully I can get it clear within the next few days. Should I still add bleach? If so, how much? Should I add clarifier or is that a pool store ploy? Not really sure exactly what's needed or just being sold. I've already fell for the calcium hardness last year and I don't want to waste money on chemicals that I don't need.("pool stored")

[PoolDoc]

For marketing reasons, the SWCG manufacturers tend to emphasize no other chlorine -- but that's mostly a matter of trying to sell how easy to use they are. "Boosting" shortens the life of your SWCG significantly, I believe.

Instead, just use bleach, added in the evening, till you have everything under control.

As far as testing goes, so long as you can't test your own water, you are at the mercy of pool store's often inaccurate and always sales-driven testing. Go get an OTO / phenol red kit for now, and please order a Taylor K2006 or 2006C FAS-DPD kit.

Meanwhile, use bleach as Aylad suggested, and stay away from other adjustments, so long as your pH is between 7 and 7.8.

Ben

[drome59]

Sounds good guys. Thanks for all of your help. I will definitely be looking to get one of the above mentioned kits.