Cloudy ,Cloudy,Cloudy... for a week now.

[uwinsome]

Hello all,I live in Virginia Beach and I have an issue in trying to get my pool crystal clear. I have been doing the BBB method for years and this year it seems to take longer and to get my pool ready for the summer. I have vacuumed and cleaned all and any debris from the pool and now it is just cloudy and I have put over 20 gallons of bleach (Wal-Mart) for the past two weeks.It has been raining on and off for the two weeks . If anyone has constructive solutions please reply . Thank You

My pool is AG 24'round 5ft deep
and my readings are from smart test pool and spa test strips
CL 3
TCL 3
ALK 120
pH 8.0
Hard 50
Im using a BaquaPure 2.0 Hp pump with cartridge filter.

[Watermom]

The one reading you didn't list is one we need and that is a CYA reading. What have you been using for chlorine? Did you have an algae bloom? Test strips are pretty unreliable and inaccurate. You would be doing yourself a favor if you bought a good test kit. We recommend the Taylor K-2006 or 2006C. See the Amazon link in my signature below. If Amato Industries is not listed as the seller, wait a day or two until they restock. Some other sellers are sending the K-2005 instead which you do not want.

Are you sure your pool is 5ft deep? I have never seen or even heard of a a 5ft deep 24ft AG. Could it be 52 inch walls instead?

That is a mighty big pump for a 24ft AG. Sometimes a too big pump forces stuff through the filter with so much force that the filter doesn't catch it.

[uwinsome]

Thanks for your response. I don't see CYA ? I have been using WalMart grest value bleach 6% . I will get a new test kit ,but was looking for help in the interim. Maybe the pool is 52inches tall ,that sounds right. If I run the pump on "low" do you think that will make a differance/help ? So do you think the pump makes the pool cloudy ,or is there any suggestions to help clear the pool?

[Watermom]

Do you have a reputable pool store in the vicinity that can test your CYA for you? Just don't let them talk you into buying a bunch of stuff. They will try! I think running your pump on low may help with the filtration. Having too big of a pump is a problem we frequently see. People assume a bigger more powerful pump should be better, but the opposite is usually true. A smaller pump with a bigger filter works better than the other way around. Run the pump 24/7 and clean the filter as needed. You may also want to buy some skimmer socks as they may help filter out the smaller particles.

Did you have an algae bloom recently?

Get us a CYA reading and I think we can help you clear this up. And, get the good kit as soon as you are able. It will make a big difference for you.

[uwinsome]

Thanks again. Yes, I did have an algae bloom . Had it nice and improving and went out of town and came back to an algae bloom mess.
I will run the pump on low and I will take a sample to the pool store. I have to wait for the pool test kit until my next paycheck on the 15th.

[Watermom]

Ok. In the meantime until you get a CYA reading, go ahead and keep adding doses of bleach to get the chlorine up to 12ppm. I'm assuming your volume to be around 13,500. So, each quart of 6% bleach will add about 1ppm. As often as you can test and add bleach, the better. Until you are able to get the good kit, go to Walmart and buy a cheap OTO/Phenol red kit (yellow and red drops.) It will only read chlorine levels to 5 but you can force it to go higher with a dilution method described here:

Testing Without a Good Kit

Once we know the CYA, we'll tweak the recommendation for the shock level if needed.