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

[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.

[uwinsome]

Back from the pool store, My CYA is 4 and the reading shows no chlorine . I added a couple of Trichloro tabs 99% to the skimmer and added CYA as well . I will add 4 gallons of Bleach and go from there. It is 4:00pm and lots of sun.

[Watermom]

Well, there is no way a pool store can differentiate a CYA reading of 4. It is just not that precise and it also usually cannot detect levels lower than 30. So, we'll assume basically 0. How much CYA did you add and how did you add it? If you have some trichlor pucks in the skimmer, make sure you keep your pump running 24/7 while they are in there.

Go ahead and get some bleach in there. A pool with no chlorine can turn green FAST!

[uwinsome]

0 was the CYA strip reading then he tested it on a machine. I broadcasted / sprinkled a 1/2cup of the CYA throughout the pool and 1/2 cup in the skimmer. The other readings where right on ....