Sudden cloudiness

[Barry J]

I went to Walmart and picked up a 6 way test kit.

Here are my results:
My pool is above ground oval 33x18 at 4ft.

When I did Total Chlorine/total bromine test the water was essentially clear, so I'm est. at <0.5ppm Chlorine
and <1ppm Bromine.

When I did Ph, I got either 7.2 or lower depending on when I held the tested against, against white paper was about 7.2, against the blue sky < 7.2

Total Alkalinity was 3 drops = 30ppm
Hardness indicator was 18 drops = 180ppm
And cyanuric acid test...well the water remained clear, and at no point was it "milky" so I could see the black dot at the bottom of the view tube with the full amount in.

So, how bad is it???
Thanks
Barry

[aylad]

It's not that "bad" really, but it's not surprising that you frequently have algae problems. Your sudden cloudinesss was almost certainly an algae bloom, which has been handled for now with the shock, but not for long since your chlorine is too low. With no stabilizer in the water, the sun depletes chlorine rapidly, making it hard to maintain a residual. I would add enough stabilizer to target 40 ppm, but you need to be maintaining 3-6ppm chlorine til it's in there, which can take a few days. This will take multiple daily chlorine additions. Your pH is ok at 7.2, hardness doesn't matter in a vinyl pool, and yoir TA needs to come up a bit, I'd target 60-80. You can use baking soda to raise alk.

Janet

[Barry J]

Should I shock again and how much??/ How much baking sode should I put in???? And is there a certain type of stabilzer to buy???
Also, i'm leaving on Saturday for one week, I have my dad coming every other day to chlorinate any suggestions??
Thank
Barry

[Watermom]

Since your chlorine dropped so low, I think you should shock your pool up to about 10. In your pool, every quart of 6% bleach will add a little under 1ppm of cl. So, I'd suggest adding about 2-1/2 gallons of bleach this evening. (Your volume is probably around 17,500 gallons.)

You'll need to test the water several times per day and each time, add enough bleach to get back to about 6. You don't want the chlorine to go lower than 3. Once you get some CYA in there, you'll be able to test and dose in the evenings only.

Go ahead and buy about 5 lbs. of stabilizer. Put it in an old sock and hang it in front of a return jet. Give it a squeeze once in awhile to help it dissolve faster. it will take a few days. Don't test the CYA level until at least a week after you add it so you don't waste your reagent. Any brand of stabilizer is fine as long as the ingredients are cyanuric or isocyanuric acid. If you can get it in there tomorrow, if you're lucky, it will have dissolved before you leave town.

Is your Dad going to test the water for you or only add bleach?

[Barry J]

Can't I use the shock instead of the bleach or is the bleach better, I've never put straight bleach in my pool before. So, just pick up regular bleach at the store.??
My dad does not usually add or test anything else accept the chlorine, I try to make it as easy as I can for him.
Thanks
Barry

[aylad]

The shock you have is sodium hypochlorite, 12.5 %. Regular ultra bleach is sodium hypochlorite, 6%. So yes, you can go ahead and use the "shock" that you have--it's the exact same thing as "straight bleach", only twice as strong.

Janet

[Barry J]

How much shock should I use?? Tonight