Also have cloudy water (with a story)

[KurtV]

...so If I aerate the pool and add acid slowly and in small doses it may help...

Justa, No, that's not what Ben's TA-lowering-procedure post says.

In a nutshell: You lower the pH first (using small doses of acid to ensure you don't undershoot your target); then you aerate to remove CO2; you add acid as needed to keep the pH down as you aerate; and you stop aerating when the TA has reached your target level (for which you'll need a good drop-based test kit for TA).

I recommend you read the whole thing again before trying it: http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=191

[Justardnck]

Thank you all, I will try your advise and keep you posted

[mbar]

I really think you need to add chlorine - your cya test doesn't give enough info - but even if it is at 50, you need to have your chorine higher. Your fc in one test was 0, and in the other 1.5. Either way you probably have algae which is why your pool is cloudy. If you added a quart of shock, and have tablets in your floater, then something is eating the chlorine. Using stabalized tablets is what is raising your cya - You need to add chlorine in the form of bleach - what kind of liquid shock did you add? Was it a peroxide shock?

[littleHeidi]

And at the very least, spend $15 and get an Aqua Chem test kit from Walmart or something. Do away with those test strips. They're not very accurate.

[Justardnck]

And at the very least, spend $15 and get an Aqua Chem test kit from Walmart or something. Do away with those test strips. They're not very accurate.

I have one with 5 solutions in it and I have the strips.

[Justardnck]

I really think you need to add chlorine - your cya test doesn't give enough info - but even if it is at 50, you need to have your chorine higher. Your fc in one test was 0, and in the other 1.5. Either way you probably have algae which is why your pool is cloudy. If you added a quart of shock, and have tablets in your floater, then something is eating the chlorine. Using stabalized tablets is what is raising your cya - You need to add chlorine in the form of bleach - what kind of liquid shock did you add?

The brand is "smart" it's from Home Depot
10% Sodium Hypoclorite
90% Inert Ingredients

Was it a peroxide shock?

?? What is that? I have never heard of that before, where do you get it?

[fullhouse]

peroxide shock is for pools with baquacil or softswim instead of chlorine.

[Justardnck]

peroxide shock is for pools with baquacil or softswim instead of chlorine.

Ahh, ok. I don't have a soft swim pool.

[Justardnck]

*UPDATE*

Saturday evening my brother recomended I shock the pool which is also what one or two of the members here have recomended so I did. I added 1 gallon of liquid shock to 5500 gallons Sat evening and 1 gallon this evening. The pool showed a 50% improvement Sunday morning. I assume by Monday morning I will have it reletively clear.

I was maintaining the pool incorrectly all along (this is my first pool) I was under the impression that a pool only needed to be shocked when there was a problem but my brother informed me that in South Florida I need to shock the pool once every two weeks in the evening. I kept testing the water and it tested fine cause I have the floater with stablized tablets to I always thought I was ok... I guess I was wrong.

I still have a high TA of 260 but that is coming down with small amounts of Muratic Acid. I also added a small fountain pump so that the water aerates itself.

Thanks for all the help folks and I will keep you posted.

I don't know much about pools but I service and install Access Control equipment by trade so if anybody needs some advise on repairing your gate operator or telephone entry system please don't hesitate to ask