greenish and cloudy

[PoolDoc]

Is it still green?

[ganny76]

I would say the pool is more cloudy then green. If you sweep it then green does appear to come off the vinyl and then the pool looks nasty. Buying the test you all recommended today. Sure I wont have it until next week because of shipping. I am going to use my Wal-mart test again this evening when I get home.

[PoolDoc]

Add the bleach this evening, and then sweep AFTER you've done so; not before.

[ganny76]

You got it PoolDoc. Thanks so much for your help. I will report back. Just signed up for the year. Looks like I will be here a long time.

[PoolDoc]

Thanks.

Hopefully, if you're here a lot, it will be to help others. It shouldn't take that long to get a basic handle on what you need for your own pool!

[ganny76]

Hi Ganny;

Do this:

1. Get a cheap OTO phenol red test kit from Walmart or wherever (explained on the test kit info page in my signature)
2. While you're there, buy 12 gallons or so of PLAIN 6% household bleach - you can check for cheap liquid chlorine (10% bleach) often available in Florida later.
3. Test your pool water in the EVENING
4. Add 4 gallons of bleach after testing (about 12 ppm of chlorine, on your pool)
5. Test in the morning
6. In the evening test again, and then repeat 4 gallons if OTO is not DARK yellow
7. Order a K-2006 (we need more info than the OTO kit can provide -- and so do you, if you want to escape the pool store!)
8. Report everything, and we'll give you next steps.

Pool Doc, When doing these steps, should I have my chlorinator and pump running?

[aylad]

You definitely should have the pump running, but keep an eye on your filter pressure and clean the filter when you get to 8-10 psi over your "clean" pressure. The chlorine you put in the water will kill the algae, but it's the filter that removes the dead stuff from the pool.

[ganny76]

Filter pressure. LOL. I have so much to learn. And to think I have been running blind for 5 years.

[Watermom]

Actually, while you are working to clear a pool, you need to run the pump 24/7, keeping an eye on the pressure as Janet noted above.

[ganny76]

OK, got a mouse out of the pool, poured in 4 gallons of bleach, swept real good, now waiting. I will check chlorine in the morning when i get up. Got my chlorinator at 50%, should i change this?