First Time Pool Owners to a Grimmy Pool

[lacreager]

Now when I took my sample water into the pool store yesterday, they tested it and gave me a print-out. Here are the readings on it if that helps.

Saturation Idx: -1.7
TDS: 150
CYA: Not Tested
Tot. Chlorine: 0
Free Chlorine: 0
pH: 6.5
Tot. Alkalinity: 65
Adj. Total Alk.: 65
Tot. Hardness: 88

[PoolDoc]

Hi Laurie (or Laurie Ann? dunno if you're FROM the South, or just moved here);

Anyhow:

1. Get a cheap OTO (yellow drops) testkit at Walmart or BETTER, an HTH 6-way kit.
2. Buy 6 boxes of 20 Mule Team borax (Walmart detergent section) and add them 2 at a time, slowly to the skimmer, with the pump on. Wait 4 hours; test pH; repeat if pH still below 7.2.
3. Buy 16 gal of PLAIN 6% household bleach. Add 4 gallons immediately.
4. Test chlorine 4 hours later. Repeat till chlorine is dark yellow / orange OR you are out of bleach.
5. Order K-2006 (test kit info page link in my signature)
6. Read the labels of your pump and filter and post make / model info (or photograph them and send photos to poolforum@gmail.com)

We'll work out next steps after we hear from you.