My water is a mess, I don't know where to start

[mel.hoffman]

Thank you Watermom! I will go read that now and get my kit ordered asap. I know having an accurate reading isn't critical for tonight since this process can take a very long time to complete, so I will probably try that in the morning. It's getting dark here and I am a mosquito magnet!

Update on the pool: I added the bleach when the pH was at about 7.2. I know the pH will continue to go up as the borax has more time to circulate through the pool. 6 gallons of bleach in, bottom of the pool was brushed and only 1 pair of shorts and a t-shirt ruined. I am going to leave the cover off overnight as Ben suggested and test again in the morning. Tonight the pool was still a blue-green color, with what looks like a gross, slimy, white-ish film on the top. I can see down about 4.5-5 feet and then the water is too cloudy to see further.

Thanks for all your help!

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Kit ordered!

[PoolDoc]

6 gallons of bleach in, bottom of the pool was brushed and only 1 pair of shorts and a t-shirt ruined.

Not ruined; converted to "pool care clothes"!

[mel.hoffman]

So it turned out that I didn't need the dilution test after all. Went out at 6:35 a.m. and tested. Pool is the same blueish greenish color and has that slimy white-ish coating on the top, it looks like an oil slick on top of my pool.

I still have a question about chlorine testing, after I put the chemicals in the testing water do I read them immediately? They darken up as times goes on and I'm not sure which is the correct reading.

TC: about .5
pH: about 7.0 much lower than I had hoped after all that borax, do I add more today?

Also, my husband has a question about this process that I don't know the answer to. If all of our stabilizer is gone, why can we not add new stabilizer now?

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Would it be beneficial to do the bleach in the morning as well? I know that the sun will eat it up, but I could always close the cover to help prevent that. I just want to try and stay ahead of this.

[PoolDoc]

+ Add borax till you get above 7.4

+ You can add stabilizer now, but it will slow the clean up process -- and you'll have to use higher levels of chlorine, which you can't test yet.

+ Yes, you can add bleach in the AM, if you don't mind the wastage. Doing so will speed things somewhat.

[mel.hoffman]

Okay, I will get the borax that I have left in there and if I need more tonight I will do that. I can do bleach in the a.m. as well to try and speed things along. I need to develop my P.O.P., right now it seems to be at about the level of a 7 year old. I want it done now!

Do I close the cover during sunny hours to help save the chlorine or leave it off to let gasses escape and the sun help break some things down?

Still need an answer to the chlorine testing question, match color immediately or let it develop a little first, since it seems to continue to get darker with time?

[mel.hoffman]

10:15 retest of the pool (6 gallons of bleach added just over an hour ago)

CC about 1 ppm (read immediately after mixing the chemicals in testing water)
FC 1 ppm
pH 7.2
TA 280 ppm

I can see that the white slime on the top seems to be breaking up some. What is that gross tuff anyway?

[mel.hoffman]

12:15 test:

FC between .5 and 1 ppm
TC was out the roof
CC was .5-1 ppm
pH was 7.2

Almost all the white was gone, still looks like an oil slick on top. Might be a little clearer, but certainly not clear.

[PoolDoc]

Right now, it's not worthwhile to try to discriminate between initial color and developed color. Just keep adding bleach, till you can hold chlorine overnight. Then, your goo will be mostly gone, and you can start cleaning up.

And I hope I don't offend you, but Mel, we really can't help you 3x per day. You need to back off just a bit, please.

[mel.hoffman]

Thanks. Sorry.