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[crazy cat lady]

I have an intex 24' x 52 pool, approx 12k gallons,633t filter says 2500 not sure what that is measurement wise. I'm having problems with spring startup. Pool went from swamp green to a light cloudy green and won't go blue.I've used the HTH super shock approx 6-7 bags and about 4 gallons of bleach in the last 2 weeks. Keeps raining so can't get a handle. I use the 6 way HTH kit. Chlorine is plus 10, ph is now 7.2, alk I stopped at 55 drops and it still didn't go red just purple,hardness 30 drops and just went purple, cya never lost the black dot probably doing test wrong. Thanks for the help in advance. crazy cat lady!

[PoolDoc]

OK.

You've got FC> 10 ppm; pH=7.2, & CYA = 0

And, you've added 7lbs of calcium hypochlorite to a 13K gallon pool, so your chlorine is too high for the alkalinity and calcium tests -- till you get the K2006, and can adjust for that.

It's going to take a week or more to filter the algae out. If you get a clarifier and do NOT overdose, it *may* go faster. Make sure you brush the pool completely, to expose any layers or piles of algae while the chlorine is still high.

You'll need to add some stabilizer, but wait till you've brushed the pool. You can add stabilizer EITHER by putting ~4lbs in a sock, in front of the return OR by using (over time!) about 10lbs of dichlor. Do NOT put the stabilizer in the skimmer -- you'll probably have to backwash before the stabilizer dissolves.

[crazy cat lady]

Thanks Ben,,

I keep adding bleach as I go from dark yellow at night so 10-15 on the test kit to maybe low/mid range in the day. I've been brushing the sides but can't really get the middle very well.Time to get my tidy bowl man raft out. I did add a clarifier in the start up dose for the pool size a few times as well as the hth 3x algacide that I had left over. Your method is getting out there as its getting harder to find bleach lol. I'll pick up some stabilizer tomorrow and post . Any particular stabilizer you recommend??Also I did add a quart of muratic acid after the first few shocks when the ph was off the charts. Thanks !!

[PoolDoc]

You do realize that muriatic acid will LOWER the pH. Also, when you add bleach, the pH goes up, but then back down once the bleach is consumed.

If you have access to a Sams Club, you can get their PoolBrand dichlor in either their 24lb box of 'shock' bags OR their 50lb bucket. Each pound of dichlor will add about 7 ppm of chlorine, and about 6 ppm of stabilizer. So, I'd recommend the 24# box, which will push your stabilizer too high. But, the bags keep in storage over the winter better than the bucket will.

Otherwise, any brand of stabilizer (so far, they haven't begun playing games with what's in containers of stabilizer!) will do -- 4 lbs, hung in a sock in front of a return, should do.

[crazy cat lady]

I did know that the acid would lower the ph read it here what I didn't know was that it would come down when the bleach was consumed. I'll see where there's a Sams club or order the stabilizer from Amazon. Thanks!

[Watermom]

Sometimes you can find stabilizer at Walmart. It may be labeled as conditioner. If the ingredient is cyanuric or isocyanuric acid, it is the right stuff.

[crazy cat lady]

Ben,

I got the stabilizer today and made a slurry with hot water and the 4 lb jug and added to the pool. I hope you meant add 4 pounds at once. I'm reading the posts and according to the stabilizer label in my pool 4 lbs would get me to approximately 100ppm.I'm seeing alot of posts with larger pools at 40-50. I also added 182 oz of 6 % bleach because I was at zero tonight. From a few other pool folks suggestions I was only getting the chlorine up to 4.6 and not shock level . Janet said to use 2.6 gallons each time to get the level up.Let me know your thoughts.Pool is still light green. Thanks

[Watermom]

Ben,

I got the stabilizer today and made a slurry with hot water and the 4 lb jug and added to the pool. I hope you meant add 4 pounds at once. I'm reading the posts and according to the stabilizer label in my pool 4 lbs would get me to approximately 100ppm.

How did you arrive at this conclusion? Didn't you tell us above that your CYA level was 0? In a 13,000 gallon pool, 4 lbs. of CYA will only add 40ppm, not 100.

[crazy cat lady]

Watermon,

Kem Tek label says to add 10ppm add 1/2 pound so that would be 40 ppm but the chart for 2 lbs says its 50ppm so x2 would be 100 no?A bit confusing. So I'm ok then at 40. I also added 182 oz of bleach . I was at zero before the addition after I registered 5-10 on my kit. Reading was the same this morning ph was 6.8. I added another 182 oz of bleach to get it back up to shock level per Janets response earlier. I'l brush and vacuum when I get home tonight hopefully the greenish pool is a reflection from debris below . Thanks

[Watermom]

If your pH is 6.8, you need to add some Borax to get it above 7.0. Add a half a box slowly to the skimmer while the pump is running, breaking up any clumps. Let it circulate for a couple hours, retest and re-dose until you get the pH somewhere between 7.2-7.8 with 7.4-7.6 being what I like best.