High TA and 7.2 ph

[rebekah]

Hello. I am in need of some help. Our pool continues to go green and gross constantly. We have had the water tested and Chlorine was at 4 ppm which is right at range. The TA is high at 140 ppm...ouch! PH is 7.2, cyanuric acid is 99 ppm, phospahates 400 ppb..ouch, total dissolved solids is 1700. There is no iron or copper. I am so confused as to what to do. We can add alot of shock and then everything looks great but it is not helping the underlying issue and it is 110 degrees out and we aren't able to use our pool. The pool store had us but some phosphate stuff to put in it to clear things up. We use liquid chlorine, tablets in the basket, sodium ash or baking soda if the ph falls below 7.2. We are such green horns to this pool stuff and would really like some help. I appreciate your time and thanks.
~Rebekah

[PoolDoc]

Pool store test results aren't trustworthy, but it really doesn't sound like you have any particular problems with your water, that won't resolve with proper chlorine levels. Read the Best Guess page (linked in my sig) for part of the info you need.

• Do NOT put any more stuff in your pool. If you've got unopened pool store chemicals, either take them back or list them, and let us tell you what to keep and what to return.
• Do NOT add any more baking soda -- your TA is already plenty high.
• Fill out the Pool Chart (abt 30 seconds) so we can figure doses and recommendations:

  Pool Chart Entry Form
  Pool Chart Results

• See if your local Walmart has the HTH 6-way drops kit in stock; if so get one. Otherwise, get a cheap OTO (yellow drops) kit. While you're there, buy 3 boxes of 20 Mule Team borax & 8 gallons of PLAIN 6% bleach per 10K gallons of water in your pool. Then go by Lowes, Home Depot, or wherever, and get a gallon of muriatic acid.
• Read the muriatic acid dosing guide in my signature. Do NOT add acid now.
• Read the test kit info page, and order a K-2006, unless you already have a K-2005, in which case you can get a K-1515.
• Tell us what your water looks and smells like currently.
• If your water is green, add 4 gallons of PLAIN bleach per 10K gal of pool water, now; if it's just cloudy, add 2 gallons. (4 ppm chlorine is NOT OK -- you DID read the Best Guess page, didn't you? )

[rebekah]

Thank you Ben for the information. I am going to follow your list of things to buy first and move on down to get this cleared. I will be in touch with you shortly. You saved us big time because we were seriously getting so frustrated and disappointed that we were going to drain it and leave it alone. My little boy will be happy now that we are (not? PoolDoc) draining it. Thanks again for your honesty.

[PoolDoc]

You're welcome. That's the sort of problem we particularly enjoy fixing.

[Watermom]

If you have tablets in the skimmer basket, let those dissolve to get rid of them, but then don't put anymore in there. They are stabilized which means that they have CYA (cyanuric acid) in them and yours is already high!

By the way, welcome to the Pool Forum!

[rebekah]

Thank you Watermom. We sincerely can use what help we can. And we def had the tablets in the skimmer so I will let those dissolve.