Brown water after brushing

[PoolDoc]

Oh, one more thing. I looked at your chart info -- either your pool dimensions are way off, or your gallons are. It matters, because getting the dose reasonably correct makes it much easier to fix pool water problems.

[lucybfiddle]

Yeah-I was just guessing on the dimensions. I will try to measure it, but the pool place saw it and said 30000 gallon.
Here is a list of chemicals added over the last 3 weeks (chronolocigally and as best as I can remember!)

Pool is black:
1 qt phos away
25 lbs granular dichlor
Pool turns brown:

3-4 days later...
20 lbs power clear (calcium hypochlorate)
~15 3" trichlor tabs
1 qt floc
Pool turns dark green
vacuum, vacuum, vacuum

Pool turns aqua green
A couple days later...
~12 lbs multiclear shock (sodium dichlor)
~ 8 lbs pH up
Pool turns cloudy blue

Another day...
12 lbs baking soda
1 qt floc

Vacuum alot again
Pool turns clear

2 days ago...
~8 lbs multiclear shock (sodium dichlor)
~7 lbs pH up
Brushed the pool sides

Pool turns dark brown
1 qt algecide plus (3% copper)

I turn to poolforum for help!

And now we are up to date.
Oh yeah-I tested the water a few minutes ago with my walmart kit (OTO\Phenol) The chlorine is right at 1.0ppm (kinda more between 0.6 and 1 but closer to 1) and the pH is still at the 6.8 color.

[lucybfiddle]

The pool dimensions are 20X38, with an average depth of 5.5 foot.

I ordered a Taylor 2006 kit, but it won't be here till Friday. Is there something I can do in the meantime?

I know it's a lot of bleach, but I would like to NOT drain and refill the pool.

Thanks!!

[PoolDoc]

Yeah.

1. Filter 24/7.
2. Add a quart of polyquat, if available. It will help with algae AND removing iron and dead algae.
3. Add frequent 1 ppm doses of chlorine to the skimmer. Cal hypo would be best, but bleach will help too. 1/4 gallon of bleach or 1/3 lb of cal hypo.
4. In between chlorine doses, add 1/2 box doses of borax, added slowly to the skimmer. Continue these regularly, till you reach 7.0.

[lucybfiddle]

Yeah! I got my Taylor K-2006 today!
Here are my results (well most of them, I couldn't do the ca hardness bc my kit had 2 of R-0012 reagent, but I'm getting that taken care of)

pH=7
Alkalinity =90ppm
FC=0.8ppm
CC=1.2 ppm
CYA= 50ppm

The water is no longer muddy brown, but I need to know what to do with it now. :-)
I have bleach, baking soda and borax on hand and am ready to go!!

[PoolDoc]

for a 30K gallon pool, pH=7.0; FC=0.8; CYA=50:

1. Add 2 gallons of bleach immediately (4 ppm) and 6 gallons (12 ppm) tonight.
2. Add 1 box of borax SLOWLY via the skimmer.
3. Retest chlorine and pH in the AM. If FC>10 ppm, you are probably OK, and can live with daily 4 ppm (2 gallon) doses till you have another plan.
4. If the pH < 7.4, repeat daily borax doses till it is above 7.4.
5. Read the Best Guess chart page, so you can get an idea about how you may want to operate your pool for the rest of the summer.
6. Test your calcium levels, to make sure they are not high enough to be a problem.

[lucybfiddle]

Check! I did all of that stuff and re-tested the chlorine and pH this morning. The pH is at 7.2, so I will continue to add more borax till it gets to over 7.4.
The chlorine is only 1.4 FC and 1 CC. So I should continue adding large doses of chlorine until it loses less than 1ppm overnight, right?