pool newbie with cloudy water

[PoolDoc]

Missed that; thanks Watermom!

[wackster]

I have a frankenpool! It costs about $250 for a water delivery. Interested in the lime softening idea--I'll look into what I need to do for the lime softening bucket test. I started the bucket test on the fill water already.

[wackster]

Ok, I have the Unicel filters, polyquat and muriatic acid. I'd like to buy HEDP locally. What are the common brands? I also bought a filter/pump vacuum and a skimmer, which is in transit. Pool Doc, would you like me to do a lime softening bucket test before we move forward?

[PoolDoc]

Here are all the brands we've identified as unmixed HEDP -- dilutions range from full strength (60%) down to 1/3 strength. One huge caution; manufacturer's can, and do, replace ingredients with other chemicals or other dilutions without warning.

HEDP:

Jack's Magic Blue Stuff (20% solution)
Jack's Magic Purple Stuff (20% solution)
Jack's Magic Pink Stuff (60% solution)
ProTeam Metal Magic (30% solution)
RamChem Ram Metal Hold ((60% solution? )
Kem-Tek 338-6 Metal & Calcium Eliminator (20% solution)
Haviland Stain & Scale Magic (30% solution? )

We're pretty sure these two products are HEDP, in the dilutions described, as of summer 2012

Jacks Magic The Pink Stuff 1qt (60% HEDP) @ Amazon
20% KemTek HEDP @ Amazon

And YES, do a lime softening test. I just got feed back from "Old BAT" -- she completed the bucket test and went from CH > 300 ppm, to CH < 40ppm ! She has not done her pool yet, but that's exactly the sort of result we're hoping for. But, keep in mind that the bucket test requires you to vacuum sediment out of your pool. You can do this with a pole, a vac head and a vac hose, by setting up a siphon. But you'll need all those pieces.

[wackster]

Thanks, again! Did you want me to lime test pool or fill water, Pool Doc?

I checked the metal bucket test last night and there is some brown-orange substance both on the bottom of the bucket and floating on the surface. (See attached pic, if it worked right.)

[PoolDoc]

Interesting. Those aren't exactly the colors I would have expected.

Do the colors in the photo accurately reflect what you saw? I would have expected a more red color.

Did you do anything different than what's in the metal bucket test instructions?

[wackster]

The colors are close. No, I followed directions: used 4 gal. fill water, added 1/2 cup bleach, mixed and after 15 min. added 1/2 cup borax, mixed, covered and checked in 24 hrs.

Should I do the lime bucket test on fill or pool water?

Thanks.