1. Run your pump/filter 24/7
2. Go to the pool store and get your water tested.
3. Get the minimum amount of chlorine and stabilizer recommended.
4. Buy a cheap local OTO/phenol red (yellow/red) drops kit, and use it to keep your chlorine high and your pH in range.
5. Get 2 quarts of polyquat 60 ( http://www.poolsolutions.com/gd/polyquat.html ) locally.
6. Check your pool for algae by feeling the sides: slippery = algae; not slippery and your color may be metals.
7. Dose with the polyquat according to the 'algae-test' in #4 -- maintenance dose for no algae.
8. Get your pH in range, and your stabilizer high enough to keep your from losing all chlorine the first time the sun comes out. Use borax to RAISE your pH and muriatic acid to LOWER your pH.
9. After adding the polyquat and getting the pH in range, slowly raise your chlorine, not more than 1 ppm per day. Bleach is excellent for this -- add 1/2 gallon at a time via the skimmer.
10. Do NOT buy, or add, algaecide, calcium, alkalinity increaser, flocculant, phosphate remover or clarifier. T
11. BUT ALSO, order a K2006 test kit (see Amazon link in my signature)
12. Post test results as soon as you have them
Explanation:
The polyquat will help you control the algae (if any) without causing the metals (if any) to drop out and stain anything. Polyquat is ALSO a very effective clarifier, and will help you remove any small particles of metals, etc. that may form. Adjusting the pH will prevent any further damage (if any) and bring the pool water into range to began removing the metals. Adding chlorine will tend to cause any metals to begin dropping out (and possibly staining) adding bleach via the skimmer will tend to make the metals come out on the filter, rather than in the pool.
BUT, till you have the K2006, we are all operating by guess-timate -- even dealer read strips are not accurate enough to trust.
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