Pool is cloudy and PH / Chlorine wont come up!!

[dxdodger]

I have a 24' round above ground pool with an electric heater (approx. 14,000 gallons). The pool has been open for several weeks now and the chemicals have just not been right since we have opened it. In the beginning of the season, we were low on PH and I added soda ash (which I normally don't use) and it stained my liner green and we had to buy a $50 bottle of stain remover to get it out! I have never used Soda Ash before but Leslies recommended it once last year and the same thing happened and now this year they recommended it again which is when it stained. I told them this never happened before we used soda ash - they blamed the metal in our pipes, but we have plastic pipes so....at any rate, our pool water is now cloudy - so cloudy that you cant see the bottom of the pool, you can barely see your hand in front of your face. We keep shocking the pool and the test strips are registering very low or no chlorine at all - which we also have several chlorine pucks in it. The PH is low- I keep adding PH Increase and it does nothing. Our alkalinity is fine - I use Baking soda for that. But, for the past week we haven't been able to get our chlorine and our PH to come up. I just don't understand why our pool water is so cloudy. My husband has been backwashing several times a week and our filter runs constantly due to our heater being run. Any ideas or suggestions? I can have Leslies Pool Supply test our water too, but I am afraid they will have us do something else that will end up costing us more money. We never really had too many pool problems until we started shopping at Leslies, but now there are no more pool stores in the area. HELP!! PS..My husband says to mention (which he thinks it has something to do with) the fact that we have had several days of heavy rains which may be diluting the chemicals???

[Watermom]

First thing you need today is order a good test kit so you can test everything yourself. Go to the test kit link in my signature below and order a Taylor K-2006 or 2006C (same kit with larger bottles of reagents). Do this ASAP so you can get the kit quickly!

Please list all products that have been used in your pool -- meaning ingredients and not just product names.
Also tell us the source of your fill water. Is this a new pool?

In the meantime, while you are waiting, go to Walmart and get several jugs of their plain, unscented bleach (generic is fine), a jug of distilled water and also a couple boxes of 20 Mule Team Borax (laundry aisle) and a cheap OTO/Phenol Red kit (red and yellow drops). Test chlorine and pH and post readings. But, don't test pH after you have added a lot of chlorine. High chlorine levels cause pH test results to be inaccurate.

Welcome to the Pool Forum!

[PoolDoc]

In the beginning of the season, we were low on PH and I added soda ash (which I normally don't use) and it stained my liner green and we had to buy a $50 bottle of stain remover to get it out!

Soda ash didn't stain your pool; almost certainly, it was copper that was ALREADY in the pool water. Lowering the pH (with soda ash) caused the copper to come out as a stain.

And, using the "stain remover" did not remove the copper -- it just redissolved the copper. Unless you are seeing greenish-blue discharge from your filter when you clean it it, all the copper is still there.

at any rate, our pool water is now cloudy - so cloudy that you cant see the bottom of the pool, you can barely see your hand in front of your face.

Cloudy green? cloudy white or gray? or?

If it's cloudy white, the soda ash may ALSO have dropped out calcium hardness, as calcium carbonate (limestone) dust.

We keep shocking the pool and the test strips are registering very low or no chlorine at all - which we also have several chlorine pucks in it. The PH is low- I keep adding PH Increase and it does nothing.

Get a cheap local OTO/phenol red drops (yellow/red) kit, and report chlorine and pH levels.
Buy some 60% polyquat locally if you can get it: www.poolsolutions.com/gd/polyquat.html‎

Using it will (a) prevent algae, (b) help filter copper and calcium particles, (c) NOT drop out the copper. Run your filter 24/7 after adding it.

If your pH is low get it UP, but use borax NOT baking soda and NOT soda ash. Given your other problems, you want to avoid adding carbonates till you have a handle on your chemistry.

Also add SMALL doses of PLAIN 6% household bleach each EVENING, via the skimmer. This will also help prevent algae AND bring the copper out on your filter. Large chlorine doses are likely to drop out the copper.

We never really had too many pool problems until we started shopping at Leslies, but now there are no more pool stores in the area. HELP!!

You can shop at Leslies -- just do NOT trust their chemical advice and do NOT trust their testing. Get a K2006 and let us help you learn to it the right way -- easier, cheaper AND better!