Cloudy after Borax

[Todd597]

Hello, I used your suggestion to add Borax to the pool to increase ph only, as my ph was low 6.5 / 6.8 range and my alkalinity was high 220-250. I got the ph up to 7.8, . In the process, it started to get a little cloudy, so I added some muriatic acid to lower the alkalinity, clear the cloudy, and bring ph down. Worked great. Crystal clear water, alkalinity at about 120, ph about 7.2. Seemed good. Then, then next day, I retested ph, and it was still dropping a little, back down to about 6.8. I added some more Borax 1 cup at a time (once in morning, once in afternoon). After I put the second cup in, water turned cloudy. Been that way for about a day now. Ph shows 7.2, alkalinity at 100. Thoughts on how to clear the water up? Should I add some Baking soda to increase both and try to bring it back down with more muriatic acid or just wait? This happened before after I added the Borax the first go around, but since the alkalinity was still high, I figured that was the problem. With the alkalinity being in range, I am confused.


For what its worth, total chlorine is about 4-5 with free chlorine about 2.

[PoolDoc]

How are you testing?

Combined chlorine on outdoor pools often doesn't usually matter, but then it's usually not FC=2 and CC=2-3. Something's wrong.

1. Tell me how you are testing.
2. If you are not using a K2006, order one (link to test kit info page in blue signature block).
3. If you have been using test strips, purchase a cheap local OTO / phenol red kit that can be used while you wait on the K2006
4. Keep the pH at least at 7.0; if it gets cloudy, run the filter 24/7.
5. What chemicals have you used in the last month -- please list them with the exact brand name if possible.

[Todd597]

1. using a hth 6 way test kit from Walmart. I also have the hth test strips
2. I am working on ordering one.
3.
4.
5. I have used metal out, significantly. I filled with well water in beginning of July. As soon as I added chlorine, it turned brown. Got to light green with metal out and constant filtering. Initially, as I said my alkalinity was high, so I added muriatic acid. Then I tried to add ph plus to increase the ph, but with that came the alkalinity. So I saw on here about the borax. Used about a box of that and brought the ph up to about 7.8, but the water got cloudy. The alkalinity was still at 220 or so, so I added 1/2 gallon of muriatic acid again. cleared it right up. we swam in it that day and things were great. I tested the pool the next afternoon and the ph showed at 6.8 and alkalinity was at about 100. I tried slowly increasing the ph to get it to about 7.5 by added 1 cup at a time of borax again, since the alkalinity was about right. I did that night before last, the following morning, then again, yesterday afternoon. The yesterday afternoon batch was the rest of the box and was slightly over 1 cup. When I put that in (on water surface)...boom cloudy. Ran filter all day and all night, still cloudy. little bit less than yesterday.

[PoolDoc]

Based on what you told me, let me add:

6. Tell us what sort / size pool you have, and
7. What make / model of pump and filter you have.

[BigDave]

I didn't see a CYA value, do you have a recent CYA test result or enough CYA reagent left in the HTH 6-way kit?