New to this pool stuff, cloudy pool can't fix??

[Francie]

Ok, I bought a home with a 27' pool, about 20,000 gallons of water. The pool was completely green and we have gone from that to blue/cloudy now. I can't seem to get rid of the cloudy. Here are my stats:

ALK - 60
PH: 7.6
Free CL : 0.5
HRD: 100
CYA: 20

I have also used that first aid pool stuff and it is still cloudy. What should I do to get rid of this dead algae?? I can't see the bottom of pool. Thanks so much.
Francie Holder

[Watermom]

What type and size of filter and pump do you have?

Keep your chlorine higher while you are trying to clear it up. What are you using for your source of chlorine?

What kind of test kit do you have?

Welcome to the Pool Forum!

[PoolDoc]

. . . membership upgraded.

Assuming a water depth (not pool height) of 3" 6", you have 15,000 gallons. Here's the calculation:

13.5 x 13.5 x 3.14 (pi) x 7.46 gal/cft x height.

Thus: 4270 x height = gallons

So:
=> 4270 x 3.5 = 14,945 gal (48" pool)
=> 4270 x 3.8 = 16,226 gal (52" pool)

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I should explain: pool chemical companies and pool stores sell more chemicals if they over-estimate volume. Pool salesman get 'sexy sale' points with buyers by overstating volume, like the auto sales guy: ("Yeah, that beauty has 425 HP, but gets 27 MPG on the highway". NOT!)

To be sure, we need the answers to the questions Mom asked, but you're in Tennesee, and have an AG pool . . . so I can guess what the problem is:

1. Your pump is too big for your filter, and tends to force the dirt through the filter (Big pumps = 'sexy sales', mentioned above.)
2. You have an undersized sand filter OR a cartridge filter with an old or Asian made cartridge.

These are very, very common problems on AG pools, after an algae episode.

If these guesses are correct, you'll need to (a) slow the flow through your filter, (b) make SURE the algae doesn't regrow, and (c) do what you can to improve or upgrade your filter.

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Possibly the easiest way to get us all the info we need is to send me pictures -- large pictures -- of your pump, filter, pool & piping. Send them to poolforum@gmail.com and I'll post them.