Very Green Pool

[Watermom]

I thought ph testing was inaccurate when fc is over 10... That would explain the apparent dramatic shift in ph for no reason. Might want to let chlorine drop and retest ph...

Nevermind... Just read that the Taylor kit ph test is ok up to 15ppm chlorine.

Actually, Ben and I were discussing this very thing yesterday. In the past, there has been an inconsistency about whether it was accurate up to 10 or 15 but I think the final consensus of what we agreed to use is this:

The Taylor phenol red is good to FC=10. Above that, you can dilute 50:50 with distilled (not tap, spring, 'purified' etc. -- just distilled) water. That will allow accurate pH tests up to FC=20.

[marciastz]

Well, its been over 2 weeks since I started this thread. Our pool is looking a lot better, I can actually see the bottom in the 4-5 ft. deep water, but not in the deep end at all. It is blue but still Pretty cloudy looking. We are still running our sand filter 24/7. I kept the CL level at 15-20 for over a week but have let it go down to 7ppm now because my drop-count test shows I have NO combined chlorine. Ph is better now, 7.6, CYA is 70. My patience is running out. At walmart today I saw some hth clear power pods that say they will take the cloudy out of your water in one day. I am tempted to get some but I'm skeptical. Does anyone know if they would work or would just cause some other problem for me????

[marciastz]

Oh yea, I also put one of those filter socks in the skimmer basket. I was hoping it might help clear out the dead algae (if that is even what my problem is).

[Watermom]

What are your current TA and Ch readings?

[marciastz]

My readings today are FC-8ppm, CYA-70, PH 7.6, ALK-100, CH-140. This is the first time I have EVER tested for CH (because I was under the impression it was not necessary on vinyl pools), so I am not sure I knew what I was doing. When I added the R011L it turned a very light pink, not red, and when I started adding the R-0012 it took 10 drops to get clear and 14 drops to become a very light blue, so I called it 140. * FYI-My regeant is about 5 years old.

[Watermom]

I asked about your TA and CH because I was trying to see if they were very high and contributing to the cloudy water issue but they are fine. (You are right that calcium is not needed in a vinyl pool.)

Have you been shocking the pool and maintaining high chlorine the entire two weeks? For a CYA of 70, 8ppm is not shock level.

Have you been running your pump 24/7 and backwashing as needed?

[marciastz]

I kept the Chlorine level at 15-23ppm for the first week. Until it held its level overnight for 2 days in a row and my test showed 0 combined chlorine. Then it took several days of not adding any bleach for it to drop back down to 8ppm. Do you think I stopped too soon? Yes running pump 24/7 and backwashing when the pressure rises. Is there such as thing as backwashing too much?