opening pool for summer from forest green swamp

[Watermom]

If your pH is below 7.0, that is your most critical issue. Get it above 7.0 ASAP!

Mix a cup of pool water with a cup of distilled water and use that to run the CYA test again but multiply your results by 2. See what reading you get then.

Brush the pool while the chlorine is high and run your pump 24/7. If there is debris you can scoop out, do so. Keep dumping in the bleach. Especially with that high CYA, you will need high chlorine levels to kill the algae.

What size pump do you have? What kind and size filter?

Welcome to the Pool Forum, by the way! Good decision to buy the kit! You'll need it with a high CYA like you have.

[rweber12]

First time pool owner just bought a house that has a 16x32 ft pool.

I've read a bit on the site so I have purchased the Taylor kit you recommended. Dumped a ton of chlorine in about a week ago and it cleared up the first few feet but the deep end was still pretty swampy.. Working on vacuuming and brushing but it just makes the water greener. Just tested my water last night and either its first time user inexperience or my levels are way off... My pH was below 7 a mid to light yellow.. My cya was over 100 and my free chlorine was apparently 0. Tonight I dumped a box of borax in and 8 gallons of liquid chlorine in.

I'll give readings in the morning but any suggestions now?

[rweber12]

Hayward s200 sand filter and I believe a 3/4 HP pump

Also I just came out this morning and it appeared like my pump didn't have any water in it. Im kinda concerned. I filled the basket area thinking that would get it kick started again but it just drained it right away. I'm filling the pipe it comes in from but I feel that there might be a clog or something since the skimmers were empty this morning too. Any ideas?

[Watermom]

I'm gonna ask Ben to see what he thinks about your pump issue. Not my area of expertise.

[rweber12]

I believe I didn't get the top back on secured tightly enough and it just drained itself due to the lack of suction.. I but the garden hose down the pipe it pulls from the pool and let it run for a while and put the top back on and sealed it tight and it has been running well for a few hours now.

I've run out of the liquid chlorine again. I plan on running to the store to buy some more but I have some giant 3" chlorinating tablets that I purchased from Menards. The active ingredient is 99.3% trichloro-s-triazinetrione with 89.0% available chlorine. Could I use these? The previous owners swore by these and just said to drop 3 in the skimmer baskets once a week and I'd be golden.

[Watermom]

With a CYA over 100 and who knows how high it actually is, you should not use those trichlor tabs. They have CYA in them and you don't want yours any higher! They also are very acidic and will drive your pH down.

Did you try the dilution method to see if you can get a more accurate CYA reading? Take a look at this chart. It explains the connection between CYA and chlorine. (Copy link and log out, then paste in browser window.) http://pool9.net/cl-cya/

Glad you got your pump issue solved.

[rweber12]

I haven't had a chance to run to the store yet to purchase the distilled water.. I did dump a box of borax in this morning and tested it just now and I believe my pH is about 7.5.. Cya is basically 100 it was a couple millimeters away from the 100 point when the dot disappeared.. I also found some 50% calcium hypochlorite one time shock treatment packets that are a pound apiece and dumped 5 of them in around 1.. With my last test about 3 hrs later my free chlorine ppm was 36 I believe. Would that be right?