Too Much Chlorine!!

[pkhall]

Free Chlorine 20
PH 7.2
Alkalinity 110
CYA 180 (I used the method suggested of diluting and using 1 part pool water 2 parts distilled and multiplying by 3)

We have ran the filter day and night for over a week. We started with a deep, dark, swampy green. It didn't take long to turn to a lighter color green but still can't see the bottom. You can't see more than a couple inches into the water. It's now a light shade of green but very cloudy.

[Watermom]

With a CYA reading of 180, your shock level will be 25ppm. Since your pool is still green, go ahead and add enough bleach to get back to 25. In your pool, each quart of 8.25% bleach will add about 1ppm of chlorine and each of the 121-oz bottles will add about 3.5ppm. Use those as a reference to help you figure out how much bleach to add.

While you are working to clear this up, test your pool each evening after the sun is off the pool. Add enough bleach to take the chlorine level back up to 25ppm. Run your pump 24/7 right now and backwash the filter as needed. Also, brush the pool while the chlorine is high.

Continue to keep your pool at shock level until two conditions are met:
1) You can go from sundown one evening to within an hour of sunrise the next morning without losing more than 1ppm of chlorine. AND --
2) You have no more than 0.5ppm of CC.

Then, you can let the chlorine drift down but always keep it between 8-15ppm after that or else you'll get algae again. (Did you look at the chart that Kevin linked for you in post #6 above?) Only use bleach from now. No trichlor pucks or dichlor shock powder. Both contain CYA and you certainly don't want any more in there!

Your pH is ok at 7.2 but keep an eye on it and if it drops any further, use some Borax to bump it back up. (Never let it drop below 7.0.)

Keep us posted how your progress is going.

[pkhall]

Free Chlorine 27
Combined Chlorine 1
PH 7.4
Alkalinity 110
CYA 120 (I diluted with 1/2 distilled water x 2) We have drained drained a little water at a time and refilling. It is slowly helping.
Calcium Hardness 100

Over the period of 2 1/2 weeks we have went from a deep dark green to a blue. Our water is now a bluish color. You can finally see the jets on the side of the pool and some shades on the bottom where there are a few patches of dirt. But, it is still extremely cloudy. We have kept filter running 24/7. I have added bleach each evening to keep the chlorine up to 25ppm after you told me that was our shock level with our CYA. It still does not seem to be clearing up. I'm starting to give up hope....any other ideas? Do I need to add more bleach and get it up higher than the 25ppm?

[Watermom]

Are you diluting your water sample before running the pH test? With the K2006 kit, if your chlorine level is higher than 10ppm, your pH test will be inaccurate. (With other kits besides the Taylors, the pH test is inaccurate when chlorine levels are higher than 5ppm.) If you haven't been, do so by mixing a 1/4 cup pool water with 1/4 cup distilled water. Then, use that to run the pH test but you don't have to multiply the results by anything. Just read it.

Let's do a test on your filter to make sure that it is working properly. Get a small bag of DE. Add a small amount to the skimmer and watch the return jet to see if any white powder is shooting back out. Report back with your result. If you see it coming out of the jet, then your filter needs work. If not, the DE may actually help you sand filter catch some of the stuff better. More about it here:> http://pool9.net/de-test/

[pkhall]

When I diluted with distilled water the PH still appears to be about 7.4. I've not been able to go get any DE yet to try that.