Frustrated!!!!

[Watermom]

1 lb. of stabilizer should put you at 40ppm which would be a good CYA reading. When did you add it and how did you add it?

I assume you are using the 6-Way drops-based kit and not the 6-way test strips?

You better get some bleach in there now, like this morning. I'm surprised it's not turning green already with no chlorine. Go ahead and add a quart of bleach. Generic 8.25% Walmart bleach is fine and what many of us use. That should put you at about 6ppm of chlorine. For reference, in your pool, each cup will add about 1.5ppm of chlorine. Use that to help you figure out how much bleach to add each evening.

What are the "HTH Chemicals." (Please give ingredients.)

[Elisabeth]

Yes I have the drops based kit. I added the stabilizer I believe on Weds...unfortunately I threw away the bottle so I am not sure about the ingredients, it is the bottle that comes in the pool startup kit (it was purchased at Walmart).

So just to be completely sure, this morning I am adding a quart of generic bleach and 1 cup of Borax and test after a few hours to see what my PH is at?

[Watermom]

Yes. That is correct.

[Elisabeth]

So I added the bleach as directed and 1 cup of borax at 10 am Sunday morning, I then tested Sunday evening about 8 pm and had a CL of 3, PH of 7.2. I did not test AL .

Monday morning 9 am results
CL - 3
PH - 7.2
AL - 180
Hardness - I added the 5 drops of hardness indicator as directed by test kit and could not get the 25 ml of pool water of blue it only turned a yellowish color
CYA - at 30 which is as low as my test kits goes I can still see slightly the black dot.

after this test run I added another cup of borax.

My water had been nice and clear yesterday morning before adding the bleach but yesterday afternoon it started to turn on me and now has a slight green tinge to it. I am going to purchase another filter and get that put in as the other is quiet dirty. Hopefully that helps.

What should my next step be?

Again thanks for all your help...hopefully I can have the grandkids in the pool on the weekend to celebrate the end of the school year.

[Watermom]

Is your pool green and cloudy or green and clear?

Don't worry about the calcium hardness test.

Your pH is good. Keep some chlorine in there. For now, aim for 3-5ppm.

Don't retest the CYA anymore until about Wed. That will be a full week since you added it so it should all be dissolved by then. Report that reading. If it is still showing lower than 30, we'll have you add a little more CYA.

[Elisabeth]

It is green and clear, I am hoping that is a good sign. Because is was filled from a well I am assuming it is Iron in the water. I just put a new filter in so hopefully that helps some.

I plan on ordering some better filters from Amazon and the Taylor K-2006 kit, once I get this under control....right now I don't want to spend anymore unless I can make it work.

[PoolDoc]

You probably need to get the K2006 and the better cartridges SO you can make it work.

I've operated numerous pools that were filled with iron contaminated water. Working out a process that is functional for THAT particular pool always took time. Usually, it wasn't till the 3rd season that I could run them without hiccups.

Operating a small pool, with undersized filters, that is filled with iron contaminated water is a task with a STEEP learning curve. If you aren't able to be patient and accept that there will be failures this year, as you work it out -- save yourself the pain and money, and bail out now.

But, if you're going to try to do it, do NOT put off what you need now, to make it easier. Of all the periods when you will want "easier", this is it. Later on, when you HAVE a method for your pool, you'll be able to 'get by' without this or that.