"Green" Owner with a Green Pool

[SamMac]

I checked the chemicals again this morning before I left for work. The chlorine test was registering around 25ppm, and the pH was between 7.6 and 7.8 (closer to the 7.8 pink). I added some pH Down before leaving for work, and left the pump running all day. The basket is looking MUCH better each time that I check the pool, and I try to spend at least 30 minutes out there with the net each day, cleaning up what I can. I imagine that I'll get the vacuum out tonight, depending on how things look when I get home.

I don't think I've ever been so happy to see the chlorine test come back orange!

[Watermom]

When the chlorine is above 5ppm with your kit (above 10ppm with Taylor kits), you'll get falsely high pH results. Retest pH this evening by mixing equal parts of pool water and distilled water and then run the pH test as normal. (This is what the gallon of distilled water that I suggested you buy will be used for.)

[SamMac]

I just got home and tested the chlorine levels. I'm back down to less than 1ppm. The pool is still murky looking too. Part of me almost wonders if I should drain the pool completely, and start from scratch.

[Watermom]

If you lost that much chlorine, that is good. It means your chlorine is working hard to oxidize the stuff in the water. You don't need to drain it. If you keep hammering it with bleach or liquid chlorine, you'll clear it. Trust me.

Log out and go to the section of the forum called "Dealing With Algae and Slime. Near the top, there is a thread third from the top called Avoiding Algae/Removing Algae. In the first post in that thread, click on the link called "Does Bleach Really Kill Algae." You will be amazed at the pictures of a pool being transformed from a swamp to a beautiful pool. The same thing will happen in your pool if you maintain the high chlorine levels. Also, run the pump 24/7 while you are working to clear it and clean the filter as needed.

[SamMac]

Oh wow! That is an AMAZING difference! As long as I'm not on crutches, I'll be vacuuming my pool tomorrow after I get home (I think I've either sprained my ankle or fractured something - going to the doctor tomorrow).

The pump is still running 24/7, as I haven't picked up a timer for it yet.

I've now used the last of the Super Shok from the local pool store. Fortunately, I picked up two gallons of bleach when I was at Walmart yesterday. Walmart bleach is around $0.60 cheaper per gallon than the Shok, so I'll buy more bleach in the next day or two. I'm also checking to see if there are other stores in the area that may have bleach on sale, that has a high % of sodium hypochlorite.

Oh, and the pool store I visit bottles their own chlorine on-site. They have a Shok-Line that is updated daily with the stock status of the shok. I don't know how much of a difference that makes, in terms of if I should use their shok vs Walmart bleach.

Sidenote - how long does it take for me to no longer be a trial user/restricted on what I can see?


And I thought of another question. I'm going to be going out of town on Friday evening (coming home briefly before leaving), and won't return until sometime on Sunday afternoon/evening. I won't have anyone to come over and deal with chemicals while I'm gone. Is there anything I can do to minimize the potential issues that me not being here on Saturday/early Sunday may cause? I should be gone for around 48 hours total.

[Watermom]

Just shock the pool before you go.

Regarding trial status ---- we have had SO many people register recently and are working to get them all done as fast as possible (plus continue to work at the same time to answer the posts of all the members who are already 'in') but I can't promise you a "when." I know it is hard to be patient, but trust me, it will be SO worth it!

[SamMac]

Well, I was going to hook up the vacuum and clean the pool tonight, but I'm apparently missing at least one (if not more) parts. I know that I have a Baracuda cleaner, which appears to be a model 1500 based on an image search I did. I think I'm missing some parts though. I know that I used *A* pool cleaner last year, but I don't think it was the Baracuda, and I have NO clue where the cleaner I used is.

I've uploaded a few photos to a Picasa album so you can see what I have. There are several of the short white hoses, which I know connect to make the larger hose for the Baracuda. I know the steering wheel looking thing attaches somehow to the pink and blue main portion of the cleaner. But I have no idea on what the blue hose connects to, or what the white square thing is. You can't see it, but at the other end of the clear plastic hose that is attached to the white square thing, there is another elbow. Also, not pictured is a "hose protector net" (only know this because it was in a Baracuda manual that I found online).