Need advice on cloudy Intex Pool . . . but I don't want a K2006

[EllenF]

Thanks for the response.
Today the chlorine is 5
PH is 7.5
I used Blue Shield liquid shock a few days ago: sodium hypochlorite 12.5%, inert ingredients 87.5%
The water is SLOWLY getting clearer. I can see the bottom and there is very little debris.
I've been running it non-stop and actually took some advice yesterday and put a knee-high around the crappy typeA cartridge filter. That seems to have sped things up a little.
Do I need to do anything about the hardness of the water? Does that effect anything?

Thanks

[Watermom]

5 is the highest that the kit can read. Are you sure it is 5 or is it darker yellow? Did you look at the link I posted above with the color chart?

To try and clear the pool, you need to maintaining chlorine levels around 15ppm. Does the Blue Shield Liquid chlorine mention anything else on the ingredients? If not, it is probably fine to use.

In your pool, each cup of the 12.5% sodium hypo will add about 1.5ppm and each quart will add just under 6ppm. Use that as a reference to help you figure out how much to add each time you test to get the chlorine back up to 15ppm. However ---- it may be that it is not actually 12.5%. Chlorine degrades quickly. Who knows how fresh that is. That is one reason we like Walmart's generic bleach. It is stored in an air-conditioned store and the turnover of the product is quick. I just left my Walmart a few minutes ago and bought several jugs myself!

You really should think about order the K2006 kit I mentioned above. It can measure chlorine levels higher than 5ppm.

Another chart you should look at explains the connection between CYA and chlorine:> http://pool9.net/cl-cya/ Not understanding this connection is one of the main reasons that people get algae in their pool.

Basically, you want to keep your chlorine high until you can go from sundown one evening to within an hour of sunrise the next morning without losing more than 1ppm of chlorine and the water is clear.

Don't worry about the hardness right now. Also, when you test, you don't need to retest the CYA anymore unless you use a product that has it in it like dichlor or trichlor. And, you shouldn't use either of those. Your CYA is perfect right at 50.

One more tip for now, the pH results will be invalid with your kit when the chlorine is over 5ppm. (Over 10ppm with the Taylor K2006 kit.) So, if you have high chlorine, dilute your water sample before testing pH. Take one part pool water and mix it with an equal part of distilled water. Then, run the pH test with that as normal.

Hope this helps. Let us know if you have further questions.

(Remember to copy those links and then log out before you will be able to see them.)

[EllenF]

I did the chlorine again. I'd say it's higher than 10. It's a mustard color. I would think this would seem about right given that I'd shocked it 3 days ago?
The link you gave me is hard to decipher holding it to a computer screen but I'd say it's between 9 and 13.
I also mixed the pool water with distilled and did the ph again and this read 7.2
The liquid shock just says sodium hypochlorite 12.5 and inert ing 87.5. I have more of that and I also do have walmart bleach. With those numbers should I add more?
It's raining today so I can't tell if it is clearer than this morning.
Having spent $25 on the HTH Drop kit, I can't justify spending at least another $50 on the one you like. If I end up going with a permanent pool in the future I'd invest in it, but right now I'm at the point where I've spent so much time on this Intex pool I'd rather take it down than throw much more money at it.

Thanks and let me know if I should add anything!

[Watermom]

To clear the pool, you need to keep it at shock level which with a CYA reading of 50 would be 15ppm. So, yes, you need to add more. It's ok to use up the 12.5% first. I gave you reference amounts in the previous post so you can figure out doses to add whenever you test to get back to 15ppm.

Another and less expensive option instead of the full K2006 kit is to just buy the add-on kit called the K1515. That would give you the test that your kit is missing which allows you to be able to measure chlorine levels past 5. It is also available through that same link posted above. It will make it a whole lot easier to manage your pool if you can test levels more accurately.

Keep an eye on your pH. You are ok at 7.2 but if it goes any lower, you should bump it up a little by using some of the Borax. Add about a half a cup at a time and then several hours later, retest and redose until you get it where you want it. Anywhere between 7-8 is ok with the mid 7s usually best for most pools.

[PoolDoc]

Having spent $25 on the HTH Drop kit, I can't justify spending at least another $50 on the one you like. If I end up going with a permanent pool in the future I'd invest in it, but right now I'm at the point where I've spent so much time on this Intex pool I'd rather take it down than throw much more money at it.

Lots of people reach this point in their thinking, without recognizing the error most are making. The problem is, you will almost certainly continue to 'throw money' at your pool, without a K2006. I don't want to overstate this; having a K2006 will NOT fix your pool. Rather it will make it POSSIBLE for you to fix your pool.

If you are serious about draining the pool . . . that is certainly the cheapest option. Otherwise, you need accurate testing.

There's another point to consider. As more and more PF users have inexpensive pools, we're running into resistance from those users to the idea of buying an 'expensive' kit. Instead -- without really thinking about it -- they end up asking us to continue to spend time with them GUESSING at the best thing to do with their pool. They often combine these actions with intermittent trips to the pool store, where they get 'free' water tests that have ALWAYS been designed to sell more chemicals. The result is that their pool situation becomes more and more confused and complex, as they partially follow our directions, but mix in the occasional doses of over-priced pool store voodoo chemicals that will "fix everything" (NOT!).

I'm going to have to talk to my moderators and the Support Team, but I think it's time to tell small pool owners that it's unfair to us, and to other forum users, to monopolize our time this way. Instead, I think it may be time to offer 3 options:

1. Get a K2006 + adequate filtration AND stop using pool store 'free' testing, or dumping in pool store 'goop'

OR

2. Drain and refill, and then follow the Super Simple Recipe (http://pool9.net/ssr/ which does not require the K2006.

OR

3. Actually drain and abandon your pool.

Anything else simply wastes your money, and both your time, and ours.

Best wishes.

[EllenF]

Wow, Ben, what a warm welcome to the pool world you've given me.
I'm new to all this and came here for some advice, which Watermom gave me. I was and am appreciative of her.
How exactly did I waste your time when you didn't respond to any of my posts? Watermom did a great job educating me on the basics, but since I'm just a small resistant little pool owner I won't bother you all any more.

[PoolDoc]

Your choice, of course.

I handled it badly, and should have checked with my mods, etc first.

I can certainly see how my response came across as rude -- I have tendency to 'think out loud' at times, and that's what I was doing. But the simple fact remains that, if you have problems with a small pool, the 3 options I gave you are really the ones you have -- not because I'm being mean or rude, but just because those are the facts.

Test it accurately -- and then fix it -OR- drain and refill it and then use the SSR (which avoids some of the need to test -OR- give it up.

Of course, there's a 4th option the pool chemicals companies hope you'll take, and that's to keep buying useless pool chemicals OR using bad test methods (strips or pool dealers) so they can keep selling you stuff, as the problems continue.

Sorry I didn't say it better. Good luck.

[Watermom]

Ellen, if you are able to buy the K1515 kit I mentioned above, that will give you the ability to test accurately and we will be able to help you clear your pool up. Let us know.

[Pappy]

I'm going to agree with CarlD too. I have an Intex. I'm here to tell you, it takes a LONG time to filter out remnants of an algae infestation, weeks, AND, that's IF you REPLACE the filter every time it stops up (the filters from walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, etc will not stand up to being cleaned). I'll also tell you that the advice I got here was once the algae is dead and the pool is clear enough to see the bottom, it's ok to go swimming. We all hope you get to enjoy your pool for lots of years. I'll also say, we had a constant fight on our hands til we got the K2006 kit and were able to accurately test the chlorine levels. That kit has saved us BUNCHES of money in chemicals we didn't need to buy.

Good luck and ENJOY your pool!

Pappy

[FormerBromineUser]

I especially never knew that places like Leslie's were like when I'd take my car to Jiffy Lube for an oil change and they'd try to flush my radiator for $300.

Yup, you got it! Perfect analogy.

Purchasing the K2006 will be by far the most cost-effective decision you will EVER make for your pool and your peace of mind. I promise.

Good luck!