ARGHHHHH!!! Cloudy water

[mbar]

Total Chlorine is the free chlorine plus the combined chlorine. The first numbers you posted were :
Tot chlorine 7.3
Free Chlorine 6.1

Which leaves you with 1.2 combined chlorine, which means that you are fighting something in your water. Without a test that tests for combined chlorine it is ok to just bring your levels up to shock - I would try to bring it up to 20ppms. You can tell that you don't have anything fighting your chlorine when the chlorine holds overnight.

I told you to point your return eyes up so that you can aerate your water, because as long as your ph is low, you can lower your alkalinity this way, and your alk is way to high - it should be 80 to 125 in a vinyl liner pool and not higher than 180.

Just keep adding the chlorine - your pool will clear. Every time it goes down at all, add it back to 20ppms.

[let_her_flicker]

1. 6.1 and 7.3 are pool store readings. Can't trust them. You can only trust Ben's readings with his kit. If your chlorine drops at night, yes you are fighting something.

2. I would worry about the TA later. It is not causing your pool to be cloudy.

3. I will let mbar help you from now on as I don't want to confuse you with anymore recommendations as your pool is giving you enough trouble already.

Good Luck

[geneskaf]

ok, i've done as asked Scrubbing, vacuuming, adding chlorine daily. Added 2 gallons of chlorine yesterday and this morning its still at 15.

My chlorine is holding but my pH is now 6.8. And, the pool is still cloudy.

What should I do now? Today our warm weather is starting and I'm bummed, but not as much as my kids!

Kathy

[Bleach=Chlorine?]

Can you post a full set of #s? I don't want to recommend any changes without knowing where the TA (total alkalinity) is. Also, how is your filter pressure? Have you been backwashing the filter? Lastly, is the water coming out of your returns clear?

[geneskaf]

ok, i went to test the alkalinity and my directions are not in my pool kit. Another roadblock. I have the 5 test from Wal Mart. How do I test the alkalinity? My CYA is 42 and there is O hardness. My chlorine is 15 ppm and my pH is 6.8. As soon as I figure out how to test the AK I will. I think you put 5 drops of AK Indicator in some water (amount?) and then add 5 drops of AK and count the drops it takes to turn red then multiply by 3???

Thanks

[geneskaf]

ok, if the test is correct the way i did it, (put drops in 25 ml of pool water) it never did turn RED but at about 28 drops it was clear and then at about 35 drops it started turning a yellowish color with a tinge of orange I guess. Its got 65 drops of AK Titrant and its a tinge of orange. I wouldn't call it red. Anyway, if I multiply by 3 it would be about 190. Should I keep putting drops in until it turns completely red?

Kathy

[geneskaf]

OK, now I have some new numbers. The water is still cloudy with visibility of about one foot. Todays numbers are:

Chlorine 1.5
pH 7.3
Alkalinity 60 (low, right?)
CYA 42

I know I need to add chlorine tonight. I had so much chlorine in it I couldnt test the pH or alkalinity. But...the chlorine HAS been holding. I'm told there is a lot of dead algae (tiny particles) in the pool. I'm vacuuming to waste, I put some sparkle stuff in the trap thingy and I'm backwashing as necessary. According to what I've read, I should let the filter get 5 to 7 pounds over and above the normal pressure before I backwash. Is this correct?

We are in the middle of a heat wave here in Washington and the kids are chomping at the bit.

Thoughts? Advice? Next?

Thanks,
Kathy

[Watermom]

If you still have cloudy water, you need to continue to shock your pool. Also, run your pump 24/7. I don't know what sparkle stuff in the trap thingy is, but you probably didn't need it. As far as backwashing goes, we usually suggest backwashing when the pressure rises 8-10 psi.

[geneskaf]

My pump has been running 24/7 for nearly a month now (the amount of time this pool has been being worked on). You say to shock - what will the shock do? It's been shocked and shocked and reshocked. I kept the chlorine up to 15 - 20 for a week. My pool liner is nearly whilte!

Kathy