My Pool Looks Like An EASTER EGG!!! -- NOT a good thing!

[duraleigh]

Hi, Summer,

Complete waterbear's test. Like both of you, I don't think that's the problem but it's a good safety net.

Since I sorta' left you dangling on your clear water quest, I'm gonna' chime back in and offer some more steps.

How often do you add the four gallons? Only to bring your Cl up to 20 ppm. Now, (and you have arrived at this point) add enough Cl as often as you can to bring your ppm right back up to 20.

Let's say you put in the 4 gallons tonight and tomorrow morning your FC test at 4ppm (or even zero again). Use Michaels calculator to add enough clorox to bring it right back up to 20ppm...If you tested 4ppm, you'll need 3.2 more gallons to bring it back to 20ppm. Let;s say you come home for lunch and your FC test 10ppm....use the calculator again and you'll find you need 2 gallons to get it back to 20ppm.

Do you get the routine? Test as often as you can and calculate enough Clorox to bring your pool right back to 20ppm.

Here's what will happen....your test will show more and more FC as your pool clears. DON'T STOP!! Keep adding Clorox right back up to 20ppm until: You can hold 20ppm overnight. Once that occurs you will have gotten all the junk from your pool and you can let your Cl return down to about 6ppm.

That's it, Summer, your pool will sparkle and you can go swimming. Disregard the advice I gave you about adding Cl only at night......you have enough CYA in there to hold Cl during the day.

Now let me offer you three rules:

1. Bring your Cl up to 20ppm, test as often as you can, and add enought Cl to bring it back to 20ppm

2. Bring your Cl up to 20ppm, test as often as you can, and add enought Cl to bring it back to 20ppm

2. Bring your Cl up to 20ppm, test as often as you can, and add enought Cl to bring it back to 20ppm

Sorry to be a horse's patoot but It's important to emphasize what you should be doing now. I'll bet you'll be squared away in just a few days if you follow the three rules above!

Dave S.

[waterbear]

Summer,
I have to add something to what Dave said.

Bring your Cl up to 20ppm, test as often as you can, and add enought Cl to bring it back to 20ppm!

Once it was sorted out that it was just a huge case of chlorine demand this is right on the money!......
you WILL be swimming soon!

[PopcornGirl]

THANK YOU SO much!!!

Dave, your no "horse's patoot!" I NEED the repitition and reinforcement!
And I'm very "task-oriented" so this is just the kind of instruction I need.
Ok... off to check ebay, bathe the baby, get the kiddos to bed, and THEN (if I haven't completely fallen out), to test the water/test kit.

A mother's work is never done!

[PopcornGirl]

Drumroll please...

Ok, the tap water showed trace amounts of chlorine [~<.5 actually], so I got a glass of distilled (we had some on-hand already; my dh keeps a humidor [sp?]).
First I just tested the pool water, as usual:
pH: 7.4-7.6 (7.5?)
FC: <.5 (YAY!!! It's actually showing SOMETHING now...)
TC: >.5 (but less than 1)

Then, pool water to the half-way mark (4.5) + distilled to the fill line...
FC: ZERO
TC: <.5

Then, pool water to the lowest mark (1.8) + distilled water to the fill line...
FC: ZERO
TC: ZERO

So, I guess we're ok.
Plus, the pool is showing even more improvement, so it's definitely doing something, despite the low readings... I'm glad there is FINALLY some pink in the test results!!

Ok, I am DONE. Gonna hit the sack... G'night!

[PopcornGirl]

Just an update! My pool is FINALLY starting to hold Chlorine!

This morning's readings:
pH: 7.4
FC: 2-3 ppm
TC: 1.5 ppm
Couldn't be happier!

[vgg659]

Wow. I'm just getting here from the other thread.

The only thing I'll add at this point is that I have been where you were, wondering if I'll ever get a FC reading in my pool again. When you have problems like you have had, it's important to understand how important it is to KEEP THE FC AT 20 PPM until it holds.

You are fighting a war and CL is your ammunition. But, you're using it up as you fight, so you have to continuously and constantly RELOAD.

In the near future, your water will be clearer than ever before.

You're getting good advice; follow it. My post is really for encouragement.

[waterbear]

Just an update! My pool is FINALLY starting to hold Chlorine!

This morning's readings:
pH: 7.4
FC: 2-3 ppm
TC: 1.5 ppm
Couldn't be happier!

You are NOT out of the (green) water yet! You still have a big chlorine demand going oin and over half the chlorine left in your pool is CC. Get the FC up to 20 ppm again and keep doing it until it is holding, Keep vacumning the dead algae, keep rinsing off the filter! You are Almost There!!!!!!
GOOD JOB!

[PopcornGirl]

After several days of diligent bleach pouring & water testing and a WHOLE LOT of hand-holding/babysitting by some VERY helpful members on this board... I would like to report that my pool is now BLUE!
There are NO stains so far and the algae is all but gone (there is still some in the crevices by the stairs and a couple of very small patches in the deep end).
AND this morning's CL readings (maintained overnight) were:
FC: 7-8 ppm
TC: 5-6 ppm
pH is still at 7.4
YES, I *KNOW*: "Keep adding bleach and testing until it gets to and STAYS at 20ppm.."
See? I have been paying attention!
And I WILL continue to do that until it holds 20ppm OVERNIGHT.
But I am just so happy and RELIEVED and thankful to all of you for helping me get through this crisis and helping me get switched over to bleach!
If things continue at this rate, I'll post a pic of my sparkling, clear pool TOMORROW!
I can't say THANKS enough, but I had a *very* good ebay week so I splurged and purchased Ben's new test kit today... I figure if I'm going to do this, I may as well get educated and do it right!
VERY, VERY HAPPY,