I'm confused

[topless]

I have tried to search for answers, but my pool test numbers are so different, I'm not sure what to add.
I just opened the pool Friday, it was green and cloudy so I spent the first 36 hours trying to keep the chlorine high.
My pool is IG and gunite(?) appr. 20,000 gallons. It's a free-form shape and that's my best guess.
The first 24 hours I used 68 gallons of bleach. I closed the cover because it rained 1.4" last night. I opened it back up this morning, the water is cloudy, but blueish. I got one of Ben's test kits late last year, so I used it this morning.

Temp - 69
FC - .5
TC - 4
ph - 6.8
TA - 250
CAL - 0
cya - 0

Last year I had too much cya, over 150, but I got my test kit too late in the year to use it. I knew my chemistry was screwed up. I also have a foaming problem related to adding the wrong kind of algaecide trying to get rid of a re-occurring issue with mustard algae.
I added about 2lbs of cya and another gallon of bleach and a lb of borax. How do I add calcium?

[CarlD]

I have tried to search for answers, but my pool test numbers are so different, I'm not sure what to add.
I just opened the pool Friday, it was green and cloudy so I spent the first 36 hours trying to keep the chlorine high.
My pool is IG and gunite(?) appr. 20,000 gallons. It's a free-form shape and that's my best guess.
The first 24 hours I used 68 gallons of bleach. I closed the cover because it rained 1.4" last night. I opened it back up this morning, the water is cloudy, but blueish. I got one of Ben's test kits late last year, so I used it this morning.

Temp - 69
FC - .5
TC - 4
ph - 6.8
TA - 250
CAL - 0
cya - 0

Last year I had too much cya, over 150, but I got my test kit too late in the year to use it. I knew my chemistry was screwed up. I also have a foaming problem related to adding the wrong kind of algaecide trying to get rid of a re-occurring issue with mustard algae.
I added about 2lbs of cya and another gallon of bleach and a lb of borax. How do I add calcium?

Wow! You are really all over the MAP. First, while your pH is low, you have a gunite pool so it's probably OK. I would NOT, repeat NOT add borax or soda ash to raise pH. Only use aeration--search the site for ways to aerate.

When your pH rises above 7.2, add muriatic acid to lower it again and keep aerating until your Total Alkalinity is in the 80-125 range. You can do this while dealing with the algae.

Second, you have an FC of .5 and a TC of 4. That means your CC is 3.5...normally that means shocking to an FC of 35 to clear it--and you may well have to do that with the algae. Again, you have a gunite pool so you can get away with it. However, for starters, add bleach to raise your FC to 15ppm. If you use 6% ultra bleach you will need 5 gallons. If you use 12.5% (available from pool stores either in gallons or 5 gallon containers), you'll need 2.5 gallons to start.

But you'll need to test your water 3x/ day and add bleach/liquid chlorine whenever your FC drops below 15.

Meanwhile run the tests again--especially for CYA.

Forget calcium for now...get the algae dead first.

Fix pH, then keep the pool at shock levels, it may take a week or more.

There is NO quick and easy solution, just logical practices and patience.

Meanwhile, vacuum to waste and brush the pool once a day.

Don't go to the pool store and expect them to give you something to throw in that will fix it. They'll sell it to you, but it won't fix the problem.

You need lots and lots of bleach/liquid chlorine to fix it.

[topless]

Thanks for answering back. I added the 5 gallons of bleach late yesterday and tested again this morning.

FC - .5
TC - 2
ph - 6.8
cya - 0

I am going to the pool store this morning to get cya. I added 5 more gallons of bleach.
Before you posted I tried to raise my ph by adding 4 lbs of Borax. As you can see, it didn't change a thing. I have a small air leak in my suction line that I've never tried to find, so I get aeration 100% of the time. I guess that's why my pool has always run low ph.
Here are pictures of what happens after I add bleach and you can see the color here too.

[CarlD]

No, the aeration causes pH to RISE, not fall. If you have low pH, it's not from aeration, more likely from Tri-Chlor puck.

You will need at least 5 gallons just to get your FC to shock level. With the way your water looks, you may need another 5 later in the day.

PLEASE read the stickied sections. You are going to need to test your water and add bleach 3x/day.

You may want to get the 5 gallon blue carboys of 12.5% Liquid Chlorine from the pool store--spend the extra $4 on the screw-on nozzle--it's worth it.

Each of these carboys is like 10 gallons of ultra bleach. It can be more convenient, especially when using large quantities. You bring the empty back to the store because they are reusable.

[topless]

Well, I had to postpone everything I planned for today. I went to vacuum the pool and the gasket in my valve went bad. So, while I was picking up cya, I got a new one and installed it. Right now the silicone is drying, so I can start again this evening after I put the valve back together.

[Jeffski]

That is some nasty pool water.

[haze_1956]

That is some nasty pool water.

Looks the lazy river my kids were in at a Hotel in Myrtle Beach a few years ago.

Had I known then what I know now!!

[Poconos]

Since you are in one of those unique situations where you need a bunch of chlorine AND calcium you may want to use Calcium Hypochlorite granules. Address two things at once. A lot easier to handle than bleach. About a year ago I got a 100 pound bucket of cal-hypo 67% for about $140 including tax. No great bargain but with the price of gas it's not worth trying to find the absolute best deal. If you have a sand filter it is especially easy to add. Just dump it in the skimmer and let it dissolve in the filter. Dissolves in a matter of minutes, not hours. Just make sure the label lists calcium hypochlorite as the active ingredient and nothing other than inert stuff. And before someone pops up and scares the wits out of everyone, if you have an in-line chlorinator be sure it is empty....no pucks.
Al

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Since my last post, I decided to use calcium hypochlorite and cya that I can purchase through a customer of mine. I decided that having to purchase a large quantity and store it is more cost effective than what I've been doing. 50lbs of cya will last a long time, but it will store in a 5 gallon pail or 2, that I have plenty of. The cal-hypo I'm getting a 100lbs, and will store it the same way.

If you think it's nasty now, you should have seen it Friday when I open it for the first time since Nov. It smelled bad too. So far, I'm having lots of fun, Friday I installed a new pump motor, this one was under warranty. This year has been cool and I have no heater. I have a lot of trees, so I will only get to use the pool this year 2 months or so. Every year I debate whether or not to just fill it in.

[Poolsean]

PLEASE be very careful with cal hypo storage. Just a spill of soda or motor oil mixing with it will ignite the cal hypo. Keep it isolated and DRY, out of any possibility if anything mixing with it.

I saw a pool distributor burn down because a guy on a forklift drove over a busted open 1 lb bag, and an oil drip ignited the cal hypo. You cannot add water to put it out!

Biolab, a more recognizable name in the pool industry, burned their GA facility down a few years ago.
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