1st time pool owner

[polyvue]

today for the first time since i took the cover off i can see the bottom no problem. it is still a bit cloudy but definitly strides in the right direction!!!!(thanks to all of you )


i am thinking that the brushing the bottom is maybe why the pool stayed so cloudy for days?? i did not brush the pool and stir up the dirt yesterday and today it is much better!

should i vacuum the bottom now that i can see it, or should i wait til the pool is not cloudy anymore??

i am look at the 2006 test kits. i didn't realize there were 2 different models, hence the price difference from site to site. i will stop in at a few shops after work tomorrow and if they do not have it i will just order one and do the distilled water trick.

The algae, even when dead and dying, has to go somewhere. If you can, vacuum to waste -- that is, not back into your filter. If the filter pressure (PSI) rises substantially (8-10 psi over baseline) clean or backwash. It's desirable to continue brushing the pool surfaces to dislodge any nascent algae.

BTW - If this advice conflicts in any way with that given you by this forum's long-time posters or moderators, feel free to disregard. They have oodles of experience with these matters and can see you through this.

For some reason, none of the pool stores I'm familiar with carry high-end residential test kits. Leslie's sells a rebranded version of the Taylor K-2006 on-line but doesn't stock it in their stores. Your best bet to obtain a K-2006 is on-line. If you actually find a quality FAS/DPD test kit in a store, please post back and let us know -- it would be nice to know which stores are the exceptions.

[CarlD]

Because brushing makes your pool cloudy has led you to think brushing's a bad thing!

NOT SO! Any algae still alive is knocked loose by brushing and the dead algae is moved around so it is more easily filtered out. I don't know of ANY time when brushing is bad for your pool. Be sure to watch your filter pressure and backwash when it goes up.

[hamiltonmike]

well the pool is still very cloudy but i can still see the debris on the bottom.

i have been testing constantly and just now i got

chloring 9 ppm

ph 7.4

alk 80

it is definately getting better but definately not like some of the 4 and 5 day tarp off-swimming threads i have come across


i have been debating calling someone in to have a look but i have already done most of the opening stuff. so would it be worth it to hire someone to come have a look? id prefer not to if he is going to throw some chlorine in and leave shich is what i am picturing is going to happen lol

the pool shop people told me that once the green clears out(which for the most part is) and the pool goes cloudy that i can add a product called clear blue to the skimmer, and that will clear it up.

i didnt buy it but i thought i would ask here first


thanks
mike

[AnnaK]

No Mike, don't call anyone. You already know all you need to know about how to clean up your pool. Keep adding chlorine, keep brushing, keep the filter running.

The pool didn't turn green in a day and it'll take longer then a day to clean it up. Do the work, be patient. "Clear Blue' is probably a flocculant. Sure, you can buy it. It might help, it might not. Filtering will clear your pool eventually. It does take time.

[Watermom]

Can you net any of the debris off the bottom? The more you can get out of there, the faster it will clear. You are doing the right things. You just need what we refer to around here as POP --- pool owner patience. It has only been a few days. You'll get there. How high are you taking the chlorine when you shock? How many times a day are you testing and adding more bleach? How much chlorine are you losing overnight?

[hamiltonmike]

i have been out there all weekend brusing and netting as mush as possible! there is still the odd leaf here and there. for the most part it is particulate debris which the net wont get so i will have to vacuum it up.

a buddy of mine had a few pieces from various test kits, so he gave me the vile part, and the chlorine reads up to 10.

i was testing 3 times daily during the weekend .

since the tester reads up to 10 , that is what i have been shooting for , for consistancy reasons( i realize you said 12ppm)

this morning the chlorine was 4-5, so i am losing roughly 5-6 ppm?

i have been adding chlorine at about 9 am about an hour before the sun hits it, and roughly 9 pm once the sun is gone.


tomorrow i will be back to work so that will change a bit.



i spent a good 40 days (embarrassing i know) last season trying to get this up and running and it was a sad day when i had to put the cover on it, and i still couldnt see the bottom

but my POP has not run out just yet, as long as we are making progress

[Watermom]

Try and take your chlorine a little higher. And, although I know it may be inconvenient, you really gotta at least test and hit it with bleach no less than twice a day or you're never gonna get this pool clear. You always lose some of your chlorine to UV rays during the day. So, chlorine loss at night is a tell-tale sign that you are still killing algae.

As a side note to anybody reading this thread: Even when you are not fighting an algae bloom, this is why we recommend adding bleach at night instead of during the day just for routine maintenance, so all the chlorine can go towards sanitation of the pool and is not lost to UV.

The good news, Mike, is that you are not going to spend 40 days clearing this pool this year. You'll see. A few more days and it is going to sparkle!

[hamiltonmike]

well that is good news!!

i am, and will continue to shock it twice a day and even 3 times when i am around to do it.

the alkalinity is staying consitant at 80 for the most part and the ph is at 7.2 or a little bit above.


i have another question

the pool is more cloudy than green now. is the cloudiness due have something to do with the algea, or is more to do with the chemical balances changing??



thanks again

ps. since i joined this forum 2 people have suggested adding algeacide, but luckily i have read a few horror stories here and knew better!
i was also told it was to be shocked once a week along with the algeacide.
(im not questioning the advice given on this forum, just passing on what ive been told)

[chem geek]

The cloudiness is most likely dead algae. See the following thread (sorry about no link, but it looks like the ability to add links has been taken away):

http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=1180

where you can see that the pool goes from green to cloudy fairly quickly, but then takes longer to clear. Shock levels of chlorine, regular brushing, and constant filtration are key. Removing large debris is also important, but it sounds like you've mostly done that. If in the event that you get to a point where you are stuck and there is no visible improvement and there is no chlorine loss (<= 0.5 ppm FC drop) overnight, then you could consider using a clarifier or flocculant, but you aren't there yet and usually this is not necessary.

[hamiltonmike]

wow, that is quite the tranformation!! i wake up every morning and walk out to the pool with hopes of a crystal clear pool lol i'll settle for cloudy because just seeing the bottom is a step forward for a noob like me.

i have been doing alot of reading lately and now i see that last years attempt consisted of shocking twice a week as per the "pros"
i wish i would of taken pictures last year, it was pretty bad, and there were some crazy bugs ......

i can;t beleive i didn;t think of finding a pool forum sooner, as i am a member of numerous reptile and fishing forums, and the best place for info!!!