1st time pool owner

[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!!!

[AnnaK]

Keep doing what you're doing. Your last post was fun to read. We love the beginnings of visible success!

[CarlD]

Now if you are having troubles getting it clear now that it's very blue, just cloudy, here are a couple of things you can tryl--it's spring so you may have pollen, too.

1) "Skimmer Socks". There are several brands of products similar to the one called this, but it doesn't matter. You put this thing in your skimmer basket with the elastic around the edge and you won't BELIEVE how much junk it pulls out! I rinse 'em out and one usually lasts me about a month, but they are pretty cheap--4- 6 in a pack and less than $10

2) DE powder in your sand filter. Sounds crazy but many members and Poconos and I do it all the time. I think Watermom does too. aylad doesn't because she uses Zeosand. Buy the smallest box of DE you can--10lbs or less. Just after you backwash, add 1/4 to 1/3 cup through your skimmer (take out the skimmer sock first!). Wait 10-20 minutes and see if your pump pressure increases--you want it to rise around 1 lb. Much more and your flow will decrease. If you put in too much, just back wash. The DE will significantly improve a sand filter's filtering and it's really cheap! My last box cost $8 and I've been using it since last season. The box before lasted about 3 seasons, too.

3) Add some Polyquat algaecide--the ONLY one we recommend. It's better for prevention than curing algae. You'll recognize it no matter what the pool store calls it because it will be the ONLY ingredient and say "Poly....<something-something> 60%. Sometimes it's called Black Algaecide, sometimes Mustard Algaecide, I never know! I go by the ingredient. What's great about Polyquat is it doubles as ANOTHER chemical (so you don't have to buy that, too) called a "flocculent". Floc helps cloudy suspensions clump so you can vacuum them and so the filter catches them. I avoid 30% and never pay more than $20/quart.

These are easy and simple and they usually work!

[Watermom]

Good call, Carl, on suggesting he try some DE. I forgot about suggesting that and yes, you're right. I use it in my sand filter, too!

[hamiltonmike]

well the water is not blue yet but i can see the bottom so it is somewhat clear. im not sure if the water itself still has a green tinge to it or if it is just that the sidewalls of the liner are stained and dirty.


i have noticed that since i added some borax to the skimmer that the psi now runs at roughly 12 opposed to 10 like before. im not sure if this has anything to do with it though.

what exactly does DE stand for?(Diatomaceous Earth ?) and where can it be purchased?

i had a few of these "socks" in my hand last time i was at the pool store but wasnt sure if it was a gimmick or not so did not purchase them. but i will pick them up in the next few days. they were 4 for 7.99 so they are rather cheap.



another ?

is there a safe product for cleaning the liner??

it is rather bleached and doesnt hide any dirt at all so i would like to give it a wash if possible. maybe a power washer?


thanks
mike

[CarlD]

DE is Diatomaceous Earth and every pool store and many discount houses sell it because one of the two most popular filter types, the DE filters, use it. But the stores sell it in various amounts and the smallest (10lbs) should last you several seasons. It's also good for getting rid of things like ants.

No, the skimmer socks work AMAZINGLY well, particularly in the spring because the pollen gets caught in them and you don't need to backwash so often.