Hi there... hoping that someone out there can provide some help & advice on our pool water issues. I've been reading different threads for the last 3 hours! Some contain new ideas and suggestions that I will try but I just wanted to get my info out... each situation is different. Keep in mind, we are first-time pool owners. We know nothing! Also keep in mind that in our area, we have no pool dealers. The only so-called help we're able to receive is from the place of purchase.

July 2/11 bought an above ground Bestway Steel Pro Frame Pool from our local Canadian Tire Store. 18' x 48"... 6000gal (23,062L). We're using the filter pump that came with it... flowclear model#58121 (5,678L or 1,500gal per hour). We went with a salt water system... Hydro-Force Flowclear Chlorinator model#58215 .

We purchased the 'majority' of the water when we had it filled. $200 for 4000gal. The water company charges a flat rate for their water, no matter how many gallons, 4000 being the maximum their truck can hold. The remaining 2000gal came from our well! For 3 days the water was perfect, beautiful even! Day 4 the test strip indicated that the PH was low. The place of purchase suggested we put in some PH+... we purchased the product from them and did so according to the products' directions. When the salt water chlorinator came on the next morning to run for its programmed time, within 2 hours the water was completely brown with an almost hazy greenish tint. I'm thinking the chlorinator reacted with the PH+ product. Our well water does contain iron and manganese, but wouldn't the water have turned that color prior to adding the PH+?

Back to our place of purchase, they suggested putting in Stain Remover for metals... that we did. They also told us not to run the chlorinator until the color cleared up. I spent many hours researching online as to how to remove the water without removing the water. For 3 days straight I did the 'white stuffed sock with towel' method. It worked great, although exhausting. I wrapped our filter in a white towel and placed a white sock stuffed with pillow stuffing over the output where the water comes back into the pool. For 3 days I changed the filter, towel and sock contraption every 1-2 hours. The water was back to its original clearity and it looked great once again. I continued the filter,towel and sock procedure for 2 more days until everything came out white with no staining. Day 8/9 I snapped the chlorinator back on just to have the same thing happen all over again. Shut off the chlorinator and began the process all over again. 2-3 days of flitering/straining. We haven't added anymore of the PH+. We have added more of the stain remover product as per container instructions. So, back to the clear nice water. Decided on our own to only run the chlorinator off and on throughout the day. We thought that 4-6 hours of continuous running was too much at one time so we divided up the time and ran it at intervals. This 'appeared' to work for 2 days. Yesterday morning I went out to put on the chlorinator... within 53minutes it was tinted brown/green again. I am back to the filter, towel, sock contraption once again.

We haven't added anything else to the water. We haven't topped off the pool water with more water. Did a test strip yesterday and all was well but the chlorine which was low. The water is slightly discolored this morning... a sort of minty greenish color, but the water I'm rinsing out of the filter, towel and sock is brown like tea/coffee without milk! The color of our liner makes it look greenish/yellow. Anyhow, I shall continue to do the filtering even when the water 'appears' clear, but eventually I have to put that chlorinator back on and run it for its entire duration to get that chlorine level up. I'm so disgusted and exhausted, disappointed and sick to my stomach because of how much all this has cost. The husband didn't want a pool due to the problems and maintenance of one, not to mention the costs! However, I kept harping about it for myself and the kids. We have a beautiful lakefront property but due to cyanobacteria, our lake has been closed going on our 3rd summer, therefore we can't use it.

Does anyone have any other suggestions and/or advice for me? Aside from draining it and starting over with two loads of purchased water and not topping it off with our well water. TIA. Leigh.