pool problems

[kylesnadi338]

I am haveproblems i think i am getting taken to the bank because the chemicals arentworking. i got a sample of the water and the results are: saturation index: 0.61
total dissolved solids: 300
free chlorine: 0.0
total chlorine: 0.1
combined chlorine:0.0
ph: 8.1
cyanuric acid: 62
copper : 0.0
iron: 0.0
total alkalinity:151
adjusted alkalinity 128
calcium hardness: 5
temperature 75 F
My pool was nasty with algae. I scrubbed the sides and added 5 lbs of shock. i then added some algaecide. I was told it would cear. It did kill the green algea off the tops but now the water is greyish or light green color. I put another 5 lbs of shock this evening as I was told. Does anyone know if i need to do anything else to speed this process up. thanks

[kylesandi338]

it is 13500 gallons. i was just wondering what i can put in this pool to clear. I have read all the post and everyone else has a reply. i am sorry for the outburst but this pool is about on my last nerve. i am highly thinking of renting a buldozer and pushing this thing to the garbage dump. i think that would be easier than fixing this thing. thanks again

[me_too]

it is 13500 gallons. i was just wondering what i can put in this pool to clear. I have read all the post and everyone else has a reply. i am sorry for the outburst but this pool is about on my last nerve. i am highly thinking of renting a buldozer and pushing this thing to the garbage dump. i think that would be easier than fixing this thing. thanks again

The pool store's numbers are a bit odd, for example you can't have 0.1 ppm total chlorine if both your free and combined chlorine are zero.

If it was my pool this is what I would do: First, at 8.1, the pH is a tad high, I'd drop that around 7.0-7.1 with 1916 grams (67 ounces) of pH- or 1533 ml (51.8 ounces) of muriatic acid. Add maybe half in the morning, half in the afternoon. Check the pH in the evening, it should have dropped considerably. You can get muriatic acid at the hardware store it's cheaper than the pool store.

We're dropping the pH because chlorine is much more effective at a lower pH.

In the evening add 1965 grams (or 4.3 pounds) of 65% cal hypo. Make sure it says cal hypo, 65% active chlorine on the container. Dissolve batches of it in a pail filled with hot water and dump it in the pool. The recipe will add about 25 ppm to the pool , enough to kill off any visible algae. If the container doesn't say 65%active chlorine (or has a lower number), report back and we'll adjust the quantities.

If you bought bleach to shock report back and we'll adjust the quantity. If the label says "dichloro (something)" on your shock product don't use it, keep it for the garage sale you be holding later.

Keep the filter running all the time. We're doing this in the evening because there are no UV rays to destroy the chlorine.

By the next morning you'll have a cloudy pool, all you need to do at that point is just filter and backwash. It's not like making Jell-O, 13500 gallons is a lot of water so be patient.

The pH at 8.1 is high, we're attacking this first in anticipation of the superchlorination. We don't want to use any stabilized chlorine product (trichlor, dichlor) because at 62 ppm CYA you don't want it to increase.

Using cal hypo will also increase the calcium content of the water, since it is currently at 5 ppm this is quite useful. You don't say if it's an above ground vinyl pool or an inground pool, nor do you mention if you have a water heater. If you have a water heater or inground concrete/gunite pool we'll have to adjust the calcium level later. Calcium is not needed in an above ground/vinyl pool.

After dispensing the pH- or acid and having done the shock treatment get the water tested again. If the alkalinity has remained at 128 we would need to come up with a strategy of a lower pH to offset the pH drift upwards. This is no big deal, you'll just need to dump in acid/pH- once in a while.

Do report back with your progress.

When things don't go as expected, especially after throwing money and chemicals at it, it can get a bit frustrating. There are three things involved here: water balance, super chlorination and filtration.

You'll be fine.