Cloudy water help

[mkelley367]

Hello...newbie here.

I live in MN and have had my intex 16x4 for 3 years. This is the first time i've had a problem.

i think my volume is ~6800 gallons, above ground vinyl pool that i put 3" discs in. Temp is around 86

here is my analysis according to the pool guys.

Total chlorine 0.0
free chlorine 0.0
ph 8.0
total alkalinity 160
calcium hardness 300
stabilizer 50
shock treatment 0.0
borate 80

they said my langelier index is .082

their advice:

2lbs 12 ozs of proteam ph down, then

1lb of zip chlor shock treatment.

I'm told i can find substitutes and the local grocery store. What would i put in and how much?

Thanks...

[chem geek]

You can use The Pool Calculator to calculate dosages and the saturation index. With your numbers, the saturation index is +0.65 which is probably at least part of the reason for your cloudiness. Lowering the pH to around 7.5 or lower will help, but you really need to get chlorine in the water as well. Add chlorinating liquid or 6% unscented bleach right away. Do not use Trichlor or Dichlor or Cal-Hypo since your CYA and CH levels are already high enough.

As for lowering your pH, you can use Muriatic Acid from a hardware/big-box store. The dry acid they are recommending will increase sulfates. Just note that Muriatic Acid has a strong irritating smell so use it downwind or use half-strength (15-16%) which doesn't fume as much as full-strength (31.45%).

Your high TA, by the way, will tend to make your pH rise over time. Do you know how it got so high? Does your fill water have high TA? To learn more about how to maintain your pool including grocery store chemical equivalents for pool store chemicals, read the Pool School.

[mkelley367]

Thanks c/g...I'm not sure how the TA got high nor have I tested our fill water. All last year I put nothing in the pool other than the 3" tabs and it was crystal clear all season. I started that way this year until now. I guess I'll be ordering the K-2006 and checking the water frequently to stay ahead of trouble.

Here are the new numbers:

TC 4.9
FC 4.9
ph 7.4
TA 120
Calcium 325
Stabilizer 55
Borate 50

All in all, better numbers...I went from a greenish cloudy to a white slightly less cloudy. I'm assuming since the numbers look ok that the residual cloudiness is a filtration issue?

In 2008 I told the wife we weren't getting a pool which she promptly ignored. I said the only reason I would get into it was to pee in it. It turned green and she made endless trips to pool guy. The next year I put a garden in the pool spot. After working the garden for a year and noticing how cheap produce is at the local mega mart I realized the pool was less work and more enjoyable.

This year I told her we weren't getting a spa. We now have a spa. Does this number game apply to spas as well? I walked into pool guys shop and announced I purchased a spa and it was like throwing Joe Mauer a hanging curve ball...he hit it out of the park and I had an armful of starter kit.