I cant get it clear

golfer2211k · Postby **golfer2211k** » Fri 28 Sep, 2007 18:50

I

I Have been tring to clear my pools murky water.. super clorinated with chlorine level of up to 3.0 in a 14,000 gal above ground pool... the water is a blue green... with ocasional brown on the bottom that i try to pump into the yard..

i super clorinated
used yellow out
superr clorinated again over 48 hours
ran filter full time..

ive used algae cide
clarifier

still no clear water

my pool levels are

cya 30-50
ph 7.2 - 7.5
alk 120-180

i just dont know what else to do... oh and i pumped out about 2 foot of water when i was trying to get the brown stuff... but it is like it moves around...

replaced the water with fresh and adjusted the levels again..

please this is my first pool and im afraid it will never be right..

thanks
golfer

Postby **chem geek** » Fri 28 Sep, 2007 21:16

With the CYA in the 30-50 range, you need to raise the Free Chlorine (FC) level to 12-20 ppm (basically, to 40% of the CYA level so if you can get a more accurate reading on that, it would be better) and you need to hold that level until there is minimal (<= 1 ppm) drop in FC overnight, minimal (<= 0.5 ppm) Combined Chlorine (CC), and clear water.

An FC level of 3 ppm is not even enough to keep away algae at 50 ppm CYA let alone to shock a pool once it already has an algae bloom. You need to maintain your FC level at an absolute minimum of 7.5% of the CYA level at all times -- better to just target 11.5% of the CYA level just in case.

It would take 44 cups (3.6 96-ounce jugs) of 6% unscented Clorox Regular bleach (or off-brand unscented Ultra bleach) or 22 cups (1.3 gallons) of 12.5% chlorinating liquid to raise the FC in your 14,000 gallon pool by 12 ppm to get to 15 ppm (assuming you start from 3 ppm). You will need to add more chlorine several times a day, especially when you start, as the chlorine will get consumed fighting the algae. The key is to maintain the shock level of chlorine. When adding bleach or chlorinating liquid to any pool, but especially a vinyl pool (as I assume your above-ground pool is vinyl), you must add it VERY slowly over a return flow with the pump running in the deep end (if it has a deep end) and should then brush the area near where you added the chlorine to make sure it gets thoroughly mixed.

If your above-ground pool has no floor drain (and I doubt that it does), then you may need to clear the pool, which will turn cloudy from dead algae, by using OMNI Liquid Floc Plus and then vacuuming to waste, but if you don't have too much algae then it could get cleared by the chlorine and filtration (and cleaning/backwashing the filter) alone. Brush the pool regularly as well.

Richard

golfer2211k · Postby **golfer2211k** » Fri 28 Sep, 2007 23:01

Ok,, I am very new at this... I really dont know much about the numbers..

i have been following the advise of a pool store near me..

I added more bleach tonight... and the levels are

in the 3-6 range on my little tester

My Ph is alittle above 7.2

and the alk is sort of hard to get a reading.. im thinking 30--50 range..

I put a sock on my skimmer filter tonight to see if that would help... and i added more algaecide.

My Pool is above ground 24ft pool...no deep end and no bottom drain..

well there is but i would have to get all the algae by it to get it out..
i think they way i am pumping the water out in the yard while vacc.. ing the bottom helps to get rid of some of what is down there.. it is very green when it comes thru the hose..
i can see the changes in color thru the hose.. so i move the vacc to a different spot till i hit algae spot..
i cant really see the bottom is is a blue green murky color and the pool is 4' deep.

I hope you will be patient with me as i learn how to fix my algae problem and learn how to take care of my pool at the same time...
I love the pool and hoped to beable to use it before the weather turns..

thank you for your help and instruction..

but really i dont know much about what you spoke about in the response above..
baby steps please.... thanks..

so if you dont mind breaking down what you said above thank you..

golfer2211k · Postby **golfer2211k** » Fri 28 Sep, 2007 23:03

ok i re read again... so you are saying i need to add more bleach to bring my level from 3-6 up to 12-20? and that would turn my tester really red.. right?

golfer2211k · Postby **golfer2211k** » Sat 29 Sep, 2007 00:15

ok it is a hour after last post..

My clorine level it deep orange.. my little kits numbers only go up to 10 so and this is much darker... so it should be in the 12-20 range..

checked my ph.. too and it is 7.2

my alk is about 60

cya is now lower that 30 earlier when i tested the water in the test tub was cloudy so you couldnt see the little dot... now it is almost clear..

golfer · Postby **golfer** » Sat 29 Sep, 2007 13:57

9/29/07

Well i checked my levels again this afternoon..

Hardness 200-400
FC 10/20
Ph 7.5
TA 180
CYA 20

And the water is still cloudy, blue green?

Postby **mr_clean** » Sat 29 Sep, 2007 14:38

What type of filter do you have, cartridge? How big is it?
If cartridge you need to clean filter, you can rinse with hose but in future buy filter cleaner and soak in cleaner. When cartridge filter is small a few cleanings may be needed when clearing up water.

If sand filter backwash, DE filter backwash & add DE powder.

Like Chem Geek has stated, keeping your chlorine level above 20ppm and keeping it there will clear algae. Check 2-3 times a day add liquide chlorine to keep boosted & run filter 24/7 until clear.

golfer · Postby **golfer** » Sat 29 Sep, 2007 14:58

I have a B size cartridge... looks sort of like paper fiber.... I have been washing it out every day with a hose... i have a extra filter that i have been soaking in algae cide... but you say get cartridge cleaner... i will do that today....

i am taking a water sample to the pool place to check my numbers for me.. and i will get the cleaner then..

and run pump 24/7

i will post the numbers when i get back..

plus i am adding 1 gallon of bleach before i leave now..

Postby **mr_clean** » Sat 29 Sep, 2007 15:20

sense it is the B filter you are going to want to change it out once a week and let the other one soak for a hour then rinse and have it ready.
Also it sounds like Intex above ground, do you have the blue protective caps on intake & return line for pool? If you take return line cap off it allows water to flow across pool & gives better circulation.
I suggest buying a bag of DE powder which is cheap, small 5pounder. What you can do is take a handfull and put under water next to intake line and release it into line which will help. You will see the difference when cleaning filter how much more dirt you catch.
For CYA you can wait & see how 20 does for your chlorine level holding. If you need to raise it you can get powdered CYA not granular at pool store and add to bucket of water then add.

golfer · Postby **golfer** » Sat 29 Sep, 2007 21:52

These are the Analysis Numbers

Saturation index .3
cya 71
tc 8.5
fc 8.5
ph 7.7
t alk 106
adj t alk 85
t hardness 250

i put in another gal.. of bleach after the test was done to keep chlor high..

i bought floc... but it is supose to rain tonight and i was not sure if i should use it yet...

golfer · Postby **golfer** » Sat 29 Sep, 2007 23:33

Yes it is a large metal pole, gray vynal side pool .above ground pool. the cap you talked about is blue.... i removed it like you suggested..

where do i buy the DE powder... pool store or does lowes or home depot have it.. ?

Postby **mr_clean** » Sun 30 Sep, 2007 11:46

Yes you can buy at pool store or lowes. When pool store tested water for you, did they test for?
FC-free chlorine
TC-total chlorine
CC-combined chlorine
Your chlorine level should be above 20 until clear, How does it look today? You can add a bag of shock to bucket of water then add to pool &
liquide chlorine will be stronger than bleach when adding to reboost levels until water clears.
Investing in a good test kit like Taylor would be a good idea for future, It will test for everything you want to test, with you only needing to buy refill bottles for it which are not to much money.

golfer · Postby **golfer** » Mon 01 Oct, 2007 18:19

10-1-07

Hi, they tested for

FC 8.5
TC 8.5

but i do not see combined chlorine

I ended up using a whole bottle of super floc. 16 oz the first day , let it set but still couldnt see the bottom, so i did 16 more the next day... finally this morning when i went out it had all settled to the bottom..

I have been vacuuming all day.. this stuff is very fine and flots around very easy if disturbed.. but very slowly i vacuuumed it all aut... well there is just alitttle,, and i may floc one more time next week.. but for now i can see the design on the bottom with just alittle bit of haze..

I am still considering the DE powder... is the name actually DE powder.. i think doing as you say and get it in the filter it will help with the fine stuff.... The Sock is actually catching alot of stuff that would other wise end up in the filter.. So i am going to continue to use it..

Thank you so much for all your help... I am a very happy pool owner today... got to actually swim for the first time since Sept 1st..

I am adding back the water that i lost in vacuuming... and how high should i keep my Chlorine... we live in the country and farmers are alway doing something around us so.. i think that is part of the algae problem...

thanks again... I have learned alot..

MESSAGE TO NEWBIES..... of INTEX POOLS

when vacuuming do not vacuum the stuff on the bottom of the pool thru your filter.. it breaks it up even smaller and floats around and that makes it hard to settle down to the bottom after that.. Vacuum it out into the yard...

With Intex pool i dont use my filter to vacuum ... i just create a siphon by filling the tub with the vaccum end submerged in the water... once the tub is filled in quickly put the other end that would attach to my skimmer out on the ground (this has to be done quickly to cause the siphon effect..)
In this way you do not mess up a good filter cartridge and run the risk of putting this fine debris back in your pool..

golfer · Postby **golfer** » Mon 01 Oct, 2007 18:24

happy

Postby **chem geek** » Mon 01 Oct, 2007 22:16

Combined Chlorine (CC) is the difference between Total Chlorine (TC) and Free Chlorine (FC) so in your case this is zero which is good -- it should normally be near zero.

With your relatively high CYA level of 71, assuming the pool store measured this accurately (you should really get your own Taylor K-2006 test kit), you would need to maintain an absolute minimum Free Chlorine (FC) level of 5.3 ppm and realistically probably around 7-8 ppm to give yourself some buffer. If you lose chlorine during the day, you need to ensure you have enough to not drop below the minimum at any time. This is one option.

Another option is to use a weekly PolyQuat 60 algaecide to keep away algae. Yet another option is to have the water tested for phosphates and use a phosphate remover. These options are more expensive than using chlorine alone, but they don't require you to be as rigorous at maintaining chlorine levels.

HOWEVER, I am totally confused by your CYA readings. You say you started with 30-50 then say it dropped to 20 then say it's at 71. Did you add CYA before that measurement that said 71 (that sounds like a pool store measurement -- not something from your own Taylor K-2006 test kit)? CYA doesn't jump around by that much that quickly. Did you add stabilized chlorine (Trichlor or Dichlor) since that adds to CYA?

I'm glad that you are clearing up your pool, but getting reasonably accurate readings of the CYA level is important so you will know how much chlorine you will need -- or else you will have to use an algaecide or phosphate remover instead.

Richard