Swampy Pool WAter

[leahmcd74]

I have an 18 x 34 doughboy. My husband and I have been working with it for months, with no effect. It remains green and murky. The pool store recommended (after selling me large amounts of shock and muratic acid), to drain it due to the high CYA levels. We drained it down to a little under a foot, refilled it, and it is still a yucky horrible green. Pool store told us to add more muratic acid, and that the CYA was now down to 50. Last summer I installed a Nexa saline system that I had good luck with throughout the summer. I added 4 bags of salt to the pool before draining it. While draining, I scrubbed the sides and bottom of the pool, and could see the salt kicking up when I did that. The pool store says we are free of phosphates. I am at my wits' end, and everytime I look out the window my blood pressure rises. My pool is my favorite place to be in the summer, and we haven't been in it once so far - in Oklahoma, we could have been swimming for almost 2 months by now!! Any suggestions would be appreciated. We continue to take water samples into the pool store daily/every other day. Thanks!!!

[chem geek]

What kind of chlorine have you been using? I suspect it was something like Leslie's Chlor-Brite or similar product that is Dichlor. The following are chemical facts independent of concentration of product or of pool size:

For every 10 ppm Free Chlorine (FC) added by Trichlor, it also increases Cyanuric Acid (CYA) by 6 ppm.
For every 10 ppm FC added by Dichlor, it also increases CYA by 9 ppm.
For every 10 ppm FC added by Cal-Hypo, it also increases Calcium Hardness (CH) by at least 7 ppm.

So every with a low daily FC usage, the CYA level can build up quickly making chlorine less effective and allowing algae to grow. You should scoop out whatever muck you can from the pool and then hit the pool hard with chlorinating liquid or 6% unscented bleach. Lower the pH first to around 7.2 before adding the chlorine. With a CYA level of 50 ppm, if that is to be believed, the shock level of chlorine would be around 20 ppm. However, you probably don't have a test kit that can measure chlorine that high and if it's a DPD chlorine test kit with shades of pink/red, it can bleach out above 10 ppm making you think you have no chlorine when you have a lot. Read Defeating Algae.

[helper dude]

If you have emptied and replaced the water and you still have swamp water, something has to be wrong with your equipment. What type of pump and filter do you have? How many hours a day does it run? have you been cleaning your filter? Have you or can you clean your salt cell?
I ask this as I have helped people clear their problems but their equipment is horrible, they think running their pool 2 hours a day will keep everything just fine and never clean their filter at all and with above ground pools with bad equipment once to twice a week is sometimes needed.
I would think you have decent equipment with having a salt system but it just depends on how much you really spent.
I suggest to not worry about the salt system until pool is clear, clean your filter and start running your pump 24/7 until clear!
I would suggest for your above ground pool not to use shock as it takes longer for small equipment to clear it up and clogs filters. Your best choice is liquide chlorine and a bottle of yellowtrine with scrubbing your pool dailey. Depending on how many gallons your pool is you want to add conditioner to get it to 40ppm. Please do not buy granular conditioner as their is a baby fine conditioner you can buy and can disolve into a bucket. Even start out with only 1 or 2 lbs and recheck the next day until you are at 40ppm conditioner. Know you are going to need to add lots of liquide chlorine until clear keeping the pool at shock level 15ppm. Again depends on size of pool how much but the first time adding with yellowtrine 5 gal. then as need.
know depoending on type and size of filter you may need to clean it daily or back wash it.
Once pool is clear you balance other chemical readings,clean filter last time, adjust time back to 8-10 hours sense its summer.check salt system as most for above ground are junk.
Check