Help - new pool - white cloudy water -can't see sides/bottom

[Brad Z]

New 16' round 48" deep - approx 5500 gallons of new water.

Set up new pool 10 days ago, filled with water Sunday 6/10.
Tested with strips and drip test kit - added 1lb shock, 1lb ph-, and water was clear but had a greenish blue tint. We have a floating chlorine feeder with three 3" tablets in it and have been running the filter 24/7.
We took a sample to the pool store last Friday and they suggested to add acid (to decrease TA), 3 tablets in the chlorine feeder, and 3 one lb bags of shock. We added three lbs shock (54.6% Calcium Hypochlorinte, 45% other - 53% available chlorine) Friday night along with another lb or PH-. By Saturday, the water was cloudy white and you couldn't see the sides or the bottom. By Sunday, the available chlorine was 0 and the water was still white - but you could start to see the sides.

Monday, we added 1 quart (2 pints, 2 different times of the day) Muratiac Acid to lower the TA. Water is still cloudy but you could see about 10" down on the sides - still no bottom. I took out another sample on Monday night and after 12 hours, small white particles had fallen to the bottom of the quart jar and the water looked clear. By shaking the jar, the water was again cloudy. We took a new sample to the pool store today (Tuesday) and they said all the levels looked good, but we still needed more chlorine, and they said it may just be a waiting game for the white cloudy water to clear. We have replenished one of the tablets in the feeder so now have 2.5 tables in the feeder.

What is the white cloudy substance, and how do I get rid of it? How do I get my chlorine # up in the right range and keep it there?

Thanks!

Brad Z

[Buggsw]

How much CYA (stabilizer) is in the pool?

Tablets and pool store shock are usually stabalized and you can quickly get too much stabilizer. So get a reading on it. It should be between 30 - 50 ppm If it's higher than 50ppm stop using tabs and pool store shock.
Your cal hypo is not stabilized but it also may be putting to much calcium hardness into your water and clouding it.

What you are seeing is dead algae most likely, though. But we can't tell for sure unless you give us a full set of readings.

Use liquid chlorine to shock and keep it shocked until it holds all night.

It's always best to add chlorine at night, but when you are trying to beat algae like this, you need to also add it during the day to keep it high, until it holds at a high ppm all night long.

So keep your chlorine high, your pH at 7.2 and your pump running until it clears. Brush and vacuum daily and backwash if needed.

[bazeven]

Took pool readings this morning if this helps:

TH 600+
FC 0-1
pH 7.2
TA 140
CYA 0

I haven't added any stabilizer. Any suggestions? As far as liquid chlorine, can I use bleach or should I use specific pool liquid chlorine?

16' round 48" deep - approx 5500 gallons.

Thanks!

bz

[Buggsw]

Add stabilizer. You have none. You should have between 30 - 50 ppm and no more than that. You need about 1.5 lbs to get you to 30 ppm.
Put it in nylon sock and hang it in front of a return until it is all dissolved.

Stop using cal hypo - your total hardness is probably calcium. The white flakes could partially be because of this.

Add chlorine. You can use tablets or pool store shock of dichlor or trichlor which are all stabilized. You can use these until your CYA is at 50ppm. Then you should use liquid chlorine which can be regular strength Chlorox or pool store chlorine. Chlorox is 6% chlorine and Pool store chlorine is usually 10 to 12.5%. You need to use twice as much Chlorox as you would a 12.5% solution. So buy whatever is most economical. It really varies depending on your area. For 6%, you will need to use 1.5 cups to raise your chlorine by 1ppm or .5 gallons to raise it 5ppm

Your pH is fine especially while trying to clear your water. Your TA is not bad. I'd work on that later if you want to lower it a bit.

Run your pump 7/24, vacuum daily and it should clear in 2 or 3 days.