Calcium turned pool like skim milk

[Jacqueline]

Hi, I have a 16 x 24 above ground pool; took water to pool store for testing and it was recommended to add calcium; I did so and now my pool is like milk. The sand filter and pump are in working order. The pool store is perplexed. Any suggestions or shall I drain and re-start? Thanks.

[Watermom]

Yet another one ---------- a pool store that foolishly advises an AG pool owner to add calcium. Vinyl pools do NOT need calcium!

Do you have a drops-based test kit? If so, post some current water testing numbers.

Welcome to the Pool Forum!

[Jacqueline]

Hi,

I don't have a drip test kit but I had the water tested yesterday and here is the result:

free chlorine 4
ph 7.8
total alkalinity 100
calcium hardness 200
stabilizer 30

Does this help?

[Watermom]

If those numbers are accurate, and often pool store testing is not, they don't look too bad. Typically you get clouding if you have high TA, high CH and high pH. Your pH is on the high side of recommended range of 7-8 and your other two numbers are not high. So, I think you'll be ok. Give your filter time to clear the water.

You can test your sand filter to make sure that it is working properly by throwing a little DE into the skimmer and watch the return to see if any white powder shoots out of the return jet. More about that here:> http://pool9.net/de-test/

Everyone needs a good drops-based kit. The test kit that we think is by far the best is the Taylor K2006 or 2006C (better buy). It is available through this link that takes you to Amazon: http://pool9.net/tk/ but since you are in Canada, I'm not sure they will ship it to you.

Go to Walmart and see if they have the HTH 6-Way drops-based kit (no test strips!) and get that. If they don't, get an OTO/Phenol Red kit (yellow and red drops) instead. Use it to test and then post your numbers.

(Until you registration is completed, you won't be able to see the rest of the forum while you are logged in. So, copy that link and then paste it into a browser window after you log out.)

[Jacqueline]

Thank you. I am willing to give the filter time, but it has been running since this past Monday w the same issue and looks exactly the same.

I will pick up a drops test kit today. I'll run up to walmart.

[PoolDoc]

. . . membership updated.

A comment and a question:

1. If you'd like your pool clear sooner rather than later, you should drain and refill. I'm not sure what AG pool you have, but most come with over-sized pumps and under-sized filters that have a hard time clearing a cloudy pool. This is particularly true with sand filters, because the pump actually drives the dirt THROUGH the sand.

2. Was it a BioGuard pool store that told you to add calcium? (This is just for our information; from what we can tell, Bioguard stores using the 'ALEX' system are particularly likely to cause the problem you had.

[Jacqueline]

I am thinking I need to re-start as well.

The store is called International Pool and Spa in Oshawa Ontario. I am very very disappointed.

Thanks for your info.

[PoolDoc]

Be sure to check out the Super Simple Recipe: http://pool9.net/ssr/

Regarding International Pool, etc -- it turns out they are a Recreational Warehouse affiliate or subsidiary or parent, but apparently not a BioGuard affiliate. It's helpful for us to know that Rec Warehouse is flogging calcium in vinyl pools, though.

Thanks, and good luck!