Need help making pool "swimmable" please

[Watermom]

Yes, save the pucks for vacation week. We'll help you with that when it gets closer to your vacation.

[blessedbeingmom]

Okay, I'm back with more. After we diluted 1:1 ratio, free chlorine appeared to still be above 5 ppm in the diluted batch (>10 ppm in pool water). We then diluted 1:2 ratio (1 part pool water to 2 parts distilled water) and still appeared to be above (but closer) to 5 ppm in the diluted batch. We then diluted 1:3 ratio and finally came up with FC level of about 12 ppm (3 ppm in diluted water times 4). What do we need to do next to clear up our pool? Oh and it said to check for combined chlorine after 5 minutes. We checked after 5 minutes and there was no change in the color.
We can barely see the bottom of the pool. It isn't really green anymore, just cloudy. We also just had a couple of inches of rain in a brief time period this afternoon, which brought the water level up by a couple of inches, and we aren't yet sure how rainwater affects everything. Our sample was taken from a depth of about elbow deep, just after the rain started.
DH bought a vacuum that attaches with a hose, and a hose for it, but I don't think the hose will work with our pool as I think our pool hose is bigger (probably 1 & 1/2") and the hose he bought is only 1 & 1/4". They only had the 1 & 1/4" hose, so maybe I should order a hose online? I'm not sure what else to do.

[aylad]

Yes, the pucks are okay for vacation, but keep in mind that the WalMart pucks (at least in my part of the country) contain copper, which you don't want in your pool. Better to get a smaller container of them from a different place (even the pool store ) and not deal with the copper. You probably can use cal-hypo pucks in a floater, as well, and it won't create issues with falling pH and increasing CYA.

Keep the filter running--cartridge filters on smaller AG pools are often undersized, so it takes a little longer for them to filter as well, and remember that the chlorine killed the green in the pool but the filter is going to have to remove it. So....it may be cloudy for a few more days, but keep your chlorine up and the filter running and it will clear.

Don't add any more calcium increaser to the pool--vinyl pools don't actually need any calcium, because there's no concrete in the lining for the water to leach calcium out of. What's in there already isn't hurting anything, but you'll just be wasting money to put any more in it (despite what the pool store will tell you!).

YOu did yourself a favor ordering the bigger test kit--I know it's pricey but it will save you TONS of money over this summer alone, and give you control over your own pool.

Repost with some test results and we'll go from there. Welcome to the forum!

Janet

[sturev]

You can probably get an adapter for the hose at the hardware store. Check the PVC section (sprinklers/water pipe fittings) and you should fine a 1.25 to 1.5 adapter that will work for a dollar or so...

[blessedbeingmom]

Also, as far as the pool being clear, I want to be able to see any bugs or anything else that might be swimming around with me before we get it. As I'm sure you can imagine, the kids are anxious to be able to get back in the pool, as are we.

[blessedbeingmom]

Hello, does anyone know why I made 2 different posts to this thread earlier this evening but only one of them showed up? I had a question in the other one regarding whether we should add chlorine tonight or not with the readings I posted in post 5. I can't remember what else I wrote in that post. LOL!

[sturev]

I'm not sure what's going on with the posts, but it looks like you can add some more bleach. You want to keep it at about 15 ppm, so if you were at 12 ppm earlier, I'd probably test and re-dose up to 15.

[Watermom]

Tricia,
New subscribers have to have their posts looked at by Ben or one of the moderators before they appear on the forum. So, if you post at a time when none of the mods are online, it may be a bit before it shows up. I can't remember right off hand right now how many posts have to be looked at before you are able to just post right to the forum without it having to be modded in. So, if you post and it doesn't appear right away, sit tight. It won't take too long since most of the time at least one of the 5 of us is here!

[blessedbeingmom]

With the numbers I posted at about 2:00 in post 5 and given that we had several inches of rain this afternoon, should we add more bleach to our pool tonight, and if so, how would we determine how much to add? Our pool is 4,600 gallons. FWIW, it's still getting clearer, and we can see more of the bottom, but if I put the skimmer in toward the center of the pool, we lose visible contact with it.

Post 5
http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showpos...77&postcount=5