I don't really have any questions.............YET

[jw1977]

Yes, I am only using Cal Hypo right now...until the bucket is gone, then I am going to bleach! My SWCG was delivered today, so I can get that installed tonight as well (Not turning it on until clear and balanced!)
I added some muriatic this am - 1 qt

[jw1977]

Ok, so I got home last night and vacummed out all the dead algae I could get to - Sent it all to waste. Backwashed and rinsed filter
PH still high, added 1 QT muriatic acid
5 lbs chlorine
Brushed the whole pool and dipped out any floating gunk.

This am the water is blue and cloudy - Gets a little clearer every day. I took a sample to the pool store:
FC: 21
TC: 23
PH: 8.0 ??
ALK: 100
CYA: According to them - they cannot test becasue the water is cloudy (Test strip says 0)
Here's a new one:
Phosphates: 1500 - Of course, I need to buy a bottle of Phos-Free....???

From what I can tell, I have been making progress, and am probably some stabilizer, and a couple more days of staying after it from being able to swim. Should I use the Phos-Free?

[Watermom]

Continue with the sustained high cl levels. Run the pump 24/7 and backwash any time the filter pressure rises 5-10 psi over clean filter pressure. Continue working to lower pH. Return the Phos-Free and get your money back. You are right. You don't need it. Phosphate removers are one of the latest "must-have" products according to pool stores. In reality, they are the latest "make some money on unsuspecting customers" product.

You need a kit! Need a kit! So you don't have to rely on the pool store. Plus, your numbers will be much more accurate than what they do. Do yourself a favor and get a Taylor K-2006 or 2006C. See the link in my signature below.

You're making good progress. Keep up the fight and you're gonna win!

[jw1977]

I went ahead and bought some stabilizer (CYA) Should I go ahead and get some in there now? or continue to only worry about CL and PH?

[Watermom]

I'd wait a couple of days and keep shocking the pool. If you are consistent and keep it high enough, it will clear up for you. Then, you can add the CYA.

[jw1977]

It was looking good on Sat. Not crystal clear, but getting there. The ph was good so I let the kids swim. I added 3 gal of bleach right at dark.

Sun am - Water clear, not crystal - white haze adjusted PH and swam all day w/ 6-7 people. Added 2 gal of bleach last night.

I hooked up my SWCG, but the wire connected to the flow meter has a short in it - going to fix that tonight. Anyway, I took a water sample in to the pool store from this a.m.:
FC: 27
TC: 41
PH: 8.8
ALK: 110
Salt: 2370
I know I need to get the PH Down, which I will do tonight when I get home. I also know I need a good test kit (Supposed to get my Taylor this week)
As long as I keep adjusting my PH, is it alright to let the kids keep swimming? I am assuming my CYA is less than 30 - because that is as low as my current test kit will measure.
Or should I put the pool on lockdown until I can get it crystal clear?

[Watermom]

If your chlorine readings are right, you should not let people be swimming right now. Not only are the readings sky high, but if they are right (and I doubt that they are) that would mean that you have a CC reading of 14!) Those numbers can't possibly be right. I don't think the pH of 8.8 is right either. You can't get an accurate pH reading when chlorine levels are high.

Until your kit comes, please go to Walmart or the like and pick up a cheap OTO/Phenol Red kit (yellow and red drops). It will hopefully read to 5 but some only go to 3 on the chlorine side. But, you can force it to go higher with a dilution method described here: Testing Without a Good Kit

Then, repost with the numbers you get with the OTO kit. I'm not too confident in your pool store ..............