Cannot Get Rid of Cloudy Water

[AnnaK]

Have you tried using the skimmer socks?

Go ahead and raise your pH to 7.5, and pour in 1 gallon of 6% bleach. Those test strips aren't really reliable.

[ajb8898]

I'm hoping to get the socks today and maybe get a new reading from the pool store.

I have the Washing Soda. How much do I put in for the pH?

[AnnaK]

Add 2 cups of washing soda. That will raise your pH by 0.2 points or thereabouts. Let it circulate for a couple of hours, then let's test it again. Or you can take a sample to the pool store and let them give us some numbers.

[ajb8898]

OK both have been added. I'll try to get to the pool store about lunchtime.

[ajb8898]

OK here we go. Got the sock. Realized we had our jet pointed too far up so we're going to change that. Hopefully that will help with the filtering.

Since Monday, they've started using some sort of machine to test. When I went the other day they were still reading manually. I find some of the differences to be surprising.

CYA: 37 (they said 70 on Monday. is this normal?)
TC: 6.5
FC: 5.3
pH: 7.4
TA: 132
Adj Total Alk: 121

They said chemicals looked fine but b/c TC and FC were different probably needed shocked again. Is something trying to grow since TC and FC are different?

[ajb8898]

When I just went out there I saw a few pieces of algae floating at the top. Still seems blue though.

[AnnaK]

Yes, it's normal for pool store testing to vary. That's why we're so adamant that you have your own DPD-FAS test kit and do your own testing. Yours will arive Friday and you'll have a lot of fun!

It's hard to say which CYA reading is correct so we'll leave that one alone for now. Either number is okay and if you do put the floater with the trichlor pucks back in the pool it'll add a little CYA. Mostly we shoot for 50 ppm, give or take.

pH looks great! TA is okay.

Now, chlorine. Remember this formula: TC = FC + CC. If CC is .5 or more, we have organics that need to be killed. Your CC is 1.2, not good. We need to shock. Ben's Best Guess Chlorine Chart tells us that for CYA between 30 and 50 we need FC = 15. To get there from the tested FC of 5 you need to add 311 oz of 6% bleach, that 2.5 gallons. You have to maintain this shock level until your overnight chlorine loss is less than 1 ppm. See why you need your own test kit? It saves on running to the pool store for water testing.

I'm intrigued by what it is you saw floating on the top. Algae normally adhere to the pool walls or bottom or show up as a green tinge to the water. What did this floating matter look like?

I'm happy to hear you got the skimmer sock. Check it in a few hours. It'll have crud in it, probably dark grey to brown looking. Rinse it out with the hose, put it back in.

You'll want to stock up on a few gallons of bleach.

[ajb8898]

The stuff on the top is a very dark green color and almost looks like little oval pills floating around. I scooped most of it up but just found a few small pieces to take a picture of. This is what has been coming up for weeks. I assumed algae but is it something else?

EDIT -- Email the pic to [email protected]