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[PoolDoc]

You might want to keep chucking bleach in in the evening, to avoid having it go green again. It DOES sound like it's the liner, but you might be able to patch it.

Wait 24 hours and see if you lose another 2+"

[Traxl]

Thank you PoolDoc.

I just put another 4 gallons of bleach in, hoping that sooner or later the water will clear up so I can inspect for tears in the liner. Will report the water level tomorrow evening.

[Traxl]

I can finally see the bottom of the pool, and am adding water so I can siphon vacuum out the dead algae. I also can see a small tear in the bottom seam where the wall transitions to the floor. The tear is in the area I would have expected, given the damp ground next to the pool.

Do you have any recommendations on which patch kit to use? I have noticed two main types; one with the adhesive already on the patch, and one with cement separate from the patch. I was curious if one would provide longer lasting results over the other.

Also, I currently have 0 CYA in the water, and would like to avoid getting the CYA levels too high. If I use a floater with tricolor tabs, I will constantly be adding CYA. Is the best way to avoid this simply increasing the CYA with store bought stabilizer, then testing and adding bleach as needed? I do not have a SWCG, so would I need to add bleach on a daily basis?

[PoolDoc]

You probably want to check out this thread:

http://pool9.net/liner-patch/

There are photos, links to the patch kits on Amazon, and to a leak-test video.

[PoolDoc]

IMO, the easiest way to add stabilizer is to use dichlor. If you buy a 24# pack of bagged dichlor at Sams Club, and use 15#, you'll have a CYA level of about 45. You can gradually use the rest to maintain stabilizer.

[Traxl]

Algae is dead, liner is repaired, pool is filled, and the water is clear.

I ran the tests a few minutes ago:

FC - 19.5 PPM
CC - 1.5 PPM
PH - low (Acid Demand test - 6 drops to 7.4~7.6)
TA - 20 ppm
CH - 30 ppm
CA - 45~50 ppm

My thought was that TA would be the best starting point, is this correct?

[PoolDoc]

pH first!

Add borax, 3 boxes at a time, till you reach 7.0. Then 1 box at a time. Retest your TA *after* your pH reaches 7.4.

Add it slowly, since a borax plug in a pipeline is VERY hard to dissolve. (As long as the flow through your skimmer is not getting 'choked' you'll be fine.)

But . . . when you retest pH, do so using a 50:50 mix of pool water and DISTILLED water. FC=19 is high enough to affect readings with phenol red.
(distilled water at Walmart => www.walmart.com/ip/10315382)