filter/pump problems - pool newbie

[ryanm]

I did put a bucket of stabalizer in Sunday night and Monday morning. I tested the water tues and the CYA was still low. I've been getting my water tested at the pool store for about 2 weeks now and only the last time did they tell me I needed stabalizer. I'm going back to the store tonight or tomorrow to get more shock and have it tested again. "shock" is what I should put in right? And pretty much do a crap load? I can't overdo it right?

thanks
Ryan

[mama's_pool]

Ryan,
I previously had some of the problems you describe. I had to resort to using a Floccing agent to get the dead algae/particles to cling to each other and fall to the bottom, making it easy to vacuum them out of the pool. One year, the water was so bad (we had a tree overhead and winter cover sprung a leak), the water looked as thick as playdough! I shocked constantly, and used a gallon of algaecide by the time i was done. The process took about a week. From totally green, pasty-looking to cloudy to finally clear. What i found out that year was it was best to vacuum to clumps off the bottom and out of the pool rather than recycling the water. I eventually needed about 3-4 more inches of water, but it was the Floc that worked for me. I then kept a bottle of Floc on hand.