Pool still green

[duraleigh]

1. Adding 28 lbs of Borax makes me think your pH was below 6.0 before you started. Did you test it?

2. Have you been chlorinating with pucks in years past? That would provide some answers.

3. If your pH would bounce up to 7.8 and then recede to 6.8, something else was going on. What was your Alk result when you first started.

4. Your Calcium (TH) went from 200 yesterday to 60 today....that's not really possible.

I'm guessing here so it would really be helpful if you post back accurate test results. That said, I would put in 6 gallons of 6% Clorox tomorrow night. That'll Shock your pool and start clearing out any organics. I would suggest the same the following evening because with no CYA (or very little) the Sun is going to burn up your Cl in the daytime.

The next AM, I would backwash the filter well and then add 7 lbs of CYA dirtectly into the skimmer. It'll take a few days, but that will get you up to around 35ppm or so. However much is left in the sock, you can dump it in the skimmer and include it in your 7lbs (remember, it's wet...you'll need to compensate)

From there on, I would test Cl each evening and add enough to bring you to 4-6ppm.

Assuming your pH stays at 7.8, I would like to see you take it down to 7.2 with muriatic acid. 1 quart should get you pretty close. Add, wait at least overnite, test again and add again if necessary.

You would help yourself (and us) if you would perform a complete set of tests each day:
CL
pH
Alk
CYA
(I assume you can't test for combined chloramines)

Your pool has had some puzzling issues. My best guess is innaccurate testing methods. Hopefully, this will put you on your way to a happy pool.

[boy named sue]

Thanks, Dave

Yes, in prior years I used liquid chlorine from the pool store and/or hth sock-it shock once a week and supplemented with pucks in the skimmer. I now understand the pucks aren't a good idea. pH unually needed to be adjusted only at the beginning of the season. Using strip testers ALK and CYA never appeared to be a problem. I guess I've just been lucky however algae has been a problem off and on over the years.

I added the first batch of 6 gallons chlorine last night. Will do full testing this evening and post results. Heavy rain here today in NJ. I may not have lost too much Cl to sunlight. Should I still add the second batch of 6 gallons?

[aylad]

You don't necessarily have to add 6 gallons the second time. You need to test and find out what your Cl is when it's time to add, and then add whatever amount will take you back up to shock level.

Janet

[boy named sue]

OK after adding 6 gallons of 6% bleach last night my new numbers are:

Cl 5 (tester only goes to 5, proably a little darker than a 5)
pH 7.5
ALK 100
TH 0 (tested this twice, zip nothing, is that normal?, it was 70 yesterday)
CYA 0

Based on prior advise from prior post, my plan is to add 6 more gallons tonight, and add 7 lbs of CYA to the skimmer tomorrow morning...

[boy named sue]

I've been trying to get the green color out of my pool. No visable aglae, just green. Based on a prior post I added big dose of Clorox (6 gls Sunday night, 6 gls Monday night, backwash this AM and 7 lbs of CYA). Numbers as of last night, before the additional 6 gls:
Cl 5
pH 7.5
ALK 100
TH 0 (tested at 70 on Sunday?)
CYA 0 (s/b higher tonight)

As of this AM the green color has not diminished at all. When can I expect improvement? I'm ready to flush and start over.

[duraleigh]

What were your Cl test results this AM? That would be VERY helpful.

Flushing and starting over is certainly an option. What would you do differently to keep from repeating the condition your pool is in?

[boy named sue]

No time in the AM for testing with kids, pets and work... will test tonight and post. I guess you can tell I'm a little frustrated. My thinking with starting over is whatever nasty stuff from past years (pucks, algae, algaesides, clairifiers, etc) will be gone. No?

[boy named sue]

OK here are my numbers as of this evening:
Cl 10 -12
pH 7.2 (will add more Borax tonight)
ALK 140 (up from 100 last night)
TH 0
CYA 80 (added 7 lbs this AM)

I'm still scrubing and vac'ing daily. Now that I have my CYA up can I still backwash?

[duraleigh]

Your test results are amazingly inconsistent. 7lbs of CYA will raise a 24k pool to 35...normally in a few days. You went from 0 to 80 in 12 hours.

Your pH went down and your Alk went up......one of those is incorrect.

Are you testing with strips?