Swimming Pool Problem

[Lynn Kitson]

Our swimming pool will not clear, we have had the filter going for a week now, have added javel and cholorine shock, taken out most of the dead leaves but it is still green. Any suggestions please!!

[Théière]

Yes, post a full set of water readings so we can see where abouts you are, the same info as my previous post on the swimming pool thread.

http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/2539636/ShowPost.aspx#2539636

[steve]

and tell us what type of pool filter you have

Steve

[Lynn Kitson]

Sorry for delay in replying. Husband says the readings are normal for both chlorine and ph. The filter is sand. Pool is about 7 metres by four. Any help?

[Théière]

Hi Lynn, sorry to keep asking but:

How do you test your pool chemicals?

What are the chemical levels in your pool?

Do you use stabilised pool chemicals (multi action gallets etc?

Can you measure the total hardness, Alkalinity and cyanuric acid levels?

Sorry for all the questions but they are needed.

Strictly speaking the filter does the clearing and the chlorine does the sanitising but they do work in synergy, if you are not killing the algae/bacteria it won't get filtered out. Shocking is not the addition of a product it is a process. You need to add enough chlorine (preferably non stabilised so that rules out choc) to raise the free active chlorine level high enough to kill and oxidise what ever is in the pool. This will use up the chlorine very quickly so you must use more to maintain the level until it stops dropping overnight (test at dusk and again before sun up).

Your filter may also be channeled so may require some attention, when did you last clean/change the sand?

Without knowing the other chemical levels and what products you use it is hard to advise you, (Normal to a lay person means nothing to a pro).

[Lynn Kitson]

Hi

We test using small kit, which does ph and chorine, very basic. Ph today is 7.6 chlorine down at the moment and is .8. Have been using choc. When you say non stabilised do you mean ordinary chlorine or javel. Sand changed last year. Is this helpful?

Thank you for your reply.

[Théière]

Lynn, it sounds like you are using the liquid drop based kit (OTO) that really only measures total chlorine not free chlorine so you will not know how much free chlorine you have or do you have a DPD 1 tablet test?

If you normally use multi action gallets then you cyanuric acid level could be very high too, you really need a test kit for that also. I suggest you use javel, unscented from a brico at around 2500mls to choc your pool and the water can also go cloudy because of hard water and high alkalinity. I suggest you invest in a good tester like the scuba+ to manage your pool effectively.