I need pool help!!

[tikilyn]

First let me say this is my first time owning a pool and I know nothing about them. Dh and I thought it would be great to get a pool for the kids this summer and of course mom gets left will all the work.

It's an Intex metel frame pool from Target
15ft x 42"
we added a salt generator to it thinking it would be better than regular chlorine and easier to take care of the pool

We put up the pool on Saturday and today (Tuesday) the pool water is cloudy and has a green tint to it. All the test strips says everything is in the normal ranges. What am I doing wrong. We don't have trees, so no leaves, no grass is in the pool. The pool is clean. What can I do to get the water clear and blue again? Should we be doing something or adding something else to the pool. I've read all the books and am still lost.

HELP!!!!!

 

[PghLybrt]

First let me say this is my first time owning a pool and I know nothing about them. Dh and I thought it would be great to get a pool for the kids this summer and of course mom gets left will all the work.

It's an Intex metel frame pool from Target
15ft x 42"
we added a salt generator to it thinking it would be better than regular chlorine and easier to take care of the pool

We put up the pool on Saturday and today (Tuesday) the pool water is cloudy and has a green tint to it. All the test strips says everything is in the normal ranges. What am I doing wrong. We don't have trees, so no leaves, no grass is in the pool. The pool is clean. What can I do to get the water clear and blue again? Should we be doing something or adding something else to the pool. I've read all the books and am still lost.

HELP!!!!!

1st, those are the most difficult pools to own FYI.

Those filters are incredibily undersized and should be cleaned every week and replaced often.

Now how are you testing it? Take a sample in a cup about to your elbow, then test that water. Don't dip a test strip directly in the water (no matter what the directions tell you).

How is the level of salt? How much did you add at start up.
Have you added any algecide? Is the cover on? How long are you running the filter? What is the ph level? Have you shocked the pool?

 

[dejr_8]

First things first. Shock the pool to kill what is growing.

Make sure your salt level is high enough and run the generator at 100% for 24 hours. Once you have a clean pool, you can lower the generator level by increments of 10% and reduce the running time.

The pump has to be running for the generator to produce chlorine.

Take a water sample to the local pool store and have it tested. find one that will do this for free.

 

[tikilyn]

According to the generators directions and the size of the pool when we filled the pool we put 100lbs of pool salt. Waited for the salt to dissolve. Turned on the filter for 24 hours, then the next day turned on the generator for3 hours. Everyday sinse then we turn the filter on and let it run for at least 15 mins and then the generator comes on and runs for 3 hours. We keep the filter on for at least 30 minutes more.

I've been taking the water out of the pool and testing the strips the way it was mention by PghLybrt. Have not shocked the pool or put algecide in it. I thought I wouldn't need shock or algecide because of the generator. Oh boy I've gotten myself into trouble witht his pool.

I guess the first step is to go out and by shock and algecide and try that.

Thanks for the help.

 

[okeydokey]

It doesn't sound like you are running the filter near enough. We had one of those little pools and it was a struggle to keep it clean. Once it turned cloudy or green it was very difficult to get it back.

A regular above ground pool with an adequate sized sand filter will be much easier to maintain.

We have an inground pool (about 17000 gallons) and we are currently running the filter about 10 hours a day.

 

[LMC]

Use a "real" pump. We use a regular pump now that actually circulates the water and Bacquicil and no problem.s

 

[JustineMarie]

You may need to add algaecide (sp?). I agree that you should be running your filter longer. We have an small inground pool (only 9,000 gallons) and we run out filter at least 10hours, most of the time close to 12.

 

[PghLybrt]

FYI this is what I do

A salt generator does not eliminate the need for any thing other than the need for chlorine. So you still have to make sure the ph, alkalinity, calcium and stabilizer are all fine.

A pool needs to be run for at least 12 hours to really turn over the water enough to "clean" it. 3 hours will never cut it. Those filters with the intex pools, I would run 24/7. The generator is not producing enough chlorine with that run time either.

I tell all my customers to add a maintainence dose of algecide every week. (I would look for a good 50% not some gallon type). That way you are adding maybe anounce of week. So much better than cleaning up the problem later. With a salt gen you still need to shock the pool! Most have a shock button (or super chlorinate) on them. With that brand I can't tell you ( as only box stores carry them)if you have one. If it does have that button use it at least once a week, otherwise I would shock that pool every week. Also your ph you want around 7.3 ish. Chlorine works better with a slighty lower ph than a higher one.

If you do not mind me asking (becasue I do not have access to one without buying it) does the generator tell you to clean the cell every year, or do they treat the generator as a disposible unit yearly?

LMC- I agree I love Baquacil/Revacil . I also am a big advocate for using pristine blue. With a PHMB system ( Baquacil) I would recomend treating the water every week rather than once a month. Are you using the new CDX?

 

[golfgal]

We have a larger back yard pond and we run the pump/filter 24/7 for that, I would think the same would need to be done for a small pool.