After 8 Years Of Pool Ownership I Am Having Problems Like I Have Never Had Before! Help!

[Louan]

It's like my pool has the 7 year itch and is rebelling!

I live in NJ, have a 16 x 32 inground pool w/liner and sand filter. My husband changed the sand at the beginning of the season and we had very low stabilizer so, slowly over the course of 4 weeks, I added 3 bottles of the stuff (with recommendation of pool store). It is now between 50 and 100 which is not ideal but still part of the acceptable range according to the strips. Despite weekly shocks, normal pH, a high chlorine reading and now running the filter non-stop for the last three days the water is still green and cloudy. I backwashed yesterday but it doesn't seem to make a difference.

Someone mentioned getting a good test kit. The funny thing is for the last seven years of pool ownership I had the most sparkling water of anyone I knew! It seems like the more years I get under my belt, the worst things get! I don't think i'm doing anything differently.

Could it be the quality of the chlorine tabs I'm adding (tri chlor)? And the fact that they're also adding stabilizer? The pool store I go to said they come from China now and they definitely don't last as long as they used to. Also, could it be the stabilizer is too high as someone mentioned in another post but my test strips are not accurate? Can I get chlorine tabs that don't have stabilizer? Do I need to drain some water out? Help!!!

I also posted about a suction problem when vacuuming but fixed it myself by just shutting the valve to reduce the suction and it seems to be working (still don't know why it's super strong this year).

[waterbear]

It's like my pool has the 7 year itch and is rebelling!

I live in NJ, have a 16 x 32 inground pool w/liner and sand filter. My husband changed the sand at the beginning of the season and we had very low stabilizer so, slowly over the course of 4 weeks, I added 3 bottles of the stuff (with recommendation of pool store). It is now between 50 and 100 which is not ideal but still part of the acceptable range according to the strips. Despite weekly shocks, normal pH, a high chlorine reading and now running the filter non-stop for the last three days the water is still green and cloudy. I backwashed yesterday but it doesn't seem to make a difference.

Someone mentioned getting a good test kit. The funny thing is for the last seven years of pool ownership I had the most sparkling water of anyone I knew! It seems like the more years I get under my belt, the worst things get! I don't think i'm doing anything differently.

You still need a good test kYit. After 7 years things build up in the water so it's not the same water you started with.

Could it be the quality of the chlorine tabs I'm adding (tri chlor)?

Some dissolve faster than others but trichlor is trichlor. Are yours 99% or do they have other additives in them?

And the fact that they're also adding stabilizer?

THIS is the big problem!

The pool store I go to said they come from China now and they definitely don't last as long as they used to.

Depends on the brand you are buying. There is still trichlor manufactured here in the US, but trichlor is trichlor.

Also, could it be the stabilizer is too high as someone mentioned in another post but my test strips are not accurate?

THIS is very true! Strips are worthless, particularly on stabilizer tests.

Can I get chlorine tabs that don't have stabilizer? Do I need to drain some water out? Help!!!

In a word, no. You need a slow dissolving form of chlorine to use in an erosion feeder. There is only one, trichor. Trichlor is a chemical made from chlorine and cyanuric acid, a chlorinated isocyanurate. Basically it's a cyanuric acid molecule with three chlorines attached to it. Once the chlorine is used up the cyanuric acid (stabilizer) remains. There are capsules and tablets made from cal hypo BUT they are not for use in feeders or floater, They dissolve a LOT faster than trichlor and also cause CH levels to rise.

I also posted about a suction problem when vacuuming but fixed it myself by just shutting the valve to reduce the suction and it seems to be working (still don't know why it's super strong this year).

Get yourself a Taylor k-2006 test kit (NOT the K-2005) and you will save yourself a lot of headaches and money in the long run. Also, switch to chlorination with an unstabilized chlorine source. Sodium hypochloriite is your best bet. It is sold in pool stores as liquid chlorine in many parts of the country and sold in grocery stores, walmart, and target, etc. as unscented chlorine bleach (in the laundry aisle).

[Louan]

Thank you Waterbear. I will look into buying that test kit. In the meantime I will add liquid chlorine and stop putting the tri chlor tabs in the chorinator. I don't think the granular shock is stabilized so I can probably continue that superchlorination once a week as well, right?

I don't know what percentage my tri-chlor is but i will check later. Again, thank you!

[waterbear]

Thank you Waterbear. I will look into buying that test kit. In the meantime I will add liquid chlorine and stop putting the tri chlor tabs in the chorinator. I don't think the granular shock is stabilized so I can probably continue that superchlorination once a week as well, right?

Read the ingredients. If it is cal hypo (calcium hypochlorite) it is unstabilized but it will raise your calcium hardness. This might or might not be an issue. Much depends on what your current CH and TA is and where you keep your pH. Without a full set of test results it's impossible to say more.

I don't know what percentage my tri-chlor is but i will check later. Again, thank you!