Can anyone help with cloudy green pool water?

Question

We bought our house last summer and it came with a 27' round above ground pool (4.5 feet deep). Our twins were born 2 days after moving so we were never able to use it last summer. We decided to hire the local pool company to open it for us and teach us how to use it, but all they did was take the cover off, let all the stagnant water and debris fall into the pool, through it on the ground and left. They didn't say two words to us and even broke our back gates off their hinges when they left. We were in the pool daily scraping up leaves and gunk from the bottom, have since filled the pool, and added the chemicals recommended by a website. We have had constant rain every day for two weeks now, and our pool is green and cloudy. I constantly clean/run the filter, have used the creepy crawly a couple hours every day, algeacide, shock, chlorine, it just seems to be getting worse, the pool company out here won't help. Any suggestions??

Answer 1

use cooper sufate in it & don't pee in it

Answer 2

Trust me, to get rid of the green, use chlorine.

Answer 3

Do you know how old the filter is? You may want to have someone come check the filter for you - it may be older or need the sand in it changed and is therefore not working properly.  

Cloudy green water is definitely an indication of algae.  Clear green water is an indication of copper in the water.  What kind of algaecide have you been using?  If you have just been using a weekly maintenance type of algaecide aimed at preventing algae (like Pool Blocks or Prevention 40 or Clearwater 5% Algaecide) these will likely not fix your problem, as you already seem to have resistant algae.  

You need to go for the stronger algaecide (like OMNI Algae Terminator).  These types of algaecide are so strong and concentrated that you must first dilute it in a bucket of 4L of water before putting it in your pool.  It will kill any algae you have if you use it properly, but you should also give it at least a day or two before you go swimming after dumping this stuff in.

Also, when are you shocking your pool?  If you are putting in the algaecide and shock too close together, the algaecide will not be effective.  You need to wait at least 12 hours after putting in one to put in the other.  Otherwise, the shock will just kill any algaecide you put in and it will be ineffective.  

Do you have any strip tests?  You should test your pH and alkalinity as well, or bring a water sample into a pool store and get them to test it for you.  Many pool stores offer free water testing.  If your pH and alkalinity are out of whack, or if your water is still cool, then the chlorine will not be working properly either, which just gives the algae a better breeding ground.

Last of all, find another pool company!  Go to a local pool store and ask them if they do maintenance calls.  If they don't, then ask them if they can recommend someone who can (they usually have a whole bunch of business cards for these kinds of companies).  You can also try the phone book.  There's got to be someone who works in the pool business that will come help you out, it's just a matter of finding them.

Good luck.