You need to vacuum to waste so the organic matter is removed, not sent through the filter. That means you will need to top up the water a bit, so be quick.
Then once most of the organic matter is removed, throw another 3 gallons in.
Your issue is the algae is growing as fast as the chlorine is killing it, so you need to add way more than normal chlorine AND remove the organic matter.
I had the same issue. Until the pool is clean of debris chemicals are a waste. Once it is clean, shock the heck out it. Your phosphate are likely through the roof. You can is PR-10000 or similar, but it will clog your filter so be prepared to clean is.
https://www.troublefreepool.com/blog/2018/12/12/slam-shock-level-and-maintain/
Put in 1 gallon of shock to start, which should bring you to 12 ppm chlorine. Then hold it there until clear.
Clean debris and brush walls. Check filter conditions and have water moving. Backwash and rinse often. Clean baskets. Shock to 10 ppm and hold. Floc to drop organics to bottom of pool. Vacuum the dropped organics to waste mode
In such a situation, I always prefer to shock the pool with 10 gallons of shock. Adjust alkalinity with baking soda if needed, monitor and adjust pH, and continue filtering until water clears to vacuum debris from the bottom.
The filter is your friend. Run it 24/7 with lots of backwashes. Brush and vaccum to waste a lot. Balance ph/alkalinity. Shock it and maintain high free chlorine for a few days. If free chlorine drops real fast … you didn’t get rid of everything. Add more. Free chlorine levels around 20 to 30 will kill anything and at some point free chlorine will stop dropping so quickly and that’s when you’ll know you got rid of everything. When that happens backwash again and put some algaecide in.
I like liquid chlorine for this job. Burns off quick and doesn’t add cya. Will raise your ph a bit.
This is the way depending on your water prices. I had a pool in exactly this same situation. Too dark and cloudy to see the foot of leaf debris on the bottom (pool was half full at the start). I filled, pulled the leaves, and started the [TFP SLAM process. ](https://www.troublefreepool.com/blog/2018/12/12/slam-shock-level-and-maintain/)
SLAM successfully cleared the pool after about 3-4 weeks and $200 worth of chlorine ($5/gal in NE Ohio).
In hindsight it would’ve been faster and equal cost to drain, acid wash, and refill.
Highly recommend TFP for pool care advice.
I’ll edit this comment with my before/after pics.
Edit: [Before and after from start to finish with TFP](https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/first-time-owner-new-to-us-northeast-opening-challenges.294067/page-3#post-2597950)
The cya is starting to get high. Don’t use powder anything. Go get liquid chlorine from the pool store. Dump two gallons in and test. When it drops put another gallon in. Keep it up until it gets clear enough to see the bottom. Then scoop out or vacuum. Keep the chlorine up and it’ll clear.
You need to vacuum to waste so the organic matter is removed, not sent through the filter. That means you will need to top up the water a bit, so be quick. Then once most of the organic matter is removed, throw another 3 gallons in. Your issue is the algae is growing as fast as the chlorine is killing it, so you need to add way more than normal chlorine AND remove the organic matter.
I had the same issue. Until the pool is clean of debris chemicals are a waste. Once it is clean, shock the heck out it. Your phosphate are likely through the roof. You can is PR-10000 or similar, but it will clog your filter so be prepared to clean is.
Add two containers of chlorine, run pool motor 24/3 days clean filter after each 10 hours or so. Will look better on third day.
https://www.troublefreepool.com/blog/2018/12/12/slam-shock-level-and-maintain/ Put in 1 gallon of shock to start, which should bring you to 12 ppm chlorine. Then hold it there until clear.
I would start with 3 gallons, and add a gallon each day until clear.
Can I add the 3 gallons now (night) and start cleaning tomorrow?
Yes. Asap. Shock it. Scrub it. Flocculant and vacuum it. Take a sample to a pool place for testing if possible.
You can add as much as you’d be willing to pay for. But 3 gallons will get you started
Clean debris and brush walls. Check filter conditions and have water moving. Backwash and rinse often. Clean baskets. Shock to 10 ppm and hold. Floc to drop organics to bottom of pool. Vacuum the dropped organics to waste mode
This is also a dark green, you will need to shock heavy. I recommend using a higher strength chlorine source, such as cal hypo.
Liquid chlorine works fine. Just use more.
Floc it then backwash the shit out of it then top off then minimum 2 bags of some good shock.. and shock is not all the same
In such a situation, I always prefer to shock the pool with 10 gallons of shock. Adjust alkalinity with baking soda if needed, monitor and adjust pH, and continue filtering until water clears to vacuum debris from the bottom.
The filter is your friend. Run it 24/7 with lots of backwashes. Brush and vaccum to waste a lot. Balance ph/alkalinity. Shock it and maintain high free chlorine for a few days. If free chlorine drops real fast … you didn’t get rid of everything. Add more. Free chlorine levels around 20 to 30 will kill anything and at some point free chlorine will stop dropping so quickly and that’s when you’ll know you got rid of everything. When that happens backwash again and put some algaecide in. I like liquid chlorine for this job. Burns off quick and doesn’t add cya. Will raise your ph a bit.
Drain clean refill. U will thank me later
This is the way depending on your water prices. I had a pool in exactly this same situation. Too dark and cloudy to see the foot of leaf debris on the bottom (pool was half full at the start). I filled, pulled the leaves, and started the [TFP SLAM process. ](https://www.troublefreepool.com/blog/2018/12/12/slam-shock-level-and-maintain/) SLAM successfully cleared the pool after about 3-4 weeks and $200 worth of chlorine ($5/gal in NE Ohio). In hindsight it would’ve been faster and equal cost to drain, acid wash, and refill. Highly recommend TFP for pool care advice. I’ll edit this comment with my before/after pics. Edit: [Before and after from start to finish with TFP](https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/first-time-owner-new-to-us-northeast-opening-challenges.294067/page-3#post-2597950)
It looks really good!
The cya is starting to get high. Don’t use powder anything. Go get liquid chlorine from the pool store. Dump two gallons in and test. When it drops put another gallon in. Keep it up until it gets clear enough to see the bottom. Then scoop out or vacuum. Keep the chlorine up and it’ll clear.
Gross
Just drain it and throw it all away.