How much chlorine is needed to add to a pool?

Can you add stabilizer to your pool with a chlorine lock out?

• All the chemicals in my 20x 40 AB pool is correct except chlorine and stabilizer. Both are zero. We have tested for everything from phosphate to metals. All came back fine and since still have swamp green pool, we treated for both of those twice now just to be sure. We have used pink algae, yellow algae, and reg. algae, around 50lbs of shock and used non chlorine shock all in the last month, and still have swamp water with all chems fine except the chlorine and stabilizer. I was told not to add stabilizer until we get a chlorine reading, but if we put in shock or bleach, it is gone within 3hrs of putting in. We are now debating to just drain pool, or should we shock really hard and add stabilizer right behind it? We have spent nearly $1000.00 in a little over a month and we just can't do this anymore. We can not afford for the pool place to guess anymore or for us to try and guess. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

• Answer:

  I wouldn't drain the pool, that's for sure. You said all your chemicals are good but you didn't mention the PH level. That is VERY important. Being a pool owner myself I would go to the hardware store and buy a couple gallons of Muriatic Acid and start with that. Put 1 gal in and give it 30 minutes, then CLEAN the filter. Depending on how green you are you may need the other gallon. Be sure to clean the filter hourly until green is gone. This should clear up quickly. be sure not to get the acid on any of the metal around your pool. It won't hurt the liner or the plumbing, just metal. Be careful of the fumes also, they are pretty powerful and dangerous. Good luck & Happy Swimming.