Nice, Clear Water in your Intex Pool

When I first bought this thing (18' x 48", "Easy"-Set), I thought it would be easy... Not so much. 

IRON / Hard Water Problems (your water is brown and / or green after filling it up). 

Scenario - You fill the pool - it looks clear - then you try to stabilize the water. When you add some chlorine (whether directly via liquid chlorine, tablets in floating dispenser, or using your salt water chlorine generator); pool turns brown!

Don't panic!

Brown water is very likely due to high iron in your water. We live in the Northeast and have water full of iron, and other metals too. This can and will be filtered out over time. But, assuming you are using the basic filter system, it will take days or weeks depending on the amount of iron in there.

Green Water (dark but not "soupy", light or tinted) is caused by various metals, most likely copper. First and foremost DO NOT READ ADVICE ABOUT ALGAE! If you just filled the pool it is not likely to be algae. But, most people hear "green water" and immediately assume that to be the case. The problem is that adding chemicals other than chlorine at this point will only exacerbate the issues. 

Ways to avoid and / or correct these issues:

A. Fill the pool with filtered (i.e. whole house) and, if possible, softened water. If you cannot do so, then plan to filter, filter, filter and..

1.  Pick up 6 or more filters* from WalMart - change the filter every hour to a fresh one, rinse the dirty one(s) in a 5-gallon bucket filled with filter cleaner, Oxi-Clean, Iron out, or pH Raise if nothing else around. 
2. Use skimmer pre-filter socks (always, your filter will last longer, specifically the impeller)
3. Use old socks or t-shirts, see here for details (scroll down to post #20, also refer 'The Pool School' links)
4. Other Options, none recommended as regular methods above are cheaper and equally or more effective:

• Chelation, Metalout - Metal Clear, Flocculants, etc. - these products are more expensive than necessary and, as with most fixes, there are no real shortcuts here. The iron needs to be removed, period. If it is clumped together it may go through the skimmer and just clog things up more. If it settles on the bottom you need to vacuum (and keep changing the filters). 

B. Maintain - Once you have the water clear it becomes much, much easier to keep it that way. If you use the salt water chlorine generator (SWCG) - which I highly recommend - then it will help ALOT!

1. Get a good test kit and perform tests exactly as indicated. Different kits work a little differently.... Also, old strips may lose efficacy after a few years. So toss 'em and get new ones.
2. Don't forget about the debris / screen filter in the Chlorine Generator. That little part gets clogged fairly easily. But, if you use the skimmer socks and change / clean the filter often then it may need only weekly cleaning. 

*Easy-Set filters - Type A or C, or the Unicel C-4607 Replacement Filter (Unicel is best option, by far vs. the regular paper cheapies). But, as long as you clean any filter well, using a hose and soaking in Oxi-Clean or filter cleaner from time to time, they will last quite a while.

Filter Types:

Type A has a larger opening top and bottom, so stick with this size if that is what you have originally used or received with your pump.
Type C has smaller openings; although it will fit the Type A standard size, it does take some pushing and may cause you to damage the filter when installing.

NOTE: If you have not yet purchased a filter pump:

A Sand Filter is likely the best option for most people, since there are no filters to replace, it works very well, AND is quiet.

If you want to spend less and stick with the Krystal Klear pump, get a larger one than is recommended, if possible. More power is definitely better when it comes to pulling debris from a pool - especially when vacuuming!

****regardless of filter type be sure to use pre-filter socks**** AND clean the bebris screen in the SWCG!!

Enjoy the near-daily maintenance!!! The smiles on your kids' faces are worth it though, right? :-)

Would you like to heat your pool? Take a look here and get to work!