Cloudy water today
my test readings
CH 220
CC 0
FC 5
PH 7.5
TA 120
CYA 60
Salt 4200ppm high my SWG is off
Any suggestions
New pool owner cloudy water 1 week old
- Thread starter Earl Cox
- Start date
Cloudy water today
my test readings
CH 220
CC 0
FC 5
PH 7.5
TA 120
CYA 60
Salt 4200ppm high my SWG is off
Any suggestions
Hi, welcome to TFP! You will need to replace some of the water to get the salt level down. You can use http://www.troublefreepool.com/calc.html to tell you how much water to remove. We recommend our members use a FAS/DPD test kit such as a Taylor K2006 or TF 100 . Either of these kits will allow you to test chlorine levels higher than 5ppm, which you will need in order to complete the SLAM process . The slam process will clear up the cloudiness.
Welcome to TFP and congrats on the new pool!
Be sure to chlorinate your pool with bleach anytime your SWG isn't working or keeping up. The cloudiness is the start of algae due to insufficient chlorine levels.
Be sure to chlorinate your pool with bleach anytime your SWG isn't working or keeping up. The cloudiness is the start of algae due to insufficient chlorine levels.
The good news is its still blue! You should be able to fix this in short order if you get on it with bleach. Was your SWG giving your problems that you turned it off?
How sure are you of that 4200ppm salt reading? My SWG thinks I have too much salt, but I don't. And it still works fine so....<shrug> perhaps you can still use yours?
How sure are you of that 4200ppm salt reading? My SWG thinks I have too much salt, but I don't. And it still works fine so....<shrug> perhaps you can still use yours?
In no particular order....
TA is high. Buy a gallon of muriatic acid and fashion some means of creating bubbles or disturbance in the water (the exchange of air and water releases carbon dioxide from the water, thereby raising pH.) Then add a wee bit of acid to lower pH, then run aerator for a good long while to raise pH, then add acid, then run aerator etc. ... for a day or two to lower TA.
you measured TC? How? what's your test kit? FC is fine for "normal", but since you think the water is cloudy, raise it some for while. I have found that a single gallon of 8.25% bleach works wonders when I think the water looks slightly cloudy, but then again the amount and % of bleach correlates directly to the size of your pool (i.e.- the number of gallons of water it holds).
TA and TH are more or less irrelevant in above ground vinyl pool, so don't waste your time or chemicals testing them often.
Too much salt. Get rid of some pool water by whatever means you desire, then add more water until your chlorine generator is happy.
and lastly, ...... what is your CYA level? Without knowing that, you'll never know what "normal" is.
Bottom line: it's really cool that you got a feel for chemistry just by looking at the water! The cloudiness indicates that a problem is brewing but hasn't matured yet.
TA is high. Buy a gallon of muriatic acid and fashion some means of creating bubbles or disturbance in the water (the exchange of air and water releases carbon dioxide from the water, thereby raising pH.) Then add a wee bit of acid to lower pH, then run aerator for a good long while to raise pH, then add acid, then run aerator etc. ... for a day or two to lower TA.
you measured TC? How? what's your test kit? FC is fine for "normal", but since you think the water is cloudy, raise it some for while. I have found that a single gallon of 8.25% bleach works wonders when I think the water looks slightly cloudy, but then again the amount and % of bleach correlates directly to the size of your pool (i.e.- the number of gallons of water it holds).
TA and TH are more or less irrelevant in above ground vinyl pool, so don't waste your time or chemicals testing them often.
Too much salt. Get rid of some pool water by whatever means you desire, then add more water until your chlorine generator is happy.
and lastly, ...... what is your CYA level? Without knowing that, you'll never know what "normal" is.
Bottom line: it's really cool that you got a feel for chemistry just by looking at the water! The cloudiness indicates that a problem is brewing but hasn't matured yet.
TA is not irrelevant in a vinyl pool, only CH. If your PH is stable I wouldn't bother trying to lower TA. If the PH rises regularly then go ahead and lower it to 10 and see how PH acts, then 80 until PH is stable for a few weeks.
I bought one of those HTH 6 way test kits from Walmart. Also took my water sample to local pool store and the readings was very close.
Thank you will drain some of the water today.
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I'm using the 3" tablets for now and the chlorine is just fine for now.
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The first day I turned on the SWG it was telling me I got high salt when my salt level in the pool was at 770ppm. Intel is sending me a new Titanium Electrode so will see how that goes.
Just finished draining 600gallons out the pool which took to 1"-2" of water out
CL is 5 or above
PH is 7.2
i'd put that chlorine at about 4....its sort of subjective. So good job ordering a test kit. Its the very best way to take charge and care of your own pool. 
It's actually closer to 3. I made a copy of the picture, then cut and pasted a piece of the sample color. Drop it on the color matching area. Most like 3.
Ordered my TF-100 test key should be in tomorrow. Today I drained my pool in order to lower my salt level now it's perfect 3250ppm SWG loves it. Tomorrow I will take my readings in order to adjust my water chemistry.
Yay for the TF-100... no more color matching games! You'll know exactly how much because each drop = 0.5 (in other words if it takes 14 drops to clear the sample, you divide by 2 and your FC is 7) Easy peasy!
Ok this morning I did a test for CH the test reads once you add 5 drops of the indicator into 25ml of water if hardness is present it should turn red. Well it turned green. Does that means no hardness present? I didn't continue the test since the water didn't turn red. I'm using the 6-way HTH test kit I bought from walmart for now
Is it CH or TH? Calcium Hardness is what it is usually referred to.
Not sure how the HTH works. Here is the the extended test instructions for the TF100 that reference potential other colors that show up. Post 7 is CH, Extended Test Kit Directions. Also CH is not important in vinyl pools as long as it isn't way high, like over 350. Though there is nothing wrong with knowing what it is.
Nice job so far getting your pool under control!
Not sure how the HTH works. Here is the the extended test instructions for the TF100 that reference potential other colors that show up. Post 7 is CH, Extended Test Kit Directions. Also CH is not important in vinyl pools as long as it isn't way high, like over 350. Though there is nothing wrong with knowing what it is.
Nice job so far getting your pool under control!
Sorry I can't see the picture. If you were correct in typing 2005 then; Oh no!! Those aren't even the same type of test kit. No wonder there has been confusion!!
