Hello all, I'm new to the forum, and new to pool ownership overall. I managed to turn my green swamp mess pool into a blue cloudy pool by using 12 pounds of Dichlor, Liquid Shock, Water Clarifier, and Green to clean. After days of making no progress from the cloudy blue, I decided to give Alum Floc a go. I made sure everything was balanced as per the instruction on the bottle. pH was a bit low so I added soda ash to corrected the problem. Anyway, the Floc worked and by morning the water was clear with white sediment and some leaves on the floor which I managed to vacuum up. After taking a break from vacuuming, I went back to finish the sides and the pool was cloudy where I could barely see the floor. Is this normal? I do not trust the pool stores recommendations as I feel they sell me products I don't need so I could only come back to buy more. I am now running the filter (Sand) with hopes of clearing it up.
Flocked Pool: Very Clear turned cloudy
- Thread starter 24'x52"
- Start date
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,731
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Welcome to TFP! 
Well, it's good to hear you say you don't trust the pool store because you shouldn't. Unfortunately you already added quite a few products we at TFP would never encourage. That's water under the bridge now. Best thing to do is give your filter time to grab any residual products in the water. You can add a little DE as well to help enhance your sand filter's capability. From there, confirm for us if you have a TF-100 or Taylor K-2006C test kit. If so, please post a full set of results. If not, that should be priority #1. Next, don't add anything else to your water for now other than regular liquid bleach (generic is fine).
Please update your pool specifications so we know what kind of pool you have and how big. This link may also help you: Pool School - Read This BEFORE You Post. My initial thoughts are that you have been battling an algae situation but mistreating it with various products, so we can try to help get you back on track with the proper test results. Hope this helps.
Well, it's good to hear you say you don't trust the pool store because you shouldn't. Unfortunately you already added quite a few products we at TFP would never encourage. That's water under the bridge now. Best thing to do is give your filter time to grab any residual products in the water. You can add a little DE as well to help enhance your sand filter's capability. From there, confirm for us if you have a TF-100 or Taylor K-2006C test kit. If so, please post a full set of results. If not, that should be priority #1. Next, don't add anything else to your water for now other than regular liquid bleach (generic is fine). Please update your pool specifications so we know what kind of pool you have and how big. This link may also help you: Pool School - Read This BEFORE You Post. My initial thoughts are that you have been battling an algae situation but mistreating it with various products, so we can try to help get you back on track with the proper test results. Hope this helps.
- May 23, 2015
- 24,379
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Did you vacuum to waste? Typically when you use floc, you must vacuum to waste and vacuum very slowly so as to not agitate the debris. Even after floc'ing, the sediment is too fine to be captured on the filter and it will just return to the pool.
Yes, I am waiting for my K-2006C, I have ordered it, but as of now I'm using test strips that constantly give me a fc reading of 0ppm which I know can't be right because I put alot of shock in.
- - - Updated - - -
Yes, I vacuumed to waste, and I made sure I was moving very slowly to avoid the redistribution. I saw alot
of the dead algae in the water coming from the waste port. Do you think it would clear up by the morning?
Welcome to TFP!
Please update your pool specifications so we know what kind of pool you have and how big. This link may also help you: Pool School - Read This BEFORE You Post. My initial thoughts are that you have been battling an algae situation but mistreating it with various products, so we can try to help get you back on track with the proper test results. Hope this helps.
- - - Updated - - -
Yes, I vacuumed to waste, and I made sure I was moving very slowly to avoid the redistribution. I saw alot
of the dead algae in the water coming from the waste port. Do you think it would clear up by the morning?
I actually just added a gallon of liquid shock, I'm gonna steer clear of Dichlor, I've heard the horror stories about High CYA. I've heard horror stories about Floc aswell, but nearly everyone in my family has a pool and they use Floc and it works wonders for them.
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,731
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
That's a wise choice for now. Too often pool owners fall into those pool store product traps that may/may not seem to help ... for a while. In the end, total water chemistry, as outlined in the TFP Pool School, is what does it. The K-2006C will open your eyes to what is really happening in the water. You made a very good decision to test on your own with one of the proper test kits.
Okay, I'm just so ready for this whole ordeal to be over and for the pool to be clear.
Well, it appears they pool store sold you almost every product on the shelf. I'm going to say that you are having problems with FC right now because you used "Green to Clean" which is an ammonia based product. It takes massive amounts of chlorine to neutralize ammonia, so until the ammonia is gone any chlorine you pour in will disappear almost immediately like magic. You gotta keep adding liquid chlorine until it overcomes the ammonia and starts to hold.
Good Morning, yesterday night, I raised the pH to 7.6 and added some more Alum, I have to say, the Alum has worked wonders and made my water sparkling clear, I am in the process of refilling after vacuuming to waste. Tonight if the pH drops, I'll add some more soda ash. Now that all the organics are out, I feel the chlorine will hold now, the vacuuming to waste and refilling should also drop the ammonia level. I'll post an update, my K-2006C should be here with a week, until then I'll be relying on the test strips.
Ok, I have some good news!! The pool has successfully reached 31ppm Free Chlorine and held it for 4 hours!!
If you are that high and holding any ammonia the Green to Clean may have added is gone.
Is that your shock level for current CYA?
Once you go above shock level the chances of bleaching the liner rise. A couple/few ppm is not the end of the world, but avoid nuclear additions of chlorine. Bad things happen. Remember, TFP is all about accurate testing and only adding what it needs, when it needs it.