SLAM'D pool - good numbers, but poor results...AHHH!

[germ79]

Friends, joined the BBB revolution last year and love it!

Pool started off great - water was crystal clear. Went on vacation a few weeks ago and came back to a slightly green and fairly turquoise pool. Oddly, also had stains showing up all over the liner - pale yellow one that DO NOT go away with Cl being applied directly to them.

SLAM'd it for over a week with OK results - got clearer and blue, but never crystal, even though it got to the point where it wasn't dropping Cl overnight. Been kind of like that ever since.

Just left for a long weekend, only to come back with it looking worse again. Cl has been over 10ppm for 3 weeks - pool gets blue, and LOTS of precipitate, but just doesn't seem to clear up fully.

Current levels are:

CYA: 30
FC: 12
CC: 0
pH: (not accurate because if high Cl - but is historically around 7.6)
TA: 70
CH: ~250

What could this possibly be? The ONLY thing I can think of is that the filter media is old. We've lived here 3 years and I haven't touched it. The previous owner put Zeosand in it. I've added DE powder, which I can't tell if it helps or not. I've never seen it blow back into the pool, as if I had a broken filter lateral, but there has been so much precipitate, it makes me wonder. I backwashed all the DE powder out yesterday and it was definitely in there and green...which also boggles me as to how anything green can still be in a pool with such a high Cl level for so long.

So, I'm stumped. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

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[zea3]

What are you using as a source of chlorine? Have you added any other chemicals to the pool?

 

[Kiss4aFrog]

Using anything like algaecide ?? Just to keep from confusing us when you're talking about your chlorine level we refer to it as FC (Free Chlorine).

Might be time to open up that filter and do a deep clean on it. Just did mine yesterday and added 150lbs of sand. Not sure where it went as like you haven't noticed it in the pool but it was really low in there.

Deep Cleaning Sand Filter Part 1 - YouTube

 

[germ79]

Sorry, I use strictly liquid chlorine. No other chemicals in the pool at all, except for some muriatic acid to lower pH about 2 weeks ago.

Yeah, wondering if I need a filter clean out. Flow is good, but sure seems like it could be doing a better job.


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[duraleigh]

what I see in the bottom of your pool is dead algae. That most always means you have live algae in there, too.

You need to SLAM the pool.

SLAM'd it for over a week with OK results - got clearer and blue, but never crystal, even though it got to the point where it wasn't dropping Cl overnight. Been kind of like that ever since.

You never finished your SLAM. You are finished with the SLAM when...

1. Your pool water is sparkling and there is no visible algae (dead or alive)
2. Your CC's are .5ppm or less
3. You can hold your FC overnight without losing more than 1ppm.

Restart the SLAM and stay with it until you finish.

 

[max2k]

Friends, joined the BBB revolution last year and love it!

Pool started off great - water was crystal clear. Went on vacation a few weeks ago and came back to a slightly green and fairly turquoise pool. Oddly, also had stains showing up all over the liner - pale yellow one that DO NOT go away with Cl being applied directly to them.

SLAM'd it for over a week with OK results - got clearer and blue, but never crystal, even though it got to the point where it wasn't dropping Cl overnight. Been kind of like that ever since.

Just left for a long weekend, only to come back with it looking worse again. Cl has been over 10ppm for 3 weeks - pool gets blue, and LOTS of precipitate, but just doesn't seem to clear up fully.

Current levels are:

CYA: 30
FC: 12
CC: 0
pH: (not accurate because if high Cl - but is historically around 7.6)
TA: 70
CH: ~250

What could this possibly be? The ONLY thing I can think of is that the filter media is old. We've lived here 3 years and I haven't touched it. The previous owner put Zeosand in it. I've added DE powder, which I can't tell if it helps or not. I've never seen it blow back into the pool, as if I had a broken filter lateral, but there has been so much precipitate, it makes me wonder. I backwashed all the DE powder out yesterday and it was definitely in there and green...which also boggles me as to how anything green can still be in a pool with such a high Cl level for so long.

So, I'm stumped. Any advice is greatly appreciated!


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It is starting to look like Rio polo pool . If it was my pool I'd get to SLAM immediately. I think you already missed the point where simple FC level increase could solve the problem.

Could you also add name of your test kit to your signature? I'm wondering if those CL numbers are coming from FAS/DPD or from some other test?

 

[MarianParoo]

Germ says he has a recommended testkit. Germ: would you please include which kit you have to your signature? Upper right: settings; then left: edit signature.

I see what Dave sees. Dead algae. Keep FC at 12 or slightly above and retest your CYA in full sun if you are in doubt at all about it being 30.

 

[germ79]

Guys, thanks for the replies. I use the TF-100 kit for testing.

Perhaps you're right...just seems like a REALLY long time to be SLAMming to produce clear water, especially once Cl loss is only happening during the day. Ill keep it up and see what happens.


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[MarianParoo]

Not sure if you saw my post as we wrote at the same time. Perhaps the FC is dropping below 12 too often to really clear it. How often are you testing and re-adding chlorine?

 

[germ79]

Yeah, I think you could be right. Testing at least twice a day and adding Cl at least once per day, sometimes twice.

Just got doing some reading on Zeosand and it sounds like many people have the issues I'm describing. Gonna read some more and maybe switch out for good old fashioned silica sand.


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[germ79]

Well, after much deliberation, I decided the only explanation for this inability to clear my pool even after weeks of SLAMming was that the filter media was bad. So, I took it apart today with the intention of replacing the media, only to find out what the real problem was… All throughout my sand was clumps and clumps of cotton weed! We get cottonweed floating through the air so badly in the spring it looks like it's snowing outside… I just never realized that it was getting past my skimmer baskets and into the filter. I serous oh can't tell you how much was in there! Even all the way down to the laterals, clogging some of them. So, pulled all the media out, got all the crud out, cleaned the filter, laterals, and sand and put it back in. NOW I'll SLAM it again and expect some major improvements!

Thanks for all your help! Enjoy the pic of the crud!

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[Kiss4aFrog]

There is a good chance you might be a one in a million case of having dead algae circulating and or laying on the bottom and you really have completed the SLAM and it's all dead BUT the filter is just so far behind.

Glad you opened it up and found that problem. Hopefully now the filter will catch up and you'll have a much cleaner pool and you can call the SLAM completed in a day or two with clear, clean water !!

 

[MarianParoo]

Here's hoping!!!!