New to BBB and still shocking

[homeschoolpool]

I've been reading TFP for months and we just switched over to the BBB method. I am very excited to have an alternative to the pool supply store. We have been through the gamut with having to lower the CYA level, algaecides and treating high phosphates- which led me to find TFP. I am so grateful!

I've been shocking our pool since last Friday due to green algae. FC count is decreasing overnight by 2 ppm. There is some clouding while sweeping the pool which could be dirt (we are surrounded by farmland and it is plowing time), pollen or algae. When testing during the day, the FC is falling very little (.5-1ppm) hour to hour- sometimes not at all. (The pool is in full sun until the evening.) But I can't get it to hold steady overnight. The water is blue and cloudy.

Current TF100 results are:
FC 16
CC >.5
PH 7.6
T/A 80
CH 60
CYA 45
Temp 69 (up 6 degrees this week)

Do I just need to keep up the shocking, or is there something else I may need to check out?

Thanks,
Jennifer

The Pool Calculator is my friend!

 

[dmanb2b]

Welcome to TFP

If you are losing FC during the day, that is normal in full sun...the true way to know if you are done shocking is to perform an overnight FC loss test as described in Pool School.

Repeat steps 1 and 2 as frequently as practical, as often as once per hour, and not less than twice a day, until:
CC is 0.5 or lower;CHECK

An overnight FC loss test shows a loss of 1.0 ppm or less;Need to confirm

And, if you don't have a FAS-DPD test kit, the water is clear.your dirt is probably dead algae, but please confirm you are not losing FC overnight[size]

My guess is you need to keep filtering an vacuming until the dead algae clears, which can take over a week sometimes with a sand filter (maybe you can consider adding a touch of DE to the filter the help speed things up.
If you had severe algae

 

[Butterfly]

Hi homeschoolpool,

Congratulations on all you have accomplished thus far

I suggest you bump your shock level to around 20ppm.

The clouding while sweeping could be dirt/dust/pollen or dead algae.

It is interesting that your pool is in full sun and loses more FC overnight than during the day.

When your pool passes the overnight test, it may still be cloudy and just need time for the filter to clear all the dead stuff out.

Welcome to the forum

 

[dmanb2b]

oops...missed the overnight loss piece

 

[homeschoolpool]

I am using the FAS-DPD test that came with the kit. I've been testing every hour or two. During the daytime, sometimes I need to add bleach, sometimes not. The FC has gone down 0-1 ppm/2hours. I am losing some FC during the day. Overnight, I am losing 2ppm. I am hoping to get the shocking process complete today because we are expecting rain tomorrow. :-/ Maybe bumping my FC to 20ppm will get me there. Thanks for the responses.

 

[duraleigh]

The 20ppm will almost surely help but what seems to matter most is time. It just seems like the process takes longer than it should. For some, pools seem to clear right up, but for most of us, Shocking and clearing a pool is a several day process.

You are in the final stages. Keep the FC right up there around 20ppm and your pool will clear rather suddenly....I'm just not sure when that will occur.

I am in the "cloudy green" stage of my process so you are ahead of me, if it helps. I've been at it for four days now of removing sludege, vacuuming and shocking.

Keep the faith! :lol:

 

[homeschoolpool]

Thanks for encouragement that I'm on the right track. If the next overnight FC test shows loss over .5ppm, do I keep shocking during rain? I don't want to lose ground or waste bleach.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

if your FC loss is 1ppm or more overnight, keep shocking. Anything under 1ppm you are done, assuming your CCs are also .5 or less.

If it rains during the overnight hours you could skip the overnight test, and just do it the next night there assuming there is no rain. You don't want any possible intereference from the rain affecting the test's accuracy.

 

[duraleigh]

I meant to answer that and forgot. Yes, keep right on shocking. I am a big believer that rain has absolutely minimal affect on pool water chemistry. Even if it does, rain is irrelevant to adding FC....keep it up.

You are finished shocking when...
1. Your pool water is sparkling
2. Your CC's are .5ppm or less
3. You can hold your FC overnight without losing more than 1ppm.

EDIT: FPM makes a good point about the overnight test, I would skip it if you have a real frog-strangler.

 

[JasonLion]

And remember to brush the entire pool at least once a day while at shock level. Lingering slow losses of FC tend to come from algae that has formed a biofilm. Brushing should break up the biofilm and allow the chlorine to work more effectively.