Cloudy AG Intex pool with SWG

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C

cellamama

0
May 18, 2011
11
I’m trying to fix a cloudy pool. I’m in North Louisiana. I have an Intex 48” x 18’ (approx. 5455 gallons) AG pool with a SWG and an Intex filter pump(cs8110) for the next size up pool (the old one quit and we got the larger size). This is the third year for this pool. I opened it in April and have been running the filter almost non-stop for a month (there was a 2 week period we were out of town and covered the pool, but the total time I’ve been running the pump has still been about a month for this season). There was a lot of Algae to begin with so I’m on my sixth filter. I wash them daily with a sprayer on the water hose and use a new one when I think they aren’t working effectively any more. I didn’t know test strips were unreliable until this site so that was my testing method. I had never used CA (in the first twoyears) and the strips indicated that it was low. I used one entire bag of HTH Salt Pool Care with a 76% CA content with no result in the change on the strip. I bought HTH stabilizer and conditioner with a 96% CA content and used the approx. 9oz dose once and still nothing on the strip. I added ph minus to bring the ph to the 7.5 range (on the strip). I added bleach daily to keep the level high enough to hopefully kill the algae and contaminants (but I had no way to check this with the strip). I planned to do this until the water became clear, but it never did. I found this site bought a HTH 6 way test kit and got these results:

CL -1
PH – 7.5
Alkalinity – 10 (multiplied by 10 so 100)
Hardness – 5 (multiplied by 10 so 50)
CA – 65 (but knowing how much I put in, I don’t believe it)

I tried to do an overnight FC loss test last night. It was the darkest color on my test kit which is 5. This morning it was still 5.
My theory was that I hadn’t shocked it enough. I don’t understand the Chlorine/CYA chart. I don’t believe my test kit will show an FC of anything higher than 5. So how will I know when I’ve done enough shocking to rule out that as the cause of the cloudyness?

Thanks
 
The biggest favor you can do yourself in caring for your pool is to buy one of the test kits recommended in pool school. Strips and such will never to be able to check shock levels of chlorine. The CYA/Chlorine chart is pretty simple. It just gives you a minimum level of FC and a maximum level of FC range to maintain for a given level of CYA. Staying at or above mimimum level keeps the green stuff away! Higher CYA levels are recommended when using a SWCG. Your chlorine level looks too low to be effective.
 
I'll jus reiterate what Woody said and welcome you to TFP :wave:

The issue is likely due to insufficent chlorine vs. your CYA level.

A test kit is the 1st step...we recommend the TF100 from TFtestkits.net or the taylor K2006 (you can read about the kits we recommend here pool-school/pool_test_kit_comparison )

The TF100 and K2006 can measure FC up to 50ppm
 
FC- 24.5
CC - .5
TA - 140
ph - 7.5
CH - 40
CYA - 55-60

I've kept the pool at the suggested shock level (24 for CYA of 60 for SWG pools) since yesterday afternoon I have a CC of .5, but the water isn't any clearer. I did an overnight FC loss test last night and it lost more than 1 ppm. Should I do it again tonight? Should I keep it at this level until A,B, and C have been met (CC at .5, FC loss test less than 1ppm loss AND not cloudy) or until one is met?
 
You definitely want to keep shocking for the moment. There was algae still alive in the pool last night, so you want to do the overnight FC loss test again tonight.

You should keep shocking until all three criteria are met.

Those disposable Intex paper filter cartridges are really not very good. Someone makes reusable filters that fit your system which are a little better. I don't know if it is in your budget, but upgrading to one of the smaller Intex sand filters is a big improvement.
 
Okay, thank you for the advice. I had another 7.5 drop last night. I had to order a refill this morning of the solution to test this. I'm afraid I'll run out before the problem is solved. Do you think the Intex 2,100-Gallon Sand Filter Pump would be the right size for my ~5500 gal. pool? I've been reading Amazon reviews and everyone seems really pleased with these.
 
FC - 23
CC - .5
TA - 140
pH - 7.5
CH - 40
CYA - 55-60

Lost chlorine over night again, so still shocking. It's going to be a little less accurate on the bleach added today because I had to order more drops for testing and they probably won't be here until tomorrow. Any suggestions? Also, should I be working on any of these other numbers at the same time? I read in the article for SWG pools that CYA should be a little higher (70-80) and my TA is too high.
 

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FC - 25
CC - .5
TA - 160
pH - 8.2
CH - 40
CYA - 55-60

My FC last night at 8:00 was 26 and this morning at 6:00 was 25. It is still about the same cloudy as it was to begin with. It may be slightly better. You certainly can't see the bottom and hardly the second step of the ladder. What do you recommend? The filter has been running constantly and I've been changing the cartridges. I also vacuumed it yesterday. (There were alot of leaves in there I couldn't see.)
 
Still needing advice on cloudy pool.

Need advice about the filter. It's the next size up from the one that comes with this size pool. It really seems to move a lot of water, but it's not clearing it. Is that because the filters aren't catching it. Is it just blowing it out into the water again. I vacuumed again today, got a few more leaves. Used a stocking inside the filter to the skimmer over the one provided hoping to catch more. What about a stocking over the cartridge? Also, what about this high TA 160?
 
You will want to lower TA, but that doesn't really affect what is going on now. Wait till you are done shocking to lower TA.

If that is one of those paper Intex filters, they really aren't very good. There isn't a whole lot you can do to improve the filter unless you upgrade to a sand filter.
 
Not quite...the third criteria would be for the water to clear. I feel your pain, the little intex filters are really undersized, but keep at it. I generally do not recommend it but you can try using a clarifier to see if it helps :roll:
 
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