My water has been balanced for over a week but it remained cloudy....now it is starting to look green. Any suggestions?
my water is balanced but still cloudy & green
- Thread starter wilkerh
- Start date
Shock and use some Green Out or Yellow Out Algae remover. Keep scrubbing the sides as well to prevent it from attaching. See also pool school on algae.
If it started to look cloudy and is now turning green you have algae... :!:wilkerh said:
Water that is really balanced doesn't turn green at all!
1) What are you using to test your water?
2) What are you using to chlorinate your pool?
3) Can you give us some specifics on your pool?
4) How much are you running your filter/pump?
4) READ POOL SCHOOL, especially the areas of testing and SHOCKING!
Terry in NC
Hold off on the expensive products mentioned above. Plain chlorine bleach is cheaper and those things may have additives you don't really want. You'd need to read the labels.
What are the test results that you refer to? Please post FC, CC, TC, TA, pH, and CYA.
Is this a new pool? What have you added to the water since filling? Can you count the tabs of trichlor added to a floater since you filled it? Or count the bags or pounds of dichlor you have added? Or the pounds of stabilizer added? All these things add up and the stabilizer added may not show up on test yet if recently added so you need the count. Use the Pool Calculator to find the total ppm of CYA added so far based on the weight of tabs and other stuff added.
In general, green means algae, but could be metals if well water was used. In a new pool, it may be that the FC is too low (likely) or the CYA is too low (maybe) which makes FC burn off in the sun. Or the CYA could be too high (not likely but possible) which makes FC less available and so requires FC level to be higher than you'd think based on test strips and such. See the CYA chart in Pool School for details.
What are the test results that you refer to? Please post FC, CC, TC, TA, pH, and CYA.
Is this a new pool? What have you added to the water since filling? Can you count the tabs of trichlor added to a floater since you filled it? Or count the bags or pounds of dichlor you have added? Or the pounds of stabilizer added? All these things add up and the stabilizer added may not show up on test yet if recently added so you need the count. Use the Pool Calculator to find the total ppm of CYA added so far based on the weight of tabs and other stuff added.
In general, green means algae, but could be metals if well water was used. In a new pool, it may be that the FC is too low (likely) or the CYA is too low (maybe) which makes FC burn off in the sun. Or the CYA could be too high (not likely but possible) which makes FC less available and so requires FC level to be higher than you'd think based on test strips and such. See the CYA chart in Pool School for details.
Definitely post a complete set of water test results, and avoid products like Green Out or Yellow Out. They can cause more problems then they solve.
As several others have mentioned, you almost certainty need to shock the pool, but it would be nice to see test results first to check a few things.
As several others have mentioned, you almost certainty need to shock the pool, but it would be nice to see test results first to check a few things.
Sorry about not including test results earlier:
Ph: 7.8
FC: 1.5
CC: 2.5
TA: 100
CYA: 30
I have a 27 ft above ground, filter is running 24/7 right now.
Ph: 7.8
FC: 1.5
CC: 2.5
TA: 100
CYA: 30
I have a 27 ft above ground, filter is running 24/7 right now.
Your pool isn't in balance.
You need to bring your pH down to 7.2
You need to raise your FC up to shock level for your CYA with liquid chlorine. Your shock level will be about 13 ppm.
With a CC of 2.5 you need to bring it back to shock level and hold it there until you pass the OCLT.
How do you normally chlorinate your pool?
You need to bring your pH down to 7.2
You need to raise your FC up to shock level for your CYA with liquid chlorine. Your shock level will be about 13 ppm.
With a CC of 2.5 you need to bring it back to shock level and hold it there until you pass the OCLT.
How do you normally chlorinate your pool?
OK....I guess when I put my readings into the pool calculator and it tells me that I don't need to add anything I'm not REALLY in balance. I use liquid chlorine bleach for chlorine.
So to get to 13ppm I should use about 4 gallons of bleach?
So to get to 13ppm I should use about 4 gallons of bleach?
wilkerh said:
You don't enter just current readings into the pool calculator. You enter current readings under "Now" and desired readings under "Target" and it tells you how much to add to get to the target range.
Be sure you select a source for goals at the bottom of the calculator. TFP.com is a good one 
With FC of 1.5, your CC of 2.5 is a tipoff of a problem for sure!
With FC of 1.5, your CC of 2.5 is a tipoff of a problem for sure!
How many gallons is your pool? It's at the bottom the Pool Calculator. http://www.poolcalculator.com/
That's the basis for all of the measurements; your pool size (in gallons), your current values, then your target values. The Pool Calculator will tell you how much of each chemical to add.
Remember, that chlorine works better at lower pH so lower the pH to 7.2 & Shock the pool, brush it, and continue to shock it until the you can pass the overnight test and the water is clear.
-We've all been there!
Terry in NC
IMO, make sure you check your shock FC level every hour...this is done so you know that you don't let it fall below your shock FC #. I would even like to see about +3ppm over until you know how fast the FC is dropping when the shocking process is working. Your goal is to MAINTAIN the shock level with the CYA chart, not ever getting below that # from not adding enough chlorine. 
Keep shocking until you pass all three steps.
1. You lose 1ppm or less FC overnight.
2. You have .5ppm CC's or less.
3. Your water is clear.
Chuck
Keep shocking until you pass all three steps.
1. You lose 1ppm or less FC overnight.
2. You have .5ppm CC's or less.
3. Your water is clear.
Chuck
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