Cloudy water, chlorine won't hold, but water seems balanced

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Mellott98

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Jul 24, 2012
64
I've had my pool for 4 years. Every year I seem to have one problem after another. 2 years of the 4 I had to deal with phosphates. I did not have them until the pool company that I dealt with had be put all kinds of stuff in the water. They tested the water and I had NO phosphates at the time. I researched all the "stuff" online and found that everything I introduced to the pool was pure phosphates. My phosphate readings were off the charts. I never went back to that dealer!

Two weeks ago I had perfectly clear water. With all the high temps here in Ohio over the 4th of July and all the family swimming, I totally forgot to check my Frog Chlorinator. It ran out of tablets. To make matters worse, I forgot to shock after an all day family swim. When I woke up the next morning, the pool was green and a mess. It turned overnight. I shocked with 2-3 lbs of shock every evening for a week until it looked like it was clearing. My chlorine was holding.

My pool never cleared completely. The deep end is blue, and I can only see down about 4 feet. And, I cannot get a chlorine reading, even though my Frog Chlorinator is opened full.

Here are the details about my pool:

Inground 25,000
Sand Filter
Frog Chlorinator

Test done on 7-23-12:
Alkalinity - 98
CH - 220
Free Chlorine - 1
Total Chlorine - 1
PH - 7.4
Stablizer - 40
Phosphates - 0


I just tested the water and there is no Chlorine reading, and my Frog is wide open. I called a local pool dealer wher I have been purchasing chemicals, and they told me that the algae is not yet gone and to keep shocking. 2 lbs every evening. How often should I backwash?

I feel helpless and confused.

Karen
 
Re: Cloudy water, chlorine won't hold, but water seems balan

Welcome to TFP.

Start by reading How to Shock Your Pool in Pool School. Also I find it hard to believe that using the Frog, your CYA (aka stabilizer) is only 40 ppm.

What ingredient is in the so called Shock you have?
You should switch to liquid and get away from the Frog altogether.
You should also get a good test kit so you'll know what's going on in your pool.
 
Re: Cloudy water, chlorine won't hold, but water seems balan

They are correct in telling you that you are not done with the shocking process. You need to maintain shock level of chlorination until three objectives are met:

1. Pass an OCLT
2. CC tests less than 1, preferably Zero
3. Water is clear

Use the Pool Calculator and a full set of test results to determine what your shock level is.
 
Re: Cloudy water, chlorine won't hold, but water seems balan

Pool Frog is a whole 'nother subject....try the search box if you want to learn more.

If CYA is 40, you need FC to be at 15 or better to get ahead of the algae growth. That would be 6 gallons of 6% bleach just for the initial dose. And you'll need even more to keep it up there until all the algae is gone and the water is clear. At which point you can let the chlorine level drop to a minimum of 3, never ever lower.

You have a little breathing room with Calcium, so if the shock they sold you is Calcium Hypochlorite, you could use it up. But plain old bleach has the least side effects.

I suggest you head to Pool School and read up on pool chemistry and how to perform the shock process.
 
Re: Cloudy water, chlorine won't hold, but water seems balan

The shock I am using is TurboShock, by Poolife. It has 78% available chlorine. Calcium Hyplocholrite - 78%, Other ingredients - 22%. Minimum Available Chlorine - 75%
This is right off the 1lb. package.

What kind of liquid chlorine should I get, and how does it dispense. (I am not very pool literate! I have always depended on the "professionals" to help me. I take my water sample in, have it tested, and do what I am told.)

I just ordered a Testing Kit. I got the TF-100.
 
Re: Cloudy water, chlorine won't hold, but water seems balan

Mellott98 said:
The shock I am using is TurboShock, by Poolife. It has 78% available chlorine. Calcium Hyplocholrite - 78%, Other ingredients - 22%. Minimum Available Chlorine - 75%
This is right off the 1lb. package.

What kind of liquid chlorine should I get, and how does it dispense. (I am not very pool literate! I have always depended on the "professionals" to help me. I take my water sample in, have it tested, and do what I am told.)

I just ordered a Testing Kit. I got the TF-100.
Click to expand...
Plain Chlorox. You just pour it in in front of the return while the pump is running and it will disperse it for you. It's all in Pool School.
 
Re: Cloudy water, chlorine won't hold, but water seems balan

Also, when I shock, my water turns completely white and I can barely see the steps.

How about backwashing? How often?

We have a heater. When the pool was first installed, the equipment was instlaled in this order: pump, frog, filter, heater.

We were told the frog should not have been placed before the heater because it would cause damage to the heater. So, the frog was moved to the end of the line.

Should there be any concern with liquid bleach and my heater?
 
Re: Cloudy water, chlorine won't hold, but water seems balan

Mellott98 said:
Also, when I shock, my water turns completely white and I can barely see the steps.

How about backwashing? How often?
Click to expand...
The white is from the Calcium in the shock. And dead algae.

Backwashing should be done when you notice the flow isn't as strong as it used to be or the pressure increases 25% from what it read after the last backwash.

Read

It will probably answer a lot of your questions before you think to ask them and save you a lot of typing.
 
Re: Cloudy water, chlorine won't hold, but water seems balan

You won't be sorry you got the TF-100.

You'll want to learn to use the Pool Calculator too.

While you're waiting on the test kit and reading Pool School, you could put your info in your sig so we'd have it handy.
 

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Re: Cloudy water, chlorine won't hold, but water seems balan

Can you recommend a good automatic pool cleaner? The one that we got with our pool is a Dirt Devil and I don't think it does a good job.
 
Re: Cloudy water, chlorine won't hold, but water seems balan

Mellott98 said:
We have a heater. When the pool was first installed, the equipment was instlaled in this order: pump, frog, filter, heater.

We were told the frog should not have been placed before the heater because it would cause damage to the heater. So, the frog was moved to the end of the line.

Should there be any concern with liquid bleach and my heater?
Click to expand...


Again, should I be concerned about liquid chlorinator and my heater?
 
Re: Cloudy water, chlorine won't hold, but water seems balan

No ... you put the bleach in the pool in front of a return. It will not impact the heater at all.

In fact, it may be less risk since the bleach is basically pH neutral while the tablets are VERY acidic which can lead to low pH which could be damaging to the heater.
 
Re: Cloudy water, chlorine won't hold, but water seems balan

Mellott98 said:
Can you recommend a good automatic pool cleaner? The one that we got with our pool is a Dirt Devil and I don't think it does a good job.
Click to expand...

I just got a Polaris 380 - booster pump was already setup by previous owners - and it's pretty wonderful so far.
 
Re: Cloudy water, chlorine won't hold, but water seems balan

I need to ask another question. I am reading Pool School and learning alot. As far as "The Shock Process" - I am suppose to add enough chlorine to bring FC up to shock level. I cannot get chlorine to hold because of my current water issues. My Frog is wide open, and still no chlorine reading. Should I just shock, shock and shock to kill all the algae and other contaminents and get that straightened out first, then follow "The Shock Process" once that is done?
 
Re: Cloudy water, chlorine won't hold, but water seems balan

Mellott98 said:
I need to ask another question. I am reading Pool School and learning alot. As far as "The Shock Process" - I am suppose to add enough chlorine to bring FC up to shock level. I cannot get chlorine to hold because of my current water issues. My Frog is wide open, and still no chlorine reading. Should I just shock, shock and shock to kill all the algae and other contaminents and get that straightened out first, then follow "The Shock Process" once that is done?
Click to expand...
The "shock process" is just what you describe - kill the algae off faster than it can reproduce by adding chlorine frequently to keep the FC level up. Forget the Pool Frog - the only way to get enough FC in there faster than the algae can reproduce is by manually adding it. That means liquid bleach, or Calcium Hypochlorite or Dichlor. The last two will increase Calcium and CYA respectively. They are sold as "shock" in the pool stores. Bleach has no unwanted side effects, aside from sore back from carrying it.
 
Re: Cloudy water, chlorine won't hold, but water seems balan

Thanks. Here is what I did last night. I put 2 lbs of TurboShock (78% available chlorine. Calcium Hyplocholrite - 78%, Other ingredients - 22%. Minimum Available Chlorine - 75%) in last night and this morning, FC and TC are there. I used TurboShock because that's what I have - 2 cases of it. I'm testing with strips because I ordered my TF-100 on the 24th and it's not here yet. But I know there is chlorine in the pool. As long as I am doing this, do I need to put liquid chlorine in the water?

I will brush the sides frequently.

Let me ask another question. My husband has a submersible sump pump that we use to remove water from the pool before we close for the winter. Gotta get that water below the skimmer. Can we put the pump in the deep end and use it to circulate the water better? Is there any benefit to doing this?
 
Re: Cloudy water, chlorine won't hold, but water seems balan

It would be best to use liquid chlorine. You need to watch your CH if you continue to use the cal-hypo. The pump could certainly help with the deep circulation although if the jets are positioned well enough that should not be needed.

Posted from my Droid with Tapatalk ... sorry if my response is short ;)
 

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