Help, cloudy water, can't get rid of it...

[Guest]

well, first real pool water issue i have ever had since owning this pool.

pool has been cloudy for about 5 days, been shocking twice aday. with Aqua Chem 6 IN 1 shock. once in the morning, once before dinner in the evining. Not sure what the issue is, backwashing right before shocking. Pump has been running 24/7 ALWAYS, ever since we opened the pool roughly 3 months ago.

im using pucks in an auto clorinator. turned on full ever since it got cloudy, usually at 5 out of 8.

HELP PLEASE i have used like 10 boxes (really) of the aqua chem and it takes a box a shock costing 40 bucks a box.

here are my #'s with Tf-100 taken right before shockin 10 min ago

FC 6ppm
CC 0
TC 6ppm
Ph 7.2
T/a 70
Ch 190 (vinyl pool though)
CYA 90-100 (hard to tell, could just bairly see it at 100, but not at all at 90)


deep end is always cloudy, shallow will clear up then right before i need to shock again it gets cloudy too.

thanks as always.

 

[Butterfly]

It's hard to think when your pool is doing crazy things!

RT, I think you got some CYA in there that's gotta' go - as in drain some water

Also, with CYA around 100, your cl should be between 8 to 13, and shock level of 25.

That is one huge pool. A larger filter could probably help a lot, too.

 

[duraleigh]

RT,

As long as you've been on here, you know you're gonna' get busted for usin' those pucks!!

from your earlier post:

the problem is the tablets are just too darn easy, i fill up the bucket once a week, have the dial set to the perfect setting for my pool for 3ppm (5) and forget it. with bleach i have to check and re check and add everyday. which i did find with my pool. just IMO, now if the liquidator was just like my clorinator i would buy it in a heartbeat, as it was so much cheaper to buy bleach.

You need to switch to liquid chlorine....both to shock and to maintain your chlorine level.

I've seen you post that you can't do it because you can't convince the rest of your family. That IS the reason your water is cloudy.....pucks!!

They've made your CYA too high and your FC ineffective. As long as you keep tossin' 'em in your pool, your condition will only worsen.

 

[chem geek]

The AquaChem shock products are shown here, but I don't see one called 6-in-1. It appears that many of these are Dichlor. Look at the ingredients label of your product and see if it says "dichloro-s-triazinetrione" or something like that. If so, then this is chlorine, but for every 10 ppm Free Chlorine (FC) that it adds, it also adds 9 ppm to Cyanuric Acid (CYA). CYA makes chlorine less effective and with your high CYA level there's no wonder you've got problems with cloudy water that are probably algae.

Read this sticky and use unstabilized chlorine, specifically chlorinating liquid or unscented bleach, to clear your pool. Do not use products that contain Dichlor for shocking -- not now, not ever. Even using Cal-Hypo for shock isn't a good idea unless your Calcium Hardness (CH) is low. Chlorinating liquid or bleach are the way to go for shocking and indeed for everyday chlorination.

Others can help you through this as well and give you options for automating chlorine dosing, but for now let's get your cloudiness cleared up. If your CYA level is truly 90-100, then a partial drain/refill of the water is needed.

Richard

 

[Guest]

i was afraid of that. both using pucks and the CYA level.

question, i have always read on here not to drain a vinyl pool because of unsettling the liner. would i have that risk.

i also think a new filter would help. been looking at D.E. filters as well as the intelliflo so i can run the pump less. i was thinking about doing it all at once when later this year they come and build a deck and set the hottub in, as well as build my outdoor kitchen, but it looks like thats not happening, SOOOOOO i guess i will start researching new equipment. but that later.

back to the water issue

Chem geek. the AquaChem box says its Shock Extra Blue 6-in- 1 pool shock. looking at the box it DOES have the ditch-Crud. just curious, whats bad about it.


o yea, when i ran out of shock yesterday i poured some bleach in just to see what happened (only a gallon) but it was scented with flowers, did that do any harm. i guess i will head out to the store tommarrow and buy a bunch o bleach and start shocking with that.

 

[JasonLion]

I believe this product is what he has. It does contain dichlor.

Yes, there is a risk to the liner if you dramatically lower the water level. You should leave at least one foot in the shallow end. You don't have to do a full drain to replace water, you can do it a little at a time. It takes more fill water that way but otherwise works just as well.

 

[Guest]

I believe this product is what he has. It does contain dichlor.

Yes, there is a risk to the liner if you dramatically lower the water level. You should leave at least one foot in the shallow end. You don't have to do a full drain to replace water, you can do it a little at a time. It takes more fill water that way but otherwise works just as well.

THATS IT. but my son bought those at target for me and said they were 40 bucks a box HE OWES ME (note to self, dont let son buy stuff for me anymore)

thanks for the link jason. The box is just like that.


question though, With my water being cloudy, wouldn't that make the cya test very inaccurate?????

 

[Guest]

possibly but not that much. You are using both trichlor AND dichlor. Dichlor will make you CYA level rise faster then tirchlor will, btw.
Bite the bullet and start the drain and refill dance. It's safe to drain a vinyl pool to maybe a foot below the skimmer without using the vacuum pump behind the liner but it will take MANY drain and refill cycles like this to get your CYA down.

 

[Guest]

well, today is better, stopped shocking with the stuff.


i plugged the skimmers with the gizmoes, then hooked a vac hose up to the vac port and tied a rock to it, then sent it down to the deep end, so away the water goes. i have a very slow pump, been pumping for better part of 5 hours and its just below the skimmer. but it was almost over the brim with all the rain we got today, so that was not fun working on the pool today. so takeing care of the CYA issue and hopeing the fresh water also clears it up.

 

[Guest]

at the request of some members im posting my results.

cy still at 94 (1/4 drain, water bill was 436.74) im worried about how much a half drain might do.


but water is crystal clear. i kept the vacume hose at the bottom to act like a main drain and it seemed to help clear the water quicker since it sucked water from a usually stagnant part of the pool. now i wish i had an MD , but it has not been clearer.

still using tablets though. why, to Dang easy, o yea and i know im gunna get murdured for this, but i have a pool service again. bi-weekly. they started last week and have already done a fantastic job, but at 120 bucks a week they better.

why, im busy, dont have time, i had open heart sugury 3 weeks ago and i just dont have the energy to take care of a pool. i begin a 1 month rehab process thursday which is about 30 min from here so i will be staying at the center the entire month. again another month with out me to take care of the pool. probably when im back to 100% health in augest or so i will quit the pool service and go back to BBB, but right now im just happy its clear.

 

[ktdave]

i had open heart sugury 3 weeks ago.

Glad to know you made it through that OK! Next time (hopefully there won't be a next time) let us know beforehand!




Sorry if you did mention it and I just missed it!

 

[Butterfly]

Hope rehab goes well for you, RT. Your buds at TFP will be pulling for your full recovery :-D

Once you are back and totally well....... we're gonna' start hammering you again about that pool!!

Take care and let us know how you are doing.