CYA at 40 will be fine. You will still want to add chlorine every day, though at 40 it won't go all the way to zero in two days.
Battling a green pool, low FC
- Thread starter Jimstinger5
- Start date
Jim, yes you are definetly on the right track and I think your pool will stabilize shortly and you won't have to keep shocking it....you are running the filter 24/7?
Is your spa attached? Running it will raise your PH to about 7.2-7.4 would be better, doing so will also lower your TA which is also a good idea. With a Spa, High TA can cause your PH to drift up over time till it's too high. So keep an eye on the PH, you may need to add muratic acid at some point to lower it....
for plaster pools, the appropriate calcium hardness range is 200-400. So I hope that an expert will chime in here soon and confirm you should raise that.....with an older plaster pool I don't want to recommend anything that will hurt your pool surface....
Guys/gals? Is there any reason he should wait to make the adjustments to his other numbers?
Is your spa attached? Running it will raise your PH to about 7.2-7.4 would be better, doing so will also lower your TA which is also a good idea. With a Spa, High TA can cause your PH to drift up over time till it's too high. So keep an eye on the PH, you may need to add muratic acid at some point to lower it....
for plaster pools, the appropriate calcium hardness range is 200-400. So I hope that an expert will chime in here soon and confirm you should raise that.....with an older plaster pool I don't want to recommend anything that will hurt your pool surface....
Guys/gals? Is there any reason he should wait to make the adjustments to his other numbers?
I don't know if i have posted it, but I really appreciate all the advice and guidance from this forum. It is the end of my 2nd week and my pool is better, but not crystal clear yet. My numbers have gotten better and my filter has been running 24/7 for over almost 2 weeks:
FC: 7.5
CC: .5
TC: 8.0
CYA: 45
CH: 150 (I added some balance today to raise this)
TA: 160 (i ran the spa for a while today to lower this)
ph: 7.2
As i said, i feel better about the #'s- thanks to the advice of everyone.
A couple of questions:
1- i have read that i should add some chlorine each day; how much should I add daily?
2- do i need to run the spa for hours to lower the TA?
FC: 7.5
CC: .5
TC: 8.0
CYA: 45
CH: 150 (I added some balance today to raise this)
TA: 160 (i ran the spa for a while today to lower this)
ph: 7.2
As i said, i feel better about the #'s- thanks to the advice of everyone.
A couple of questions:
1- i have read that i should add some chlorine each day; how much should I add daily?
2- do i need to run the spa for hours to lower the TA?
Jimstinger5 said:
Hi....
Glad you are feeling more comfy...
Use the CYA/Chlorine chart to determine your targets, you don't want less than the minium and you want the target most of the time. Then you'll see your shock one. For normal use just use the "target" number. Until you get an idea of your use, which you can track for like a week, you test with your "daily test" and then enter the amount in the pool calculator and it will tell you how much bleach to add each night.
I have found what works for me (our pool is not used every day) that I test every day and I add bleach every other evening, keeping my range in the Minimum - Target levels.
Your TA is ok for now but keep an eye on the ph and if it drifts up, lower it with Muratic Acid and then aerate again. Ideally you can lower it to about 80-90 or so when you are ready.
My faith in BBB has not wavered, but i'm still working on achieving a crystal clear pool and it is now the 3rd week. My problem is that I've had cloudy water for over a week with no progress. I can see the bottom in the shallow end but not the deep end. I'll post test results below and the steps i've been taking. Could someone suggest/critique some ideas to clear up my water???
C: 11.5 ( i just added plenty of bleach to raise this)
CC: .5
TC: 12.0
CYA: 45
CH: 200
TA: 130
ph: 7.2
-I just added some bleach this evening to keep the FC @ shock level(FC-18 using the pool calc). This is the beginning of the 2nd day that i've kept it high.
-I've brushed and vacuumed the pool 1-2 times a week(haven't done it in last 3 days)
-Just replaced my pump 4 days ago(pressure readings were good before but it was an old motor and it was about to seize)
2 possible problems(i am a newbie so bear with me): Spider vari-flo valve may be need to be replaced- water is slowly leaking from waste when on 'filter' position. Pressure gauge is still at normal level. I will be replacing valve soon, it is too old to repair.
Another possible prob- one of the gears that regulate the water return is not working properly. We have returns on the pool floor(self-cleaner?) and one on the pool side. I know the returns are working because i can see the bubbles and water moving, but not all the bottom returns are being utilized because of this prob.
Could any of these issues be affecting my pool clarity??? Are there other steps i should be taking? Any direction would be a great help.
Jim
C: 11.5 ( i just added plenty of bleach to raise this)
CC: .5
TC: 12.0
CYA: 45
CH: 200
TA: 130
ph: 7.2
-I just added some bleach this evening to keep the FC @ shock level(FC-18 using the pool calc). This is the beginning of the 2nd day that i've kept it high.
-I've brushed and vacuumed the pool 1-2 times a week(haven't done it in last 3 days)
-Just replaced my pump 4 days ago(pressure readings were good before but it was an old motor and it was about to seize)
2 possible problems(i am a newbie so bear with me): Spider vari-flo valve may be need to be replaced- water is slowly leaking from waste when on 'filter' position. Pressure gauge is still at normal level. I will be replacing valve soon, it is too old to repair.
Another possible prob- one of the gears that regulate the water return is not working properly. We have returns on the pool floor(self-cleaner?) and one on the pool side. I know the returns are working because i can see the bubbles and water moving, but not all the bottom returns are being utilized because of this prob.
Could any of these issues be affecting my pool clarity??? Are there other steps i should be taking? Any direction would be a great help.
Jim
Depending on how your main valve is broken it could well be related to the cloudy water. It is possible for the valve to break such that some of the water can bypass the filter. If that is happening then it will take much longer to clear the water.
Also, have you backwashed/cleaned the filter recently?
Also, have you backwashed/cleaned the filter recently?
I backwashed a couple of days ago. My pressure reading is normal right now. I'll probably vacuum and backwash today also.
My filter has been running more than Forest Gump-non-stop for 3 weeks. I replaced the filter sand last summer along with the pipe/finger mechanism inside the filter so I don't think the problem is the filter itself.
If the valve is causing my problems, should I expect an abnormal reading on the pressure gauge? It is reading a normal 15 right now...
My filter has been running more than Forest Gump-non-stop for 3 weeks. I replaced the filter sand last summer along with the pipe/finger mechanism inside the filter so I don't think the problem is the filter itself.
If the valve is causing my problems, should I expect an abnormal reading on the pressure gauge? It is reading a normal 15 right now...
If the valve was broken in any significant way it would lower the pressure reading on the filter. So it sounds like that isn't it.
Have you tried adding a little DE to the filter?
Have you tried adding a little DE to the filter?
Remember, i'm still a newbie here! I'm not sure what DE is.
Would it be similar to Sparkle Up? I've put some in the filter a couple of weeks ago but not since...
Would it be similar to Sparkle Up? I've put some in the filter a couple of weeks ago but not since...
DE is a fine powder used in DE filters. It works in the same way as Sparkle-Up, adding a thin layer of finer filtering on the top of the sand. DE is less expensive but otherwise about the same. If the Sparkle-Up didn't help then DE is unlikely to help.
JasonLion,
Your advice about backwashing was right on! When I backwashed this evening, the water was much more whiter than normal. The pressure was not much different than normal but the discharge was very much needed. Putting the valve on filter took a few tries so that it wasn't leaking water out of the waste hose.
I'm feeling better about getting this cleaned up. I will have a new control valve installed in a few days, i'm keeping the FC at shock level for at least another day, and the filter remains on. I'll probably brush and vac again too. Hopefully, this will take care of the cloudy water.
Do you think 3 days at shock level is enough or should i wait till i see results?
Your advice about backwashing was right on! When I backwashed this evening, the water was much more whiter than normal. The pressure was not much different than normal but the discharge was very much needed. Putting the valve on filter took a few tries so that it wasn't leaking water out of the waste hose.
I'm feeling better about getting this cleaned up. I will have a new control valve installed in a few days, i'm keeping the FC at shock level for at least another day, and the filter remains on. I'll probably brush and vac again too. Hopefully, this will take care of the cloudy water.
Do you think 3 days at shock level is enough or should i wait till i see results?