maisbrough

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maisbrough

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Jul 25, 2013
10
Always start your own thread so people will respond exclusively to you.

It's been a week since it was algae ridden and full of leaves and debris. After a week of vacuuming, brushing, SLAM'ing, it's cloudy greyish with a touch of green. I can see my hand 3 inches in the water but at 6inches depth it is not clear,8 niches not visible.
I have simple test kit for PH and Chlorine/Brom. The chlorine levels are holding up and the PH is 7.2.

Do I use Flocculent?
Do I drain the pool?

It's Saturday and I need it ready within 3 days now ideally.

Any ideas?
 
Re: Went from green to cloudy and hasn't changed

I have had the same problem. 7 days ago, green, leaf and debris filled pool. After repeated vacuuming, brushing, chlorine shocks, and back washes, pump running 24/7, it is now a cloudy bluey grey green. But the water is so cloudy and has not changed at all since 5 days ago.

Do I need to take the top off the sand filter and clean it?
Do I need to use flocculant?
Should I just drain the pool and start again?

I've hit a brick wall and nothing is changing and need it back up and running in a few days...HELP!
 
You mention using the basic 2-way test.

First thing you need to do is read Pool School.

Next you need to get a good FAS-DPD test kit. You can actually buy these kits elswhere, but you will pay more. Best value is the TF-100. You will need the kit for the next step.

Here is where you will need the ability to accurately test your water. You need to SLAM your pool. This means bringing your pH down to around 7.2, and taking your chlorine level up to the proper value and holding it there.

What have you been chlorinating your pool with before now? If it has been chlorine tabs (pucks) chances are high that you have a excess of stabilizer in your water, which will affect how high you will need to tack your chlorine level. This is another reason you will need the good test kit. You will need to measure your CYA (stabilizer) level. The 2-way kit has no way of measuring this.

Most of the members of this forum have been where you are, and since going to the methods taught here have enjoyed beautiful clear clean sparkly pools, that are easy to maintain. To quote one of the experts here "a trouble free pool does not mean maintenance free".
 
Thanks. I am in the south of France and the local pool specialists only appear to have the basic tests mentioned. I have been using rapid action chlorine shock powder/granules. I'm sure you are right about the stabiliser but without the DPD test what can I do to check the CYA?

I have been to pool school and am learning a lot...
 
Welcome to TFP! :wave:

Being in France the recommended test kits may be unavailable and there may be alternatives available that contain the proper tests. One that you need before we can help much is called a CYA test. Some pool stores call it stabilizer or conditioner but they all mean the same thing. Are you able to get that number for us? It's what just about everything is based on.

Another important test that is hard to find is called FAS-DPD. It is a very accurate chlorine test but very few test kits (at least in the US) contain it. Hopefully someone more familiar with kit availability in Europe will chime in to give you an idea on your options.

In the meantime can you tell us the active ingredient on the chlorine granules you are using? That information can give us an idea if you are definitely overstabilized or just maybe. I can tell you that you do not need to drain the pool (yet), you do not need to add a flocculant, and you probably don't need to clean your sand filter.

You are learning, you are on the right path. It may be a long path, no way of knowing yet, but we can help you get things straightened out. Let us know about the granules and we can proceed from there!
 
Thanks, really appreciate it.
The packaging is all in French but its seems to be suggesting the active in the chlorine granules is dichchloroisocyanurate sodium dihydrate. A friend who is much more experienced came round. After testing with his kit, he could see e stabiliser level was low, free chlorine was still high [sorry no numbers] and the ph was around 7.6.
He then added around 3 litres of liquid flocculent and said to give it 24hrs and then vacuum the dead algae etc off the bottom of the pool. After 24 hours it was still cloudy although definitely no green anymore, the colour is improving and it's blue. I just can't see the bottom. So what to do now?
 
Dichlor powder adds stabilizer, if you were using that I doubt your CYA level is low. Since he didn't tell you the number I am going to continue to believe that.

Does your friend have a kit that uses strips or liquid drops? If it's drops can you get him to tell you the actual numbers and share them with us?
 
The kit he used was a paper strip with 5 separate tests on, each colour coded. Chlorine levels have dropped dramatically this morning. PH is holding at 7.2 but still cloudy down past 9inches depth although getting gradually better. I should vacuum the bottom and set to waste on the filter and then get some chlorine back in the pool I guess. The frogs are moving in now....
 

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Some test results.
FC 5ppm
Total alkalinity 40 ppm
Stabiliser is low 0-10 ppm
PH is 6.8

What do you recommend the next course of action? It algae free now but still cloudy. I can see the flocculent effect as there are clumps of dead algae almost like cold mini puddles of vegetable fat are visible in the pool.

In the meantime I will add some Sodium carbonate to raise the PH...
 
Thanks Dave. Am doing that. My concern is that the filtering process seems to taking a long time. It's been 10 days now since the first shock when it was a swamp. Colour is good now ph is coming back into balance, fc is fine. But the cloudiness will not clear. Do I need stabiliser, will that accelerate the process or is there something else I can do ? I have read the ABC of pool chemistry. My alkalinity is low as was ph and stabiliser. I have added sodium carbonate to raise the ph. Am I missing anything here?
 
You should be vacuuming and brushing daily to remove anything visible.

Your chlorine should be up around 10 ppm AT ALL TIMES.

Your pump should be running 24/7 until your water is clear.

You should not be looking for "magic" ingredients to clear your pool. Your pool will clear with adequate chlorine (10 ppm) and 24/7 filtration and vacuuming/brushing.
 
A sand filter simply cannot filter as fast as some other filters. It is normal for a sand filter to take a week to clear the water, after killing the algae. Backwashing a sand filter is not recommended until the pressures rise. A a slight rise in pressure can actually improve its performance.
 
Thanks, that's really helpful and reassuring. I will keep going with the routine. Quick question, is there a level at which its safe for the kids to swim even though the water is not yet completely clear - whilst I continue to filter 24/7.
 
The answer is a definite maybe. If you can easily replace the water with clean fill water, then vacuuming to waste can be more efficient. If your fill water is not cost effective or is otherwise difficult, filtering your vacuum is more effective. Not everyone has clean fill water readily available.

All said, if you can easily refill, vacuuming to waste is a good thing to quickly remove large amounts of debris.
 

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