Hi all, I've been reading on this sight for a year or so since I installed my pool last spring, but none so much as these last few weeks.
BTW, I've read the Green Swamp post, the SLAM post, and dozens of threads and have gotten a lot of help from them - but I still can't get ahead of this.
First winter, didn't cover my pool! I know - bad mistake! Took some advice from someone who obviously doesn't have any trees in their yard, and opted to just give it a "quick cleaning" in the spring and fore go the expense of buying a good cover.
I've passed an OCLT a few times, pump has been running 24/7 for a month, but never had clear water - mine is cloudy and gray, can see about 18" deep. I have brushed daily, vacuumed a few times, removed all debris. After 7 -10 days of maintaining, water was still cloudy. Added some DE to sand, no change. My pressure hasn't risen more than 4 psi from baseline in a while. I thought maybe I was backwashing too often, so I let it go a couple days but no spike. While adding DE one time, I noticed I could see a cloud from the return jet as I was pouring it in. So thought I may be channeling in my sand - opened up and stirred my sand and added some to bring back to the fill line (10# maybe). Another couple days and no change in filter pressure characteristics or water clarity, and still seeing DE cloud in return. So I changed valve gaskets,and spider gasket (even though once I opened it up I didn't see any obvious damage). Another couple days, and no change. Oh, and I can still see a cloud while adding DE. I'm bypassing somehow, but all looks good inside filter. All the while I've been at or near shock levels. Couple days ago I went to Mustard level just in case, and still no change. Can't pass OCLT at MA level though (read that that may be normal?), seeing a 1.5 - 3.5 ppm drop overnight at mustard level. BTW using PoolMath all along. Just the other day I bought a proper leaf rake, got a whirlpool going, and collected some debris in the center that I thought I had gotten out, but now I feel pretty good about having all debris out even though I can't see the bottom. Still no change.
Anyway, I know this is all over the place, but so is my brain at this point - I'm pulling my hair out. If any of you pros out there pick up on any red flags, I'll clarify what I can.
What else should/can I do?
Here's my numbers right now using Taylor 2006:
FC- 29.5 (32.5 last night)
CC- < 0.5
pH- 7.4
TA- 110
CH- 30
CYA- ~55
BTW, I've read the Green Swamp post, the SLAM post, and dozens of threads and have gotten a lot of help from them - but I still can't get ahead of this.
First winter, didn't cover my pool! I know - bad mistake! Took some advice from someone who obviously doesn't have any trees in their yard, and opted to just give it a "quick cleaning" in the spring and fore go the expense of buying a good cover.
I've passed an OCLT a few times, pump has been running 24/7 for a month, but never had clear water - mine is cloudy and gray, can see about 18" deep. I have brushed daily, vacuumed a few times, removed all debris. After 7 -10 days of maintaining, water was still cloudy. Added some DE to sand, no change. My pressure hasn't risen more than 4 psi from baseline in a while. I thought maybe I was backwashing too often, so I let it go a couple days but no spike. While adding DE one time, I noticed I could see a cloud from the return jet as I was pouring it in. So thought I may be channeling in my sand - opened up and stirred my sand and added some to bring back to the fill line (10# maybe). Another couple days and no change in filter pressure characteristics or water clarity, and still seeing DE cloud in return. So I changed valve gaskets,and spider gasket (even though once I opened it up I didn't see any obvious damage). Another couple days, and no change. Oh, and I can still see a cloud while adding DE. I'm bypassing somehow, but all looks good inside filter. All the while I've been at or near shock levels. Couple days ago I went to Mustard level just in case, and still no change. Can't pass OCLT at MA level though (read that that may be normal?), seeing a 1.5 - 3.5 ppm drop overnight at mustard level. BTW using PoolMath all along. Just the other day I bought a proper leaf rake, got a whirlpool going, and collected some debris in the center that I thought I had gotten out, but now I feel pretty good about having all debris out even though I can't see the bottom. Still no change.
Anyway, I know this is all over the place, but so is my brain at this point - I'm pulling my hair out. If any of you pros out there pick up on any red flags, I'll clarify what I can.
What else should/can I do?
Here's my numbers right now using Taylor 2006:
FC- 29.5 (32.5 last night)
CC- < 0.5
pH- 7.4
TA- 110
CH- 30
CYA- ~55