- May 22, 2013
- 2,796
- Pool Size
- 12000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Blue and sparkly is what it's all about and anything that gets you there is a good thing !! 
Water still cloudy after following all the rules
- Thread starter Swinsonfamily
- Start date
So this morning we are probably 90% or more on our way to blue and sparkly. 
The water is clear, now just waiting on the sparkly. The addition of DE really seemed to help! One thing I noticed at Lowes when I was purchasing the DE is that the sand they sell for filter media is much finer than the sand in my filter. Could the size of my sand be partly to blame for not filtering out the finest particles in the water? If there is a difference, I think we will plan on replacing the sand in our filter before next season. Thoughts?
The water is clear, now just waiting on the sparkly. The addition of DE really seemed to help! One thing I noticed at Lowes when I was purchasing the DE is that the sand they sell for filter media is much finer than the sand in my filter. Could the size of my sand be partly to blame for not filtering out the finest particles in the water? If there is a difference, I think we will plan on replacing the sand in our filter before next season. Thoughts?
- May 22, 2013
- 2,796
- Pool Size
- 12000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
There is actually a specification on what size it needs to be. If it gets too small it gets past the laterals or fingers inside the filter and gets blown back out into your pool. There is a chance someone used a sand that shouldn't be in there but I don't know how to tell without actually physically comparing it to "pool filter sand".
Best to do some searching and read up on it before you go get some supplies and tear into it.
Best to do some searching and read up on it before you go get some supplies and tear into it.
So this morning we are probably 90% or more on our way to blue and sparkly.
We just went through this. I am a newbie. We inherited an old pool, filter, pump etc when we bought our new home. I could not get the completely clear water, despite lots of slamming. We decided to open the filter because some sand was getting into the pool. It turned out we had a broken standpipe in the filter, it had probably less than half the amount needed and was large coarse playground sand. It was not effectively filtering out smaller particles. Within a day of installing the new sand (#20 silica sand for pool), we got over the hump and have crystal clear water with minimal small particles on the floor. When and if you do replace, make sure you get the right sand. Good luck!
I am new to this forum but have been following different threads since mid-August. I have maintained my pool for over 25 years with a yearly persistent issue that I'll describe in a second. Bottomline is that we went on vacation for 11 days, left instructions with my neighbor, and when we came home my pool was emerald green. I guess he went on vacation too! Followed the advice at the pool store and, other than spending a ton of money, got nowhere the first week. When I found this forum, I learned about the relationship of CYA to chlorine effectiveness. Went back to the pool store to ask them about CYA level and was told my level was north of 100. Come to learn that, since all I ever used for years were 3" tablets, my CYA level built up every year. As I keep my pool open over the winter, the winter rains would dilute the CYA so my standard tablet routine worked well early in the swimming season, but I always struggled with cloudiness and algae around mid-August. This year got real bad due to lack of attention when the temps were hovering around 95 degrees and my pool temp was pushing 90.
Bought a T100 kit, started doing it myself and got everything under control to the point my water was blue but not 100% clear. Still slightly hazy to cloudy! Hence the reason I am commenting on this thread.
Tried re-SLAMming the pool for a couple of days with no results (I had already drained half the pool so my CYA was down to 60 and began using 8.25% concentrated bleach). I saw that I might possibly have a filter issue, so, since I could not remember the last time I replaced the sand, I thought I would try that rather than doing a deep cleaning. Found the specs for my sand filter, bought 150 lbs of sand, kept SLAMming for another two days and still no change.
Then, it was either this thread or another similar one, that I saw to clean the ladder. I have a plastic ladder that fills with pool water so rather than cleaning it, and since it is already mid-October, I pulled the ladder out. OMG! The stinkiest, ugliest, greenest swamp water came poring out of the ladder when I tipped it on its side. That's where the algae was still coming from and I think was keeping my pool water from ever really getting clear and deposting algae to the bottom of the pool most every day.
Back to SLAMming for two days and voila, blue, clear and sparkling water the likes of which I have not seen in my pool for a long time!
So, thank you every one that has contributed to this forum for helping ME take control (rather than the pool store) and for teaching me about water and how to maintain it even though I thought I knew what I was doing for the last 25 years. I found the "hidden algae in the ladder trick" in a thread when I came onto here and searched for "still cloudy". I still have a LOT to learn but I am looking forward to next season, being in control, and spending a LOT LESS on chemicals!
Bought a T100 kit, started doing it myself and got everything under control to the point my water was blue but not 100% clear. Still slightly hazy to cloudy! Hence the reason I am commenting on this thread.
Tried re-SLAMming the pool for a couple of days with no results (I had already drained half the pool so my CYA was down to 60 and began using 8.25% concentrated bleach). I saw that I might possibly have a filter issue, so, since I could not remember the last time I replaced the sand, I thought I would try that rather than doing a deep cleaning. Found the specs for my sand filter, bought 150 lbs of sand, kept SLAMming for another two days and still no change.
Then, it was either this thread or another similar one, that I saw to clean the ladder. I have a plastic ladder that fills with pool water so rather than cleaning it, and since it is already mid-October, I pulled the ladder out. OMG! The stinkiest, ugliest, greenest swamp water came poring out of the ladder when I tipped it on its side. That's where the algae was still coming from and I think was keeping my pool water from ever really getting clear and deposting algae to the bottom of the pool most every day.
Back to SLAMming for two days and voila, blue, clear and sparkling water the likes of which I have not seen in my pool for a long time!
So, thank you every one that has contributed to this forum for helping ME take control (rather than the pool store) and for teaching me about water and how to maintain it even though I thought I knew what I was doing for the last 25 years. I found the "hidden algae in the ladder trick" in a thread when I came onto here and searched for "still cloudy". I still have a LOT to learn but I am looking forward to next season, being in control, and spending a LOT LESS on chemicals!