Cloudy Pool SWG

[BOYMOM]

We set up our pool and didn't put the salt in it for over a week and it turned into a pretty green swamp. After a week of having the salt in, it is no longer green, but is still cloudy. I added 200lbs. of salt. We have a 20"x52" Intex pool ( I calculated 10300 gal). I have a TF-100 test kit and a salt water test kit. We are on well water.
Here are my numbers:
CH- 175
Chlorine- it stayed clear, so I'm assuming below 0.5
Alkalinity-220
CYA- I could see the dot all the way to the top
Salt- after 20 drops I gave up

This is our first year having a pool with a sand pump and SWG. Thanks for your help!

 

[jmbradwell]

1. Your CYA is non existent. You need to add enough to get up to at least 60.
2. You need to get some chlorine in the pool. You cannot depend on the SWG to get your chlorine level up. It can keep up with daily loss but not getting level up.
3. If your SWG is happy with your salt level, don't worry about it. It will slowly drop from splash out and backwashing.

 

[RobbieH]

Welcome to TFP!

Did you run the SLAM process after it turned green? The SWG is not going to be able to clear the algae on its own. You are a good candidate to carefully use Dichlor powder to SLAM with, since you need to get your CYA up around 70.

 

[BOYMOM]

No, I didn't SLAM it. I'll look up that process now. Can I ask what you mean about carefully adding Dichlor powder? I added a gallon of bleach last night and my chlorine test was still clear so I added another this evening.

 

[Richard320]

No, I didn't SLAM it. I'll look up that process now. Can I ask what you mean about carefully adding Dichlor powder? I added a gallon of bleach last night and my chlorine test was still clear so I added another this evening.

Dichlor and trichlor powdered and puck chlorines add CYA while they add chlorine. Since you have no CYA, you need to get some in the water. Without it, every drop of bleach you add gets destroyed by the sun within hours. That's why the SWG can't keep up, and why the water is getting yucky. Since you also need chlorine, you could do both with one powder.

What he means by careful is not to use too much. I'd doublecheck your volume calculations; I don't see that pool size listed on intex website, but an 18' * 52" pool at 90% full is only 6981 gallons.

One pound of dichlor shock in a 6981 gallon pool will raise FC by 9.5 and CYA by 8.7. So.... 4 lbs of it will get your CYA level up to 35 roughly, which is a good level to SLAM with. You don't add it all at once; you let poolmath crunch numbers and dose it until it's all used up.

Frankly, it would be simpler to add the CYA and the chlorine separately. Once the water is clear and sparkling again, the SWG can take over and you'll want to raise the CYA level up to 70 or so.