okay i am new to this website, i have a 12x24 sport pool, 12,000 gallons, i had crystal clear water until the rains began in july, live in kansas city, i shock shock then its clear for a couple of days and then we go back to cloudy i can see the bottom i have a pool cleaner that cleans every morning and a auto chlorine dispenser, new sand in the filter, my free chlorine is always 0 when i take water sample in, i am spending way too much money getting this pool to stay clear! help! kerry
cloudy pool clear pool cloudy pool
- Thread starter ksbrogers
- Start date
You should post a full set of water test results. Tell us where you got them, pool store, strips, etc.
Also, you should think about getting a top quality test kit. There is no better investment in your pool. I recommend a kit for TF Test Kits, see the link in my signature. The Taylor K-2006 is also good.
It sounds like you probably need to shock the pool, but it is difficult to tell without more information.
Also, you should think about getting a top quality test kit. There is no better investment in your pool. I recommend a kit for TF Test Kits, see the link in my signature. The Taylor K-2006 is also good.
It sounds like you probably need to shock the pool, but it is difficult to tell without more information.
Welcome to the forum. If you follow the advice here, your pool will never get cloudy, and you won't spend as much money on it either. At least half the members here showed up with the same problem.
You need to test and adjust your chlorine level daily. You can't rely on a chlorinator to dispense the right amount of chlorine as weather changes. Additionally, chlorinators use stabilized chlorine, which raises your CYA or stabilizer level very rapidly, which can lead to problems like you are having. To really give advice, we'd need to know your CYA level at the very least.
Your best first step is to spend some more money on a good test kit. It will pay for itself in less than a season. You have two options: The Taylor K-2006 which is available online several places, or a member here sells a similar kit, the TF-100 at http://www.tftestkits.com . The TF-100 you can have in less than a week based on past performance, but either way folks here will support you on learning to use it and dealing with the results.
A good second step is to read the Pool School articles, especially the basic chemistry articles http://www.troublefreepool.com/category.php?c=basic_pool_chemistry
John
You need to test and adjust your chlorine level daily. You can't rely on a chlorinator to dispense the right amount of chlorine as weather changes. Additionally, chlorinators use stabilized chlorine, which raises your CYA or stabilizer level very rapidly, which can lead to problems like you are having. To really give advice, we'd need to know your CYA level at the very least.
Your best first step is to spend some more money on a good test kit. It will pay for itself in less than a season. You have two options: The Taylor K-2006 which is available online several places, or a member here sells a similar kit, the TF-100 at http://www.tftestkits.com . The TF-100 you can have in less than a week based on past performance, but either way folks here will support you on learning to use it and dealing with the results.
A good second step is to read the Pool School articles, especially the basic chemistry articles http://www.troublefreepool.com/category.php?c=basic_pool_chemistry
John
actually i was reading the pool info when you replied, and it is very informative, i have someone i work with who swears by baking soda and not the expensive stuff at the pool stores, my CYA was 151 when they checked it 2 days ago, i shocked yesterday after all the rain and the pool is much clearer (not completely) today. will invest in a good test kit. will keep checking back here and ask questions as i go along when problems occur. thank you so much i'm glad i found this site! kerry
ksbrogers said:
There's your problem. From experience, and some theoretical work, a member (chem-geek) has come up with a chart to use to determine your chlorine levels for CYA stabilized pools. I doubt you would have imagined how high you need to keep your chlorine for higher CYA levels. http://www.troublefreepool.com/category/pool-school/chlorine_cya_chart_shock
The minimum level in the chart is the value you should never let your water fall below, and normally it is about 7.5% of your CYA level. For example, 100ppm CYA means you should always have at least 7.5ppm free chlorine in your pool. This advice is pretty bizarre compared to what pool stores will tell you, but it flat out works.
Doing partial drain/refills will bring the CYA down.
It's really the only way though.
Welcome to TFP!
It's really the only way though.
Welcome to TFP!
so should i drain some water and then shock again? i dont understand what keeps the free chlorine level up since when i have the water checked its always 0. and this is off the wall what is CYA?? kerry
CYA is called various things: stabilizer, conditioner, cyanuric acid. It is contained in trichlor tablets/pucks and in "shock" products made from dichlor. If you have been using trichlor or dichlor products, you will need to think about switching to something else, otherwise the CYA level will just go up again and you will have problems again.
When the CYA level goes up you need to use higher chlorine levels. Your FC level keeps going to zero because you have algae and aren't putting in nearly enough chlorine to kill the algae. Because of the high CYA level, it would take a huge amount of chlorine to kill algae. Far more practical is to replace about half your water, which will get the CYA level down to a more reasonable number. Then you can kill the algae off much more easily.
Do you have a full set of test numbers from the pool store?
When the CYA level goes up you need to use higher chlorine levels. Your FC level keeps going to zero because you have algae and aren't putting in nearly enough chlorine to kill the algae. Because of the high CYA level, it would take a huge amount of chlorine to kill algae. Far more practical is to replace about half your water, which will get the CYA level down to a more reasonable number. Then you can kill the algae off much more easily.
Do you have a full set of test numbers from the pool store?
I don't want anyone to yell at me, but thought I would mention this. 
When you have cloudy or murky water, your CYA test result can be off. Not sure how you are testing for CYA, if that's a pool store result or not....anyway, it's always a good idea in those circumstances to filter the sample thru a coffee filter before performing the tests. It may help with the accuracy.
When you have cloudy or murky water, your CYA test result can be off. Not sure how you are testing for CYA, if that's a pool store result or not....anyway, it's always a good idea in those circumstances to filter the sample thru a coffee filter before performing the tests. It may help with the accuracy.
okay so all the shocking we do to the pool is making the cya go up? why do the pool stores tell you to keep shocking? these were my numbers 2 days ago and pool store had me turn off my automatic chlorine dispenser and put in alkalinity i then put in some clairifier and the pool is much clearer real close to being perfect.
TDS 400
TOT CHLORINE 2.9
FREE CHLORINE 0
TOT ALKALINITY 136
ADJ TOTAL ALKAL 91
TOT HARDNESS 283
PH 7.7
TDS 400
TOT CHLORINE 2.9
FREE CHLORINE 0
TOT ALKALINITY 136
ADJ TOTAL ALKAL 91
TOT HARDNESS 283
PH 7.7
ksbrogers said:
Not necessarily. The act of "shocking" doesn't raise CYA, it's the products you use. Some powder/granular shocks contain CYA. Pucks, that go in your auto chlorinator, contain CYA. If the powdered product you used to shock your pool was "Dichlor", that would raise the CYA rather quickly. The pool store told you to turn off your auto chlorinator because your CYA is so high.
It is best to shock your pool with liquid chlorine because it doesn't have any unwanted chems or side effects when used properly.
If you haven't drained water off, and replaced with some fresh... it is likely your CYA is still too high and if you don't maintain proper FC levels according to the CYA chart, you'll probably develop algae again. The chart only goes to 100, and the shock level for that is 40ppm! Minimum is 7. So already yours is too low to prevent algae from returning.
The recommended level of CYA is 30-50 ppm.
okay i have shocked, drained some water, shocked, finally went back up to pool store, had phosphates in water i live down the street where they are building a new Lowe's store, so we put phosphate stuff in and some clairifier and some algae stuf and wa la, crystal clear water, but i still have a nil FC. i would like to understand all this before next years pool season. kerry
ksbrogers said:
FYI, phospates are almost never a problem in pools, provided you are maintaining proper levels of FC at all times.
Phosphate removers and clarifiers are some of the biggest profit making items for pool stores, and including most algaecide products, usually unneccessary.
Do you have updated test results? Where does your current CYA reading stand?
i am taking some water up today, will post findings, i truly do not understand if you continue to dump shock in your pool where does the FC go? why did it clear up after the phosphate and algae eater was put in?? will post when i have numbers. thank you i find this interesting but confusing at the same time. kerry
ksbrogers said:
Whatever chlorine is not being bound up in the high levels of CYA is probably being used up by organics in the water. If you have FC=0, then chances are really good you have organics in your water (algae and bacteria). It may look clear at the moment, but it probably isn't going to stay that way.