Help please! Cloudy water!

[Blueghost1222]

Hi there, You have been so helpful so far. I'm so glad I found this site. I had a problem with algae about 2 weeks ago and that seems to have cleared up. I am still struggling with two issues. One is the cloudiness of the water, It does seem to be getting better by the day but it's still pretty cloudy-- now we can see about 3.5-4 ft down but can't make out the pattern on the liner clearly. I ordered the recommended test kit and have the following readings taken today:

Total C 1
FC 1.5 ppm
CYA- 80
pH- 7.2
TA- 160



I have had a difficult time keeping the chlorine level high enough and have been adding tons of shock but am now worried I am impacting the CYA levels? Not sure. Do I need to used a chlorine stabilizer to get the chlorine to read higher consistently? I shocked last night with 3 1 lb bags of shock and this morning total chlorine was over 5 and about 3:30 today it's already down to low again. I think I need to adjust the pH too. Do I just add more soda ash? I would love any and all feedback from you. I am desperate at this point and have spend close to $400 on chemicals just this past 2 weeks. I don't want to put anything else in the pool till I have a game plan. Also is it possible that my filter is not working and that's why it is not cleared up? I do notice sometimes when I am vacumming that brown water comes back through the returns and also there is constantly sand on the stairs. Thoughts about this? Pool company says I should get a DE filter. Would love feedback about this too. Thanks!!

 

[tim5055]

The TF100 really doesn't give a total chlorine, it gives FC & CC

But, you water is cloudy because something is growing as you don't have sufficient chlorine in the water. You should check out the Chlorine/CYA Chart. You added chlorine this morning and the chlorine was depleted doing it's thing trying to clear the water.

Every bag of shock is adding something to the water, CYA or CH (calcium). You really should stop using solid chlorine products and use liquid. Check out How to Chlorinate Your Pool.

I would suggest a partial water exchange to get the CYA down to a reasonable level and follow directions on SLAMing your pool in the How To section of Pool School and follow that procedure completely to the end.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

$400?!?! Ouch. When all you really needed was a good test kit and a good supply of household bleach (regular old 8.25%, but not the scented, splashless or outside variety-too many additives in those). A SLAM procedure is where you take the pool up in chlorine to a pre-determined level based on your CYA level. Test frequently, even hourly, and each time the chlorine drops below your shock level, raise it again. This way your killing off chlorine faster than it can reproduce. Sometimes it takes a few days, sometimes a few weeks. But the more often you test and dose will make it go faster. Then your filter takes over and clears it out. Backwashing as needed.
Read the SLAM article in Pool School (link on top right of this site)
Good luck. You'll save a ton of money doing things the TFP way

*If your CYA is too high, the only way to lower it is with water replacement first

 

[Divin Dave]

Hi,
Your CYA is on the high end at 80, but its manageable with diligence.

The reason you cannot keep chlorine in the pool is because you are on the verge of a full blown algae outbreak and thats why the cloudiness, and its why you are suffering filter problems too. There are 2 reasons why you loose chlorine.
1) the Suns UV burns it off
2) it is consumed by organic material, - algae.

You need to SLAM to the pool. It can be done with 80 CYA but will take lots of bleach. Depending on your water bill, it may be more cost effective for you to drain about 1/2 water, then refill before you start to slam.

Whatever you do, do not add anymore powder shock. It will just make things worse.

To perform the slam, you need a recommended test kit. This will be the best investment you ever make to your pool.

the TF100 or the Taylor K2006 are the only ones we recommend. The TF100 is available online only at 2 websites. www.tftestkits and another which I cant remember. The 2006 is available several places online and also on the test kit site. The TF100 is the best bang for the buck. Since you need to SLAM the pool, I suggest you get the XL option of the TF100. You will need the extra chlorine regents the XL provides.

Read how to SLAM a swimming pool to get familiar with it.
http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/125-slam-shock-level-and-maintain-shockingl

You need the CYA/FC chlorine chart to know what your FC SLam level should be.
http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/128-chlorine-cya-chart-slam-shock

You need to know how to use Pool Math (a handy tool) to know how much bleach to add in order to maintain the SLAM FC and then later for maintaining your proper chemistry.

http://www.troublefreepool.com/calc.html


Slamming is not difficult to do, but it will take time. It is not a one time miracle cure. Once the slam is successfully finished, your pool will be gorgeous, and you will have have the knowledge to keep it that way for very little cost of maintenance.

Hi there, You have been so helpful so far. I'm so glad I found this site. I had a problem with algae about 2 weeks ago and that seems to have cleared up. I am still struggling with two issues. One is the cloudiness of the water, It does seem to be getting better by the day but it's still pretty cloudy-- now we can see about 3.5-4 ft down but can't make out the pattern on the liner clearly. I ordered the recommended test kit and have the following readings taken today:

Total C 1
FC 1.5 ppm
CYA- 80
pH- 7.2
TA- 160



I have had a difficult time keeping the chlorine level high enough and have been adding tons of shock but am now worried I am impacting the CYA levels? Not sure. Do I need to used a chlorine stabilizer to get the chlorine to read higher consistently? I shocked last night with 3 1 lb bags of shock and this morning total chlorine was over 5 and about 3:30 today it's already down to low again. I think I need to adjust the pH too. Do I just add more soda ash? I would love any and all feedback from you. I am desperate at this point and have spend close to $400 on chemicals just this past 2 weeks. I don't want to put anything else in the pool till I have a game plan. Also is it possible that my filter is not working and that's why it is not cleared up? I do notice sometimes when I am vacumming that brown water comes back through the returns and also there is constantly sand on the stairs. Thoughts about this? Pool company says I should get a DE filter. Would love feedback about this too. Thanks!!