Cloudy Water post Algaecide

[asuhockey]

Hi All,

Hoping someone can point me in the right direction to help clear my water up. Last Friday I replaced my pool pump&motor after the old one finally gave way. Unfortunately by the time the pump had shipped and I had time to install it my pool had been sitting stagnant for a week and turned green. After an Algaecide treatment last Saturday morning the water had turned a cloudy blue again within 7 hours. Sunday morning I vacuumed and backwashed the pool, added shock and water clarifier. Fast forward to today and slowly but surely clarity in the water is starting to come back, but still generally cloudy. This evening I took a water sample to my local pool store and the results are as follows:
FAC: 4ppm
CH: 200ppm
CYA: 60ppm
TA: 120 ppm
pH: 7.6
TDS: 800

The clerk at the store recommended PhosFree as the only item that registered high in my test was Phosphates at 200 pbb

Prior to purchasing I wanted to post here and see if I could have some further advice on:

a) Should I purchase the PhosFree, or was the clerk trying to pitch me on something?
b) Any recommendations on clearing up the cloudy water, or just continue to let the filter do its work with periodic backwashing?

I have a sand filter, the pool is approximately 23,000 gallons and I am in Scottsdale, Az. Thanks again for all of your help!

 

[tim5055]

Welcome to TFP!!

Yes, the PhosFree is additional profit center for them. In a properly chlorinated pool phosphates are irreverent. Along those same line we generally don't recomed any clarifiers and algecides are really a preventative, not something to be used after algae has reared it's ugly head.

At this point I would suggest you read the directions on SLAMing your pool in the How To section of Pool School and follow that procedure completely to the end.

* CC is 0.5 or lower;
* You pass an OCLT (ie overnight FC loss test shows a loss of 1.0 ppm or less);
* The water is clear.

When all three are true, you are done SLAMing and can allow the FC to drift down to normal levels.

f you don't already have one, you will need to pick up one of the recommended test kits. To effectively practice the TFPC methods, the FAS/DPD chlorine test is essential. All the kits on the list contain that test while very few other kits do. The kits sold at the pool store generally won't won't cut it, but be careful pool store employees are known to say “it's the same thing”. Generally it's not!

 

[Richard320]

If you run a search on phosfree and cloudiness, you'll get a whole lot of old threads.

Another tidbit: the manufacturer says the algae must be treated before adding it. I wonder why the poolstore didn;t mention that? Read the instructions: http://naturalchemistry.com/en/pool-spa/products/detail/phosfree/

Stop pouring miracle potions and powdered chlorine in that swamp. The powders add either Calcium - which people in Arizona don't need more of -- or cyanuric acid, which you in particular don't need any more of. You're already at 60. That's plenty for Arizona under good conditions, and about double what you'd want to perform the SLAM process.

Your pool dollars will be better spent on bleach. Someone else has posted the link to the SLAm, so I'll point you at some success stories using our method.