persistent cloudiness

[Greta]

Pool season greetings,

I have been "slamming" the water for almost a month now to get rid of cloudiness, brushing bottom and sides daily and cleaning (green with algae) cartridge filter every few days. Using Sodium Hypochlorite 6%, holding chlorine level between 10 and 15. We've had lots of rain, but still...When I brush, the yellow pollen-looking cloud becomes visible.

Readings this morning are;
FC 11.5
CC .5
pH 7.7
TA 75
CH 90
CYA 33-ish

I added 35 oz liquid bleach. What am I missing??

Thanks for your help,
Greta

 

[tim5055]

First I would ask, what are you testing with? The CYA 33ish concerns me because the basis on the SLAM is calculating the shock level of chlorine - which is based on the CYA level.

Second, you don't appear to be following the SLAM Process corectly. Even if your CYA was 30 you should be maintaining a chlorine level of 12 all the time. Following your numbers when the chlorine is 15 you are killing algae, but when it's at 10 you are allowing it to grow again.

Or another option is that you don't have algae at all, but lots of stuff in the water the filter can't seem to clear. An Overnight FC Loss Test (OCLT) will determine if you have stuff growing in the water.

 

[pooldv]

Are you using one of the test kits from the Test Kit Comparison? I use the TF100 from tftestkits.net.

With CYA of 33ish you might be undershooting your chlorine target. I would aim 14-15 as a shock level if you don't pass the OCLT Tim suggested.

 

[Greta]

I'm testing with the recommended Taylor kit. You may be right that I'm not keeping the chlorine level consistently high enough. The pool is clean except for the yellow stuff that brushes up. Not a leaf or bit of other debris is in it. And the fact that the filter water is green, tells me it's algae. As I brushed the pool again this evening and added another 60 oz. of bleach (it was down to 9), I wondered if my sand-filled ladder might not be the culprit. Could it be filled with algae-contaminated sand?? Or, should the slamming process knock that out too? How many times a day should I be checking bleach level? The added bleach tonight should bring the chlorine level back up to 15. I'll check the level in the am and see what the reading is. Thanks so much for the feed back.

 

[pooldv]

3 or 4 times is ideal, 2 minimum. I don't know about the sand, but the ladder might need some scrubbing.