Welcome to my Lake....

[Jross1000cc]

Ok for starters, I did not take a picture of the pool the day I opened it (disgusting and smelly to say the least). I have a mesh liner, that lets all the nasty gunk and sunlight blaring in my pool all year long, (definitely getting a "cover mate" this year when I close the pool for sure.

Anyway started out filtering the pool, added copious amounts of shock until it maintained in the water. I let the filter and shock run all night, and came out the next day and still maintained a level of about 4-5 FC. I then vacuumed the pool to waste and brushed the entire pool and allowed it to run some more.

My filter kept running high on the PSI, normal is about 15psi. Within minutes it would jump from 15 to 25psi. I had to constantly backwash, rinse and repeat over and over again. I then took the filter out, rinsed it off completely and then added more D.E. and then it ran for a longer duration without clogging up, but within a few hours back to 25psi. Backwash, rinse, repeat all over again.

This morning, which is only day 2 I look at the pool, and it is definitely clearing up the color more to a blue-ish, but I can not get the filter to run for more than what seems to be 10-20 minutes before I have to backwash again. When I turn off the pool, there seems to be a sudsy/bubbly layer of goo on top of the water. When the water is moving I do not see the same sudsy layer.

My numbers are:

FC 1.5
CC 14
PH less than 6.2
TA 30
CH 140
CYA 80


This picture if from the morning after I turned the filter on and shocked the pool after opening it, I was vacuuming to waste at the time.


This picture was from about 20 minutes ago after a full night of running and the filter clogging up.

So I am not sure what to do at this point besides cleaning the filter out yet again, and cleaning the skimmers which have a pound of slimy algae on tip of it building up at all times. I really need to add that when I opened the pool it was completely brown/black you could not even see my white steps on the shallow end, so it is improving in color greatly, just not sure what I should do about the filter and the PSI jumping to max within 20 minutes.

Pleas provide any feedback for this issue or any help, it would be GREATLY appreciated.

 

[JVTrain]

What chemical are you shocking the pool with? Powdered shock will be adding CYA or CH to your pool as well as chlorine. Your CH is fine and vinyl liners are not very dependent on balanced CH levels (50-350 ppm is fine) so cal-hypo shock is OK to use up to a point but if you're using dichlor shock, you're adding CYA to your pool with each dose and your CYA is already high. I'd highly recommend using only bleach from here on out. It would also be in your best interest at that CYA to drain some of your pool water. Even up to half the volume as that would bring your CYA down to close to 40, a much easier level to SLAM your pool, which is what is needed right now. Added bonus is that draining some of the water will remove some of your algae problem.

Which test kit are you using?

I'd recommend reading through ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry as well as the CYA/Chlorine chart and SLAM procedure links in my signature to get you going.

 

[BoDarville]

Welcome to TFP!

Anyway started out filtering the pool, added copious amounts of shock until it maintained in the water. I let the filter and shock run all night, and came out the next day and still maintained a level of about 4-5 FC.

Two Q's:
1. What are you using to test the water?
2. What are you adding to "shock" the pool? Depending on what kind of product that is, it could be hindering your results. Also, given your CYA level of 80 ppm, the 4-5 ppm FC is not enough to adequately clear up the pool.

What your pool needs is a SLAM Process. This is a process - not a one-time addition of high amounts of chlorine. You will also need a FAS-DPD chlorine test in order to do this - it uses a combination of powder and liquid reagents. It is included in the Recommended Test Kits.

It is quite common for a filter to need frequent cleaning when trying to clear up a green pool, so that will be part of the process as well.

 

[Patrick_B]

Hey there, Welcome to TFP jross!

These guys have you well covered, just wanted to say welcome to the forum.

 

[Jross1000cc]

I'm using a TF-100 test kit,I have been with you guys for about a year or so now, never needed to post, always found my solutions from other forums.

Anyway for shock I am using "pool time" chlorinating granules Plus (4-in-1) sanitizer and shock.

Trichloro-s-triazinetrion 71.8%
boron sodium oxide 8%
20% "other ingredients".

I just turned off the filter and sprayed it off again, the pool is getting blue color back, now I am going to vacuum all the sand and dirt off the bottom now that I can finally see it. I will drain that to waste and get rid of a lot of the water and add fresh and see what I come up with.

Thanks for the replies, let me know if you think I should do anything else.

- - - Updated - - -

Thanks for the welcoming just the same...

 

[Texas Splash]

SLAM, SLAM, SLAM! Use nothing but liquid bleach. With a CYA of 80, you need to maintain a chlorine SLAM level of 31. Review the SLAM procedures to feel confident and start purchasing lots of bleach. It will work!

 

[Jross1000cc]

I understand the methods that you are referring too, but how can I properly SLAM the water if the filter keeps clogging up every 20 minutes. The water is turning blue, but it's super cloudy. I literally backwash,rinse ect, replace DE and then the filter rises 10psi within 30 minutes. I have taken the grids out and hosed them over 3 times already. Is there something I'm missing as far as my filter goes? Does this seem like a problem that anyone encountered before?

 

[JVTrain]

Is the dirt suspended or on the bottom? You may need to vacuum to waste to remove some sediment if it's allowed to settle with your pump off for several hours. If it does not settle, perhaps initiating a SLAM while running the pump on bypass may be best. DE filters are great at removing fine particles but if the pool is very cloudy with particles, it means lots of backwashing and adding DE. While SLAMing, only run the filter on filter when you can monitor the pump, bypass when you're away.

# Sent from mobile device. Beware of brevity and spelling errors!

 

[Jross1000cc]

It's hard to say, I really can't see the bottom of the pool, a lot of it is definitely floating around but when I brush I do see small clear almost skin looking like debri moving around. Also on top of the water is a lot of suds and the skimmer keeps filling with green/white sudsy mess. I've vacuumed to waste, but it's so hard to do, like flying blind when you can't see if anything is being picked up or not.

By saying "bypass" are you also referring to "re-circulate" setting on my filter? Should I let that go overnight that way?

Also I need to adjust my ALKALINITY by about 20lbs worth of baking soda, and my ph up also, but was gonna wait to test until after I added the alkalinity. My question is can I do this while I SLAM? I only noticed PH settings for SLAM procedures.

Thanks

 

[JVTrain]

I would bring the pH up before starting, alkalinity can be addressed later. Borax to raise pH will bring TA up as well but only a little bit. See the Effects of adding chemicals on the bottom of the Pool Math page.

Yes, recirculate when you can't be around.

# Sent from mobile device. Beware of brevity and spelling errors!

 

[Jross1000cc]

Okay, just set the pump to recirculate, I'm calling it a night. I will check and adjust PH tomorrow morning and take it from there. Sidenote, I was finally able to see the shallow end floor for the first time just now, so that's a good sign.

Thanks again!!

 

[Jross1000cc]

Okay results are in after circulating last night:

FC 4ppm
CC 1.5
TA 10
PH less that 6.2 still
CYA 60

What should I level out next: stick with the PH first , or do the alkalinity then the PH? I can see much more of the pool liner now, not quite the deep end yet, but I can see all of the shallow end and halfway going into the 6' deep end. The water is blue, just a cloudy blue. I can finally see some of the debris at the bottom of the pool i will vacuum that out first thing, just shut the motor off so the stuff can settle.

 

[JVTrain]

You really need to address the pH ASAP. Get it up to 7.2 with borax. Alkalinity can be addressed later. Start the SLAM when your pH is 7.2.

# Sent from mobile device. Beware of brevity and spelling errors!

 

[Jross1000cc]

Out of curiosity, why wouldn't I raise my alkalinity with the 30lbs of baking soda I have ready now, then test my PH for a more accurate reading then raise my PH as per the pool math calculator? I have all day today and the alkalinity shouldn't take more than 4 hours to settle? And I can get however much PH up I need at that point... I've just always done TA first because it slightly raises my PH every time.

You guys are the pool GODS that's why I'm asking you....

Also I would love to buy all the stores out of Borax, but it's so much harder to find than soda ash. I'm all about the BBB, but sometimes convienence and time can be a factor also. Is there many more Cons to using soda ash over borax? I couldn't find much info online except soda ash actually being much cheaper than Borax (first time seeing household items more expensive than the pool store items)

Thanks again for your continued help, I truly appreciate it!!

 

[JVTrain]

Low pH is the most immediate concern because low pH can cause your liner to lose elasticity and become brittle. Low TA is less of an immediate concern as it will only affect the stability of your pH. You could certainly use soda ash to raise pH but only in your case would it be viable as your TA is also on the low end. Soda ash increases pH and adds a significant amount of TA at the same time. Generally we recommend people add chemicals that change only one parameter, especially when starting out with TFP methods. Borax raises pH without increasing alkalinity by as much. You can see this by using Pool Math. In order for you to get from pH of 6.2 (how do you know it's less than 6.2, the K-1000 test block only goes down to 6.8?) to 7.2, you'd need to add 178 oz of soda ash or washing soda. If you plug this number into the Effects of adding chemicals at the bottom of the Pool Math page, you'll see a pH increase of 1.38 (note the comment about accuracy of large pH changes) and a TA increase of 45 ppm. Use Pool Math to understand how adding certain chemicals will change your levels. It's an extremely useful and valuable tool. You should also consider not adding the full amount of either borax or soda ash (maybe half) and then checking the pH.

 

[kris77]

You're telling me your pool went from the first 2 pics to the ones above overnight? Thats the craziest transformation i've seen yet on this site.

 

[Jross1000cc]

Kris77

Yea that was overnight...opened the pool this past wed and it was so BLACK/BROWN and smelled so awful my kids wouldn't even stand near it. I have been at it since, definitely the worst opening Ive had in the past 6 years. This was a new liner from last year though also, don't know if that had anything to do with it.

 

[Jross1000cc]

JVTrain,

Yes it is the K-1000 and you are right, less than 6.8
Im trying to send you a pic, but I keep getting the quota error...I have shrunk the picture to nothing and still with the error message.

Anyway yes way less than 6.8 I am going to try your recommended settings because I myself am not sure how much to add, because my PH is not so accurate. I have to wait a little while seeing as how I just vacuumed the Sahara Dessert out of the bottom of my pool to waste (finally able to see what I was vacuuming) , so I am in the process of refilling it. I will get another "accurate"reading after water is filled up, clean the filter grids once more so they are nice and fresh and then take it from there. Will post tonight after PH is added and Slam takes effect.

Yea pool math is an amazing tool and I use it quite often!!

 

[Richard320]

I'd use Soda Ash to raise pH, myself. It also adds TA. Poolmath won't be exact because you're making large adjustments, but you want to work up to your target anyway. Just plug in your numbers and add half to three quarters of what it says and then recheck it after it's had time to mix. It might take two or three additions.

Once you get close, down at the bottom of poolmath where it says Effects of Adding Chemicals, you can get close approximations of what the Soda Ash or Baking Soda will do to pH and TA. But don't waste too much time fussing with TA. If fixing the pH gets TA to 50 or better, leave it until later. You want high FC to kill off stuff. Every hour you delay, it grows a little more.

 

[Beens]

I'm just jumping in to confirm that you've switched to bleach/liquid chlorine right? ^^^ up there you mentioned you were using trichlor and you will have your CYA through the roof if you keep using it.


Texas Splash also mentioned it but I'm just double checking because I didn't want it to get lost in the PH/TA discussions.