Cloudy water :(

[doxtyp]

Opening up our pool in NorCal after long and stormy winter. I did my usual shocks - algae cleared nicely, no big debris. But water is milky white/blue and cloudy for several days now.

As of this morning:

Free Chlorine 0 (it’s getting consumed like crazy and I can’t keep up)
Ph 7.2
Alk 90
Hardness 200
CYS - 0 ish

Been pumping, filters cleared.

Not sure what else to do here. Keep dumping chlorine? I get liquid 10% from Walmart ($5.57 per gallon).

Thanks in advance for any thoughts!!

 

[V___25]

You need to follow the SLAM process. You'll want to raise to CYA to 30 or 40 - that's part of the reason your FC is burning so fast. Your pH is in a good spot for a SLAM.
What test kit do you have?

 

[Donldson]

A freshly opened pool with no CYA and an insatiable appetite for chlorine is indicative of an ammonia problem. Sometimes happens when FC drops to zero over the winter and bacteria consumes the CYA and excretes ammonia. A high CC level would confirm this.

 

[doxtyp]

Thanks a bunch.
I use both Taylor and HTH kits - both showed nearly identical numbers.

I think ammonia theory may be correct - my pool had this funny odor for a few days and burned my eyes. How do I deal with it?

CYA being low - how do I fix this? Drop some chlorine packs?

 

[Donldson]

Taking care of ammonia involves a lot of liquid chlorine, unfortunately. You'll want to bring your FC to 10 ppm, wait at least 15 minutes, test, and bring it back to 10 ppm. Repeat this until your FC holds above 5 ppm between doses. Once it holds you want to add 30 ppm CYA (use powdered or liquid CYA, pucks will take far too long) and then perform the SLAM Process until all three criteria listed are met. Don't try to rush things, this is a process but one that assures all organics and irritants are cleared and you're left with a clean slate moving forward.

 

[doxtyp]

Hi again. I had to go away so restarting the process.
1. I added some CYA
2. FC is holding a bit better, but water is still hazy.
3. I checked my numbers at Leslie's this morning (I ran out of CYA reagent):
FC - 13.7
ph - 7.6
Total Alkalinity - 98
Calcium hardness - 93 (low)
CYA - 34
Phosphates - 1917 (high)
TDS - 2600 (high)

I am assuming phosphates are due to organic matter.
What about TDS - Leslie's tech told me I need to drain my pool.. Thoughts?
Is CYA ok or should I add some more?

thanks!!

 

[mknauss]

Use your own test kit. TDS and phosphates are not material to pool water chemistry.

 

[doxtyp]

Thanks.
I checked chemistry - confirmed Lesli’s numbers.

CYA now 40
I am able to hold FC at around 10 without precipitous drops.
Ph 7.6
Ca hardness 200
Alkalinity 100

The pool is slowly clearing but still hazy and there is this oily looking layer on top (like you see with spilled gasoline but without rainbow color). Also there seems to be white residue on the brush after I use it.

Some chemicals still circulating? Filters not cleaning? (Filter cartridges are about 3 years old, but look good on inspection).