Green Cloudy Pool

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Thanks. I am eagerly awaiting my test kit. It should be here tomorrow! Also, I have some eager swimmers waiting for the SLAM process to be complete. To that end, at what point would it be safe to allow people in the pool. I am assuming you would want to pass all three requirements of the SLAM. Should the FC level be in the normal range, for your CYA level, before swimmers are allowed in the pool? Just want to be sure.
 
Actually, when you confirm your CYA and adjust y our FC to the SLAM/Shock level, they can swim up to that number. Just not over. Example: If your SLAM FC level is 24, everyone can swim (and help scrub) :) up to FC 24. Once you go over, then it's best to wait and let it fall down a little.

- - - Updated - - -

And just good practice with the higher chlorine level to maybe not wear your newest gear, and shower/rinse hair afterwards... just as a precaution.
 
I have been adding a gallon of 8.25% bleach every night to keep the algae at bay, for the last three days. Since I have not received my test kit yet, I have been testing the pool with AquaChek test strips which show four colors (pH, free chlorine, alkalinity, stabilizer). The last two or three times I have tested it, I have noticed that the free chlorine is dark purple, which means the FC level is around 10 ppm. This also means that the FC level is not being reduced nearly as much as I would expect with algae present. I would expect the FC level to go down to near zero.

I have attached pictures of the test strip and of the pool, for reference. Is it possible I may have a problem with my filter? How would I be able to tell that for sure?

Thanks
Chuck

TestStrip.jpgPool1.jpgPool2.jpg
 
I know you're trying to get a jump on things, and it's frustrating waiting on the test kit to arrive, but don't get too carried away with anything yet. When you test everything with the proper kit, you'll see why the test strips are better for digging boogers out of your nose that testing water. :)
 
Question, hows the water flow and the filter? When I started cleaning mine up, the filter water couldn't drain the algae had blocked up the pipes.

I was cleaning the filter 2x - 3x per day while I was super chlorinating the pool. You need to kill the algae with bleach, but remove it from the pool with the filter. I have a cartridge system, I don't know much about sand filters.
 
Ok, I was able to do some testing tonight with the test kit. I am going to start the SLAM tomorrow morning. Here are my initial numbers for the couple of tests I did tonight.

CYA: 30
pH: 7.5
FC: 5 ppm+ (just with basic test, will do the extensive one tomorrow morning)

Doing the tests, leads me to a few more questions. First, I need to reduce the pH to 7.2. Should I add pH minus to reduce the pH? I do not see it listed in the pool math calculator as an option. I have pH minus, which is 93.3% Sodium Biosulfate and 6.7% Sodium Sulfate.

For testing the CYA, I noticed there is difference between holding the top of the tube at waist level vs. holding the bottom of the tube at waist level. The lower I held the tube, the longer I could see the black dot, so the lower the CYA level was. With the top of the tube at waist level, CYA measured 22. With the bottom of the tube at waist level, CYA measured 32. Which should I believe? How picky should I be in determining the black dot disappeared? I can see a dark grayish circle for a while. I have attached some pictures.

My plan for tomorrow morning is to lower the pH to 7.2, and then to test FC extensively to start the SLAM process. I would appreciate any thoughts on my questions above.

Thanks
Chuck

CYA_TopAtWaist.JPG
 
I did the chlorine drop test this morning. Here are my results. I will test calcium hardness and total alkalinity next.

Since the FC level is already above shock level, and it is maintaining that level without me adding a gallon of bleach last night, I believe I have a problem with my sand filter. Does this sound right? How can I tell for sure. This sand filter is less than a year old, and is still under warranty.

FC: 15 ppm (30 drops)
CC: 1 ppm (2 drops)
TC: 16 ppm
CYA: 30
pH: 7.5
 

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Hello Chuck! Looks like you haven't received a reply lately, so I wanted to chime-in. Your questions above - pH minus should be nothing more than dry acid. You can use it, but perhaps keep an eye on any unusual ingredients. I've seen discussions here & there about holding the tube for the CYA test, but honestly can't recall if it mattered (top or bottom) other than not to block the tube with your hand. As for your last tests, while your FC may be holding, you still have too much CC will tells me you still have trash chlorine being oxidized, so you still need to keep the SLAM going until that drops to .5 or below. There's no need to test pH while your FC is above 10 since it messes up the reading. Is there a problem with your filter? Perhaps. Has your pressure increased significantly from the baseline (clean) pressure? If you've backwashed and rinsed it really well more than once lately, it should be fine. It's possible the cloudiness is in-fact that CC *trash chlorine) still being processed. I would continue to SLAM until that cc drops and also continue to clean your filter often to remove any dead organic debris. Don't for get the trick about small amounts of DE in that sand filter to help resolve cloudiness.
 
Thanks for the reply and the detailed information.

When you say to keep the SLAM going, that confuses me. I have not started the SLAM yet. Just by putting a gallon of bleach in every night, the FC level has stayed at 15 ppm. In fact, I did not put a gallon of bleach in last night! With a CYA of 30, my shock level is 12 ppm. So, I am above that already. To SLAM, that would imply maintaining the shock level, correct? To this point, I have not had a FC reading below shock level. I do have a chlorine puck in the skimmer, as usual. How do I get the CC down, when the FC is being maintained at such a high level?

As for the filter, the pressure has stayed constant with our baseline. We have been backwashing. Today, while vacuuming the pool, we noticed a green cloud being returned to the pool. This is what made us think the filter has a problem. Since it is less than a year old, we are having the installer replace the filter with a new one next Tuesday. This will eliminate another variable.

It is funny you mentioned DE. I picked up a bag of DE today, and I am going to try adding that to the skimmer.

Thanks
Chuck
 
I have another question about CC too. When I am putting in drops to measure CC, trying to get it back to clear, I noticed something strange. After it goes clear, if you wait another minute or so, it will get a little pink again. Should I keep adding until this does not happen, or believe the first time it turns clear? If I need to wait until it is clear after a minute, then the CC is higher than I originally thought.

FWIW, here are my results for two readings today

CYA=30

11am: FC=15, CC=1, CYA=30
3pm: FC=12.5, CC = 5? (solution always goes back to pink after a minute)

Thanks
Chuck
 
Oh, my mistake about the SLAM. From post #29 I thought you already started. No worries. But basically, whenever we hear some of the key "signs" of algae, we start to lean towards recommending a SLAM anyways. In your case, the key indicators are:
- Green cloud returning to pool
- CC above .5 ppm
- Water cloudy
Filtration is a key, and can be an issue if there were just cloudiness, but no amount of filtration will remove algae or "green". Once it's started, it must be killed with bleach. If you haven't done an OCLT recently, I would recommend one. That would confirm the presence of algae stealing your FC during the hours of darkness. Your filter is new, and most sand filters pretty-much take care of themselves aside from normal backwashing and rinsing, so I would be surprised if you have any issues there.

If you do consider the OCLT, remember these key points and standard reminders:
When performing the OLCT, remember that it must be done when the sun has dropped – no sunlight on the pool. About 8 hours total is recommended. Also, your FC level should be elevated more than normal. Starting (bedtime) FC could be close to your SLAM level, but no lower than 10. Anything less and you may not receive an accurate portrayal of FC loss (by percentage), even if it’s only 1 ppm.
Click to expand...
Keep us posted, and good luck!
 
The first clear is what you are looking for. After it sits it get O2 in there and starts to go pink again. You defiantly have something in there. Looks like you need to up the frequency of testing and adding. It's turning into a real SLAMing good time! :)
 
Thanks Bob. I thought I was going crazy with it turning pink again. In that case, my latest readings are below.

Pat, I will plan to do the OCLT tonight. That will give me a good idea of where I am at. I have the pump/filter on 24/7, and I am definitely filtering, although I am not convinced the filter is working. I will bring it up to shock level (12 ppm for CYA of 30) before bedtime, and then test it again in the morning, to see the loss percentage.

I thought losing 2.5ppm over 4 hours during sunlight was encouraging. We will see.

CYA=30
1am: FC=15, CC=1
3pm: FC=12.5, CC=1.5

Thanks
Chuck
 
Thanks for the reply. I increased the frequency of my tests, and I am being very systematic about the way I am doing them. The results are below. I am seeing some strange results this morning, which confuse me. How could the chlorine level go up? Would it better to maintain the chlorine level so it always stays above the shock level? I will keep testing every two hours. So far, I have only added 3/4 of a container of bleach, which seems like not nearly enough. My pool water still looks like the picture above.

CYA = 30
Shock level = 13 ppm

8/29 11am - FC=15, CC=1
8/29 3pm - FC=12.5, CC=1.5
8/29 5pm - FC=10, CC=0.5 (below shock level, added 3/4 container of bleach)
8/29 7pm - FC=15, CC=0.5
8/29 9pm - FC=14.5, CC=0.5 (ready for OCLT, removed chlorine tablet from skimmer)

8/30 7am - FC=13, CC=0.5 (went down 1.5 ppm overnight)
8/30 10am - FC=14.5, CC=0.5 (how could it go up?)
 
There is a small margin of error in the testing. Mostly related to sample size and drop size. The dropper can sometimes make drops that are a little small or larger. I've read that you can use a damp paper towel to remove static that might be effecting the drops. This is usually associated with some of the other tests but it could be relevant here.
 

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