Okay, PH and TA are fine for now, go ahead and use the Pool Calculator to determine how much bleach to add and bump it back up to shock level tonight. Then test FC/CC in the morning, you don't need to test the PH/TA in the morning, just FC/CC.
I need help! Cloudy Pool
- Thread starter Dickie and Teresa
- Start date
Okay - I get 1.4 jugs. I'll check again in the morning. Thanks so much. I'll probably check fairly early and post the results.
My new levels are
pH 7.3
FC 5.5
CC 1.0
TA 190
I'm going to put in 1 gallon of bleach.
pH 7.3
FC 5.5
CC 1.0
TA 190
I'm going to put in 1 gallon of bleach.
I just tested again.
pH 7.2
FC 5.5 (I had it up to 7 earlier today)
CC 1.0
TA 170
Today I put some stabilizer in a sock and let it run for awhile, but I took it back out b/c it looked like it was getting cloudy again. I did brush the whole pool and it turned a tad greenish but not much and cloudy again. When I ran these numbers just now it said to add a gallon of bleach and 5 lbs of borax. Should I hold off on the borax? I will be gone all day tomorrow but will check in the morning before I leave and see what I need.
I really appreciate all your help.
pH 7.2
FC 5.5 (I had it up to 7 earlier today)
CC 1.0
TA 170
Today I put some stabilizer in a sock and let it run for awhile, but I took it back out b/c it looked like it was getting cloudy again. I did brush the whole pool and it turned a tad greenish but not much and cloudy again. When I ran these numbers just now it said to add a gallon of bleach and 5 lbs of borax. Should I hold off on the borax? I will be gone all day tomorrow but will check in the morning before I leave and see what I need.
I really appreciate all your help.
Glad to help. 
I would hold off on the borax. Chlorine tends to work better when the PH is lower, so it's not a problem. If it does drop lower than 7.2, (it might with the CYA addition) then go ahead and add the borax. Just don't try to adjust it when the FC is above 10, because high FC will make the PH read false high.
I would hold off on the borax. Chlorine tends to work better when the PH is lower, so it's not a problem. If it does drop lower than 7.2, (it might with the CYA addition) then go ahead and add the borax. Just don't try to adjust it when the FC is above 10, because high FC will make the PH read false high.
I think we are about to get things right. 
My FC this morning is 8. pH is 7.5. Didn't test anything else. Should I go ahead and get the chlorine up to 10 until it holds overnight and then recheck everything - TA, CYA, etc.? After I vacuumed and brushed last night, it is a little cloudy this morning.
My FC this morning is 8. pH is 7.5. Didn't test anything else. Should I go ahead and get the chlorine up to 10 until it holds overnight and then recheck everything - TA, CYA, etc.? After I vacuumed and brushed last night, it is a little cloudy this morning.
You have to keep shocking until the FC holds overnight...you have been adding CYA so your shock level is probably higher now. How much CYA have you added/what level were you targeting? You should assume by now that CYA level and go ahead and increase the shock level accordingly by refering to the CYA chart.
If it's been less than 5-6 days since the last CYA addition, it's okay to test for it now. When the FC is holding you can test your other numbers.
If it's been less than 5-6 days since the last CYA addition, it's okay to test for it now. When the FC is holding you can test your other numbers.
I just tested everything again. I only added a little CYA the other day and it appeared that it was really clouding up the pool, so I took it back out. It was the powdered kind and I had it in a sock. My target FC is 3 and the shock target is 10. I hope I have been doing my calculations correctly. Here are my test results:
pH - didn't check - it's been pretty stable
FC 5
CYA 0
TA 190
CH 350
Should I put the stabilizer sock back in? I'm going to go ahead and put in my bleach.
pH - didn't check - it's been pretty stable
FC 5
CYA 0
TA 190
CH 350
Should I put the stabilizer sock back in? I'm going to go ahead and put in my bleach.
My FC was 7 this morning. When you say I need to hold it overnight, are you talking about the shock of 10 or the target FC related to CYA? In the pool calculator, I have my target set for 10. Is that correct? Thanks for all your help.
Targeting a FC level of 10 is correct until your CYA level comes up. I believe you said that you added CYA recently. 24 hours after adding CYA you should raise your target FC shock level based on how much CYA you added and the Chlorine/CYA chart.
The full procedure for doing the overnight FC loss test is spelled out in Pool School.
The full procedure for doing the overnight FC loss test is spelled out in Pool School.
It seems like all we have done is put bleach in that pool. It is looking a little better, though. However, it is kind of cloudy again. I have the sock with stabilizer hanging in front of the return. Could that be making it look cloudy? Our algae is going away slowly but surely.
No. CYA won't make the water cloudy. Keep the FC up to shock level as frequently as possible and it will clear.
Please leave the CYA 'sock' in the water. It's needed and NOT making the water look cloudy. Cloudiness is usually caused by dead algae floating in the water waiting for the water to be pushed through the pump. A sand filter cleans the water by trapping the particles between the particles of sand. Sand filters can take time to clean the water after all the algae is dead, and algae dies with chlorine and is removed from the sides and bottom by brushing!Dickie and Teresa said:
If you don't have the CYA in the water virtually all of the chlorine can and will be burned up by the sun in a matter of hours! The CYA that disolves from the sock is in smaller particles than the granules that you put in the sock. They get sucked up in the filter and then dissolve to the point that you cannot see them.
With a CYA level of 0 or 10 your chlorine shock level is lower. The CYA "protects" the chlorine from burning off when the sun hits the water. Without CYA (called stabilizer and conditioner too but the ingredient is cyanuratic acid, CYA) your chlorine will be lost to the sun, not used to fight and kill the algae.
As the CYA 'sock' goes into the water and starts to dissolve it will increase the CYA level in the water. Think of it like adding ice to a hot glass of tea: adding ice increases the water content in the tea but it takes a lot before your eyes can see any difference. What you are doing by adding CYA is increasing the concentration of CYA in the water, and CYA is necessary to protect the chlorine that you are adding from the sun.
As the CYA level increases of the water increases the shock level (the amount of free chlorine necessary to kill algae) too! For example, if FPM has your CYA level going to 30 (7 days after you have added the right amount of CYA to the water and left it there to dissolve) the shock level of the water required to kill algae will have increased as well. Go to the Chlorine/CYA chart in Pool School (http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/chlorine_cya_chart_shock) and you'll se that your Shock Level has now increased from 10 to 12.
It's not a difficult process though. Your CYA goes up so your shock level goes up, then your your CYA goes up again so your shock level goes up again. It's not hard as things are not happening every 5 minutes; a CYA change takes 7 days!
The other thing to remember is that there are 2 things that use up chlorine in a pool: no CYA, and organics (like algae).
Just use Jasons pool calculator and increase the amount of bleach that you put in AFTER the you measure the CYA that is in the water. 8)
Hi pool friends - I have been in the hospital for the past few days and unable to test my water; however, my water is now CLEAR - YAY! Unfortunately, my pH is up. Here are my readings:
pH 7.8
FC 1
CC 1
TA 190
CH 320
CYA 48
So my question is: Since I finally have a reading on my CYA, do I consult the chart? This would change my former target of 10 to 6 for FC. Is this correct? Since my pH is high, what do I do? Also, we purchased one of those bubble solar covers to warm the water. Will this harm any of my chemicals? Thanks for your help.
pH 7.8
FC 1
CC 1
TA 190
CH 320
CYA 48
So my question is: Since I finally have a reading on my CYA, do I consult the chart? This would change my former target of 10 to 6 for FC. Is this correct? Since my pH is high, what do I do? Also, we purchased one of those bubble solar covers to warm the water. Will this harm any of my chemicals? Thanks for your help.
Ten days since you added the CYA; yes, consult the chart. With CC 1 you need to shock.
Having your pH, TA, and CH all that high gets you into the risk-of-scaling zone. Bringing down pH to 7.5 (or even a bit lower) will be the fastest cure. Do that before you start shocking because the pH test is not reliable when FC is at shock level. Longer term you might lower the TA.
--paulr
Having your pH, TA, and CH all that high gets you into the risk-of-scaling zone. Bringing down pH to 7.5 (or even a bit lower) will be the fastest cure. Do that before you start shocking because the pH test is not reliable when FC is at shock level. Longer term you might lower the TA.
--paulr
You said that you have a TF100. How are you getting a reading of 48 for the CYA test? It does not have anywhere near that much resolution. You can really only read that test to +/- 10 ppm. This is also the problem with many pool store printouts. For example, the LaMotte Waterlink system will give you a digital reading that might say 48 ppm CYA but the precision of the test with that system is +10/-25 ppm!Dickie and Teresa said:
I assume the test was just shy of 50 ppm, correct? Call it 50 and call it a day!
I'm confused. I already put a little bleach in this evening. How do I get the pH under control? And, yes, I estimated the CYA based on where the water level was. Do I stop shocking until my pH is lower or what?
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