Hello & Help! (Carl!) 
FC 5.6
TC 6.5
CC O.9
TA 196
pH 7.3
CH 123
CA 20
(see equip type below)
Short Questions:
Is cloudy water from algae (new/dead) or hard water or both/all? What to do and where to go w/ variables is the gest of what I'm seeking help with.
Brief History:
For past 2 yrs (2017 being 3rd) I've been fighting the clearing of considerable old dead algae too small for filter (2 microns) - following multiple equipment problems causing the pump & filter pool to be off for extended periods + water loss so trucked in water is now all my well water. I never got fully on top of this problem as it compounded. Last year I was very close to clearing it all out when I was diagnosed with tongue cancer (had a major surgery and radiation) so from August on the pool was neglected until it was shut down for the season. (Zeolite is in 2nd year; pump & equipment good - except not good seal yet in pump getting too much air but water pull - strong - trying to get best fitting o ring & get air tight; have used filter aids too).
Here we are 2017 - opened June had heater repair - and this is where I'm at and not sure which direction to take.
2017 DETAILED:
I did regular opening routine this year as in prior 14 yrs except as soon as chemistry was good I floc'd and vac'd to waste. Water was clear to bottom before I vac to waste. After, there was alot of brown sludge-ish left on bottom vac brush head didn't get despite strong suction - (I now know what remains in the indents is rust sediment from well water shown in pic) but at opening point still had alot of opening debris to vac out + abnormal amount of field soil sludge thanks to a farmer tilling on 2 windiest covering my property in 1"+ of soil (& corn husks).
As I replaced 20% using well water, I brushed up all brown areas getting into indents and entire pool really well. Water was a greenish dirty cloud (well water is yellowish - liner blue so greenish makes sense but leaves question as to algae).
Im maintaining chemicals (including poly quat 60) and readings are good. Well water Alky is high so working at that as I go - but I'm not using any metal sequestrant yet & I've e never used one at this point.
After letting filter run it didn't clear up as I expected - still hazy but white hazy. I could make out the bottom enough to see dark areas which I vac'd by hand getting into indents. Water got more cloudy as I moved around to vac it. There were a few brown areas left which I brushed up once water became too cloudy to see much - SOME brown areas felt slimy. I rebrushed entire pool as I replaced another 20% using house water ( which is yellow but without the iron sediment).
It became a hazy greenish again w/o the dirty aspect. Guy at pool store confirmed chemistry all good but alkalinity was 200 which I knew - he recommends a "special shock" to clear remaining cloudiness (an organic shock). I added it & got a big Alka-Seltzer type response and of course the greenish got a lot worse (iron).
So I had also added 1/2 gallon of muratic acid & polyquat algaecide but use bigger dose than maintenance - at lower end of start up dose & (got chlorine on high side - ran filter 24 hrs then & floc'd again (used slightly lower dose of floc). Waited 48 hrs had good carpet of yellow sandish carpet on bottom but water not totally clear yet - it was sunny & humid so didn't want to wait any longer. When I went to prime hose to vac to waste (had a problem) & ended up blowing 1/4 of settled bottom up which increased cloudy water.
I NOW put washcloths on house & well hose & confirm sediment issue and difference in 2 methods (house has prefilter) as replace 20% water again using house water and didn't bypass softener (why CH is 123).
Chemical changes: -- (note: chlorine was nearly depleted after 48 hrs sun humid & floc) -
-- This week Sat 7/8:
-- Changed from polyquat 60 algaecide to No Mor problems algaecide;
-- Added full starting dose of Metal & Stain Out by Nature's Way (no one can confirm if it's HEDP or phosphonic derivative);
-- Added 2nd half of muratic acid gallon
-- Brought chlorine up w/ liquid & granular (use in line feeder w/ pucks for maintenance)
Now -- water is still hazy BUT slowly less hazy - it is a white hazy and I can see to the bottom in detail pretty good detail but the water is clearly still cloudy.
Had water tested yesterday -- see readings above. She said I had no iron or copper in my pool but did not know if that was because I had added the sequestrant.
The thing that's bothering me too is: I had pulled out my skimmer lid during the opening 1st floc vac process which had been knocked into the pool over winter. It was covered in a lime green algae sludge which was very difficult for me to even wipe or spray off at kitchen sink. During my last vac which was 2nd floc - I vac brushed walls to waste too and there was at least 1 small area of this green sludge.
I don't see or feel any now but I'm not sure if this remaining haze is still old dead algae new algae or iron
not yet filtered. Can you see my dilemma or is this an easy solve?
Any ideas on how I should proceed (making a note I am switching back to the polyquat 60 algaecide unless theres good reason not to since it says it eliminates need to shock)?
Should I add muratic acid and bring pH up slowly w/ baking soda if/as needed?
Should I treat hardness or just add well water using the washcloth?
Should I vac iron sediment in bottom indents to waste or shouldn't the filter catch them now (zeolite gets down to 3 microns)?
I'm grateful for guidance and thank you if you've read all this - the clues to the answers are often in details.
I'm trying to figure out how to add pic.
FC 5.6
TC 6.5
CC O.9
TA 196
pH 7.3
CH 123
CA 20
(see equip type below)
Short Questions:
Is cloudy water from algae (new/dead) or hard water or both/all? What to do and where to go w/ variables is the gest of what I'm seeking help with.
Brief History:
For past 2 yrs (2017 being 3rd) I've been fighting the clearing of considerable old dead algae too small for filter (2 microns) - following multiple equipment problems causing the pump & filter pool to be off for extended periods + water loss so trucked in water is now all my well water. I never got fully on top of this problem as it compounded. Last year I was very close to clearing it all out when I was diagnosed with tongue cancer (had a major surgery and radiation) so from August on the pool was neglected until it was shut down for the season. (Zeolite is in 2nd year; pump & equipment good - except not good seal yet in pump getting too much air but water pull - strong - trying to get best fitting o ring & get air tight; have used filter aids too).
Here we are 2017 - opened June had heater repair - and this is where I'm at and not sure which direction to take.
2017 DETAILED:
I did regular opening routine this year as in prior 14 yrs except as soon as chemistry was good I floc'd and vac'd to waste. Water was clear to bottom before I vac to waste. After, there was alot of brown sludge-ish left on bottom vac brush head didn't get despite strong suction - (I now know what remains in the indents is rust sediment from well water shown in pic) but at opening point still had alot of opening debris to vac out + abnormal amount of field soil sludge thanks to a farmer tilling on 2 windiest covering my property in 1"+ of soil (& corn husks).
As I replaced 20% using well water, I brushed up all brown areas getting into indents and entire pool really well. Water was a greenish dirty cloud (well water is yellowish - liner blue so greenish makes sense but leaves question as to algae).
Im maintaining chemicals (including poly quat 60) and readings are good. Well water Alky is high so working at that as I go - but I'm not using any metal sequestrant yet & I've e never used one at this point.
After letting filter run it didn't clear up as I expected - still hazy but white hazy. I could make out the bottom enough to see dark areas which I vac'd by hand getting into indents. Water got more cloudy as I moved around to vac it. There were a few brown areas left which I brushed up once water became too cloudy to see much - SOME brown areas felt slimy. I rebrushed entire pool as I replaced another 20% using house water ( which is yellow but without the iron sediment).
It became a hazy greenish again w/o the dirty aspect. Guy at pool store confirmed chemistry all good but alkalinity was 200 which I knew - he recommends a "special shock" to clear remaining cloudiness (an organic shock). I added it & got a big Alka-Seltzer type response and of course the greenish got a lot worse (iron).
So I had also added 1/2 gallon of muratic acid & polyquat algaecide but use bigger dose than maintenance - at lower end of start up dose & (got chlorine on high side - ran filter 24 hrs then & floc'd again (used slightly lower dose of floc). Waited 48 hrs had good carpet of yellow sandish carpet on bottom but water not totally clear yet - it was sunny & humid so didn't want to wait any longer. When I went to prime hose to vac to waste (had a problem) & ended up blowing 1/4 of settled bottom up which increased cloudy water.
I NOW put washcloths on house & well hose & confirm sediment issue and difference in 2 methods (house has prefilter) as replace 20% water again using house water and didn't bypass softener (why CH is 123).
Chemical changes: -- (note: chlorine was nearly depleted after 48 hrs sun humid & floc) -
-- This week Sat 7/8:
-- Changed from polyquat 60 algaecide to No Mor problems algaecide;
-- Added full starting dose of Metal & Stain Out by Nature's Way (no one can confirm if it's HEDP or phosphonic derivative);
-- Added 2nd half of muratic acid gallon
-- Brought chlorine up w/ liquid & granular (use in line feeder w/ pucks for maintenance)
Now -- water is still hazy BUT slowly less hazy - it is a white hazy and I can see to the bottom in detail pretty good detail but the water is clearly still cloudy.
Had water tested yesterday -- see readings above. She said I had no iron or copper in my pool but did not know if that was because I had added the sequestrant.
The thing that's bothering me too is: I had pulled out my skimmer lid during the opening 1st floc vac process which had been knocked into the pool over winter. It was covered in a lime green algae sludge which was very difficult for me to even wipe or spray off at kitchen sink. During my last vac which was 2nd floc - I vac brushed walls to waste too and there was at least 1 small area of this green sludge.
I don't see or feel any now but I'm not sure if this remaining haze is still old dead algae new algae or iron
not yet filtered. Can you see my dilemma or is this an easy solve?
Any ideas on how I should proceed (making a note I am switching back to the polyquat 60 algaecide unless theres good reason not to since it says it eliminates need to shock)?
Should I add muratic acid and bring pH up slowly w/ baking soda if/as needed?
Should I treat hardness or just add well water using the washcloth?
Should I vac iron sediment in bottom indents to waste or shouldn't the filter catch them now (zeolite gets down to 3 microns)?
I'm grateful for guidance and thank you if you've read all this - the clues to the answers are often in details.
I'm trying to figure out how to add pic.
