The age old issue: Cloudy water only during and after high bather load

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PullJunkie

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Oct 7, 2018
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Title says it. I want to know how to stop it, at all costs. It bothers me :)

Commercial pools don't have the issue so why should I? What do I need? a bigger filter system? Pool is always TFP crystal clear and stays that way until a large party (~12+ kids & 10+ adults in pool) . It'll go away in a day after the party. Chems are perfectly balanced, Fcl is always on the higher end before, during and after swim.
 
I would love to know the answer to this. I have a 2300 gallon pool and just had 18 people over. It was cloudy as can be. I pulled a 3 inch sunscreen ball out of the skimmer the next morning. It is clear, but still chewing through chlorine - the lowest my FC got was 5 ppm and I actually had it at SLAM level prior to the party.
 
avenger_chicago said:
I pulled a 3 inch sunscreen ball out of the skimmer the next morning.
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I think you might have your answer. Bather waste - skin, hair, lotions, cosmetics and soaps, sweat, and possibly also (well, you know) -😳 can all contribute to cloudy water. One site I read indicates that if FC is less than 7.5% of the CYA level, bather waste will be slower to oxidize. In a commercial/public pool or one with high bather load, it has been suggested that FC be 20% of the CYA level to have fast enough oxidation of bather waste, but still not be over-chlorinating as this is equivalent to an FC of 0.2 ppm with no CYA.
 
More chlorine is always the answer! Hovering near the minimum doesn’t really allow for enough fc to handle the onslaught of bather waste/ sunscreen etc that happens with such a large amount of bodies.
Before a party I always dose above the highest target for my cya to prevent the issues you’re having. Then I hit it again when every body is gone.
 
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Hey Bonsey !!! I have an unscientific answer but stumbled upon the realization after personal experience coupled with reading post after post here.

I always heard similar stories from friends and was pleasantly surprised to never see it myself. Only one time with about 35 swimmers in my 35k gallons did I go cloudy and it kinda stuck as the magic # of 1 swimmer per 1k gallons. Immediately after that I found several threads with similar #s. 6 people in a 7k pool….. 12 in 11k….. etc. How much sunblock is needed on any given day and how much everybody is sweating depending on the weather will change that ratio a bit, but overall it appears to be holding true here.

The Intex folks see the longest recovery time for the undersized filters to capture everything, sometimes taking days to filter whatever the FC doesn’t get.
 
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bonsey said:
My chlorine is at the max per my CYA level and the chart. If I go more, it will become unhealthy for bathers at SLAM levels.
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It is perfectly safe to swim anywhere between minimum & slam level for your cya. At high bather rates the excess chlorine gets consumed quite quickly anyway.
At a cya of 70 there’s a long way between 10ppm (high target) & 28ppm slam level.
 
Planning ahead you’ll want an elevated FC and the filter running full bore during and after until it’s clear.

Some DE added to the sand filter will help speed things along afterwards too.
 
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Also @Snoobug the kids like the returns on high so it kills 2 birds with one stone. :)

I forgot you were new to this. So practice with me. ‘Yes they are on high. No they can’t go higher. Yes it’s the same high as last time’. :ROFLMAO:
 
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My filter is one speed and runs daily 8am-5pm or anytime there are swimmers. I keep my Fcl elevated at all times, well above the target level listed on the cya/fcl chart for SWG's because I go by the target levels for liquid chlorine (usually 9-12). I suppose I can bump it even higher towards SLAM and see if that helps.
 
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Newdude said:
Also @Snoobug the kids like the returns on high so it kills 2 birds with one stone. :)

I forgot you were new to this. So practice with me. ‘Yes they are on high. No they can’t go higher. Yes it’s the same high as last time’. :ROFLMAO:
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I felt this!

Also: Yes the heater is on. But setting it higher won't heat it any fas.... ok but... ugh, fine, I'll set it to 90!
 
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I wont even stick my feet in a commercial pool. Gross.

Bump that chlorine up before the bathers jump in. Test and bump again after they leave. Also, I don’t know if there is any validity to this, or it just makes me feel better - I make people let their sunscreen dry/absorb before they get in.

Lastly, a warning - Intex warns against running their pumps while folks are in the pool.
 
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bonsey said:
Title says it. I want to know how to stop it, at all costs. It bothers me :)

Commercial pools don't have the issue so why should I? What do I need? a bigger filter system? Pool is always TFP crystal clear and stays that way until a large party (~12+ kids & 10+ adults in pool) . It'll go away in a day after the party. Chems are perfectly balanced, Fcl is always on the higher end before, during and after swim.
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Commercial pool are almost NEVER as crystal clear as a TFP.
 
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