What a mess

[Jeffc2112]

Keep it up, you'll get there! I was in a very similar spot, bad pool store advice had me adding pucks to keep the FC way to low, while raising my CYA to 140. I had to drain half my pool to lower the CYA to 85. So my SLAM took an FC of 35, lot's of bleach... Having been through it now, I know I'll never buy anything from the pool store again, and certainly won't ever listen to them again. It took me 22 weeks of keeping the FC at 35, but it's finally done, and now I have the knowledge to never let it get that way again.

I also had to clean the cartridge filter a bunch! But it got better towards the end, and now is perfect...

My advice would be to be super diligent about keeping that FC as close to 16 as possible, otherwise you're losing ground. Maybe have somebody add some bleach during the day while you're away. Especially as you'll lose some FC to sunlight.

Great advice to be found here, keep it up!

Jeff

 

[bbates7995]

Thanks for the encouragement but 22 weeks?!? I'm in NE Ohio, our swim season is more like 16 weeks if we're lucky!

 

[Skitch]

I think Jeff meant to type 2 weeks.

Two weeks is about how long it takes to get a really green pool back to crystal clear.

 

[bbates7995]

Whew! 2 weeks is doable!

So, this mornings readings:

FC 18.5
CC 1.0
pH 7.3
TA 190
CH 240
CYA 40
Borate 40

The pool was covered in tiny white bubbles this morning and then I heard a loud sucking sound. It turns out that the return was causing a whirlpool in the water and sucking air into the water. Unless I'm mistaken this would INCREASE pH ( I originally thought it would lower the pH). So I'm curious as to why my pH is dropping.

I also added 3 bottles of Clorox last night since the FC was low and I'd been dropping so much during the night. Looks like it may be holding a little better now.

Pool is still VERY cloudy. Only about 18" of visibility. Should I floc? The pool is full of tiny white particulates that floc would force to the bottom, correct? Just looking for ways to speed the process of clearing things up.

 

[bbates7995]

This is how the pool looked after following the pool store's instructions. Sorry, I have no pics from the beginning.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/73gpznpgq8j75es/IMG_2711.JPG?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/47w9mw0jcgr7kcd/IMG_2710.JPG?dl=0

 

[bbates7995]

Ok so my pool is still very cloudy but now covered in foam! WTH?!?

 

[jblizzle]

Well, what did you put into the pool?

 

[Richard320]

You didn't add splashless bleach, did you?

 

[bbates7995]

No splashless bleach. Based on my research I think it was the algecide the pool store said to put in

 

[jblizzle]

Could be. No need for that stuff.

 

[bbates7995]

Pool is still VERY cloudy. Only about 18" of visibility. Should I floc? The pool is full of tiny white particulates that floc would force to the bottom, correct? Just looking for ways to speed the process of clearing things up.

Thoughts?

 

[pooldv]

I don't know anything about a floc, it is not one of the Recommended Pool Chemicals so I don't use it. The fastest way I know to get through a slam is to test every 2 or 3 hours, add bleach to shock level, brush and vacuum. And leaf rake if there is debris on the bottom. Run the filter 24x7 and clean it when the pressure rises 20-25% from clean pressure.

 

[bbates7995]

Filter is running on high speed 24/7. Cleaning the filter as needed.

It is just after 30+ gallons of bleach, scrubbing and scrubbing, and arguing with the wife there isn't much if any improvement.

 

[pooldv]

Are you writing down your test results and bleach additions? Can you see a trend using less bleach as the days go by? Take a picture from the same spot at the same time every day so you can go back and compare. Often it is difficult to see changes when you look at it so often. Those changes are easier to see day by day than hour by hour.