Persistent Cloudy Water

[amccleskey]

CYA 30
FC 18.5
CC 0
PH 7.4 before starting SLAM
ALK 70

I've been searching and searching the forum about cloudy pools that wouldn't clear up, but I haven't found a direct answer to my question. If it's out there and I missed it I'm sorry for starting the new thread.

We always open to a green pool and it takes at least 3 weeks to get it fully clear. (which always feels like a really long time) This winter we replaced our old tarp style pool cover with a mesh style safety cover. When we uncovered the pool this year it was black with algae and had large floating clumps on top of the water. It was the first year we've had the floating clumps. I got the green to go away after opening, but three weeks in I still couldn't get the cloudiness to go away. We also replaced our sand filter at the beginning of the season and I was having issues with backwashing sand out each time and the cloudy color of the water at that point almost looked like dirty sandy water in the deep end, so I thought it was a filtration issue and not an algae issue. I passed an OCLT, had less than 0.5 CC's and stopped my SLAM.

Since then I've continued maintaining the pool as usual and the cloudiness has turned to a blue cloudy instead of a dirty cloudy look, but still cloudy. (I can see to the bottom of the deep end. It's just not clear.) Last week I decided I was going to SLAM for as long as it takes to get the water crystal clear. I've been consistently SLAMing for a week now, since last Sunday and by Friday had only seen very slight improvement, so that night I bumped the FC up a couple of points to 15 and saw further improvement.

At this point I'm not sure if I've just read my CYA test wrong and need a higher FC then I've been maintaining or if I might have mustard algae and need to get aggressive with my FC? I already have bleach damage on my liner so I don't want to be too aggressive and damage it further, but I'm sooo ready to be done with this SLAM and to see my water clear again.

 

[Texas Splash]

I would definitely focus on ensuring you have a good CYA. Try the following:

Proper lighting is critical for the CYA test, so you want to test for CYA outside on a bright sunny day. Taylor recommends standing outside with your back to the sun and the view tube in the shade of your body. Use the mixing bottle to combine/gently mix the required amounts of pool water and R-0013 reagent, let sit for 30 seconds, then gently mix again. Then, while holding the skinny tube with the black dot at waist level, begin squirting the mixed solution into the skinny tube. Watch the black dot until it completely disappears. Once it disappears, record the CYA reading. After the first test, you can pour the mixed solution from the skinny view tube back to the mixing bottle, shake, and do the same test a second, third, or fourth time to instill consistency in your technique, become more comfortable with the testing, and validate the CYA reading.

In addition, leave no stone unturned. Inspect everywhere in the pool where water can get and algae can hide - in/under steps, ladders, behind lights, etc. Hopefully one of those things will help get you through this SLAM. Good luck!

 

[amccleskey]

I would definitely focus on ensuring you have a good CYA. Try the following:

In addition, leave no stone unturned. Inspect everywhere in the pool where water can get and algae can hide - in/under steps, ladders, behind lights, etc. Hopefully one of those things will help get you through this SLAM. Good luck!

Thank you Texas Splash. I went out and retested my CYA. By far, that is the hardest test to do and feel like I get a good reading. While I was out there I repoured and read the test a number of times. I feel like I pretty consistently got 35ppm. At 40 the dot was very faint but if I looked for it I could still see it. I guess based on that I will increase my SLAM to the numbers based on 40ppm CYA. I've got friends coming over with their kids on Tuesday and the whole focus is supposed to be the pool, so I hope I can wrap this and let the numbers drift back down by then.

 

[Texas Splash]

Sounds good. Remember that with a CYA of 40, the water is still safe for swimming at an FC of 16. If you still wish to let it fall a little just before the kids arrive, that's fine. You can pick back up right afterwards. Have a nice day.