Cloudy 1st Summer

[Rees’ Pool]

So happy for our first summer with a pool, BUT cloudy water. Here is the cycle: me “ugh, the water is cloudy,” my husband “the pool store said its perfect.” After multiple rounds of this, my husband gets out the clarifier. Still cloudy. Crystal clear water only is seen after flocking, but not long until cloudy again.

All of my “ughs” have just won me the pool chores. Thankful to have found TFP! I’m working to get up to speed on TFP protocols. (Another bonus is that I'm high-risk and not getting out and about. Now no need to run to the pool store. : )

Just did my first test with TP100 kit:
FC 4, CC .5, pH 7.2, TA 80, CH 200, CYA 30, water temp 86

Please point me in right direction for sparkling water. So appreciate the help! Amy

 

[Mike1162]

Numbers look good. What are you chlorinating with?

 

[Newdude]

Hey Rees and Welcome!!

(Another bonus is that I'm high-risk and not getting out and about. Now no need to run to the pool store. : )

And another another bonus is a 2-fer. You have plenty of time home to play with the pool *AND* it will give you something to do to lessen the Covid-boredom.

 

[HermanTX]

Welcome fellow Houstonian. Your pool test numbers look good. My pool is on the high side of CYA whereas yours is on the low side of recommended levels. Are you using liquid chlorine or a SWG? If liquid chlorine, your only trips to pool store or other is to purchase chlorine. In this hot weather you can go through a lot of liquid chlorine in a month especially at a CYA of 30. You mentioned cloudiness. Don't get tempted to buy pool store "solutions" that could have other negative effects. Have you cleaned your filter lately - may want to ensure that your cartridges are clean. How much time are you running your pump? Ensure you have good circulation for your volume. Keep us informed.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Hiya..... don't add any calcium, as it can cloud up water and a vinyl pool doesn't need it.
Don't use clarifiers or FLOC again- if those clarifiers went thru the filters the may need a good cleaning to get the goo out of them. FLOC must be vacuumed out to waste.

I'd suggest using liquid chlorine only, and taking your desired FC level up to about 5-6 , which leaves you room to lose some daily to the "sun gods" and still remain higher than basement minimum.
See --> FC/CYA Levels

Maddie

 

[Rees’ Pool]

Tablets in floating dispenser: Clorox XtraBlue Clorinating Tablets (Trrichloro-s-triazinetrione 94.5%, available chlorine 84.65%)
1/2 lb each week of Chlor Brite (Sodium diclloro-s-triaInetrione digydrate 99%, available chlorine 55%)
Cleaning or replacing fairly about once a month.
Our pump runs 24/7, but is not super strong. Endless Pools says it is adequate for our pool, but they were surprised we didn't keep pool covered 100% when not in use. Regional differences. (We hope to add stronger 3/4 HP pump and gas heater before winter.)

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Those Clorox XtraBlue pucks are adding copper to your water. Not a good thing if you're blond....green hair.
It won't build up too much if you're draining monthly.
Keep an eye on your CYA as it will build up and as it does your FC requirement must go up also.
FC/CYA Levels

Maddie

 

[Rees’ Pool]

I'm starting over. I switched to liquid bleach, liquid stabilizer, dry aid and borax, instead of the Leslie's special blends. I also ditched the tablet chlorine dispenser. We also splurged to get a Dolphin robot cleaner. Cleaning cartridge filters every couple days. Cloudy water never cleared up. I'm following the directions in Pool Math and I've rarely had everything in range at the same time, and struggling with chlorine disappearing almost daily. I had a typo in Pool Math and totally screwed up the alkalinity with massive baking soda overdose. I am draining the pool (which will also give me a chance to clean out the Endless Pool water return track to the propeller).

Big question: Is there a daily dose of bleach and stabilizer to keep things balanced in lieu of the tablets in the floating dispenser? Or should I go back to the tablets that kept chlorine levels stable in the past? If daily additions are needed, what do you do when you are on vacation?

Any tips on first round of chemicals in new water?

Thank you for your help pool gurus!

 

[HermanTX]

Rees
It is better to test routinely, maybe everyday to get experience then as you understand your pool you can adjust your timing between tests. If you are using liquid chlorine it is best you test daily using your basic CL and pH tester. Pool Math will then tell you how much to add. You will start to understand the needs of your pool. No doubt, using Liquid CL takes a little more effort (daily) to maintain the pool but it is so much better in the long run over the use of pucks. My pool consumes 2-4ppm CL per day in the Texas heat. If I go out of town - long weekend to see grandkids - I add some extra Liquid CL the day I leave then put in 3-4 pucks in a floater (stays in the pool). When I return, I test the pool, pull out the floater and add liquid CL to top up to my desired level. I just went away for 5 days and no issue when I came back and although the pucks had been eroded, the effect on CYA was minimal and likely to be offset by the fill water due to evaporation over the 5 days. Hope this helps and good luck with the fresh start.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

I would suggest a CYA of at least 40, perhaps 50 if the pool is in full sun all day. Then with the CYA of 40, keep the FC between 5-7ppm. That allows you to lose some FC during thre day yet still be above the bare minimum of 3ppm.
See --> FC/CYA Levels

For such a small pool liquid stabilizer is hard to use- it has so much sludge product at the bottom unless you use the entire jug you might find it hard to measure out just what you want and actually get that result. Try granular.

Maddie

 

[Rees’ Pool]

Pool filled with crystal clear tap water. Virgin reading: FC .5, TA 130, CYA 0, pH 7.6, CH 150. Pool Math is telling me 3 adjustments: add bleach, add stabilizer, add acid.

Question: Do the amounts for each addition take into account the other two additions? In other words, do I change the CYA amount in the FC tab to the targeted. Going from CYO of 0 to 50 is a big difference in amount of bleach to add.

Thank you for your help!

 

[HermanTX]

The acid is to lower your TA (and also your pH) but that is not critical right now. Add sufficient liquid chlorine to achieve 3-4ppm so you prevent any algae growth. That is CRITICAL. Then add your stabilizer to raise CYA. This will help maintain your FC as the sun will consume the chlorine without CYA. Having a little higher FC is not bad as it will drop. You want to do your stabilizer in stages as you do not want to overshoot that. Add some, test in a hour or so and then add stabilizer again however get the Chlorine in now.

 

[Rees’ Pool]

THANK YOU! Much appreciated! Adding Chlorine now.

 

[HermanTX]

THANK YOU! Much appreciated! Adding Chlorine now.

Keep us updated on your progress and your test results.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

What did you decide to do about the CYA?

 

[Rees’ Pool]

Thanks for checking back Skippy! I went with target CYA of 50 and did granular stabilizer. So far, so good! There was lots of ick in the Endless Pool water return--old disintegrated leaves. Glad to have that gone. (Preventing that is now on the list.)

I ended up needing twice the amount of bleach and stabilizer than Pool Math originally calculate. Swimming today in crystal clear pool was glorious!

The swings in Chlorine are crazy! FC 9.5 at 10 am, 2 now. All stabilizer now totally dissolved and at CYA of 60. (It is crazy hot today. 98 at 6 pm. Pool is mostly shaded with shade sail.)

Low-latitude peeps, is this our norm?

Do I need to tinker with TA? Aerating seems daunting.
------------------------------------------
Test Results 08-15-2020 @ 06:09 PM
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Free Chlorine: 2.0
Combined Chlorine: 0.5
pH: 7.2
Total Alkalinity: 120
CYA: 60

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Test Results 08-15-2020 @ 10:21 AM
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Free Chlorine: 9.5
Combined Chlorine: 1.0
pH: 7.2
Total Alkalinity: 130
CYA: 40

------------------------------------------
Chemical Addition 08-15-2020 @ 07:59 AM
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+ 13 Ounces of DryStabilizer

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Chemical Addition 08-15-2020 @ 07:43 AM
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+ 30 FluidOunces of Bleach

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Test Results 08-15-2020 @ 07:20 AM
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Free Chlorine: 1.5
Combined Chlorine: 0.5
pH: 7.4
Total Alkalinity: 130
CYA: 10

------------------------------------------
Chemical Addition 08-14-2020 @ 09:25 PM
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+ 14 Ounces of DryStabilizer

------------------------------------------
Chemical Addition 08-14-2020 @ 06:15 PM
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+ 16 FluidOunces of Bleach

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Test Results 08-14-2020 @ 10:21 AM
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Free Chlorine: 0.5
Combined Chlorine: 1.5
pH: 7.6
Total Alkalinity: 130
Calcium Hardness: 150
CYA: 0

------------------------------------------
Notes 08-14-2020 @ 10:18 AM
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Drained pool on 8/13. Cleaned Endless Pool propeller and water return track.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

That is an abnormally high FC loss..... could there still be debris in the pool chewing thru your chlorine?

Maddie

 

[Rees’ Pool]

I really don't think there is any other ick to clean out. My husband took a sample to Leslie's for grins. They said Phosphates were high at 400 and recommended adding "NoPHOS" and maybe weekly "Leslie's Perfect Weekly." Worth trying? (This was also our reading last week before we drained and cleaned.)

 

[mknauss]

Neither is needed or recommended. That is their typical sales push. Both products are weak and there are much better products out there if it was really needing to be addressed.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

.....and to expand on what Marty said above.... if you really were going to worry about Phosphates it would only be if they were in the *thousands* not a mere 400.

Maddir