HELP - Greenish colored water, semi-clear

[TXPoolmom6]

Hows your water looking and are you close to passing the OCLT? Your pictures from Tuesday seemed like you were close to being done.

If you are still losing a good amount of chlorine overnight, yet have a crystal clear pool, that points to hidden algae somewhere. I would get into your pool and scrub/inspect anywhere that normally doesnt get brushed (like the previously mentioned lights, drains, skimmers, weir doors, etc.).

The water looks AMAZING! I checked last night and was at 12ppm so added 1 gallon LC and guess what? This morning I was at 15ppm! I typically lose during the day so I want to check again this evening and again in morning.

I decided to tackle the pool light and I can NOT get the screw loose. I couldn’t get it to budge. Suggestions? I would still like to get that cleared out.

 

[TXPoolmom6]

Hit the drain with the hose & then some liquid chlorine
Unscrew the light from its niche & lay it on the pool deck until you can deal with it. The cable should be long enough.
Be sure to tape off the switch & breaker so no one turns it on while it’s out.
Hard to tell from the pic if it’s a little far down to reach the screw from laying on the deck but maybe with long arms?

Yes it’s too far down to do from the decking and I was mentioning in the below text that I couldn’t get the screw to budge….ugh

 

[Mdragger88]

Yes it’s too far down to do from the decking and I was mentioning in the below text that I couldn’t get the screw to budge….ugh

Until you can get it out you can try to spray it with the hose to flush it out.
For the screw maybe try some pb blaster.
Here’s some other helpful tips in these threads that worked for others

Google search results

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[wireform]

For the main drain possible nasties you can get the garden hose down into the deep with a powerful nozzle all while the valve for the MD is at least wide open and better would be to have the skimmers partially closed and have a good suction @ the MD. Then spray with a strong stream into the he MD cover from various angles hopefully churning up the nasties and then getting them sucked into the pipe.

 

[TXPoolmom6]

Okay so it's been a couple of weeks and I did finally get to a passing OCLT test. The water was super clear even before that but I kept doing the SLAM until I passed the OCLT test two days in a row. At that point I let the FC levels drift down....down.....down....down....until oops. I realized I clearly wasn't familiar with what I was "supposed" to be doing. The water is still the correct color but a tad cloudy. So I did the right thing and checked my chems. I am sure I sound super dumb, but for some reason after reading through pool school articles and the SLAM process I guess I thought I was supposed to just "let it go" and it would maintain itself. I know you are all laughing at me now.

So I will post what I had yesterday and what I did and also this morning. I was really trying to just learn on my own and not bother people and see if what I was doing was on the right track, but quickly realize you guys are a wealth of information.

Thursday afternoon
Block tester
Chlorine - 0
pH - definitely well beyond 8.2 so call it 8.2+

TF Results
FC - 0
CC - 0
TA - 80
CYA - 40
CH - 375

I was thinking y'all might tell me to start the SLAM again and my pH was definitely way too high based on my initial journey where someone posted I needed to lower my pH to start SLAM, but feel like it's way too high anyway. So I added muriatic acid (64oz)

This morning

Block tester
Chlorine - 5
pH - 7.8

TF Results
FC 3.5
CC .5
TA - 70-80? (it was light pink at 70 and dark pink at 80)

The CYA/Chlorine calculator says that for 40 my FC min should be 3 and target is 5-7). I used my PoolMath calculator and decided I wanted to try to bring the pH down a bit more and added 32oz more of muriatic acid (amount to lower by .3).

So I have a few questions.
1) am I on the right track?
2) since I technically passed all the SLAM tests is it just a matter of maintaining? and what does that look like? chlorine tabs regularly? liquid chlorine regularly? what determines when and how often I check these things?
3) at FC 3.5 should I bring that up into the target range?
4) am I right to continue lowering the pH?

We are still working on getting the light out. Also need to clean bottom drain, but there are absolutely no signs of regular algae growth.

 

[JJ_Tex]

7.8 pH is okay for normal "maintenance mode". If you SLAM you will want to lower to 7.2 because pH testing results are not accurate during high FC levels of a SLAM.

Here is what I would do:

1. Since you mentioned cloudy, determine if you have algae starting to reform. Determine this by doing an OCLT
2a. If you fail the OCLT, you know the drill... go back into SLAM mode which should be MUCH MUCH quicker this time
2b. If you pass your OCLT, make sure you are keeping within the recommended levels, especially for the FC/CYA chart. For your CYA of 40, 5-7 is your target range meaning that is where your pool should stay for most of the day. Keep in mind that when you add FC, you can go higher and let FC drift down into the target range. I would look at dosing FC to 8, 9 or even 10 when you add chlorine to make sure you stay far away from the minimum. I even get a bit panicked when my FC gets anywhere close to the low end of the target range.

 

[HermanTX]

So I have a few questions.
1) am I on the right track?
2) since I technically passed all the SLAM tests is it just a matter of maintaining? and what does that look like? chlorine tabs regularly? liquid chlorine regularly? what determines when and how often I check these things?
3) at FC 3.5 should I bring that up into the target range?
4) am I right to continue lowering the pH?

@JJ_Tex got you on the right path.
Assuming you past your OCLT and you do not need to SLAM.

One important point - keep using LC to prevent increasing your CYA with use of pucks over the long term. .

I do offer a short term plan that may help with CYA and pH. I have done this in the spring time when I was using LC and my CYA was low.
Since we are still fighting this heat wave through TX, you can keep some pucks in your floater in the pool. This will slowly increase CYA to the 50 range which helps protect the LC. It will also keep put some acid in the pool to control pH. This is a short term plan assuming you do not have to SLAM. However, never stop adding LC. Keep your FC on the upper range for CYA of 40. Then test CYA again in couple of weeks and if it hit 50 move up the FC range as well.

I would recommend you test every 2nd day so you can get a feel for how much chlorine you are losing due to UV and bather load.

One last point -your CH level is good.

 

[TXPoolmom6]

I just about want to throw in the towel. My pH appears sky high...the color is WAY past the color on the block so I guess that means it's over 8.2 AND to top it off my CYA is super low like 20 maybe less and NO FC which is expected since I had not CYA to hold it in. I did pass the OCLT and it seemed fine for a few days, then suddenly my CYA was low. I added about 1/2 the recommended CYA and it's been several days and it's slightly cloudy again. I absolutely don't know where I'm going wrong. We did have to top the pool off with water this week and there was one small storm that produced LOTS of leaves in the pool but they were promptly cleaned out. I can't quite figure out why on earth I would lose CYA. I added the rest of the CYA and also 2 gallons of LC.

Do I need to add powdered chlorine? Let tabs float in the pool at all times? How often are you guys adding LC once you've complete the SLAM?

 

[Mdragger88]

Most people add liquid chlorine daily or every other day. The pool eats chlorine continuously so you have to feed it whether you play with it or not.
Enough to last until the next time you feed it without falling below minimum.
FC/CYA Levels
The average fc loss is 2-5ppm/day with all other things being in balance (cya, no algae).
on the lower end (1-2ppm) in the shoulder seasons & on the higher end (4-5ppm) in the peak of summer.
The higher the water temp the faster cya degrades. It gets noticeably faster with water temps above 90.
If you’re seeing cloudy water you may have a problem brewing. Do an
Overnight Chlorine Loss Test to confirm/deny.
Lower your ph to the 7’s
Put “current” as 8.2 & “target” for 7.6 in poolmath- add the amount of acid needed and check ph again in 30 minutes or so then repeat the exercise until you get a readable ph in the 7’s.
How much cya did you add?
Are you adding it via the sock method?
It’s possible you still have some cya but its just not a readable amount. Test cya again tomorrow in bright light outside.

 

[TXPoolmom6]

Most people add liquid chlorine daily or every other day. The pool eats chlorine continuously so you have to feed it whether you play with it or not.
Enough to last until the next time you feed it without falling below minimum.
FC/CYA Levels
The average fc loss is 2-5ppm/day with all other things being in balance (cya, no algae).
on the lower end (1-2ppm) in the shoulder seasons & on the higher end (4-5ppm) in the peak of summer.
The higher the water temp the faster cya degrades. It gets noticeably faster with water temps above 90.
If you’re seeing cloudy water you may have a problem brewing. Do an
Overnight Chlorine Loss Test to confirm/deny.
Lower your ph to the 7’s
Put “current” as 8.2 & “target” for 7.6 in poolmath- add the amount of acid needed and check ph again in 30 minutes or so then repeat the exercise until you get a readable ph in the 7’s.
How much cya did you add?
Are you adding it via the sock method?
It’s possible you still have some cya but its just not a readable amount. Test cya again tomorrow in bright light outside.

Okay this was helpful, so I really needed a better tutorial on how the chlorine loss happens as well as having to add the LC continuously. The temps certainly have been above 90 in the pool I am certain with our heat this summer.

I will do an OCLT tonight. I forgot how much CYA I added and yes I added via the sock method, the other 1/2 has almost dissolved. Here are my current levels.

pH - hard to tell but looks between 7.2 and 7.5
FC - 4.5
CYA is now at 30

I see that the maintenance levels for FC is between 4-6 for a CYA of 30, but for the cloudy green pool selection it's 12. Should I add some more chlorine before nightfall? Test it and then check again in morning with an OCLT? Or leave it at the 4.5 and then just check again in a couple of hours? Will adding more chlorine now make it more cloudy? or helpful?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Mdragger88]

Okay this was helpful, so I really needed a better tutorial on how the chlorine loss happens as well as having to add the LC continuously. The temps certainly have been above 90 in the pool I am certain with our heat this summer.

I will do an OCLT tonight. I forgot how much CYA I added and yes I added via the sock method, the other 1/2 has almost dissolved. Here are my current levels.

pH - hard to tell but looks between 7.2 and 7.5
FC - 4.5
CYA is now at 30

I see that the maintenance levels for FC is between 4-6 for a CYA of 30, but for the cloudy green pool selection it's 12. Should I add some more chlorine before nightfall? Test it and then check again in morning with an OCLT? Or leave it at the 4.5 and then just check again in a couple of hours? Will adding more chlorine now make it more cloudy? or helpful?

Thanks in advance.

If it were me I’d just raise to slam now & then do the oclt sample after sunset which is quite soon .
If the cause of the cloudiness is algae (very likely) then chlorine is the cure. More chlorine will not make the pool more cloudy.

 

[TXPoolmom6]

Wonderful! I went ahead and did the slam, scrubbed some places that looked questionable...passed the OCLT, albeit, it was at 8 last night and 8 again this morning, but I didn't want to add any LC last night since I wanted to see if anything was happening overnight. So....from here do I let it just drift down to the 4-6 range? (CYA 30)

Should I consider checking tonight after sundown and see what happens tonight/tomorrow morning? How often are you guys checking the FC? Daily? And what additional levels do you check and how often. After my last SLAM I let it go not being super well educated on the methods and got myself back to doing a SLAM and while it took less time I found that all my levels were wonky. Especially my pH which seems to get out of control and get too high.

Also, is there any advantage to using the powdered chlorine. I have some on hand and WAY back in this thread someone mentioned having it but not sure what its role is. Also, should I consider leaving floating pucks in the pool regularly?

 

[Newdude]

I just about want to throw in the towel.

We got you now. Things are only going in the right direction.


For high PH (assuming the FC is under 10, as the test is invalid at 10+), the test only reads up to 8.2. It could be a 9.6(?). So you dose from 8.2 to 7.6 or so, mix for 15 mins and test again. Lather, rinse, repeat until it's a 7. I had the opposite problem inheriting a bottomed out PH after moving. It took 5 or 6 doses to raise it. Patience is key. Take a breath, have a beverage, and slow and steady will win the race.

 

[HermanTX]

Also, is there any advantage to using the powdered chlorine. I have some on hand and WAY back in this thread someone mentioned having it but not sure what its role is. Also, should I consider leaving floating pucks in the pool regularly?

Stick with LC. Powdered Chlorine is most likely shock or Cal-Hypo which either can add unwanted items such CYA or calcium.
Pucks provide CYA which is also bad unless you need to slightly increase CYA. You can predict that with Pool Math app with Effects of Adding. Each 3” Trichlor puck is 8 oz. for calculation purposes. Also, a Trichlor puck will has acid which will slightly adjust pH downwards. So pucks are useful if you would leave for a long weekend, you could add extra LC and then put a couple of pucks in a floater and that will hold your levels while away. Long term use of pucks can be detrimental mainly on increasing CYA to excessive levels.

How often to test may vary by experience and time of year. When I first started I was testing every day in the summer and let that drift to every second day as I was able to predict more of what was happening. You will gain more knowledge as you see the test results.

 

[Mdragger88]

Wonderful! I went ahead and did the slam, scrubbed some places that looked questionable...passed the OCLT, albeit, it was at 8 last night and 8 again this morning, but I didn't want to add any LC last night since I wanted to see if anything was happening overnight. So....from here do I let it just drift down to the 4-6 range? (CYA 30)

Is it still cloudy? If so continue with slam.
If not & you have passed all 3 criteria then maintain high target or a scootch higher so fc doesn’t get a chance to broach minimum.

Should I consider checking tonight after sundown and see what happens tonight/tomorrow morning? How often are you guys checking the FC? Daily?

Until you know how your pool “behaves” daily fc checks are best so things don’t get away from you.

And what additional levels do you check and how often. After my last SLAM I let it go not being super well educated on the methods and got myself back to doing a SLAM and while it took less time I found that all my levels were wonky. Especially my pH which seems to get out of control and get too high.

If your ph rises quickly it should be checked daily/ every couple days as well.
I can’t see your poolmath logs but if you’re ta is high this will affect the frequency of ph rise.
You can work on bringing that down by keeping ph in the 7’s.

Also, is there any advantage to using the powdered chlorine. I have some on hand and WAY back in this thread someone mentioned having it but not sure what its role is.

It adds ch- if you need some/can stand some it’s ok to use poolmath effects of adding to see all it will do.
Too much ch will cause scale. Calcium only leaves through water replacement it doesn’t evaporate.

Also, should I consider leaving floating pucks in the pool regularly?

I would save those for vacation/when you need to be away.
They add cya & are acidic- which sounds good but can get out of hand fairly quickly as it’s hard to predict how they will dissolve.