Persistent cloudiness and green

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rabbet

rabbet

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Jun 13, 2012
35
Garrison, NY
On 8/28 the water was slightly cloudy and green after having been perfect all summer.
pH 7.2
FC 7
TA 60
CYA 40
I added 14 lbs of baking soda and 40 oz of washing soda to bring pH to 7.6 and TA to 100
I thought things were improving but slowly.
The suddenly on 9/6 the water was dramatically cloudy and green.
pH 7.6
FC 7
TA 100
CYA 40
CH 125
I started a SLAM on 9/8 and there is very little progress. The back wash went from milky to clear.
I have never all this happen before. Ordinarily the pool needs a TA adjustment in August and then all goes well. I'm baffled. Could this be an indication that the filter sand needs changing?
Any advise will be super appreciated.
Thanks
 
In the majority of cases, when water goes cloudy it's due to algae, not the TA. In fact, your TA was probably in a good place (60) before. When you perform the SLAM Process, it's important to maintain the proper FC level. With a CYA of 40, your SL:AM FC level should be "16" as noted on the FC/CYA Levels.

What I would do right now before the cold weather drops in on you is lower the pH to about 7.2, then increase the FC to 16. Keep it there until you pass all 3 SLAM criteria. Then you'll be in a perfect spot to prepare for closing soon. I was just in the Buffalo/Jamestown areas this weekend and it was unseasonably warm, so algae is still trying to grow. Follow the SLAM page and you'll do fine.
 
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Pat has given you good advice on recovering the pool. I'll comment on the previous state of the pool and the additions.

pH - Any pH in the 7s is just fine. Over time, pH will tend to rise on its own. There are few (rare) cases where one should raise pH chemically. In the future, leave the pH alone if it is in the 7s, and it should rise on its own. No need to push it there.

TA - Your TA of 60 was absolutely fine. Generally, you don't need to adjust TA "up" unless it is below 50.

A spin through this may help...all your levels before were "acceptable"...you can choose Vinyl or Fiberglass for a painted concrete pool...
www.troublefreepool.com

What Are My Ideal Pool Levels?

Use our tool to find ideal chemical levels for any swimming pool. Check TFP recommended levels on pH, free chlorine, cyanuric acid, and more.
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
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rabbet said:
On 8/28 the water was slightly cloudy and green after having been perfect all summer.
pH 7.2
FC 7
TA 60
CYA 40
I added 14 lbs of baking soda and 40 oz of washing soda to bring pH to 7.6 and TA to 100
I thought things were improving but slowly.
The suddenly on 9/6 the water was dramatically cloudy and green.
pH 7.6
FC 7
TA 100
CYA 40
CH 125
I started a SLAM on 9/8 and there is very little progress. The back wash went from milky to clear.
I have never all this happen before. Ordinarily the pool needs a TA adjustment in August and then all goes well. I'm baffled. Could this be an indication that the filter sand needs changing?
Any advise will be super appreciated.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Did you happen to have a big gathering?

My pool got slightly cloudy after a big labor day party and it took a couple of days to clear. It happened previously in August as well and that one took nearly a week to completely clear. My chlorine numbers were always above minimum for my CYA but the pool still got slightly cloudy. During the labor day party I had brought my Chlorine just below slam levels and I noticed the pool cleared up faster than in August.
 
Thanks for all the replies, and specifically the advise about pH and TA levels. I have been trying to keep the FC at 16 for the SLAM, but it has dipped down to 14 or 15 a couple of times. I'm guessing I need to monitor more closely. No one said anything about cloudiness and needing to change the sand in the filter ball...
 
Dropping FC is part of the process. How often are you testing and replacing FC?

It is rare that you need to change the sand...if maintained properly, and you haven't added odd things like FLOC or Clarifiers, sand lasts forever.

Backwash the filter. Note clean pressure. When your pressure rises 25% over clean pressure, backwash again. Rinse and repeat.
 
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I've been checking in the morning before sun is on the pool and in the afternoon after the sun is off.
9/8 7pm raining FC 15 ADD 41 oz 12.5%
9/9 10 am FC 17
9/9 3:30 pm FC 14 add 82 oz 12.5%
9/10 8:30 am FC 14 add 82 oz 12.5%
9/10m7:30 pm FC 16
9/11 8:30 am FC 15 add 41oz 12.5%
 
rabbet said:
I've been checking in the morning before sun is on the pool and in the afternoon after the sun is off.
Click to expand...
It is going to take a Looooooong time to clear. I would increase the frequency of testing and replacing. It will clear faster. Every couple hours really helps...
 
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The water is mostly cloudy. Way less green than before though it was never dark green. I did one thorough brushing two days ago and have vacuumed several times. It rains and and off every day. Will start testing more frequently. I had a feeling I was being a bit lax about this. Thanks for helping me out.
 

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You might consider adding DE to your filter to speed the process. POOL DE ONLY.

www.troublefreepool.com

Add DE to a Sand Filter

A clean pool filter will increase the efficiency of your pool! ... your filter are to backwash it, clean the manifolds and grids, and add new DE.
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
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Bummer about the skimmers-
While the sand probably doesn’t need replacing & should last until the apocalypse, If you think it has gotten gummed up from clarifier use/potions or just has possibly gotten channeled you may consider deep cleaning the sand. This is something that should be done every couple seasons as a normal maintenance anyway. It will also give you the chance to inspect a little & ensure the sand is at the correct level.

Deep Cleaning a Sand Filter

This post will walk you through the anatomy of a sand filter, and then provide a video at the end for how to deep clean your sand filter. The filter used in the photos and videos is a Hayward S180T top mount sand filter. The images are of a similar filter. Obviously not all filters are...
www.google.com www.google.com
 
I am still having trouble. Testing often, FC 16 - 15, brushing and vacuuming daily, backwash when pressure rises 25% of clean, CC 0, pass OCLT, but water still cloudy. How much would I regret closing the pool while cloudy? Leaves are starting to fall.
 

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If I had a 40k pool here in AZ, I'd go thru 7 gallons of chlorine in 7 days just to keep the pool chlorinated to the target range for my CYA.

Yes, keep going.
Be sure you are testing at least 2 times daily and bringing FC back up to SLAM level eadh time.

Follow the SLAM Process to the letter - no shortcuts.

Check all areas in the pool for algae - lights, ladders, steps, skimmers, etc
 
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