Cloudy Pool

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M

Mel81Har

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Feb 28, 2018
8
Lakeland Florida
Good afternoon, I have an 18x46 intex pool with sand filter pump. It had gotten a little green, so I added one bag of shock for vinyl pools and one 1 1/2 gallon of chlorine from Pinch a Penny. Turned pump on for 12 hours at a time. Water was still yucky so 3 days later I added another 1 1/2 gallons of chlorine. Now the pool is just teal, but very cloudy and cannot see down to the bottom of the pool. I addeded Clorox clarifier and I have ran the pump now for 18hrs straight and not shutting it off until its clear. Any idea how long it will take for the clarifier to clear up the pool? I have a party 3/10 and need to get it clear. I don't want to use the Floc because I don't have a real good vacuum. Anything else I should add? More chlorine maybe? But I think that is what caused it to get so cloudy...maybe too much? I don't have a test kit but can take to Pinch a penny if needed. Please help. The first photo was 3-4 days ago after both jugs of chlorine were added. The other two photos are from today after 18hrs of pump running with clarifier. :mad:Today.jpgToday1.jpgFriday 1.jpg
 
1. You REALLY need a test kit. Either the TF100 or Taylor K2006c. With algae in the pool it could be using up the chlorine in about an hour. Adding "shock" could be adding chemicals (like calcium or CYA) that you DON'T need.
2. If you add chlorine to a green pool it WILL get cloudy as it kills the algae. Just keep running your filter and backwashing when needed.
3. STOP adding clarifier!
Pool School - Defeating Algae
 
A clarifier isn't BAD like maybe an algaecide which adds chemicals you DON'T want in your pool like ammonia or copper. It just isn't needed and a waste of money.

Clarifiers usually cause particles to combine and sometimes drop to the bottom. So yes, you need to vacuum or sweep the bottom. Make sure you keep your filter clean so it can work. Clarifiers can cause it to fill up quick.

To kill regular green algae you need a steady amount of chlorine adjusted for CYA level. Without a good test it is unknown how often and fast you are using up the chlorine or if you are even putting enough in. If you get the TF100 get the XL option. Most people with a green pool can be taking chlorine reading 3 times a day or more.
 
Welcome to TFP! :wave: Clarifier and floc are not designed to sanitize or remove algae. Often times here at TFP we avoid using such products because of their ineffectiveness, side-effects, and/or cost. Bleach is always the best sanitizer and tool to remove algae. The critical component about using bleach however is knowing how much to use, and that's where the TF-100 (link below) or Taylor K-2006C test kit is so valuable. Pool store testing is typically inaccurate, and test strips are nicknamed "guess strips" for a reason. With the proper test kit, you'll not only have accurate results, but be able to maintain the proper FC (Free Chlorine) level for your current stabilizer level (CYA) to correctly and safely perform a TFP "SLAM" (link below) to remove that algae. I would encourage you to obtain one of those kits first, and at the same time brush-up on our Pool School references and the links below in my signature. They'll help you quite a bit. Nice to have you with us.
 
You need to brush the whole pool and probably add 1 1/2 gallons of bleach a day, 1/4 gal at a time over the course of the day, untill it clears up. You are just guessing here though.

If you want your pool to be clear and safe year round, get the tf-100 from tftestkits and slam the pool. Pool store testing lead you to where you are now, and less money in your pocket.
 
Not sure if I should SLAM it ( I guess this means shock it ) ?
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SLAM is a TFP term we use based on a process (see the link below). It's a consistent manner to which we maintain the proper elevated FC level based on your CYA and keep it there until you pass all 3 SLAM criteria. This effectively kills & removes algae and makes your water crystal clear. Shock is a pool store/street term used to do a one-time FC boost and it does not kill algae from your entire pool. Remember, no amount of filtration will kill algae, it will only move it around. You need bleach but the "correct" amount. That's where having the proper test kit comes in because it's that important. Too much bleach for too long can damage your liner. Also see below the Chlorine/CYA Chart link.
 
Mel,

A very common misunderstanding is that filters are there to filter algae out of the water and keep your water clear... Unfortunately, you have to kill the algae first before the filter can have any real effect and that is a chemical issue, not a filter issue..

Our method is to use the SLAM process to kill the algae so that the filter can do its job.. The problem is you really can't do a SLAM because you need to know the status of the chemicals in your pool first, which requires a good test kit...

We are not trying to sell you a test kit... We do not sell anything... You can buy the kit from wherever you want.. We don't care.. You just need one of the recommended kits so that we can help you.

I suspect that you have been using 3" chlorinated tabs to sanitize your pool... This has caused your CYA level to be well above 100 making any chlorine you add pretty ineffective. Before you try anything else, you need to know your CYA level.. If it is very high, as I suspect, you will have to drain at least some of your water, maybe a lot of water, so that you can get the level low enough to make your pool usable again.

Thanks for posting,

Jim R.
 

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The SLAM process is not a "once a day" addition of bleach. It is at least 4x a day, with testing that will keep you informed of how much FC is there, how much contaminate is there and information that you need to use PoolMath app. PoolMath tells you how much chlorine to add each time (at least 4 times a day, more is better) so that you *keep* your FC at the level that kills algae faster than the algae can reproduce.

The filter only is removing solids (dead algae for example). The bleach is killing the algae. If you don't kill it it won't go away.

Clarifiers can much up your sand filter making the sand gummed up. Don't use them.

Maddie :flower:
 
It’s absolutely beautiful now but still a tad bit cloudy. I can’t afford another test kit today since I broke mine on Saturday. Literally it looks gorgeous. I added algeside with built in clarifier , gallon on chlorine and hydrochloride acid on Saturday. And it turned this beautiful color but still cloudy. I have a bday party this Saturday so I’m freaking out!! Is it safe to swim in? D3466554-632A-4CC5-8C52-058B8E212820.jpg4D5C4B54-1E6B-491D-AFD0-49375B018653.jpg
 
Is it safe to swim in?
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I'm afraid for us there's no way to know unless we see reliable test results. You obviously still have algae, the pics show that. The transition from murky green to light/cloudy blue is expected when algae begins to die, but that's why testing and maintaining the "proper" amount of chlorine (consistently) is so important. The clarifier may try to coagulate some of the particles, but it's doing nothing to kill the algae, so basically it's a waste of money. Regular bleach is your friend when trying to kill algae. But again, it must be the proper amount based on your current CYA (stabilizer) reading. Those two go together.

In short, we generally say people can swim when you can see the bottom and when the FC (Free Chorine) level has not exceeded the FC SLAM level for your pool based on that current CYA reading. You can see that on the Chlorine/CYA Chart (link below). The changes are good! You just need to keep testing, monitoring the chlorine level, and follow all the steps on the SLAM page for best success.
 
Well Mel, I know you're doing the best you can since your test kit broke. So believe me I understand and I applaud you for at least trying to do what you can. You already know we don't give a lot of credence to pool store testing, but since that's all you have right now, I'll give you the following thoughts:
- A stabilizer of zero means you have no CYA. CYA is your water's sunscreen to protect the chlorine (bleach). So if you never added any stabilizer or stabilized products (bags of shock ot chlorine tablets) then your CYA may indeed be very low. You want your CYA to be a minimum of "30". If your pool is around 7,600 gallons in size, then just under 2 lbs of stabilizer should get your CYA to 30. You want to add granular stabilizer by putting it into a white sock and hanging it from the side of the pool, or put the tied-up sock in your skimmer as long as it doesn't block-off water flow.
- You need to lower the pH a little more with muriatic acid to about 7.2. The Poolmath calculator says that's a little over 1 cup.
- Now the tricky part without a test kit .... maintaining an FC of "12". To give you an idea how much that is, going from zero to 12 is about 1 gallon and 2 quarts in a 7,600 gallon pool. But you don't add a whole gallon each time, you test periodically and add only what you need to get back to 12 if it dropped over a few hours.

Ignore everything else the pool store said about TDS, phosphates, etc. For algae, you need to do those 3 things above and follow all the other steps noted on the SLAM page (link below). As we already know, trying to accurately get to a FC of 12 is next to impossible without the right part of the test kit, but that's what is required for best success.

I hope this information is helpful to you and that you are able to make some progress before the party. Good luck!
 
If I were you I would add 1/4 gal bleach every 4-6 hour and brush.

We can't trust those results at all, I would however add 20 ppm worth of cya in just in case it is zero you will have some, if your cya is high adding 20 ppm is not that much of a boost
 
Mel81Har said:
I didn't have to add anything else. All clear and pretty right now. Going to put my 3lbs of stabilizer in now that it is nice and clear. Thank you all
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Mel, the last pic you posted the water was far from clear. Sometimes folks who are new to TFP don't realize how clear and sparkly a pool done our way can look and they think they're done. When we show them a pic of a TFP clear pool they realize how far they have yet to go.... so until you can toss a quarter in there and easily see if its heads or tails, you still are cloudy.

And once clear you need that test kit to *keep* it clear and clean.

Maddie :flower:
 
I'm amused by what I now consider a "safe to swim" pool since I began following the TFP method. You are right, Maddie, that is not a clear pool and I certainly wouldn't want to swim in it. We won't even begin to talk about hotel pools :shaking:
 
A clear pool:
20160709_031653223_iOS.jpg

You should honestly be able to tell heads or tails on a coin dropped to the bottom. A TFP clear pool will even allow you to see what pattern is on the screw heads in the main drain cover in 5-6ft of water.
 

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