New member here! With a question about post SLAM cloudiness

[ChatWithaNinja]

Hey all!
I've just moved into my house and it has a 40,000+ gallon in ground vinyl pool.
I did the SLAM procedure starting last Friday night (17th) and last night (this morning, 24th) my FC did not drop overnight. YAY!! - I now know that there is no organic matter eating up the chlorine.
The pool remains cloudy though! Can't see deeper than 6" or so.
The PH is low <7.0, but would that really matter if I'm not dropping FC overnight? PH needs to be 7.7 for eye comfort and chlorine effectiveness, but we aren't swimming and the FC didn't drop overnight, so...
I got some soda ash and will up the PH today anyway because the water should be healthy. (note: checked the PH when the FC was around 5ppm)
I've got a sand filter and a 2.5 pump (I think).

Is it just going to take forever to clear up or should I be doing something to speed it up?

 

[Bama Rambler]

The easiest thing to do is add about a cup of DE to your sand filter. Just remember, you haven't passed the OCLT until your water is clear even if you're not losing any FC overnight.

 

[ChatWithaNinja]

The easiest thing to do is add about a cup of DE to your sand filter. Just remember, you haven't passed the OCLT until your water is clear even if you're not losing any FC overnight.

OK, thanks.
I did add half a cup of Dia-"tenacious" Earth earlier today. I'll add more as long as the filter pressure hasn't spiked.
So I should continue with the SLAM process? Dang. was hoping to slow down on bleach spending... ok, time to research bleach in bulk...

 

[domct203]

OK, thanks.
I did add half a cup of Dia-"tenacious" Earth earlier today. I'll add more as long as the filter pressure hasn't spiked.
So I should continue with the SLAM process? Dang. was hoping to slow down on bleach spending... ok, time to research bleach in bulk...

You didn't mention what your CC level was.

A SLAM is not complete until:
1) Water is CLEAR
and
2) Pass an OCLT
and
3)CC is 0.5ppm or less.

All three conditions need to be met, not just OCLT.

It it sounds like you have only met one of those conditions and should NOT stop the SLAM.

What at test kit are you using?

Dom

 

[Vince-1961]

Cloudy water indicates a problem is brewing but not matured ... or ... is almost, but not quite, gone. At 40k+ gallons, you really need to know what level your CYA is. If it's out of range, you'll be using a lot more bleach than you would if it were in range, a whole lot more!

As long as you got FC levels raised during the SLAM, don't fret over the pH. You can adjust it later.

Chlorine kills and filters clean. Keep on filtering!

EDIT: instead is using soda ash to raise pH, try using Borax. It adds borates, which my wife and I agree makes everything better. Read up on borates.

 

[ChatWithaNinja]

Cloudy water indicates a problem is brewing but not matured ... or ... is almost, but not quite, gone. At 40k+ gallons, you really need to know what level your CYA is. If it's out of range, you'll be using a lot more bleach than you would if it were in range, a whole lot more!

As long as you got FC levels raised during the SLAM, don't fret over the pH. You can adjust it later.

Chlorine kills and filters clean. Keep on filtering!

EDIT: instead is using soda ash to raise pH, try using Borax. It adds borates, which my wife and I agree makes everything better. Read up on borates.

Thanks everyone for the advise!
I'm using the Taylor kit that the previous renter left for me. Unfortunately the reagent for CYA is out. I'm sure CYA is low or gone because I drained about 10,000 gallons to cut back on bleach use... I'm betting I've had a net loss with that plan after reading what CYA does...

I will order that testing reagent and then regroup my pool plans as soon as I can get that corrected.

seriously, thanks for all the help everybody!

 

[jaduck]

Are you saying that you are performing a SLAM but don't have a current CYA result? If so, you re not SLAMING anything.

I would not add soda ash without knowing my TA and CH! You could easily turn that pool into milk with CaCO3 precip. Without that CYA result you're flying blind. I would add 1 gallon of bleach a day until you get your CYA reagent.

 

[Casey]

Have to agree that you're flying blind doing a SLAM without knowing the CYA level.