Cloudiness won't go away!

[Openbahr]

Hi everyone,

-24000 gal. Inground pool.
-heater kept~ 84*
- partial shade 4pm full shade after 5pm.
- have been testing with a Taylor k-2006 kit for 3 years.
- have been using liq chlorine and maintaining with bleach for 2-3 years.
Learned this on this site years ago (thank you) when having problems with "phosphates" which turned out to be, I learned, excess ammonia. Bought an aquarium test kit and viola. This has worked great since then and I have maintained crystal clear water.

This year,
-had lots of rain
- I started a garden and the pool chemistry may have gotten neglected a bit
- truth be told, my wife's only job is to purchase a gallon of bleach every week. She kept "forgetting" this year and I refused to pick up the slack.
And now, I'm suffering.

FC levels dropped and I developed algae. (Not too bad)
So I shocked several times over
A few weeks. Using powder shock. (Ugh)

Water became very cloudy. And I had FC up to like 12 ppm but algae still was growing.
My cya was about 90!
I removed ~6000 gal and replaced. CYA was then around 50. And I shocked again. (Liq) to about 12 again. And algae grew again. But then I referred to the
CYA:FC chart and I realized I needed to be up near 20 ppm to shock with that CYA level. So I shocked (liq) to 20ppm. 2 days ago.

Today: water is still cloudy.
FC= 14
CC= ehhh. Maybe 0.5
pH=7.8
TA= 90
CYA= 55

 

[duraleigh]

Welcome to the forum.

read "SLAM" in the "How To" section up in Pool School. You are not holding your FC high enough long enough. Keep your filter clean, keep brushing and complete the SLAM that you started but are not finishing.

 

[Openbahr]

Thank you. I will maintain FC levels. Maybe that's my issue.

 

[Openbahr]

FC was 13 this AM. Only lost 1ppm overnight.

 

[duraleigh]

FC was 13 this AM. Only lost 1ppm overnight.

Good. How about your filtration that is addressed in that SLAM article? Pump on 24/7......filter cleaned/backwashed as needed? Brushing often?

Putting your equipment in your sig is helpful when you get a chance.

 

[pooldv]

More info on updating your sig here, Pool School - Getting Started

 

[Openbahr]

FC down from 13 to 10ppm overnight.
Have had pump running like 16 hrs a day
i brush often.

Cloudiness does seem to be getting better

Can I post pics here?

 

[Texas Splash]

Yes, you can post pics. Have you tried linking your photos from Photobucket? That's what many of us do here on TFP. Upload your pics to Photobucket (free), then copy & paste the IMG code for that pic from Photobucket to your TFP post. Works great.

 

[Openbahr]

 

[Openbahr]

So, at the end of the day, I noticed more algae growing on pool floor. UGH! So I added another 2.5 gal of liq chlorine. Then, I backwashed quick. Like 15-20 seconds. Then I switched back to filter, and all GREEN WATER started flowing from the jets. Agh!! What is happening??? Anyone?

 

[pooldv]

You have algae growing in your pool. The best way to get rid of it once and for all is to follow this process Pool School - SLAM - Shock Level And Maintain. It has worked for many people. Myself included.

 

[Openbahr]

I did slam it. I guess I didn't get it all.
My cya is about 50 and my FC should be about 24 now. (According to pool math, I didn't have time to test this am. But it was 10 and I added 2.5 gal of liq. Chlorine)

Is there a reason there was so much algae "hiding" in the filter? Do you think that's why it keeps coming back?

 

[PAGirl]

So, at the end of the day, I noticed more algae growing on pool floor. UGH! So I added another 2.5 gal of liq chlorine. Then, I backwashed quick. Like 15-20 seconds. Then I switched back to filter, and all GREEN WATER started flowing from the jets. Agh!! What is happening??? Anyone?

Did you rinse after the backwash?

- - - Updated - - -

So, at the end of the day, I noticed more algae growing on pool floor. UGH! So I added another 2.5 gal of liq chlorine. Then, I backwashed quick. Like 15-20 seconds. Then I switched back to filter, and all GREEN WATER started flowing from the jets. Agh!! What is happening??? Anyone?

Did you rinse after the backwash?
Also, a SLAM is complete when:

CC is 0.5 or lower;
You pass an OCLT (ie overnight FC loss test shows a loss of 1.0 ppm or less);
And the water is clear.

If your water was still cloudy, the process should continue.

Pool School - SLAM - Shock Level And Maintain

 

[duraleigh]

The algae wasn't hiding in the filter, it was being collected in there. Your backwash flushed it out. You can't half-way "try" the SLAM. Make up your mind to commit to it and your pool will clear up.

Have had pump running like 16 hrs a day

That's not a SLAM. Pump should be running 24/7.

 

[domct203]

........ CYA was then around 50. And I shocked again. (Liq) to about 12 again. And algae grew again. But then I referred to the
CYA:FC chart and I realized I needed to be up near 20 ppm to shock with that CYA level. So I shocked (liq) to 20ppm. 2 days ago.

Today: water is still cloudy.
FC= 14
CC= ehhh. Maybe 0.5
pH=7.8
TA= 90
CYA= 55

I did slam it. I guess I didn't get it all.
My cya is about 50 and my FC should be about 24 now. (According to pool math, I didn't have time to test this am. But it was 10 and I added 2.5 gal of liq. Chlorine)

Is there a reason there was so much algae "hiding" in the filter? Do you think that's why it keeps coming back?

Kill the algae, don't dance with it. Allowing your FC to yo-yo all over the place is just a waste of time, bleach & money.

S.L.A.M. means Shock Level, And MAINTAIN.

You will never defeat this algae unless you "find the time to test". As Dave said, the algae isn't hiding, it's thriving in your pool because you fail to maintain the proper shock level until you pass all 3 criteria for a successful SLAM.

Get your FC up to 24ppm and keep it there. This may mean testing every hour until you can hold FC. It's OK to overshoot a bit to anticipate what it will drop.

.......... Then, I backwashed quick. Like 15-20 seconds. Then I switched back to filter, and all GREEN WATER started flowing from the jets. Agh!! What is happening??? Anyone?

What is happening is that you are trying to shortcut the process, 15-20 seconds is obviously not long enough to properly clean the filter. Did you follow the backwash with a rinse to level the sand?

Dom

 

[duraleigh]

If you didn't rinse, that's what's causing dirty water back to the pool.

 

[Openbahr]

Thanks guys... your right... im dancing with it,

FC is 18 now
im going to buy more Liq CHL

 

[Openbahr]

Ok, just bought 7.5 Gal of liq Chlorine.
that should hold me for a while.
I backwashed for 6 mins and rinsed for 2
I added about 1.5 Gal and pump will run 24/7

I shall defeat you Algae!!!

 

[pooldv]

Good plan! You and Richard320 can have a funny pic battle! LOL!

 

[domct203]

Ok, just bought 7.5 Gal of liq Chlorine.
that should hold me for a while.
I backwashed for 6 mins and rinsed for 2
I added about 1.5 Gal and pump will run 24/7

I shall defeat you Algae!!!

HA HA HA

"Curse you Krabs!"

Too bad Plankton's not screaming in horror at a TFP banner!

Dom