The Green Lagoon!

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dpeat14

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Jun 8, 2014
40
Oswego, IL
I will start by saying, I apologize if my tone comes across as short, angry or rude...believe me it is just frustration at myself. I'm in my 4th year of owning a pool, and I've learned a lot. However, I cannot for the life of me keep my water clean, clear and pretty. most of my neighbors also have similar pools and I feel like they are never outside vacuuming or messing with their pools, but I am...constantly! Basically if I don't vacuum for a day or sometimes two, the water is clear but green, but the bottom is such that I have to vacuum to waste. This happens while my FC levels are usually between 3-5ppm.
I've posted about this in years past, I've read the articles, I've read the ABC's of Chemistry and have recently read the SLAM article. I tested the water using the Taylor kit recommended to me by the people in this forum. What I would really, really appreciate is if somebody could just let me know what I need to buy and do to fix this, for now and in future years, because it drives me absolutely bananas. I'm not really good at seeing these numbers from the test and translating that into the right information in the booklet to implement what I need to.

Tested the water tonight using the Taylor kit and readings are below...thank you!

FC-13 (dumped 4 gallons of liquid chlorine in there earlier this afternoon, hoping to shock it away)
CC-minimal, but some
pH-8 or 8+ (i'm red/green colorblind which doesn't help, but comparing it to the chart in the middle it was at least as red/purple as the 8.0 reading)
Alk-300 ppm
CH-175 ppm.

Any and all help is greatly, greatly appreciated because I think this is much harder than it's supposed to be and I would like actually enjoy my pool at some point instead of staring at the green water and cursing at it! haha...thank you thank you thank you!
 
Totally understand! Been there. So let's try to keep it very simple right now:
- Green water does in-fact mean SLAM per Pool School - SLAM - Shock Level And Maintain. But you can't SLAM if you don't know two things: FC and CYA. I see your FC above, but I don't see the CYA. So why is that so important?
Look at this chart: Pool School - Chlorine / CYA Chart. When you know your CYA, THEN you find the correct FC for that CYA. That's the only way to really know if your chlorine (FC) is high enough. Forget the old pool store "5 FC is high" nonsense. It's not if your CYA is 70 (see the chart).
So, do these things before you do anything else:
1 - Test your CYA. If it's over 70 or so, you have a decision; SLAM at that high level or do a partial drain to lower the CYA
2 - Adjust PH before starting the SLAM. A PH of 7.2 is ideal to start a SLAM (you can only validate PH if FC is below 10 though)
3 - 30 minutes after treating your PH, increase FC with bleach and keep it there 24/7 until you pass the 3 SLAM criteria.

Let us know of you have any questions about what to do next. Hang in there! :calm:
 
The PH test is not valid when FC is above 10ppm. Either use a PH reading from before adding the chlorine or let it drop to 9ish and test PH. With algae in the pool the FC will drop pretty fast.
 
Thanks for the help guys. i will test the FC again this morning and see if it's dropped. Then I'll go with the CYA count and see where it's at. I've put that in last year and twice this year, and according to the directions on the bottle it says you don't have to keep putting it in, but we'll see where it's at. So just to clarify, do i adjust the CYA level (what if it's 0??) or do I use the CYA to figure out the chlorine level? Once I know the CYA level, I just keep the chlorine at the corresponding level according to the chart linked above?

I'll re-post test result readings as well.
Thanks again!
 
Dpeat14,yeah, this has been a strange year for CYA. But typically once it's added, it stays there unless you drain water and refill. In any case, you have the right idea. Verify your CYA first and adjust if needed. When your water is cloudy or green, the ideal CYA is about 30 so you use less bleach to SLAM. But if it's higher, you can still SLAM. Yes, as you mentioned, validate that CYA first, then go back to the chart and find the corresponding FC level for that CYA. That's the easy part. After that (while SLAMming), it's a matter of "maintaining" that SLAM/Shock FC level. Hope it all works out for you. Let us know if you have more questions.
 
Alright...here is the latest. As mentioned above, I know there are charts and links and articles to fix this, but I'm at a point, where I think I need some step by step with this to make sure I'm not screwing it up. I've read the links and I've used the charts, but what can I say, I'm no Walter White when it comes to chemistry! ha! Here is what I just got on my test...

Water is clear, I can see the bottom very well, but it's still that greenish/blue tint.
FC-7.5
CC-0-.5
pH-7.8 (took 6 drops in the acid test to drop it to 7.2)
Alk-300 ppm (took 12 drops using a 10mL sample, x25)
Cal-275 (took 11 drops using a 10 mL sample, x25)
CYA- lower than 30...using the Taylor test kit, the black dot got cloudy but it never disappeared. The test tube only goes to 30

So, next step is??? Thanks thanks thanks!
 
Step by step here we come!

PH-I want it at 7.2 please...............From pool math add 52 oz of muriatic acid.

-Put in slowly in front of the return with the pump on. USE care, some kind of glasses on and turn your head away.

-Test it again n 30 mins. to make sure it is where you want it.

I will let you do that and get back to your next step.

Kim

- - - Updated - - -

So here is your next step--------

We are going to act as if you CYA is 20. I want your CYA at 30 (it acts as sunscreen for you FC)

Pool math says add 72 oz. of CYA. You can buy it at Walmart. Put it in a sock and let it hang in front of the return. You can and should squeeze it when you are out there to get it in your pool faster.

Kim
 
Your last step----------make sure PH is at 7.2 then SLAM the pool!

For right now you will..................

add 411 oz of 8% bleach. That should get you from FC 7 to FC 12 using this chart.

Pool School - Chlorine / CYA Chart

Do what you have to do to keep your FC AT or a little above FC 12.

I hope this helps! Let me know if you do not understand or have any more questions.

Kim
 
Ok...so cya first? Then pH and then chlorine? Also, when I've done the cya in the past it sits in a sock but doesn't really dissolve all the way. Do I wait until it's gone or just until the test gives the correct number? If it goes higher than 30 is that a problem?

Thanks again!


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PH first please.

The CYA and chlorine can be at the same time.


CYA-----you can/should squeeze the sock it is in to help is dissolve. Put in the 72oz CYA pool math asked for.

Don't bother testing for the CYA until a week from today. It takes that long to show up in the water.

Going back over it..............

Lower PH to 7.2 test in 30 mins to make sure it is there.

Put CYA in sock while you are waiting to PH to show how low it went.

Once PH is at 7.2 add the chlorine to SLAM level and keep it there.

Kim
 
I started the process tonight. I vacuumed the pool thoroughly and then added in some ph downer and a some cya. It actually looked pretty good today before I did that, but still not quite that sparkly pretty stuff I'm aiming for. I'll retest in the morning and keep you all posted and let you know if more questions or problems arise. Thanks again!
 
if are asking how long to keep shock level, and asking what an OCLT is, then you need to re-read the links that were provided for you in the second post of this thread. Follow that process.

OvernightChlorineLossTest. Did you lose more than 1ppm FC at shock level overnight. Sun goes down, last test and dose of the night. Wait at least 30 minutes. Retest FC.
Let pump run all night (which it should be anyway since you are slamming)
Before sun up, retest FC. Did you lose 1ppm or more?
 

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