Help! We have: Replaced sand in filter, shocked, shocked and shocked. All chemicals check out and pool is still cloudy. Been fighting it for 2 weeks and nothing works. Even added clarifier and still cloudy. Any help would be appreciated as this is Memorial Weekend!
cloudy pool with good chemicals
- Thread starter brushe
- Start date
Welcome to TFP.
Can you post a set of test results and how you got them?
Are you running the pump continuously?
You can try adding a cup or two cups of DE to the skimmer and see if that helps. Don't add too much because in this case more isn't better.
Can you post a set of test results and how you got them?
Are you running the pump continuously?
You can try adding a cup or two cups of DE to the skimmer and see if that helps. Don't add too much because in this case more isn't better.
Welcome! 
If you've been following pool store methods, you've been feeding your pool pucks to chlorinate. They're handy, no doubt, but pucks don't just add chlorine, they add Cyanuric Acid as well. To kill bacteria and algae, you need to maintain a certain ratio of chlorine to CYA. The problem is that the chlorine dissipates but the CYA does not. It just keeps building. Two of the three most popular "shock" powders also contain CYA.
So what happens is you add some pucks or some shock and both CYA and Free Chlorine go up. Then the FC goes away. So you add more pucks. But the FC/CYA ratio is no longer correct. The FC is now all bound up to the CYA and can't do its job. So you add more pucks and powders. It's just an endless downward spiral. Each time you raise the chlorine level, you're putting the target a little further out of reach.
At some point the pool turns green or cloudy and the pool store sells you more CYA-laden products to drive the target FC level further out of reach. And after they've emptied your wallet, they pronounce your pool is suffering from "Chlorine Lock" or high Total Dissolved Solids and the cure is to drain the pool, refill, and get back on the merry-go-round.
The pool didn't go green in three days, so it won't get clear in three days, either. Sorry. To fix it right requires a proper test kit to begin with. Knowing exactly where your pool numbers are lets you make an informed decision whether or not any water needs replacing first, and then to monitor the FC levels while you SLAM Process the pool. It's like a pool store "shock" but it's not a one-time megadose. It's a carefully regulated high amount of chlorine sustained for many days so it can actually kill the algae completely, and not just beat it down so it can return in a week.
Check out some of these threads. Look at the pictures. Just do what they did.
If you've been following pool store methods, you've been feeding your pool pucks to chlorinate. They're handy, no doubt, but pucks don't just add chlorine, they add Cyanuric Acid as well. To kill bacteria and algae, you need to maintain a certain ratio of chlorine to CYA. The problem is that the chlorine dissipates but the CYA does not. It just keeps building. Two of the three most popular "shock" powders also contain CYA.
So what happens is you add some pucks or some shock and both CYA and Free Chlorine go up. Then the FC goes away. So you add more pucks. But the FC/CYA ratio is no longer correct. The FC is now all bound up to the CYA and can't do its job. So you add more pucks and powders. It's just an endless downward spiral. Each time you raise the chlorine level, you're putting the target a little further out of reach.
At some point the pool turns green or cloudy and the pool store sells you more CYA-laden products to drive the target FC level further out of reach. And after they've emptied your wallet, they pronounce your pool is suffering from "Chlorine Lock" or high Total Dissolved Solids and the cure is to drain the pool, refill, and get back on the merry-go-round.
The pool didn't go green in three days, so it won't get clear in three days, either. Sorry. To fix it right requires a proper test kit to begin with. Knowing exactly where your pool numbers are lets you make an informed decision whether or not any water needs replacing first, and then to monitor the FC levels while you SLAM Process the pool. It's like a pool store "shock" but it's not a one-time megadose. It's a carefully regulated high amount of chlorine sustained for many days so it can actually kill the algae completely, and not just beat it down so it can return in a week.
Check out some of these threads. Look at the pictures. Just do what they did.
The pump has been running continuously except when we changed out the sand for 3 weeks. I do not have exact numbers as we use the test strips for everything but chlorine and ph, but by color everything was in normal range. We will retest this pm to give the chlorine and ph increaser time to work. It is slowly getting clearer as we can see the third step now (there are 4). Do you think it is safe to swim in?
No, a cloudy pool is never safe to swim in. Plus a pump and filter will never fix a water chemistry issue.
You have to decide, keep following the pool store advice or take a new direction. My first suggestion is to stop going to the pool store. Their only response it to sell you something.
I will tell you, it didn't this way overnight and it will take time to clear. But, we can teach you how to get it sparkling and keep it that was for a lot less money than the pool store.
First, not much credence is given to pool store testing around here. While you would think that a "professional" would be the best, unfortunately in most cases it is quite the opposite. Between employees who blindly trust the word of chemical sales representatives and high school kids working in the pool store for the summer you end up with poor results from their testing. But, what can you do?? We base our pool care system on accurate testing and only adding what the pool needs, when it needs it. To do that you need your own accurate test kit. Order a TF100 and at least include the XL option. That will give you what you need while you are clearing the pool, and probably enough reagents for a couple of years normal use.
While you wait for it to get delivered, you have a homework reading assignment. Start with ABCs of Water Chemistry and Turning Your Green Swamp Back into a Sparkling Oasis
You have to decide, keep following the pool store advice or take a new direction. My first suggestion is to stop going to the pool store. Their only response it to sell you something.
I will tell you, it didn't this way overnight and it will take time to clear. But, we can teach you how to get it sparkling and keep it that was for a lot less money than the pool store.
First, not much credence is given to pool store testing around here. While you would think that a "professional" would be the best, unfortunately in most cases it is quite the opposite. Between employees who blindly trust the word of chemical sales representatives and high school kids working in the pool store for the summer you end up with poor results from their testing. But, what can you do?? We base our pool care system on accurate testing and only adding what the pool needs, when it needs it. To do that you need your own accurate test kit. Order a TF100 and at least include the XL option. That will give you what you need while you are clearing the pool, and probably enough reagents for a couple of years normal use.
While you wait for it to get delivered, you have a homework reading assignment. Start with ABCs of Water Chemistry and Turning Your Green Swamp Back into a Sparkling Oasis
It is safe to swim when
Chlorine is between Target and Shock level for yur CYA, Chlorine CYA Chart
PH is between 7.2 and 7.8
The water is clear
If the chlorine level is below minimum for the CYA level and the water is cloudy that means something is growing in the pool, bacteria, algae, etc. The pool is unsanitary and there is elevated risk of person to person disease transmission.
Chlorine is between Target and Shock level for yur CYA, Chlorine CYA Chart
PH is between 7.2 and 7.8
The water is clear
If the chlorine level is below minimum for the CYA level and the water is cloudy that means something is growing in the pool, bacteria, algae, etc. The pool is unsanitary and there is elevated risk of person to person disease transmission.
