Cloudy Water Help!

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Day 5. Progress is slow, but we are seeing some clearing. Today I scooped out a bunch more leaves from the deep end (blindly scooped). I think I got the last of the leaves that fell in when our cover collapsed, but I can't see much past 3 or 4 feet down (it is 8 ft. deep). I also added some DE a couple of days ago. It only took 1/4 of a cup to raise our psi by 1. Would it be helpful to add more? Should I change the sand in my filter? We have lived here for 5 pool seasons and have never changed it (or cleaned it), and I don't know how long it was before that when it was last changed/cleaned. Thanks again for putting up with all my questions.
 
No need to change the sand. You should however consider a good deep cleaning as noted on the TFP Deep Cleaning a Sand Filter page. Adding DE is fine, although we normally reserve that for the tail-end of the SLAM when precise filtering is required for very small debris. It's very good you found more leaves and junk. Any of that stuff sitting and rotting at the bottom will prolong the SLAM. Good job.
 
It doesn't look any different this morning. Ugh. I know it can take a while, but the little clearing we have seen seems to have stalled. I'm starting to consider using some pool store chemicals- floc or clarifier. Talk me off my ledge... What else can I do? Our swim season is racing by and we leave for a 2 week vacation in 11 days.

When I vacuum, should I vacuum to waste?
 
It didn't get that way in a week, and it might not clear up in a week.

How does your FC/CC test? How often are you testing and adding? It would not hurt to deep clean the filter (Pat's link). It would take an hour or so, max.

If you are still vacuuming up "stuff", yes, to waste. If the bottom is cleanish, you can run it though the sand.
 
I just want to encourage you to keep it up! My pool is also slow to clear -- I thought it never would! I also recommend a deep clean of your sand. You'll be amazed (and grossed out) by what comes out of it!

One day you will check it and be able to see the drain in the deep end. It WILL happen!

Cheers --
Susiejax
 
Scooped more leaves out. I'm pretty sure the leaves are multiplying like Gremlins ;). I also recently have a lot of dirt/silt/dead algae on the floor of the shallow end (Yay! I can see it). I have been trying to vacuum, but I can only vacuum for a few minutes and the psi goes up 10-15 points and I lose suction. So I backwash, rinse, and start again. This is a problem though, because I keep needing to add water to make up for the backwashing. Also, I have noticed that when I am vacuuming and I lose suction, dirty water starts shooting out of the jets. I'm guessing I should be vacuuming to waste, but I can't seem to keep the water level high enough with all the backwashing I have had to do since I started this process. What could be causing dirty water to come back out of the jets? It stops as soon as I backwash.

Also, I looked at my filter and some of the hoses coming off of it are glued on! I'm not sure I can remove them to clean my sand. Is there a chemical cleaner I can use so I don't have to open it up?
 
nope, you really need to open it up to do a deep clean.. Deep Cleaning a Sand Filter

once it gets so dirty sand filters can not stop the dirt/algae from coming back to the pool..

upload a picture of your filter setup so we can see what your dealing with :)
 
I took pics, but I can't figure out how to upload them using my phone. Anyhow, I think I figured out how to open it up. I'm going to try it today... Wish me luck!

Our filter is in a small shed so I'm not sure how I can clean it without making a huge mess. I'm thinking it might be easier to shop vac out the sand and clean it in another location, or just replace it. I looked online at the manual for my filter, but I can't figure out how much sand it should hold. Any help? It is a Hayward vari-flo XL filter. I don't know the model number, and I'm not sure where to find it.

One other question- Overnight my FC is still dropping 5-6 ppm, and I still need to backwash most mornings due to a pressure increase. Does this mean I still have live algae? My POP is about up!! I think I'm going to buy clarifier today.. Everyday we can't swim is torture!
 
One other question- Overnight my FC is still dropping 5-6 ppm, and I still need to backwash most mornings due to a pressure increase. Does this mean I still have live algae?
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It does. :( Chlorine is, and will continue to be, your best ally. Any other products are simply Band-Aid expenses that will get your hopes up for a short period before the green and cloudiness reappears. Stick to the TFP basic in a SLAM - verify CYA and make sure FC consistently matches. The SLAM and instructions on that page work!

Remember - you CAN swim in your pool as long as your FC does not exceed your FC SLAM level on the Chlorine/CYA Chart. In fact, it's encouraged to get in there and keep things stirred-up, brush, etc.
 
Ok, I deep cleaned the filter. Lots of white stuff came out of it. It looked like cottonwood tree cotton. Was this dead algae? I overflowed the filter for around 25 minutes, and the water was mostly, but not completely, clear. I'm going to brush and vacuum, and cross my fingers. My kids refuse to swim after I scooped two dead toads out of the deep end ;). That, and I'm not comfortable with them being in there if I can't see the bottom. I'm willing to spend a little on Floc or Clarifier if it will clear it up enough for them to safely swim. I'll keep SLAMMing, off course!
 

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And we have a (mostly) clear pool!! We can clearly see the deep end, but it is still a little hazy. We passed the overnight chlorine test too, and the kids have been fish since Saturday. Thank you all so much for talking me through the process and keeping me hopeful throughout the journey ;). I learned more about pool care in these past two weeks than in the last 4 years! Bring on summer!
 
Wonderful. I suspect that deep cleaning helped. If the cloudiness doesn't go away in a day or two, you can let it go over time or consider adding a small amount of DE to the filter to help catch the very fine stuff. It's not mandatory, but some people like to try it. Pool School - Add DE to a Sand Filter

Enjoy!
 
erbeaman said:
And we have a (mostly) clear pool!! We can clearly see the deep end, but it is still a little hazy. We passed the overnight chlorine test too, and the kids have been fish since Saturday. Thank you all so much for talking me through the process and keeping me hopeful throughout the journey ;). I learned more about pool care in these past two weeks than in the last 4 years! Bring on summer!
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Awesome news :) congrats...
 
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