Help! New To Pool Care and My Pool is Cloudy

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Please do brush around lights and all fixtures. You probably don't need to take the lights out unless you started with a putrid green swamp. But do look for nooks and crannies to brush. I'm speaking from experience. Check inside the skimmer boxes and even under the lids. An ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure. Ask me how I know.
 
AimeeH said:
Please do brush around lights and all fixtures. You probably don't need to take the lights out unless you started with a putrid green swamp. But do look for nooks and crannies to brush. I'm speaking from experience. Check inside the skimmer boxes and even under the lids. An ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure. Ask me how I know.
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If I find anything hiding in the nooks and crannies should I continue the shock until they are gone, even if water is clear and I pass the other 2 tests?
 
QUESTION: Since my pool is clear now, I was planning on doing the overnight test tonight but my FC is down to 21 tonight (24 is shock target). Should I go ahead and do the test without adding the chlorine or add chlorine, wait an hour then get the FC level for my overnight test?
 
Okay, I passed the overnight test and the CC is zero so I think my SLAM is complete. I am a little concerned over the possibility of algae hiding in the lights, skimmer, and other crevices after Aimee seemed to have that problem. I've brushed those areas as best I can from outside the pool but I'm not sure if that's good enough.

Should i I trust it's all good since it meets the 3 criteria for being complete?
At what point should I do a complete run of testing?
I'm almost out of the FC reagent but have more on order that is supposed to be here Friday.

Thank you you in advance for further advice.

Terri
 
You can do the OCLT slightly below SLAM the important part is knowing what you start with after the sun went down not necessarily a specific level. So test in the PM after you are not getting any sun and test in the AM before you get any sun.

Ifyou still have or find any visible algae then yes brush it off and continue SLAM until you are sure all the little buggers are dead.

If you did do the OCLT how did it go?
 
:kim: Post a picture so we can see the results.

It sounds like you are done continue to brush epically any areas you are concerned about, even below SLAM you are still well above your normal FC target so the water still has a lot of algae killing ability.

If you want to be 100% sure about the lights you could take them out of the niches its not usually hard. It should be healed in with a single screw on the top at 12 o'clock you take that screw out and the whole fixture will hinge down and out. If it was installed correctly there should be a coil of wire behind it that will allow you to place the fixture on the deck. I don't think you need to do this but it will further your education about your pool so that may be worth the effort.

Wait till the FC gets down to 10ppm or lower and then run a full set of tests and post.
 
you know sometimes you have to go outside the box! You live in California Right?? Well i am sure right out of the faucet your calc. hardness is high, you cant do anything about that. Your cya is high stop using tablets and go to liquid chlorine overtime this will lower your cya. No getting around your sun deck brush it with your wall brush every morning or night. Go find a strong alg do not use any HTH PRODUCTS sold in department stores. i had a pool in AZ, FL and OH you take care of pools different in each state
 
My FC has fallen to 10 so I ran the first full test since SLAMming. This is what I got...

FC = 10
CC= 0
CH= 325-350 (added two drops at once when it changed to blue)
TA= 200 ! Is that crazy high?
CYA= 60 hurray!
pH= 8.2-ish

Is this okay to swim in?

According to PoolMath I ned to add 51oz of Muriatic Acid. I don't have a Borate test, does that matter?
PoolMath also states, "To lower TA you reduce pH to 7.0-7.2 with acid and then aerate to increase pH." Do I need to do this as well?

And any help on how to add pics would be great. I can keep reducing but I'm afraid they'll be too small to see.

Thanks
 

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Just to be safe I would add 25oz Muriatic Acid with the pump running, test 45min later and run the numbers through pool math one more time and add what it tells you to. Big changes like that are best done in steps so you don't overshoot. Once you get the pH in range 7.4 to 7.8 then test the TA and see where it is. My guess is it is going to come down a bunch. It will probably still be high but not sky high like it is now. Most find a TA between 60 to 80 give them the most stable pH but if you are not higher than say 130 I don't think I would actively seek to lower it unless your pH is out of control.

You should be able to get the pH in range in an hour or two then it will be time to :paddle:

Sorry no idea on the pictures. I do know if you become a supporter you get more storage space ;)
 
Thanks atttech-2 for the advice on the muriatic add. I added it in 2 additions, testing in between. Here are my new numbers:

FC: 5
CC: .5
CH: 400-425 (I'm still not sure about the correct color change.
TA: 180-180 (I'm not sure of this color change either.
pH range: 7.5~7.8
Water looks beautiful

According to a CYA level of 60, which I had yesterday but didn't test for today, my FC should be a target of 7. PoolMath tells me to add 59oz bleach.
Should I add the 59oz of bleach all at once or do a partial add tonight and check in the morning?
Should I expect to add bleach everyday from now on while it's still warm outside?

I'm still running the filter and cleaner 24/7.
Should I stop running 24/7, and if so, how do I determine how long it needs to run?

I'm concerned about getting scale on my glass tiles.
Any advice on lowering the CH?

Thanks again,
Terri
 
Yes you can add the bleach all at once do it in front of a return with the pump running. You will be adding bleach daily until cooler weather when the sun is lower in the sky. Since you are in TX you may want to ask around about chlorine for pools I have seen posts where people are able to get higher strength 12.5% chlorine at pool stores in refillable jugs at a decent price.

Your CH should be somewhere around 325 to 400 those levels don't move too fast and that is where your drain and refill should have landed you. If your fill water has high CH you may be fighting it from now on having to dump water, rain storms can help. Unfortunately only 2 ways to get rid of it drain or reverse osmosis treatment. For most drain and fill is cheaper. For those wiht high CH say over 400 scale can be managed by keeping CSI (Calcite Saturation Index) slightly negative -1 to -3. You will see it at the bottom of pool math, it will go up or down based primarily on temp, pH, and TA. You can just play with different levels till you get the result you want. The grout for your tiles may always get some scale it has something to do with the surface tension of the water where it meets the air. A brush with some dilute MA will take care of it.

If your pump is a single speed 4 hours is all you should "need" for mixing chemicals and filtering to keep the pool sanitary. After that its personal preference for aesthetics.. So I would start with 4 hours a day and see how you like it, increase in 30min or 1 hour increments till you are happy wiht the clarity.

In pool school there is a link to extended test kit directions that explains some of the color changes of the various tests it may better explain some of the tests for you.

I don't think it was ever mentioned but if the pool is fairly new your pH is going to rise on you fairly fast for the first 6 months to a year so if that is the case keep some MA on hand.

If you want to double check the volume of the pool I have 2 suggestions I would do both. First measure the pool as if it were 3 different pools 1.) the main body 2.) a smaller section where it comes in towards the baja as if it ended at the shelf, and 3) just the baja. Use one of the online calculators and add the 3 results together and see what you get. The second method will serve as a verification of the volume and involves pool math. Put the volume you think the pool is in pool math and when it comes time to add FC you simply add what it tells you to and test 30 to 45 min later. If you hit your target consistently 3 to 5 times in a row you have the correct volume. If you consistently overshoot drop the volume a bit until you are hitting your target more frequently.
 
Thanks Marla for the photo bucket tip. I was able to post 2 pics of my pool taken this morning.

(Posted below)

I'm now working on learning the everyday workings of my pool and what is normal and what I need to watch out for. I tested everything this morning and this is what I came up with...

FC 6
CC .5 or less (may have called it clear without a drop but it had a very slight hint of pink before adding the one drop that made it clear)
CH 450
TA 170
pH 7.8
CYA was 70 but has been 60. There are no tablets in the feeder and the feeder is off and I don't know why the CYA has jumped up.

Any observations on the outcome?

Here is a little background on the pool since the SLAM started:
The filter is still running 24/7, just because I haven't taken the time to go change it.
Haven't used any powdered or tablet form chlorine.
Haven't run the bubblers or spillways since before SLAM.
CYA was 60 after the partial drain and refill.
Only added bleach and after the SLAM I added Muriatic Acid to lower the ph once the FC fell to 10.

I'm still confused on the CH and TA testing colors. :colors: I don't really get a RED color, it's more dark/bright PINK. The BLUE is always purple first but after several more drops it goes to a BLUE-ish purple and with more drops I can get what I call BLUE, although it usually isn't a bright blue. I did a hardness test on my indoor water that is softened and after 1 drop it instantly turned a bright blue. I don't get that kind of color, or instant change when checking the pool water. I mention this because I'm not confident that my readings for those tests are that accurate if I'm not getting the right color. I might be adding too much trying to get a definitive blue or red when I just need enough of a change that it's considered blue or red even if it's purple and pink. Maybe I'm thinking too much on this, I do have that problem of wanting every detail, it's a curse. :|

atttech-2: I recalculated the pool volume sectioning the pool into 4 sections...1)the swim lane, 2)the bench along the lane, 3)the shelf, and 4)the steps/benches from end of shelf into pool. I'm not sure how to determine the depth when there are different depths within the area like the steps but I tried a few different numbers and the pool may be closer to 17,600 gallons than the 19,900 I came up with before. I'm going to use that number in the calculations for chlorine and see how I do. Seems I've been over shooting a little during the SLAM and even on my first bleach addition since the SLAM. Thanks for the suggestion.

Terri
 
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Thanks! For some reason I thought we weren't allowed to copy and paste the photo, just the link.

- - - Updated - - -

Looked like it added the other pic but it didn't show up. One day I'll figure this out.:scratch:

Since I'm not able to paste the photo without losing it, I'm posting the link to photo bucket to see the picture of the swim lane. The water is so beautiful and it's thanks to atttech-2 for walking me through the process every step of the way and to the others that chimed in with additional advice, tips, and encouragement. I wanted to share with you the fruits of "our" labor since I know you take time out of your day, and night, to answer my questions and offer encouragement. :bowdown::cheers::hug:Thank you! And as I saved money in the process, I have pitched in to support this awesome forum. :kim:


Pool SLAM-After:Lane.jpg
 
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Great job :kim:and thanks for supporting the forum you may not be aware but it is a non profit and depends on the community to keep it going. My guess is it won't be that long before you are helping a new member through their first SLAM. Don't forget about your discount at tftestkits.net when it comes time for a new kit.
 
PickleF16 said:
And any help on how to add pics would be great. I can keep reducing but I'm afraid they'll be too small to see.
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I had the same issue with posting pics. I had to sign up for Photobucket and upload the pics I wanted to post there. Once the pics were there, I copied the IMG and pasted it directly into the text of my post. Do not try to attach it using the attachment tool in the Go Advanced section. It won't work. Hope this was helpful.
 
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