I'm confused.

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Tsudduth

Tsudduth

0
Jul 9, 2016
51
Midland, TX
Pool Size
8566
Surface
Vinyl
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
I have a green pool, so I was going to start a slam. The results of my initial testing are as follows:

CYA = 70
FC = 19.5
CC = 0

I did not do a ph test since the FC was so high.

Leading up to this issue, about a month ago I had a little algae issue (I thought), so I started testing and found my CYA levels were way too high. I ended up replacing 67% of my water to bring my CYA levels down to 50. After the water replacement, I raised the FC to combat the algea. Within a couple of days, the pool was good again.

We have had an unusual amount of rain for West Texas and consequently the water got I little too cold. So I bought a solar cover about 3 weeks ago and put it on. Since then, I have not been as attentive as I should have been and then we went out of town for the holiday.

Now I have this green pool.
20160910_170107.jpg

With an FC value at 19.5 and CC at 0 (been it these values since yesterday afternoon's test) how can it be this bad? With my CYA already back up to 70, I need a Shock level FC at 28. Is there something I am missing. Or do I just need to reset my brain and start the slam from here.
 
The pool does not look green from the picture, maybe a little cloudy. A SLAM is in order. How were you taking care of the pool with the cover on? Did you do any testing as well over last few weeks? Once you clear up the pool and pass all 3 tests for the SLAM, test at least weekly (across the board) and test PH and Chlorine with the Taylor K-1000 at least every other day. How are you adding chlorine? What method?
 
I wasn't very attentive to the chemistry once I put the solar cover on, so I don't have any test data to share. I know that is my first problem. I have to be more diligent about testing even when we're not swimming in the pool.

Having said that, it is so cloudy that I can barely see the bottom of the ladder and it's only 4 ft deep. I did back flush the filter yesterday but I don't have a clear section in the discharge tube to gauge when it runs clear. Is there a general time frame that I should back flush for since I don't have a sight tube? After back flushing, the pressure did drop back to normal.

My pool is also shaded in the am because I have a tree that hangs over part of the pool. I think you can see them in the reflection on the water. They contribute their daily quota of leaves and acorns to the pool, especially when the wind blows (and it blows often in West Texas).

As far as chlorine, I use both pucks and liquid bleach. I use the pucks more during the week, since I am at work and haven't been as attentive as I should have been. On the weekends, I tend to use the liquid bleach. I guess I am using the pucks more as a crutch to cover my lack of attention to the pool. Does anybody know how much CYA is in the pucks? My CYA appears to be creeping up faster than I would have thought.
 
SLAM is
Shock
Level
And
Maintain

You need to keep FC levels at shock level for your CYA and maintain it there until you pass all three tests:

Clear water
CC below .5
And OCLT of less than 1

How are you chlorinating? If it is with pucks in a floater, you are adding CYA.
 
Wow, no wonder the CYA is rising so quickly. I'm going to have to get off the pucks. I can see why CYA can get out of hand very quickly.

- - - Updated - - -

Does anybody know if there is a minimum amount of time to run a back wash cycle when there is no site tube to see when the discharge runs clear?
 
Yup, yup. They also affect your pH, so using them is a gamble unless you really know how the chemicals all work together.

- - - Updated - - -

I have a friend without a site glass and he goes about 2-3 minutes depending on how the discharge looks. He claims he can tell when it starts to clear... But he also rinses for at least a minute.

Maybe someone else without a site glass will chime in.

- - - Updated - - -

Oh yea, he also told me that if his filter doesn't return to normal psi, he does another quick backwash.
 
Is there a general time frame that I should back flush for since I don't have a sight tube? After back flushing, the pressure did drop back to normal.
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Backwash for no longer than 1 minute and rinse for 30 seconds. Then check your gauge. If the pressure drops back to normal, then you are done. If not, repeat the cycle one more time, or until the pressure is back to normal.


As far as chlorine, I use both pucks and liquid bleach. I use the pucks more during the week, since I am at work and haven't been as attentive as I should have been
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The 3" tablets, even though very convenient, will increase your CYA in less than a few weeks to a higher level than recommended and will drop your PH, because they are very acidic. Even though more of a PIA, liquid chlorine is very predictable.


Does anybody know how much CYA is in the pucks? My CYA appears to be creeping up faster than I would have thought.
Click to expand...

4.87 FC 2.97 CYA per Tablet. This is what the manufacturer of the 7" tablets states on the website. I find pucks so annoying, that when I add them to the Frog System (empty), the setting is set to the highest. This way, the 3" pucks dissolve within a few days. I calculate enough to bring the CYA back up another 10 ppm. In my pool, with a starting CYA of 30-35, I only really need to add 6 pucks (2x yearly) or per season which is 5 months. Therefore, it goes to show that pucks are only a temporary solution to any season and if you used them 5 out of 7 days per week, this is one of the reasons why you ran into problems. While you are working, you may want to have someone add liquid bleach for you based on 2 ppm daily (unless the pool is used all the time). you can even do this every other day. Then when you test weekly, make adjustments accordingly. Chances are that your PH will be relatively stable as well with this method.

Having said that, it is so cloudy that I can barely see the bottom of the ladder and it's only 4 ft deep
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Now it is time to SLAM. Use only liquid bleach. Lower your PH to 7.2 before starting. Run the filter 24 hours per day and backwash only when necessary. In addition, you will have to brush the walls and floor of the pool daily until you pass the test. It appears that maybe during the week (because you are very busy) that the pool needs a little more TLC. Possibly having someone else add liquid chlorine and brush the walls more often will probably solve your problem. More than often, if all the chemistry is perfect, circulation is the "culprit". Brushing frequently helps break up algae (which is not visible) and suspend everything in the water so the chlorine can do its job.

Good luck and keep us posted!
 
Ok, so I brought the FC up to 29 ppm this morning, around 9:30. Rechecked the CYA, still around 70. The CC still registered 0. Checked the FC again at 4:30 and it was at 27. Again CC was at 0. Is it normal for CC to be at 0 while the pool is in such bad shape. I would have expected to have some CC in the mix.
 

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Ok, I just finished vacuuming the pool and I think it looks I little clearer. Or maybe I'm just being hopeful. So, is it ok to put the solar cover back on during the slamming process? We're suppose to get more rain this week and have cooler temps.
 
FC as of 4:30 pm was 29. I have not figured out an easy way to put on and remove the solar cover by myself. If anybody has figured out a way to do this with an 18' AG pool, please let me know.
 
I kind of accordion folded mine up to the side of the pool, onto the top of the water, folded the front leading edge, then walked along the side and pulled it when I had my 18' pool. I do something similar with larger one, but now I have a deck. I've considered making a video of how I do it. (I accidently nought a really heavy cover, but still manage, somehow, to get it on by myself when Noone is around. )
 
So I have been slamming for 2 1/2 days now and I think I am making progress. I built a little spreadsheet to record each test result, date and time. I have been maintaining anywhere from 24.5 ppm of FC on the low side to 30 on the high side. I can actually see all the rungs on the ladder fairly clearly now.

I did discover that the tf100 kit I bought comes with a sample of pool water with 50 ppm of CYA. So I ran that test to establish a benchmark of what that looks like. Then I re-tested my pool water and discovered that my CYA level is around 60 ppm. So apparently I have been slamming my pool hard for the last couple of days. For a pool my size, can anyone give me an estimate of how long this should take?
 
I brushed and vacuumed on Sunday. I brushed again yesterday. This morning the water looked significantly better during the pre-work test. Just got home this evening and it looks even better. I've been loosing about 2 ppm of FC between each check (excluding the lunchtime check)
I can actually see leaves in the bottom of the center of the pool. (It's actually clearer in person). This is good to see. Now I will need to get the ladder out and clean it. Would it be OK to clean it with Clorox cleanup as long as I rinse it well or should I use my power washer?
 

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