floc my pool

[rockjackjohn25]

I took a sample of my pool water to a pool store and these were the results.

Total Alkalinity-100
ph-6.4
Cyanuric acid-20
Total Hardness-90
Total Chlorine-7.2
Free Chlorine-0

I have an above ground pool, 10,000 gallons of water and cartridge filter. My water is cloudy blue. I was told to add ph adjuster to get the ph to 8 and then to floc my pool. After I put the floc in everything would settle to the bottom and I could vaccum the bottom and it would be clear. He said that it would take 24-48 hours for it to settle to the bottom. Well it has been over 48 hours and the water is still a cloudy blue. I have white things floating in my pool that looks like cotton balls.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

First, you need to raise the Ph to 7.2, not 8.0 that would be too high. Use PH Up or Borax or Soda Ash (Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda) to raise the PH.

Then you need chlorine, and plenty of it. You need to shock your pool to 12 FC - refer to the CYA chlorine chart - using liquid chlorine a.k.a. bleach. This requires frequent testing and additions of bleach, until the FC holds overnight. Run your filter 24/7 until the water is clear.

Have you read Pool School? Check out "How to Shock Your Pool" for starters....

I highly recommend you get a good test kit, there is an article in Pool School that compares the two kits we recommend.

You don't need Floc. I'd avoid that pool store, they are selling you products you don't need and giving bad advice to boot.

 

[JasonLion]

Welcome to TFP!

We don't generally recommend using floc. It won't ever work if you have living algae, and it can fail for several other reasons as well.

First and foremost, your pool needs chlorine. You should never let the FC level drop to zero. Now that FC has presumably been zero for a while, you need to shock the pool.

You should also lower the PH back to a more normal level, somewhere around 7.5.

 

[ideliver]

Just to be clear...adjust your pH first...then hold your FC at "shock" levels for your CYA...

 

[rockjackjohn25]

I have raised the ph to 7.2 and I am putting bleach in the pool 3 times a day. I clean the cartridge filter before I put bleach into the pool. Should I vaccum or just keep adding bleach and cleaning the filter until the FC holds over night.

 

[JasonLion]

If there is stuff on the bottom then it is good to vacuum, even if you can't see what you are doing clearly. If there isn't any specific reason to believe that there is stuff on the bottom, then brushing is usually enough.

 

[rockjackjohn25]

I can't see the bottom but there is some of the floc (looks like cotton balls) that have been floating to the top. Also I have been dipping leaves.

 

[Johnny B]

Just to be clear...adjust your pH first...then hold your FC at "shock" levels for your CYA...

I believe you, but why.
And he'd just add the apprpriate chemical to raise the pH, wait half an our, then add the Cl or wait 2 hours & re-test pH before adding Cl?

Thanks

 

[Guest]

Just to be clear...adjust your pH first...then hold your FC at "shock" levels for your CYA...

I believe you, but why.
And he'd just add the apprpriate chemical to raise the pH, wait half an our, then add the Cl or wait 2 hours & re-test pH before adding Cl?

Thanks

High chlorine levels interfere with the pH test and cause it to read high when it is not so it is impossible to adjust pH when chlorine is at shock level. (I won't get into the chemistry because it is a bit technical. Let's just say the chlorine reacts with the phenol red indicator and causes it to read high.)
Adjusting the pH involved adding the needed chemical, waiting, testing, and readjusting if not on target. It's not 'dump it in and hope for the best."
If you are adding acid to lower pH and have good circulation then30-45 minutes should be enough.
If you are adding soda ash or borax to raise pH you might need to wait several hours to overnight.

Also, in the future please do not hijack a thread to ask a different question but start your own new thread. Your question is an excellent one, btw.

 

[Johnny B]

Sorry about the hijack. It didn't occur to me that my question didn’t pertain here.

forum-etiquette-t10847.html?hilit=Forum Etiquette

&

No hijacking another poster's topic. Hijacking a topic occurs when a new poster asks about his problems in a thread already opened by another poster seeking help. If you have a unique problem, start your own thread. (see rule #1)

I misunderstand hijacking. I don’t mean to be difficult, I simply want to follow TFP’s requests. Waterbear you have been most generous in your help to me & others.