cloudy pool

[Jimrahbe]

Brian,

You really want to stay at the higher end of the FC scale just to ensure you never go below the minimum FC level..

I would have thought the cloudiness would have started to go away, at least some by now..

Let me see if I can get some additional comments about this..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[triptyx]

Jim, if he's passing OCLTs, I'm recalling a thread last season where the water just flat out wouldn't clear. I'll see if I can find it and send you a link and you can see if it applies.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Please everyone STOP and take a step back for a minute. This thread is starting to go in circles. As far as I can tell, at no point in this post was a SLAM properly executed or exited.

SLAM = Shock Level AND Maintain

That last part is critical - Maintain

The exit criteria for a SLAM -

1. OCLT is less than 1ppm;
2. CC's are less than 0.5pmm; AND
3. The water is clear

When was the water ever CLEAR? Not "sort of clear", not "kinda greenish clear" but crystal clear? Can you throw a quarter in the deep end of the pool and read heads or tails? Until a pool is clear, there is no point in doing an OCLT and there is no allowing the FC to drift down. You maintain the FC at shock levels.

Also, the CYA is all over the map but at no point do I see that shock levels of chlorine were used. Even if the CYA is 30ppm, that means shock level is no less than 12ppm FC. That's it. You maintain shock level until the pool is clear, the CCs are less than 0.5 and then you do an OCLT to see if the loss is less than 1.0 ppm

As for the clarity issues, CH Increaser should never be added to a pool when large amounts of chlorine and high pH are present; that's a recipe for creating calcium scale. Also, PhosFree is not useless BUT it was not needed in this situation. Phosphate removal is something you do to water AFTER it is balanced and clear; it does not in and of itself remove algae or help with the clearing process of a green pool.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Brian,

Since your pool is still cloudy, I suggest that we follow Matt's great advice about starting over with an official SLAM.

Here are the directions.... Pool School - SLAM - Shock Level And Maintain

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Brianhempel]

Should we continue the FC of 10? Pump run 24/7. Pool is still cloudy. Maintaining FC of 10 is difficult with a CYA of 35.

Thank you, to anyone who can answer this question.

 

[pabeader]

Actually, since you are still in a SLAM You should be Maintaining 16ppm based on the 40ppm CYA. (we always round up) This is the chart to use Pool School - Chlorine / CYA Chart

You need to be checking and adjusting this value often. At least 4 times a day, but I always suggest more often if possible.

 

[Brianhempel]

Thank you Matt and Jim. When if posted this am i did not see any of the threads from last night. My bad. By the way, Matt our pool has never been clear in the sense it is suppose to be. We purchased this house last Sept. and we knew it didn't look right. Never owned a pool and was relying on the ever dreaded pool store and pool company to maintain it. We decided it wasn't working and that is how we came across TFP. We weren't sure that we were in the slam process with keeping a FC 10 as told to do. It didn't coincide with our CYA levels. The CYA test is difficult to master we are getting better. Am I wrong to assume if we are having trouble maintaining FC of 16....our CYA is not actually 40?

 

[pabeader]

If you are having trouble maintaining the proper FC level, that is why you are slamming. The drop in FC means that there is something in the pool that the chlorine is removing. Thus the need to keep up the testing and adding. You keep that up until your water is so clear you think it's missing.

 

[Brianhempel]

Thanks Bob. My wife and I checked the CYA results independently of each other to ensure accuracy and both came up with 40. Following the pool math calculations for FC 16 for slam.

 

[Brianhempel]

I have been maintaining FC of 16. Testing every 90 minutes or so. The water is cloudier and getting greener. I turned the spa on as low as possible to circulate that water through the pool. Let it run for 30 mins. then shut it off. Sorry, our spa has a waterfall that flows into pool. Concerned the PH would go to high by leaving it on. The pump has been running 24/7 since Tuesday am. I brushed the pool today and cleaned the filter. Is it normal to get worse before getting better. I know I can't get an accurate PH level during a slam. All of the forums I read said don't worry about it, but the fact that it is getting greener and cloudier. There is no algae on the surface of the pool at all. Help would be appreciated Thank you all

My apologies forgot to add we started the slam at 9 am this morning.

 

[pabeader]

Are you, by chance, on a well?

 

[Brianhempel]

Is there anyone who can help me? Not sure if I am gaining ground or if something else should be done. Pool getting a little cloudier and a little greener. Is that normal? I have been testing often and not letting my FC dip below shock level.

- - - Updated - - -

Sorry, Bob I didn't see your post. No we are not on a well.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Brain,

I suggest that you continue the SLAM for at least another 24 hours.

Meanwhile I'll see what else I can find out about the problem you are having..

Thanks,

Jim R.

Edit.. how about posting a pic of you pools current condition...

 

[Brianhempel]

Thank you, Jim. I appreciate it. I can post a picture tomorrow. It is dark and I don't believe it will show very well.

 

[pabeader]

I feel kinda bad. I usually suggest that you should take at least one picture everyday while you are SLAMming.

 

[Brianhempel]

That is ok. Is it unusual to get worse even if it is just a little? Last Sunday it was cloudy blue. That was the first time we have seen blue since we bought the house in September.

 

[needsajet]

Just to clarify, forget the 10. That was just "until we know what's wrong" and was intended to stop the problem from getting any worse. That's history.

You're SLAMing now at 16 ppm FC. Was pH adjusted to 7.2-7.5 before raising FC?

Try to keep your FC at 16 by topping up 3 times a day, 4 times a day, whatever you can manage. Yes, it's normal to get worse before it gets better. If it's algae, you're seeing dead algae "carcasses" getting bleached white and creating cloudiness.

You mentioned you've had cloudiness for a long time. The OCLT pass might have happened because your water is cold. A cartridge filter should be working well for you, and once algae is truly dead, the cartridges will clear the algae out in a few days. You've probably already done this, but if not, you could inspect the cartridges for any tears or other damage, just to rule that out. Also, brushing up the "dust" on the bottom of the pool helps it get to the filter. (just 2 cents worth of extra things; the experts are on this, and I'm not going to suggest any procedures!! Plenty of cooks here You'll love TFP water this summer

 

[Brianhempel]

I have been keeping FC at 16. I am home all day and I have been checking it every 60-90 minutes. Our Phosphates were 7.5 when we started. Our water temp is 83, it was about 78 when we did the OCLT (solar heated). We brush every day and have cleaned the filter every day. The filter was purchased 3 months ago. I am confident in the TFP method, that is not in question. We never have had clarity in the sense that TFP accomplishes. Our water was clear in the sense that we could see our drain. The cloudiness just started last week when I brushed the sides really well and we started testing (Taylor K2006) and doing the TFP method, (certainly not to say that is what caused it). We read over and over the pool school. We used the Pool Math for calculations. The only thing we added as much as pool math recommended was bleach (8.25%) everything else was about 1/2 to 2/3 to be on the safe side. I am confident I will be enjoying TFP water soon. Being a new pool owner I am just nervous about doing the wrong thing to correct this situation.

Added note, when I turn our spa off so the waterfall doesn't flow into the pool, it increases the pressure coming out of the returns. The pressure is so strong it is creating a rippling on the water (aeration). I am concerned my PH is skyrocketing. We turned the spa returns on for 30 minutes and it raised our PH .2. If our pump has been running 24/7 for the last 24 hours since getting the PH at 7.5, is it now too high and adding to the cloudiness not to mention other potential problems. I haven't tested the PH because of the SLAMing process, so I have no idea what it is. We have been turning the spa on very low for 30 minutes each day to circulate that water into pool, per the advisement of TFP expert.

 

[Brianhempel]

 

[Brianhempel]

Now I am up a creek without a paddle. I have run out of the 0871 FC reagent. I purchased a bottle yesterday from a local pool store, bottle looked old.....it was. It was like adding water to my test. Nobody sells it, I am new at this and did not know you can only get it online. Yesterday the the most chlorine I lost was 2ppm after an hour and a half. Should I continue putting enough bleach in to bring it up 2 ppm every 2 hours or do I have to stop the SLAMing and resume on Monday when my reagent arrives?