Dull water

[Luric]

Three months into our conversion, and I just can't seem to get sparkly water. The water is clear but very dull. I also feel like it doesn't look quite as blue as it did last year. We have a black bottom pool surrounded by tons of landscaping which are reflected in the dark pool, so the pool never has that traditional pool look; but I'm remembering last year the water having more of a dark blue/navy look. Our brand new DE filter runs 17 hrs/day (12 hrs at 1250 rpms, 5 hrs at 2000 rpms). It's hard to put into words, but the water just doesn't look NICE like I'm remembering when we switched to the TFP method last summer when we were still using LC. Help?

My numbers:
FC: 4.5
CC: .5 (had pool parties for the last 3 days)
pH: 7.5
CH: 275
TA: 80
CYA: 70
Salt: 3050

 

[PAGirl]

Have you tried a OCLT to make sure it's not something organic? Have you tried upping the chlorine before a large party?

 

[Luric]

I have tried the OCLT twice, and didn't notice a problem.

I ran the filter & chlorinator a few extra hours and 5% higher in advance of our guests, and actually had upped to shock level the day before so the level was already elevated since it was still coming down from that (was 8 the morning they arrived). We've had this dullness for the last month at least. I've only recently gotten most of my levels seemingly in check (CYA was low at 40 for awhile), but the water doesn't look any different.

I stopped in the pool store to buy muratic acid, and chatted with the lady working. She said saltwater pools tend to have a less crisp/sparkly look. Is that the issue or is she just making things up since she has no real advise?

 

[Vickery]

I think her advice was worth what you paid for it. My pool sparkles like crystal. With CYA at 70, you might bump the FC another 2 points. I have found that borates will add clarity as well as stabilize the ph.

 

[Philo]

.I stopped in the pool store to buy muratic acid, and chatted with the lady working. She said saltwater pools tend to have a less crisp/sparkly look. Is that the issue or is she just making things up since she has no real advise?

She should have tried to sell you Floc or at least Clairifier. She must have been "new".

 

[Richard320]

Chemically there doesn't look to be anything wrong.

Tell you what, though.... if I slack off on brushing and then get a bunch of swimmers, it looks awful. Or after I do get off my backside and brush after too long, it looks awful. Swimmers brushing the walls or brush brushing the walls, same difference. The ultrafine dust that builds up goes into circulation and the water looks dull. A couple hours extra filtering and a lot of brushing fixes my pool up. Have you been slacking on the brushing?

 

[Luric]

We have a dolphin that scrubs up to & includes the waterline, so do I still need to be brushing? I haven't really been, aside from trying to weekly get in the grooves of the steps & ledges which I've noticed the robot isn't great on.

The dullness issue has been ongoing since long before we had a higher than usual number of swimmers. It was nice right of the bat and has slowly lost luster since opening. Should I really need to add more than 17 hrs to the filtering? Last year we had our 2.5hp pump which ran for hrs and kept the water great. WE switched to a variable speed, 12 hrs L & 5 hrs H. Should I increase time or increase amount of running on H? I'm starting to think maybe it's all in my head...?

 

[Richard320]

If it isn't brushing, and earlier on you said it looked better using liquid chlorine, maybe you should raise the FC level up to where you used to maintain it. It should just be a matter of raising the SWG on-time percentage.

 

[Luric]

I did another OCLT last night - still totally normal however I noticed my FC has dropped & maintained at 2.5 (that's what it was at 10:30pm and what it was at 4:30am. Am thinking the 4.5 earlier was still falling from having shocked the day before). We oversized our chlorinator (IC 60 for <30k gal pool), it runs 17 hrs at 70%...and I'm at 2.5? Can that be right? That seems like I'd need to run at 100% 24/7 just to get the recommended 5. And the water still looks dull. I'm very disappointed with our saltwater switch

 

[PAGirl]

Are there a lot of young kids using the pool? Perhaps the SWG can keep up day to day, but you will need to supplement a bump up in FC with a little bleach before you have a large crowd in the pool, and again after.