Help, flock not sinking

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Jackie5_0

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Jul 20, 2009
7
SC
First I just want to say thanks! We bought a house that had been abandoned for 4+ years then foreclosed on. The pool was a black leaf filled swamp. We listened to the pool store for 2+ months and spent over $700 and got nowhere! I started reading everything here and in less then a week I was able to see the bottom of the pool and I did it with the BBB method for a heck of a lot less!

We had a serious algae problem, which I believe we have gotten rid of. Did a free chlorine test and it held overnight. The pool was cloudy white after killing the algae. I waited a week with filtering and keeping the chlorine levels way up (test kit only goes to 5, have a better one on order) and didn't see any signs of it clearing up.
I'm very impatient so I flocked it, the flock I used (clean sweep) says it works with normal PH levels. The first time I put it in the PH was actually low (not even reading) and it worked just fine. I vacuumed till the water got too low to vacuum anymore (we have a VERY high water table here and Im afraid to bring the water down too low). Added water, brought the chlorine back through the roof and the PH to 7.6-7.8 let it filter for 2 days, kept the levels up. I flocked again, vacuumed again, ran out of water again etc.

Last night with the chlorine through the roof and the PH at 7.6 I added flock again, let it circulate for 2 hrs as directed then shut it down at about 10pm. The directions say to let it sit 12hrs or overnight, which has always worked. Its 1pm now, 13hrs later and there is no signs of it sinking.
I have read that low PH can cause it not to sink, but with this product that doesn't seem to be a problem and my PH was on the mark anyway. Is there some other reason it wouldn't sink?
I was debating on turning the filter on to take the chunks out, but I had overfilled the pool to prepare for 6 hours of vacuuming again, so the water is above the filter intake.

What should I do?

Ohh and I only have a 3 way test kit rite now. I only found the 6 way in strip form local which I read on here wasn't as good. I ordered a 6 way but don't have it yet. I guess I can go buy the strips in the meantime If needed though.

Currently I have-
CL- 5.0 BR- 11.0 PH- 7.2

Thanks
 
Welcome to TFP!

We don't generally recommend using floc. It is extra work, extra expense, and sometimes it simply doesn't work (as you have seen). The filter will clear up the water given some time, assuming all of the algae is dead and there isn't anything wrong with the filter.

By the by, there is no need to report the BR level. That is bromine, which you aren't using. The test can test for either chlorine or bromine, and you only need to read the scale for the chemical that you are actually using.

In the long run you would be much better of with a top quality test kit. See this article at Pool School for a list of the kits we recommend.
 
I think you're pool should still be at shock level.

IF you tested the chlorine and "it held" with your kit, it doesn't tell you much because it only tests "total" chlorine, which means you could have 'held' Combined Chloramines. This is why we recommend an FAS-DPD test, one part of the recommended kits.

Which kit did you order? If it doesn't have an FAS-DPD test, see if you can cancel the order and get either the TF100 or the Taylor K-2006.

What is your CYA level? Refer to the chart for your shock level, and raise it back up to shock. You can use the dilution method 50/50 with distilled water to read the chlorine up to 10 (multiply by 2) or use a 3:1 ratio and multiply by 4. You do lose accuracy and again, this is only showing Total Chlorine.

I agree with Jason on the floc - also are you sure the filter is working properly?
 
Sorry it took me so long to get back, this whole house is in as bad or worse shape as the pool. We are redoing the whole place ourselves and Ive been a bit overwhelmed. I had started to reply mid day yesterday and I keep running out of free time.
I ended up vacuuming the little bit that was on the bottom and letting the rest filter out. I had went outside to check on it and the stuff that was on the bottom was actually floating up.
The filter seems to be working, and we just changed the sand not too long ago.
When I say I had a serious algae problem, I mean there was a good 3-4" of algae covering every surface, algae floating, plus at least 3' of leafs in the bottom with who knows what growing in it. Once I killed it there was just so much dead algae in the water you still couldn't even see a foot down. I think with that much, it would take forever to filter, that's why I flocked.

I ordered the K200 test kit.
My CYA, I looked around here quick to try and see how to find out what it is but I didn't find anything and I'm running out of time, how do I find that out?

This is the pool the day we bought the house (the cover was put on after about 2yrs of being left open)
IMG_7317.jpg


While following the pool stores advise

IMG_7796.JPG


After the first flocking
IMG_8463.JPG


As of yesterday
IMG_8470.JPG
 
reebok said:
what is the k200? you meant k-2006? (I hope).
test results are the #1 thing you need right now. even if it's a pool store. cya is a test result.
Click to expand...

Yes the k-2006, sorry I was up till 4am and Im not quite awake yet.

We're going to be near the pool store today. I'll bring my water over to them.
 

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Jackie5_0 said:
reebok said:
what is the k200? you meant k-2006? (I hope).
test results are the #1 thing you need right now. even if it's a pool store. cya is a test result.
Click to expand...

Yes the k-2006, sorry I was up till 4am and Im not quite awake yet.

We're going to be near the pool store today. I'll bring my water over to them.
Click to expand...

IF you have the K-2006, it can test for CYA.
IF you have the K-2006 you have a top-notch kit and no reason to go to the pool store for inaccurate and inadequate testing. :wink:
 
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