Hello TFP!
First let me say this site has been fantastic for a first time pool owner! I typically like to DIY everything I come across and the pool has been no exception. This is our third season opening and operating the pool.
The first year we had our pool. I read everything I could find on this site and ordered my test kit before even taking the cover off the pool the first spring. CYA was zero so I added a sock of cyanuric and then balanced ph and upped TA to 80-100ish. Used the SLAM procedure (With walmart bleach 6%) to get the pool from a green lagoon to amazingly clear blue in about a weeks time. we enjoyed and maintained the pool all summer without much trouble. I used the "Pool Pal" android app for all my chem calculations.
Note: I did think that we had a little mustard algae that first year but a little brushing and vacuuming and it didn't really bother us. I attempted the SLAM and then mustard algae levels towards the end of the season but I'm not sure I totally eradicated it. It was nice and clear blue when I closed it for the season.
Last Year we opened our pool quite later (early June, due to uncooperative weather and other priorities). I did all the same procedures as the year before, CYA zero so broke out the sock again, balanced the ph, upped TA to 80 and got the SLAM going. I decided I would try to SLAM and then go right up to mustard SLAM given what I encountered the year before just in case. This time the water changed from the green lagoon to nice and blue, kept adding liquid chlorine (10% as I found walmart carries this as an alternative to the bleach from the year before, slightly cheaper yay!). I kept adding chlorine like what I felt was excessive but it would not clear up even after a few weeks.
CC was typically between 0 and .5 when I checked. FC seemed to always be under SLAM when I tested so I would add and add (typically More than my calculations would say is necessary). I was testing soo much I ran out of DPD half way through the initial SLAM and had to reorder (start over blah!) I finally got it clear at one point weeks later but the whole summer was pretty lack luster here so the pool maintenance to pool enjoyment ratio was pretty darn low. I just pretty much gave up late august and closed it early September with the water already turning back to it's green lagoon state.
This year got the cover off as early as I possibly could! liquid chlorine at the ready, CYA and trusty sock soaking in front of the return, Balance the ph, upped TA to 80 and here we go with the SLAM! First week was the same as the previous year Green lagoon to blue right away, kept the SLAM up for a few days (10-12 FC as I assumed my CYA was zero like every year while I waited for it to dissolve). CC kept testing below .5 (almost 0) and while It was hard to get an accurate OCLT (My schedule is all over the place) it seemed like it was loosing very little overnight.
After a few days (2-3) of working on this I started reading and reading ... and reading.. about cloudy water. I was thinking the SLAM had been completed (other than of course the cloudiness). At this point it seemed like it might be an issue with my sand filter just not clearing it up. I had never taken my filter apart and found instructions on cleaning the sand with a garden hose, just poking it in and running it and letting all the crud spill out the top. One evening (a the first week) I opened it up and cleaned it for quite a while with the hose like I saw. It did look like a lot of stuff came out. Great! Maybe that's it?
After the filter deep clean I let it go for another week. Kept FC at around 4 since CYA looked to get up to around 30 where I like it. Kept a skimmer sock on my basket as well to help it out. Water stayed nice and blue but still cloudy!!!!
Ok,.. back to SLAM there HAS to be something in there still right!? I probably didn't do the SLAM long enough or get FC high enough the first time. Mid Week, last week I got it going, CYA looks like it is a bit higher than 30 now so I decide to call it 40 and proceed with SLAM at 16 FC.
Sooo much chlorine! I have been fighting this for days (day 3 currently)! I keep adding and testing like a maniac. I'm afraid I'm going to run out of DPD powder again lol! During the day I've been testing every few hours or as often as I can. I add more than my calculations show I need and every-time I test I always need more, more, more! It seems like I loose very little overnight but during the day I feel like the sun is just drinking it down. I'm pretty sure I've done my CYA tests (multiple times) correctly and at over 30 I wouldn't think it would disappear soo fast during the day.
I'm still going... frustrated and disappointed that I'm 3 weeks in and still cloudy blue water. I haven't even bothered with an OCLT lately as I'm just waiting for that moment when the water really starts to show a change for the better (clearing up). Sometimes I think it's starting to look better but I think that's more just me hoping that all this work is really paying off!
I even changed back to the walmart 6% bleach (like I used the first year) instead of the 10% liquid chlorine as a test, thinking maybe the liquid chlorine is the cause or is maybe outdated and weak.
Anyway, that's where I'm at and I apologize for the long post. From my reading I think my solution is just to be persistent with the SLAM (If I don't go broke buying chlorine/bleach) but other than that I'm running out of ideas. Maybe a total sand swap is in order? We have had it just these 3 seasons but I bet it's original from the previous owner (could be 8-10yrs old?)
If anyone has any other recommendations I would be more than grateful to listen and try them!
One last thing, did I just get really lucky that first year? One week or so and we had a perfect pool! I think that is what has been more aggravating than anything lol.
Thanks for reading and please find latest test details below.
FC 13.5 (added about 100oz 6% bleach even though calculations say 77oz to bring to 16ppm FC)
CC <.5 (barely barely turns pink on my 10ml test)
TA 80 (has been pretty steady after I raised it to this the first week. My fill water is pretty high TA so I typically let that raise it for me throughout the summer)
CYA 40 (dot gets pretty blurry around this mark but still there. totally disappears about halfway between 40 and 30)
CH 70 (the one time I tested it this year just in case I typically don't pay much attention to this)
Thanks!
Jon
First let me say this site has been fantastic for a first time pool owner! I typically like to DIY everything I come across and the pool has been no exception. This is our third season opening and operating the pool.
The first year we had our pool. I read everything I could find on this site and ordered my test kit before even taking the cover off the pool the first spring. CYA was zero so I added a sock of cyanuric and then balanced ph and upped TA to 80-100ish. Used the SLAM procedure (With walmart bleach 6%) to get the pool from a green lagoon to amazingly clear blue in about a weeks time. we enjoyed and maintained the pool all summer without much trouble. I used the "Pool Pal" android app for all my chem calculations.
Note: I did think that we had a little mustard algae that first year but a little brushing and vacuuming and it didn't really bother us. I attempted the SLAM and then mustard algae levels towards the end of the season but I'm not sure I totally eradicated it. It was nice and clear blue when I closed it for the season.
Last Year we opened our pool quite later (early June, due to uncooperative weather and other priorities). I did all the same procedures as the year before, CYA zero so broke out the sock again, balanced the ph, upped TA to 80 and got the SLAM going. I decided I would try to SLAM and then go right up to mustard SLAM given what I encountered the year before just in case. This time the water changed from the green lagoon to nice and blue, kept adding liquid chlorine (10% as I found walmart carries this as an alternative to the bleach from the year before, slightly cheaper yay!). I kept adding chlorine like what I felt was excessive but it would not clear up even after a few weeks.
CC was typically between 0 and .5 when I checked. FC seemed to always be under SLAM when I tested so I would add and add (typically More than my calculations would say is necessary). I was testing soo much I ran out of DPD half way through the initial SLAM and had to reorder (start over blah!) I finally got it clear at one point weeks later but the whole summer was pretty lack luster here so the pool maintenance to pool enjoyment ratio was pretty darn low. I just pretty much gave up late august and closed it early September with the water already turning back to it's green lagoon state.
This year got the cover off as early as I possibly could! liquid chlorine at the ready, CYA and trusty sock soaking in front of the return, Balance the ph, upped TA to 80 and here we go with the SLAM! First week was the same as the previous year Green lagoon to blue right away, kept the SLAM up for a few days (10-12 FC as I assumed my CYA was zero like every year while I waited for it to dissolve). CC kept testing below .5 (almost 0) and while It was hard to get an accurate OCLT (My schedule is all over the place) it seemed like it was loosing very little overnight.
After a few days (2-3) of working on this I started reading and reading ... and reading.. about cloudy water. I was thinking the SLAM had been completed (other than of course the cloudiness). At this point it seemed like it might be an issue with my sand filter just not clearing it up. I had never taken my filter apart and found instructions on cleaning the sand with a garden hose, just poking it in and running it and letting all the crud spill out the top. One evening (a the first week) I opened it up and cleaned it for quite a while with the hose like I saw. It did look like a lot of stuff came out. Great! Maybe that's it?
After the filter deep clean I let it go for another week. Kept FC at around 4 since CYA looked to get up to around 30 where I like it. Kept a skimmer sock on my basket as well to help it out. Water stayed nice and blue but still cloudy!!!!
Ok,.. back to SLAM there HAS to be something in there still right!? I probably didn't do the SLAM long enough or get FC high enough the first time. Mid Week, last week I got it going, CYA looks like it is a bit higher than 30 now so I decide to call it 40 and proceed with SLAM at 16 FC.
Sooo much chlorine! I have been fighting this for days (day 3 currently)! I keep adding and testing like a maniac. I'm afraid I'm going to run out of DPD powder again lol! During the day I've been testing every few hours or as often as I can. I add more than my calculations show I need and every-time I test I always need more, more, more! It seems like I loose very little overnight but during the day I feel like the sun is just drinking it down. I'm pretty sure I've done my CYA tests (multiple times) correctly and at over 30 I wouldn't think it would disappear soo fast during the day.
I'm still going... frustrated and disappointed that I'm 3 weeks in and still cloudy blue water. I haven't even bothered with an OCLT lately as I'm just waiting for that moment when the water really starts to show a change for the better (clearing up). Sometimes I think it's starting to look better but I think that's more just me hoping that all this work is really paying off!
I even changed back to the walmart 6% bleach (like I used the first year) instead of the 10% liquid chlorine as a test, thinking maybe the liquid chlorine is the cause or is maybe outdated and weak. Anyway, that's where I'm at and I apologize for the long post. From my reading I think my solution is just to be persistent with the SLAM (If I don't go broke buying chlorine/bleach) but other than that I'm running out of ideas. Maybe a total sand swap is in order? We have had it just these 3 seasons but I bet it's original from the previous owner (could be 8-10yrs old?)
If anyone has any other recommendations I would be more than grateful to listen and try them!
One last thing, did I just get really lucky that first year? One week or so and we had a perfect pool! I think that is what has been more aggravating than anything lol.
Thanks for reading and please find latest test details below.
FC 13.5 (added about 100oz 6% bleach even though calculations say 77oz to bring to 16ppm FC)
CC <.5 (barely barely turns pink on my 10ml test)
TA 80 (has been pretty steady after I raised it to this the first week. My fill water is pretty high TA so I typically let that raise it for me throughout the summer)
CYA 40 (dot gets pretty blurry around this mark but still there. totally disappears about halfway between 40 and 30)
CH 70 (the one time I tested it this year just in case I typically don't pay much attention to this)
Thanks!
Jon
Welcome to TFP!!!
