Pool still hazy, water will not clear

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R

Roberto

0
Jul 8, 2007
28
Central Texas
All,

My conversion is not doing well, the water is very blue but hazy, I can't see the bottom so I doubled up on bleach and now its too high and holding. I tested with a TF-100 kit and had problems with the TA. The instructions say to add R-0009 until the solution turns red. My was only yellow, never turned red, even after 100 drops. A TA test with an HTH 6 way strip says its 120. These are the rest of my values:

FC 39
CC 2
PH 7.3
TA 120????
CH 140
CYA 50
Salt 3850
SWG still off
dissapointment high

What now? go back to Baquacyl? hehehe, riiiiiight!

Roberto
 
I dont know what you need to do about your chlorine being so high, because it is probably in danger of bleaching things.

You are on the right track though, and need to just give it some time. Is your filter running 24/7? Have you changed your media? (Sand, cartridge, etc..)?

Dont add any more bleach.
 
The TA test colors change at high chlorine levels. A change in color is the important thing, not the actual color.

Are you having to clean the cartridge often? A cartridge filter in dirty water usually requires frequent cleaning. You might want to double check that the cartridge is seated like it should be.
 
At high chlorine levels the PH test doesn't work normally and anything other than a very high reading suggests your PH is very low. Also, at high chlorine levels, the TA test goes from blue to yellow instead of from green to red. If it started out yellow then that means your TA is very low.

I would add two lbs of baking soda, give it four or more hours to mix in, and repeat the TA test and see if you can get a reading, keeping in mind the blue to yellow transition.
 
Aerating won't help. Aerating raises PH when TA is high. If TA is low, aerating won't do much of anything.

It is the acid that lowers TA in the add acid, aerate, repeat cycle used to lower TA.

If PH is very low and TA is near zero you need to get TA up a bit before adjusting PH. Otherwise you will just get wild swings in PH that are difficult to control.
 
was your water clear before you changed your cartridge?

How long since you started your conversion? not very, if I remember correctly. Even if your FC holds, you may have some residual stuff to clear out. I usually advocate that your conversion is over when your FC holds AND your water is crystal clear.

Since this is a new thread, I may not be remembering something. Keep filtering and brushing and cleaning your cartridge. You will get there. Remember, a couple key ingredients to trouble-free pool maintenance are patience and persistence!
 
Roberto,

I sense your frustration but you're not doing enough homework.

Please do not take this post as mean-sprited...it is applicable to you as well as many other folks who first begin to understand pool water chemistry.

A. Your pool water did not go from perfect to all out of whack in one day. It is unrealistic of you (or anyone) to assume you can fix it in one day. You must clear your pool with an organized plan that can take as long as a week and that you have to understand or you will not do it successfully.

B. Don't search for "magic bullets" to short cut the process....your pool will clear with chlorine applied in high doses over a long period of time. How long that time is depends on how bad your pool has gotten and how thoroughly you understand and apply the process.

C. Chemgeek has said this many times...three things are required before your pool can be considered "back to normal"
1. Clear water...you don't have that
2. Zero CC's....you certainly don't have that...That test reasult of 2 CC's is one of the highest I've seen reported this Summer
3. The ability to hold chlorine at a steady level overnight.....you report that but, I can tell you, you have organics in your water and they are consuming chlorine.

D. Please read the stickies....the majority of the questions that are troubling you can be found there.

E. Measure and apply accurately. 39ppm of chlorine is too high and, if nothing else, can skew test results and confuse you and the folks who are trying to help you.

F. (this is a biggie) Keep the faith! I sense you are ready to move on and try something else.....Nothing else will work as well as chlorine........apply it in accurate measured doses, keep your filter clean, run your pump 24/7 and brush frequently and your pool will clear.
 

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Roberto said:
All,

My conversion is not doing well, the water is very blue but hazy, I can't see the bottom so I doubled up on bleach and now its too high and holding. I tested with a TF-100 kit and had problems with the TA. The instructions say to add R-0009 until the solution turns red. My was only yellow, never turned red, even after 100 drops. A TA test with an HTH 6 way strip says its 120. These are the rest of my values:

FC 39
CC 2
PH 7.3
TA 120????
CH 140
CYA 50
Salt 3850
SWG still off
dissapointment high

What now? go back to Baquacyl? hehehe, riiiiiight!

Roberto
Click to expand...

When chlorine levels are high the color change will be from blue to yellow instead of green to red because one of the indicators is getting bleached out by the high chlorine levels. The test is still accurate.
 
New numbers

Thank you all for answering. Yesterday I got volunteered for Guard Duty and this is a 24 hr period, I couldn't do anything else to the pool.
The conversion has been going on for about 10 days, when I started the water was green, and had been green the whole season, we have not been able to swim yet. Some days I haven't been able to do anything because of rain, or duty. last thing I did yesterday before going on guard was add 2 Lbs of baking soda and the water cleared up a lot. I can make the outline of the bottom and the wall, first time this season. New numbers:

FC 15
CC 1.5
PH 7.3
TA 140
CH 160
CYA 60
SALT 3850

Now, up to read the stickies.

Regards,
Roberto
 
If i were you, I would bring the chlorine up to 20ppm and HOLD IT there until your water is crystal clear and holds that number overnight.

You still have CC's (which are bad) and the remedy is to hold the chlorine level at shock level until they are gone.

Can someone else monitor your pool if you have to be away for a day or more? I suspect your conversion process is taking so long because you cant be around to keep the chlorine level constantly high.
 
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