cloudy pool is making me crazy

[zea3]

For the TA, keep adding drops until the color stops changing. Usually the solution will be pinky-red to red-red. When you add a drop and the color does not change you are done. Subtract the last drop and multiply by 10 to get the TA result.

For FC the same principal applies. Add drops until there is no change and subtract the last drop before computing the result.
The FC may pinken again after a few seconds if you let it sit, but you can ignore that. Hold a piece of white paper behind the vial to help tell when it is clear.

 

[lightingguy]

With the TA test there is usually that one drop that turns it from a kinda muddy color to a full blown Pink/Red

The FC test should go clear. It should start out as a good deep pink color - especially with FC up at 12 or 15

 

[anonapersona]

Best to add that last drop that does not change any color to be sure. For a long time I was stopping one drop short, it looked red, but one more drop did make it a clearer, POW, red-red.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

For me I would describe the color as a deep magenta pink. Kinda similar to the color of the FAS-DPD chlorine test, only redder.

 

[Darkside of the Pool]

There is another thing: How do you add your Cal-Hypo to the pool? A problem we struggle with frequently here is calcium buildup inside the sand filter.

NEVER add Cal-hypo inside your skimmer (okay, maybe with recirculate/whirlpool, but even then...). This could cause chlorine to disolves but not calcium. As calcium reach the sand, it then form a layer, a crust of some sort, that blocks filtration. When water do make its way through, it also dig a path through the sand: Result is no filtration at all as channeling occured and water drags the calcium back to the pool clouding it.

 

[JasonLion]

Pre-dissolve in a bucket of water and then pour slowly in front of a return jet. However, if you are having problems with high CH levels you shouldn't be using cal-hypo in the first place. And if you aren't having problems with high CH levels it is usually fine to add cal-hypo through the skimmer.

 

[hemieli]

cloudy pool is still making me crazy

Topics merged for consistency. Bama

well i got the test kit. tested the water. the water is balanced. so why is my pool still green. everytime the water gets clear i have a green film on the bottom, when i go to vacuum the pool the film starts to cloud the water.

latest test result-
FC 8.5
CC 0
PH 7.7
TA 150
CH 210
CYA 60

please help or i might have to check in to the looney bin

 

[svenpup]

Re: cloudy pool is still making me crazy

You need to shock following the instructions in the How to Shock article in pool school (link in my signature). This is a process, and not a one time addition of a product.

 

[duraleigh]

Re: cloudy pool is still making me crazy

1. You should delete this post and reenter it under your old thread. People need to see the whole story to comment accurately.

2. You need to shock your pool. Follow the procedure by reading the article in Pool School.

3. YOur pool will not magically clear up because you get the right water balance. YOu must kill all the algae (if it's green, it's not killed) and then clean your pool thoroughly by following the procedure in the article.

 

[hemieli]

went to the pool store got a water test to double check my results
FC 4.1
CC 0.3
Ph 7.7
TA 150
CH 150
CYA 45
i also got a 5 gal jug of 12.5% bleach think that will be good enough for shocking??

 

[svenpup]

Have you read pool-school/shocking_your_pool

Are you familiar with pool-school/chlorine_cya_chart_shock

Do you use http://www.poolcalculator.com/

 

[lightingguy]

The idea of shocking is to add enough chlorine to the water to kill off ALL of the algae. This is a bit of a numbers game - if you only kill 75% of the algae and then let your chlorine level fall it will have a chance to grow back.

I feel a little bad because I may have given you a sense that you were closer to done than you are. I apologize.
In order to properly shock your pool you should :

1) Raise your FC level to 24ppm (based on your CYA of 60)
2) Test your FC level as often as practical (up to every hour) and add enough chlorine to bring the FC level back up to 24ppm
3) Brush and scrub a couple times a day during this process and keep the filter running to help remove the Algae.
4) Backwash the filter frequently at first as it may clog with algae.
5) Hunt out all the places algae may be hiding (Steps, toys, etc) and scrub them down.

You'll know you are complete when
1) Your FC level will hold overnight - you will loose less than 1ppm
2) Your CC level is less than .5ppm
3) Your water is clear

You should expect your pool to cloud back up a little bit. This is the dead algae floating in the water. The filter will take care of it with time.

This will take quite a bit of chlorine - no telling how much. Certainly more than 1 gallon of 12%. Let us know the price on the 12% and we can let you know if it's a good price - 6% bleach might be cheaper.

Once you've killed and removed ALL of the algae - keeping your FC level between 5 and 7 (based on CYA of 60) will keep the algae from coming back.

 

[hemieli]

how long after i put in the bleach can i test to make sure i put enough in

 

[JasonLion]

Wait an hour after adding chemicals with the pump running, and then you can test the level again.

 

[hemieli]

for some reason the pool is looking worst today than it was yesterday. my fc is at 28 and my cya is between 50 and 60. i dont understand whats going on.

 

[JasonLion]

Have you checked to make sure the filter is working correctly? Has the filter been backwash/cleaned during this process? How has the filter pressure gauge been behaving?

Have you been doing any overnight FC loss tests? This is the most reliable way to find out if you are done shocking or there is still algae growing in your pool.

What does your water look like, in detail?

 

[hemieli]

just finished backwashing it was a little green. the water is looking green.

 

[JasonLion]

There are many different ways the water can look green. Is it a cloudy murky green? Is it a clear transparent sparkling green? Is it a milky light green? How far down into the water can you see?

Have you checked to make sure the filter is working correctly? How has the filter pressure gauge been behaving?

Have you been doing any overnight FC loss tests? This is the most reliable way to find out if you are done shocking or there is still algae growing in your pool.

 

[hemieli]

cloudy murky green, very deep green darker than yesterday and i put 5 gal of pool grade bleach in since last night. i can see the shallow end of the pool no further. i know something is wrong i see water striders on top of the water. filter is working fine. will do overnight test tonight.

 

[JasonLion]

That definitely sounds like algae. The overnight test will tell us if the algae is still growing, or if the algae is dead and it just needs to be filtered out.