3 Weeks of Cloudy Green Pool - Please HELP!

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tamglud

tamglud

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Jun 19, 2014
10
Vienna, VA
:drown: I'm ready to cry. With four kids bugging me everyday for 3 weeks about the pool I'm really going crazy.

Sorry for the long post but I don't want to miss anything

Three weeks ago started with greenish swamp - couldn't see the bottom - heavy algae and leaf - TONS OF TADPOLES.

(1) Shocked with 13 pounds of 78% calcium hypo (at night) and following morning the FC was 0. Vacuumed - general clean up.
(2) Three days later.....Shocked with 13 pounds of 78% calcium hypo (at night) and following morning the FC was 0.
(3) Added approximately (20) 3" chlor tabs - in two floaters and rest in skimmer basket (no inline chlor). Washed Filter.
(3) PH adjusted to 7.4 (borax), Alkalinity adjusted to 90, increased Calcium to 200 (was 150).
(4) Phosphate reading 1000 added 1.5L of PhosFree and circulated 24 hours (can only add 1.5 L at a time). Pool clearing to a bluish tint and we can see the bottom - still cloudy.
(5) Two weeks into it - Following the first application of PhosFree, Phosphates down to 500 - still no chlorine - husband accidentally shocked (didn't get my message to not shock) with 13 pounds of 78% calcium hypo (at night) and following morning the FC was 0. We were told not to shock until we removed phosphates (which supposedly are "eating up the chlorine"?). Was told to stop shocking pool - get organics out because shocking is throwing $50 each time down the drain.
(6) Added two or three bottles (I can't remember at this point!) of 1.5 L PhosFree at a rate of 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 - tons of backwashing....Monday 6/16 Blue pool but yucky cloudiness
(7) As of Tuesday 6/17 - GREEN tinge coming back! Darn...
(8) Wednesday 6/18 - At advice from Leslie's Added 2 Quarts of Super Floc (I saw your posts on floc today :confused:). Turned off filter


FAC 0
TAC 0
Calcium H 200
CYA 30
TA 90
PH 7.6
Copper 0
Iron 0
TDS 800
Phosphates 100
Nitrates 0

Guy at Leslie's told me that "the issue with no chlorine is likely some organic matter that is chewing up the chlorine....making water cloudy. Need Total Chlorine Demand Test because it might take up to 200 lbs of Chlorine to "clear" my pool." Is this valid????

Advised Super Floc as a last resort. Now yellow gunk is floating on top of pool and it says not to filter.

Questions:

What is your opinion on this no chlorine business? I don't want to keep shocking with 13 lbs of 78% cal hypo and readings of no chlorine!!! I've dumped $650 of chemicals into this darn pool....should I drain it?

Super Floc states I might need to add triple dose...Could all of this be from THOUSANDS OF TADPOLES which have decomposed?


Thanks so much!!
Tami
 
Welcome to TFP!

The only problem you have is that you aren't putting enough chlorine into the pool. You can put a lot of chlorine in and it will be mostly gone in an hour, so you have to keep adding until it holds.

Ignore Leslie's. He's right about the organics consuming the chlorine, but in general they are worse than clueless. Their advice can be damaging to both your pool and your wallet.

Follow the process in Defeating Algae and your pool will be showing improvement by the weekend and probably be clear by the middle of next week.
 
Someone will chime in soon, but read Pool School. Then read it again. Get the TF-100 test kit and ignore Leslies results. Follow the SLAM procedures in Pool School verbatim. It may take a couple of weeks to clear your pool, but it will be worth it.
 
Welcome to the forum!

HouTex said:
Someone will chime in soon, but read Pool School. Then read it again. Get the TF-100 test kit and ignore Leslies results. Follow the SLAM procedures in Pool School verbatim. It may take a couple of weeks to clear your pool, but it will be worth it.
Click to expand...
This post pretty much sums it up.

There are lots of others who have started in exactly your situation. Browse some of the green to clean threads for inspiration.
 
HouTex said:
Someone will chime in soon, but read Pool School. Then read it again. Get the TF-100 test kit and ignore Leslies results. Follow the SLAM procedures in Pool School verbatim. It may take a couple of weeks to clear your pool, but it will be worth it.
Click to expand...

Thanks....now what to do with the four kids who want to swim...hahaha.

I'm asking this of everyone...please give me your opinions.

(1) What about the Floc...it specifically says "do not run filter - do not use this product if you can't vacuum to waste." That worries me bc all the stuff is floating on the top. Is it unsafe??? Should I add more to get it to the bottom and vacuum BEFORE I SLAM?


Thanks,
Tami

- - - Updated - - -

Thank you I just didnt want to keep throwing in $$$ - Oh my, I'm depressed at the money I have wasted over the years when I see your signature and what you have saved. That's awesome so I do feel inspired about that....

Smykowski said:
Welcome to the forum!




This post pretty much sums it up.

There are lots of others who have started in exactly your situation. Browse some of the green to clean threads for inspiration.
Click to expand...

- - - Updated - - -

Thank you!!

(1) What about the Floc...it specifically says "do not run filter - do not use this product if you can't vacuum to waste." That worries me bc all the stuff is floating on the top. Is it unsafe??? Should I add more to get it to the bottom and vacuum BEFORE I SLAM?


Thanks,
Tami
 
Floc Issues

Please keep all of your Yucky, Green, Floc-y Pool Issues together so we can better help you. :mrgreen: Casey~

Hi Everyone,

Added Floc yesterday which is floating on top of the pool. Added regular dose. It says "some pools may require double or triple doses." It also specifically says "do not run filter - do not use this product if you can't vacuum to waste." I have read (in old posts) to just ignore that and continue to SLAM. That worries me bc all the stuff is floating on the top and I don't want to "contaminate" my pool or completely jam my filter. I feel like I'm backwashing many times a day as it is already before the floc.

Is it unsafe to not vacuum???

Should I add more floc to get it to the bottom and vacuum BEFORE I SLAM?

What will happen if I don't "get rid" of this floc?


Thanks,
Tami
 
Re: Floc Issues

Tami. Welcome.

You are finding out first hand why we don't recommend the use of FLOC. You will very rarely see is recommended here. It is a mess to use and a waste of money.

Vac to waste, get it out of the pool, skim the top, Do NOT add more!!! I don't know but you just need to SLAM it to clear it.

If you have test results, please post them. If you don't have a test kit to post said test results, please look here :lookhere: Test Kit Comparison. We recommend the TF100 as you will get more testing reagents than the K2006.
 
Re: Floc Issues

Thank you Casey

I'm brand new to TFP and SLAM and all of those recommendations. I hadn't read about the warning of Floc until this morning....only after I added floc yesterday and now dreading it. (I have used it in the past and it was a miracle worker!!) That being said I will do my best to get it out of the pool. It doesn't seem to be gathering on the bottom at all.

(1) Do you know if the Floc is unsafe if it gets recirculated into the pool?
(2) Or is it just a Filter jamming issue??

The problem I was having is that my pool wasn't holding any chlorine after shocking the heck out of it three times (13 lbs of cal hypo) and with 20 tabs in the pool...??? Still reading FC 0 the following morning. So they told me it was "organic" and that I needed to get it out. High phosphates (1000) were reduced to 100 and then I added Floc...

FAC 0
TAC 0
Calcium H 200
CYA 30
TA 90
PH 7.6
Copper 0
Iron 0
TDS 800
Phosphates 100
Nitrates 0

Thanks again for your advice
 

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Re: Floc Issues

You can not run the FLOC through the filter. Shut your pump off for 24 hours and let it settle to the bottom and vac to waste. You won't be able to SLAM until you get the FLOC out.

You are going to learn a lot here. Read Pool School along with ordering a recommended test kit I linked to above while you are waiting. I would also encourage you to read the following educational Pool School Links:


ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry
Recommended Pool Chemicals
How to Chlorinate Your Pool
Chlorine CYA Chart
Recommended Levels
What is Trouble Free Pool Care?
PoolMath
SLAMing Your Pool
Overnight FC Loss Test
 
Re: Floc Issues

Did you order a test kit yet? Pool store testing is worthless. You will not be able to SLAM your pool without a recommended kit.
I have the TF-100 and HIGHLY recommend it.

You will continue to waste time and $$ without a good test kit.
 
I'm going to specifically recommend reading the abcs of water chemistry article linked in Casey's post and then checking out the chlorine CYA chart.

Learning about the relationship between chlorine and cya (the stabilizer in most chlorine "shock" powders and tablets) is going to be a real eye opener.

Essentially, the pool stores almost always have their customers working against themselves. Chlorine goes away and needs to be replenished but the cya is there to stay and the more cya you build up the more chlorine required to sanitize the pool! Most of us never knew about this before we found TFP.

The less you know the more money the pool stores make!

A reliable test kit is the key. We can help you do this and you'll be surprised at how simple it is. (And probable more than a little annoyed at the pool store! )

Welcome to TFP! I hope you'll decide to stick with us and see what it's all about!
 
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