Tried Everything To Clear Cloudy Water.....Need Help........

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T

TERESA

0
May 19, 2011
12
:? This is the 2nd summer i have had my pool. I decided this past winter to treat the water and cover it for the winter..Things looked good until about february it started turning green...Due to some surgery i had in february i was'nt able to uncover the pool until april. I went to my local pool chemical supplier and they set me up with a 5 days plan i think it was to treat the algae and the water to get it ready for start up. It went from green and is now a cloudy light blue color and has been that way for 2 months now. The pool is clean and no debris in it and have all levels good by the testing of the water. I have clarified, lower the ph with muriatic acid, shocked you name it i have done it. This past weekend i used floc out directions to the tee..... No luck...Then we use poly brite tabs, then natural clarifier still no luck. Chemical rep said give it a coulple of days seems to think pump not big enough to circulate water properly but its what came with the pool when i brought it. So today its still cloudy....I never form day 1 of starting the pool last year ever had this problem...Needless to say if i ever get it clear i will never cover it again for the winter...For the money i have spent in chemicals so far i could have bought a new pool system....Please any advice would help....The chemical rep is still working on it.....

Fc 3.1
tc 3.6
cc 0.5
ph 6.8
hd 270
alk 84
ca 20
copper 0.6 last check but has been treated to lower should be lower now.....
 
Re: TRIED EVERYTHING TO CLEAR CLOUDY WATER.....NEED HELP....

Welcome to TFP!

Please don't type in all caps as it appears to some that you are yelling. Thanks. :goodjob:

You need a good test kit. Try the TF-100 (link in my sig line) or a Taylor K-2006. You need to be able to accurately test for FC, CC, pH, CYA, CH, and TA. A salt level would be good too. Typically, you don't need floccs or clarifiers. Most likely, you need proper chlorination and filter time. There is no way for you to know how much chlorine you need unless we know your CYA level. Don't spend any more money right now unless you spend it on a good test kit like the ones that I have mentioned. Pool store test results are generally not very accurate and are geared to sell you as much product as you can stand to buy.

Please read Pool School if you haven't already.
 
Re: TRIED EVERYTHING TO CLEAR CLOUDY WATER.....NEED HELP....

Sorry for the all caps...My cya was 20ppm last check..i know thats low and needs to come up. It just seems like every thing I have tried to fix one thing off sets another...so you think I shouldn't go by the testing done at my local supplier..their test goes thru a computer system and I have watched them do it seem to be accurate but I have never had to do this before like I said last year all I ever had to do was once treat for a few algae spot that you could barely see. So i am very new to this testing thing...
 
Re: TRIED EVERYTHING TO CLEAR CLOUDY WATER.....NEED HELP....

Yes, the most accurate tests are the drop based tests. The pool store computer tests look fancy, but they are wrong more often than they are right. Don't feel as though you are alone in this situation though. This forum was built on members who were in the same predicament as you are describing. Once the basic chemistry is learned, this will all make sense. Ask me how I got here!

Cloudy is almost always lack of proper chlorination. What I would do if I were you is get a good test kit among the models that I have mentioned, stop buying floccs, clarifiers, and other spendy chemicals, tell the pool guy "thanks, but no thanks", read Pool School, and when you get your awesome test kit, post the numbers and we will get it right from there.
 
Re: TRIED EVERYTHING TO CLEAR CLOUDY WATER.....NEED HELP....

Until you can get a good testing kit you can TRUST..........you might want to keep your FC a bit higher to the top end of the scale per the CYA/Chlorine chart in pool school and keep that pump and filter running and the filter cleaned. You didn't mention how many hours per day you were filtering? Looks like...........whatever it is............isn't enough at the present time. It'll clear!
 
Re: TRIED EVERYTHING TO CLEAR CLOUDY WATER.....NEED HELP....

I have been running the chlorinating for like 12 hours during the day and then run the pump if we get in the pool after that.....usually let it rest some at night...so you suggest to run it 24/7 for a while. So do I need to shock it again to free up the chlorine and if so use a non chlorine base shock or the regular one...
 
Re: Tried Everything To Clear Cloudy Water.....Need Help....

Buy pool first aid its a clarifier from natural chemistry it should cost 15 bucks. and run it over night 24/7 it should clear quite some bit. ive used it in a pool and it worked fast. also clean ur filter out what type of filter do u have. ?
 
Re: Tried Everything To Clear Cloudy Water.....Need Help....

nvjr17 said:
Buy pool first aid its a clarifier from natural chemistry it should cost 15 bucks. and run it over night 24/7 it should clear quite some bit. ive used it in a pool and it worked fast. also clean ur filter out what type of filter do u have. ?
Click to expand...
We usually save the clarifier as a last resort since chlorine plus circulation plus filtration will clear most pools. If this is a sand filter, then filtration can be improved by Adding DE to a Sand Filter. If this is an above ground pool with poor circulation, such as an Intex pool with one return, then it should be pointed diagonally downwards to improve bottom circulation. If all this doesn't result in clearing with regular progress each day, or if someone is impatient and likes to spend money, then they can get a clarifier. If they go that route, there are some specialty clarifiers that can work well, but they don't always work (depends on the type of substances causing the cloudiness).
 
Re: Tried Everything To Clear Cloudy Water.....Need Help....

I used a cartridge size b filter last year and the start of the uncovering of this time....went through a lot of them at like $10.00 each one....I know I went through like 10-15 of them cause it was hard to keep them clean when I started it. I found another filter on line that is a b size cartridge plastic pvc type base and it has a cloth type cover that can be rinsed and reused. It came with 2 covers and so far I have only use the 1st cover....it comes completely clean when you rinse it out...It's called Rinz-N-Reuz , by DIAMONDBACK FILTERS, LTD. so far has saved me alot of money on filters. I have also used a natural clarifier with no luck also....so I am gonna try and run the pump 24/7 for awhile and see if it makes a difference can't make it any worse. Thanks for the input and advice greatly appreciate it. Please feel free to send more.
 

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Re: Tried Everything To Clear Cloudy Water.....Need Help....

:wave: Ok so I have let my pump/filter run 24/7 now for 6 days still cloudy no change......I added some stabilizer to bring up my cyanuric acid level a couple of days ago and it only came up from 10 to 20....giving it a day more to see if it gets any higher....was told sometimes in the above aground pool with only one intake that the circulation sometimes may take longer to get it around good....so I am giving it a chance before adding more stabilizer. Finally found out why copper was so high though...just had my SWG replaced because the chlorination wasn't working properly and after 2 weeks of copper levels rising and the metal out not keeping it down I called the intex company and ask about my system if it was putting out copper also....they have systems that do that to help with algae control and they replaced my system with the wrong replacement....and are now sending me the right one..why do you need a system that puts out copper....doesn't high copper stain pools and cause green hair? So I have added some fresh water to try and bring that down some with out having to add more chemicals. Any more suggestions on the cloudy water I am so stumped with it.....Thanks

free chlorine 4.2ppm
total chlorine 4.3ppm
combined chlorine 0.1ppm
ph 7.2ppm
hardness 290ppm
alkalinity 74
cyanuric acid 20ppm
copper 1.25ppm
iron 0.3ppm
nitrate 4ppm
 
Re: Tried Everything To Clear Cloudy Water.....Need Help....

I think your biggest problem is the filtration system. Those things are so woefully undersized when something goes wrong (your opening) the they won't clear the water unless they're ran for a long time and then the filters cost a fortune to keep replacing. You should look into the sand filter that Intex sells.
 
Re: Tried Everything To Clear Cloudy Water.....Need Help....

:hammer: still no change....can afford to change filter to sand one right now....any more suggestions...

fc 2.2
tc 2.6
cc 0.4
ph 7.2
alka. 46
cy acid 100
copper 1.19
iron .28
nitrate 1
borate 80
 
Re: Tried Everything To Clear Cloudy Water.....Need Help....

Your test results have been all over the place, presumably bad pool store testing. Without more reliable test results it is very difficult, if not impossible, to know what to do. CYA at 20 until yesterday and CYA at 100 now is not plausible. Those are wildly different numbers and what you need to do totally depends on which, if either, is correct. If CYA is anywhere near 100, then you almost certainly have algae and nothing you do with the filter will clear up the water until the algae is all dead. But if CYA is around 20 you almost certainly do not have algae and it is just a question of getting the filter to work.
 
Re: Tried Everything To Clear Cloudy Water.....Need Help....

CYA was at 20 around the 21st so I added stabilizer on the 25th that night to help bring it up per the chart I seen on here...tested it the next morning and it was still low so I waited to test it again til this morning to check it and it was at 100...it didn't jump to that overnight the pump I have and I assume because I only have one intake and one output it seems to take a couple of days to get chemicals circulated good that I am learning. So I don't think its that my numbers are all over the chart its just the circulation is not quick to circulate everything..I guess thats what I get for buying a above ground pool that came with a pump thats not really big enough to handle things...I added 9lbs and probably should have added half of that checked it and then added some more if needed. Its just driving me nuts because last year all I did was add water, salt, and some algaecide and it was crystal clear....will never cover it for the winter again or will completely drain it from the start up....
 
Re: Tried Everything To Clear Cloudy Water.....Need Help....

Just trying to be some moral support here..so don't interpret it as scolding or being a know-it-all. As others have said, this site was built on people having problems that the pool stores snake oil & product labels couldn't solve. The same issue many, many times. That aside..

I'm in the process of a clean up of my pool that didn't get covered last winter. It's actually happened a few times over the 16 years I've had mine up. I'm getting there, but the water is still cloudy after a full two weeks of 24/7 filtering, netting out leaves, keeping fc level up, etc. etc. You do NOT want to leave it uncovered if possible.
IMHO,
#1. Listen to the Mods on this site. They've been around the block a few times collectively on pretty much all the issues that have come up with any pool. They know what they're doing. Take advantage of their knowledge. Save up, if not affordable right now & get yourself a TF100XL test kit. You cannot rely on the pool store's test. Believe me, between that & the pool calculator, it will be your best friend in the process. You have to have an accurate way to test your levels & even more-so when you have problems. With the products you've purchased from the pool store, you probably could have paid for one by now.
#2. If you really do have CYA=100 or higher, your probably going to be doing some draining & refilling. The sooner the better. Get that in a workable range & make sure you keep chlorine/bleach on hand & in the pool. That is what disinfects the best. You can dose it to keep the level up if the Swcg can't keep up. Work on saving for a better-bigger filter. I've never had an Intex filter/pump, but from what everyone says they're too inadequate for a larger pool. Until then, till your problem is solved, keep filtering 24/7 till it's clear.
#3. POP. Pool owner patience. I know you've been at this awhile, & it's tiring. Even with adequate equipment & above, it can take a long while for the water to clear, even if the tests look good (such is & has been my case). There's alot of water in a pool to get filtered through even an adequate filter. It just takes time.
 
Re: Tried Everything To Clear Cloudy Water.....Need Help....

Thanks Ultra.....I really appreciate the support and help...just frustrated right now.....I will check water again in the morning and see what the CYA reads again and if it is still at 100 you suggest letting out some water and adding fresh to it? My alka. was low also..do I need to bring that up now or just wait on it....also my filter cartridge looks more like a blue green paste/cream on it after it runs for awhile it washes out easy but could that be the high copper doing that and keeping my water cloudy? Didn't mean to sound like I was fussing at you...just been a long day at work and come home yet again to a cloudy pool.
 
Re: Tried Everything To Clear Cloudy Water.....Need Help....

I understand your frustration. No problem. I should let the mods chime in on the water replacement, as I've never had high cya, but from what I've read on here, a 50% change should bring it down to 50. If you do it in smaller volume changes, it will take take more water changes & ultimately more water in the end. Will your pool support a 50% drain at once? That's what I would do if it were mine. Also on the copper issue of the intex, I've read (also on this board) that the copper cell connector can be easily be unplugged so it won't emit any more copper into the mix. I'd have to find the thread that states it, but it's in the Salt Generator forum. As far as the paste/cream in the filter that's one I've never seen, although I've seen some pretty funky foam/gunk in my past clean-ups, before I found this site & went to strictly bleach/chlorine. 2009 was my previous big cleanup, again didn't get the cover on, & mid way through is when I found this site & ordered the test kit & started using liquid. It stayed cloudy for at least a month even then with constant filtering. I would get frustrated reading the posts of other users pools clearing over night!! I assumed it might have been calcium clouding due to use of powdered shock for many years & had some scaling on the liner that spring. I didn't give up on my attention to the pool, but did on my frustration. I just finally thought, it'll get there & went swimming. But when it finally started clearing it actually did clear up fairly fast at that point.
 
Re: Tried Everything To Clear Cloudy Water.....Need Help....

Also, you should add your water depth in the pool to your Sig. Try to get actual water depth, not the height of the pool sides. That will help in figuring your volume in gallons for the pool calculator. Then a person can calculate actually how much cya you actually have already circulating, by the amount you've added already.
 
Re: Tried Everything To Clear Cloudy Water.....Need Help....

I don't intend to be harsh, but you really need to take a step back and reconsider some of your assumptions. Your test results are not consistent, the odds are very high that you have algae, and if you don't tell us about things like adding CYA we really can't help you.

There are reasons other than the CYA level to be skeptical of the test results. Take a look at alkalinity. As the PH came up alkalinity should also have come up, but it went down instead. I can't think of any way the PH and TA levels could both be as you reported. Likewise the copper level should not have gone from 0.6 to 1.2 without really dramatic additions of copper. If those two numbers are wrong, the chances are very high that other numbers are wrong as well.

With a SWG you want CYA around 80. If I believed the CYA test result a small water replacement would be in order.

If CYA is anywhere near 100, you need a significantly higher FC level, preferably around 6 or higher. FC should have come up on its own as the CYA level came up, because you are losing less chlorine to sunlight with higher CYA levels. In fact you should have had to turn down the SWG percentage in order to keep FC from getting way too high. Since FC appears to be lower, unless you have turned down the SWG signifcantly, it seems very likely that you have algae.

Solving problems requires good information and an open mind. Without reliable test results we are really just guessing.
 

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