If your return does not have an adjustable eyeball you can get one from a pool store or online. This will enable you to direct the return down and will help with circulation. In the meantime brushing will help stir the water particularly after adding bleach. Now I know it sometimes is difficult to do (you have a life after all), but if you can keep it up at shock level instead of letting it drop to 6 it will speed up the clearing. What is your cc? If it is over .5 the water is not sanitary enough to swim in.
Floc HELP
- Thread starter fourofsmith
- Start date
CC is at 0.5 I am going to check chlorine tonight and early in the morning. But the last step of shock is waiting till it clears.
That is right. You have to have all three or you are not through shocking. But if your cc is .5 or lower the water is sanitary should you want to get in. Personally I would wait until it cleared and just brush a lot to circulate the water.
Lost chlorine this morning 
I have no POP. My CC is still 0.5 there should not be many organics to combine with. Will start vacuuming twice a day again to help with circulation. I had to order more test reagents because the shock process has taken so long Someone tell me it will get better! Please?
I have no POP. My CC is still 0.5 there should not be many organics to combine with. Will start vacuuming twice a day again to help with circulation. I had to order more test reagents because the shock process has taken so long Someone tell me it will get better! Please?It will get better. Are you vacuuming to waste or to the filter or to recirculation. If your vacuuming to waste which is what I do then vacuuming will not help with circulation. Brushing on the other hand will help with circulation and to a limited extent will help get stuff in suspension which the filter can get. If you would like for someone on the board to take a look at your calculations post a complete set of your current numbers and what your targets are. You might also post a picture of your water. Some of the folks on this board can tell a lot about what is going on by numbers and the way the water looks. I will say it again there are thousands of people who have followed the advice here and it has always gotten better. When I found this board my pool was not responding and it was a mess. I also went through the stage where I thought it would never get better and then it did and has remained that way.
Don't worry to much about the CC level at .5 - but if your water still isn't clear then you still need to maintain shock level.
I haven't read through the whole thread but have you tried a little DE in the filter? Instructions are in Pool School.
I haven't read through the whole thread but have you tried a little DE in the filter? Instructions are in Pool School.
Fourofsmith, I haven't gone back over the entire thread and I know the answers are there. How many days have you been able to keep it at shock level and not let it drop, at least during the day? After you put the floc in did you ever turn off the pump and let it sit and settle for the suggested time? Frustratedpoolmom is one of our gurus and you should follow her suggestion of adding DE to your filter. It will make your sand filter a little more efficient.
I will research the DE in pool school. We have been working on it since beginning of May. I would say with the exception of the other day It has been a shock level consistently almost a week and a half. We had let if fall below that before then. When we used floc yes we did let it settle, but it never settled. I will let you know how it goes with the DE. Thanks.
Can't believe I hadn't read about that before. I thought it was a totally separate filter and I knew we could not afford that. So I skipped it. I think it would be great to try. Where would I buy DE?
I think it would be great to try. Where would I buy DE?
A Pool store usually will have a 10lb bag - more than you need but I don't think you can get it in smaller quanities (I have no idea if you can there's guru for ya...lol)
Testing tonight shows....
FC 17.5
CC 0.5
pH 7.8
TA 200
CYA 28
Changed the direction of the return to down.
Waiting till Thursday for pool store to get in the next shipment of DE to add to sand filter.
Why is my CYA going lower? and pH creeping up biweekly?
FC 17.5
CC 0.5
pH 7.8
TA 200
CYA 28
Changed the direction of the return to down.
Waiting till Thursday for pool store to get in the next shipment of DE to add to sand filter.
Why is my CYA going lower? and pH creeping up biweekly?
Also can I mix chloring and Trichlor 3" tabs? (I had bought them at Walmart prior to going to the BBB method) They could add back my stabilizer, but I am thinking I don't need to continue to use them throughout the summer. I guess we will just let our floating shark dispenser be a toy. Also with a full sun pool how often am I going to have to add chlorine bleach to the pool? Should I just sell the 3" tabs or keep them.....why would I keep them?
Yes, you can combine liquid use and tablet use. Are they the HTH brand "triple action"? they contain copper, I wouldn't use them if it is...
If they don't contain copper, you could use them for vacations or extended weekends, etc.
Did you test your CYA after sunset?
Test PH when your FC is below 10, high chlorine readings can make the PH read false-high.
Your TA is high, this causes PH to creep up. Acid lowers both. So everytime the PH creeps up to 7.8 or higher, lower it to 7.2. Eventually the TA will drop into range and the PH drift will decrease/cease.
If they don't contain copper, you could use them for vacations or extended weekends, etc.
Did you test your CYA after sunset?
Test PH when your FC is below 10, high chlorine readings can make the PH read false-high.
Your TA is high, this causes PH to creep up. Acid lowers both. So everytime the PH creeps up to 7.8 or higher, lower it to 7.2. Eventually the TA will drop into range and the PH drift will decrease/cease.
the best time and best conditions to get consistent CYA results is bright sunlight, turning your back to the sun so that your body shields the viewtube from the sun. cloudy, overcast or dusk conditions can affect the result and make it seem lower, I have found.
Thats definitely part of the prob. lol
Test it outside, and here is a handy link that may help, scroll down to see pics.
http://www.taylortechnologies.com/ChemistryTopicsCM.ASP?ContentID=44
Test it outside, and here is a handy link that may help, scroll down to see pics.
http://www.taylortechnologies.com/ChemistryTopicsCM.ASP?ContentID=44
We will test again tomorrow morning. Hopefully tonight the chlorine is high enough and the circulation will be improved with the return now in the down position.
Just went back and re-read this thread - I think you're doing great! I'm no expert, but as a noob I have no POP either! It will clear, I promise - just hang in there. The last couple of days took FOREVER.
As far as how much bleach you'll have to add on a regular basis, well, since June 8, I have had to add only 2 jumbo jugs of Chlorox, and that was when I was still working with 0 CYA. Once I got to 40 CYA, I have not had to add a smidgeon of bleach. Actually, I've not added any chemicals, because the numbers are all right where they should be. I have a 13 pound unopened bag of Baking Soda sitting in my shed, as I thought I would need it, but so far, nothing! I also have 2 big containers full of the chlorine tablets, left over from the landlord, but I don't plan on using them at all!
As far as how much bleach you'll have to add on a regular basis, well, since June 8, I have had to add only 2 jumbo jugs of Chlorox, and that was when I was still working with 0 CYA. Once I got to 40 CYA, I have not had to add a smidgeon of bleach. Actually, I've not added any chemicals, because the numbers are all right where they should be. I have a 13 pound unopened bag of Baking Soda sitting in my shed, as I thought I would need it, but so far, nothing! I also have 2 big containers full of the chlorine tablets, left over from the landlord, but I don't plan on using them at all!