BBB results

[Dieter]

Bought a TF100 kit based on the site recommendation and am trying to clear up my pool. Also switched from pool store stuff to Costco bulk clorox to try BBB.

Results so far.

July 11th start

FC 14.5
CC 0
pH 7.5
TA 220
CH 290
CYA 50

Tonight

FC 21.5
CC 0
pH 7.6
TA 130
CHA 290
CYA 50

Got the TA down using muriatic acid and aeration successfully. Will lower it one more go round tomorrow.

Unfortunately after adhering to the pool school pool shock lesson, which I'm still stickin to, my pool visibility has gotten worse. I'm scrubbing the whole thing and checking several times a day to maintain shock FC level. Overnight FC loss is below 1 ppm and still showing no CC. My deep end has gotten even more cloudy. Now instead of just being difficult to see the drain, I can't see it at all at any point in the day and I can't see the bright red diving stick I through down there as a marker. Filter is on 24/7.

Results all look good on paper, not sure why it's not improving, and really not sure why its getting worse. Will stick with it another 24 hours and then it's pool guy time to see if I have a filter issue or something. Bummed because it looked pretty good the beginning of the month.

 

[woodyp]

Have you been backwashing the filter along as well?

 

[Dieter]

Yup. Only a couple times though.

 

[Butterfly]

What size filter? # pounds? What size/type pump?

You should backwash each time psi increases about 6psi over clean filter reading.

 

[Dieter]

Will get the details in the am. PSI has only risen to backwash level once, but after vacuuming it dropped so I ran it through.

 

[Dieter]

What size filter? # pounds? What size/type pump?

You should backwash each time psi increases about 6psi over clean filter reading.

Triton TR100 - 600 lbs
Pump is 1.5 hp

Morning test and it dropped from 21.5 to 20.5 FC. No CC. Water still looks the same.

 

[Bama Rambler]

How old is the pool and when was the last time you opened the filter up and looked at the sand?

Can you post a pic of the water?

Have you tried to place a sock over a return to see if stuff is returning to the pool, bypassing the filter?

Why did you start shocking in the first place?

 

[Dieter]

I'm not sure how old the pool is but the prior owner did the marcite refinish in 2002. We just moved in in April so I've never checked the sand. What should I be looking for?

I'll try the sock/return this afternoon.

Started shocking because the water has gotten progressively cloudier, mainly on the deep end. I was bummed when it became difficult to see the drain grate, and now you can't see it at all. You can barely see the Polaris when it's at the bottom. It's substantively worse than the two pics attached.

In the attached pics, the green hue has to be because there is a huge wall of green trees just a few feet off the poolside. The two pics of the polaris were taken at the same time just from different angles, so you can see where you are standing makes a big difference.

 

[RobbieH]

I have the same filter as you, and I can tell you from experience your water is going to get really cloudy during the shock process. Keep the pump running 24/7 during the entire shock process. It took a week for mine to clear after completing shocking my pool, so the best suggestion I have for you is to be patient. You'll get there. Here's mine about 2 weeks after shocking.

 

[Dieter]

Now that looks alot better!

So if your FC is dropping less than 1ppm overnight and the pool consistently shows no CC, do you stop maintaining shock level and not wait for the water to clear ? Filter has been on 24/7 since the 11th.

It might be worth it for me to just get a different filter that will clear the water faster given how short the pool season typically is up here.

 

[RobbieH]

Personally, I like my sand filter. DE will get water more clear, and do so faster than sand, but I enjoy the low maintenance of my large sand filter.

You might try adding some DE to your sand.
pool-school/add_de_to_a_sand_filter

I would hold your shock level up until your pool clears.

 

[Bama Rambler]

It might be time to open it up and resettle the sand bed and backwash it real well. Be careful not to damage the laterals if you do that. Then you could try adding a little DE to it.

 

[Dieter]

I would hold your shock level up until your pool clears.

I guess my worry is that I've been shocking the pool for several days already and it's only getting more cloudy. It's BLAZING hot here this week and if I keep the FC at shock level, it probably wouldn't be a great time to allow small kids in the pool. Bummer.

I did just check the fill water and it had a TA of 390. Yowza.

 

[RobbieH]

I don't know where you are, but here I can't remember the last day under 100 here in Dallas. I feel your pain! In fact, one of my goals for this week is to build a mister setup to cool my pool water. It was up to 98 a few days ago, so I built a redneck fountain type thing and it seems to be helping, but I am going to make a new setup that should work a lot faster.

It'll get more cloudy as you kill more and more algae. For reference, it took 2 weeks for me to go through the shock process, that's from green water to clear.

 

[supertune]

Keep at shock level, this IS a 50K gal pool and your in about a week, give it more time. (POP)
Follow the OP advice with the sand filter and DE. Just remember you have a TF-100 kit...your pool will behave!
Keep posting here and we can help.

Chuck

 

[Butterfly]

Just in case you need it, here's a link on deep cleaning the filter:
my-sand-is-channeled-how-to-fix-it-t7626.html

 

[duraleigh]

dieter,

Bummed because it looked pretty good the beginning of the month.

What changed to make you start this shock process?

keep in mind your pool water is the same H2O as everyone else's. Your pool is not mysteriously different in a way that makes it hard to clear up. What I DO suspect is that your filter needs opening up and you need to clean and possible redistribute the sand.
I have the larger TR-140 filter in a smaller pool than you and my filter often takes 3-4 days to properly clear the pool so I would say your filter is adequate but nor overly so.

Calling the pool service in to fix your pool is fine but it means you have given up on understanding your own pool and have, like so many lined up in the pool store, decided that there really is some "magic bullet" that will fix your water.

I know I'm being a little harsh but I am trying to help you see that you are already on the right track. You have a good understanding of the principles involved, you KNOW your water is made up of the same stuff as everybody else's and you can read here of the thousands of people who successfully manage their own pools.

In addition to taking a look inside your filter, you need to acquire some POP and let your work have an effect.

PS - I see nothing wrong with letting the kids swim

 

[Dieter]

Started shocking it because it was gettin a little cloudy. Also, sadly, Alvin and Simon chose a burial at sea one night. Theodore was so depressed he joined them a few days later. Now it's alot cloudy despite a week of 24/7 pump running, acid and aeration cycles, and lots and lots of clorox.

I would guess the only thing about my pool (we just moved in here a couple months ago) that is probably different from most people's is that whoever originally installed it basically did so in a forest on one side. I'm talking a canopy that reaches about 6-7 feet out over the pool and keeps a nice steady flow of needles, leaves, a general organic junk in the pool. Probably not the best idea anyone has ever had during the pool placement process.

As for calling a pool guy, if it comes to that, it's because I just don't have time to monitor it. I'd much prefer to handle it myself, and I enjoy messing with the chemistry, but our season is short and unfortunately my time is always most limited during the summer months.

Will check the filter!

 

[RobbieH]

I feel your pain. On the left side of my pool is a pine tree. Maybe 25' tall. Along the back of the pool is a hedgerow of oleanders. Behind that row is a walnut tree that has to be at least 50' tall, probably more. On the edge of the right side of the oleander row is a small hackberry, which is going to get cut down as soon as I get time to purchase a chain saw - it is the major source of leaves dropping into my pool. And then there's the red oak on the far right in this picture. I also have two pecan trees near the house, each between 40' and 50', then another huge walnut tree in the back corner of the yard. The entire border of the yard is wooded, mostly oaks but a lot of crepe myrtles too, which love to let their flowers blow into the pool.

It isn't as bad as yours, as mine don't hang directly over the pool, but I am pretty used to having to daily go out and get organics out of the water. My pool was built in the late 50's or early 60's, so it has no eyeball returns I can use to attach modern tools (I have a stand-alone robot) and only ONE skimmer, which is placed incorrectly. You can see the skimmer in the below picture, on the left side just before the bend. All four returns are on the flat end where my dog is in the picture, which blows all the water into the back right-hand corner of the pool.

The wife wanted the pool, I really didn't, guess who does all the work

The only fear I have about the pool guys is I've seen so many that do it all wrong, and end up making a mess of the pool or ripping off the customer.

BTW, the black dot under water, directly below the diving board, is my main drain in 9' of water.

 

[Dieter]

Attached is my view from 5 feet out in the pool. I guess I was way underestimating. :lol: The tree actually goes out about 15-20 ft over the pool at it's highest point.

BTW, the black dot under water, directly below the diving board, is my main drain in 9' of water.

Jealous!