Persistently cloudy pool

[Vetten14]

I'm having trouble getting my cloudy pool to clear up.

Pool was set up last summer and ran with no problems. Drained it last fall and refilled it 2 weeks ago. Had problems with the connector between our pump and the SWG which took 3 days to straighten out. In those 3 days the pool went very green. We added some dichlor treatment we bought at the pool store (hadn't found this board yet), which took all the green away within a few hours. But the resulting water was very cloudy and nothing we've tried has made ANY improvement over the past week. CYA has been very low (less than 30), but I finally got it to 60 today.

Should I be shocking? Something else? Pump runs 24/7 and I brush/vacuum several times a day, with no change. I've tried being patient, but there has been zero improvement in the cloudiness and I'm lost on what to do next.

Today's readings:
FC - 4.0
TC - 4.0
pH - 7.3
TA - 170
CH - 220? (after 22 drops start seeing a slight purple color--no matter how many drops I add it never really turns blue)
CYA - 60

thank you in advance for any help I can get! this board and website are fantastic sources of info.!

 

[MikeInNH]

You're gonna need to shock, preferably with liquid chlorine. How are you testing because I don't see a CC amount. Good reads:
pool-school/defeating_algae
pool-school/shocking_your_pool

 

[Vetten14]

I have a Taylor K-1005 test kit. It's a bit of a judgment call to match the color on the chart--but TC test and FC test results seem to be the same color -- about 3. Which would make the CC = 0. I believe? Do other test kits have more accurate chlorine results? Also, this test kit only shows Cl levels up to 5.

I will start shocking. I just wanted to be sure that was the right plan.

thank you!

 

[techguy]

For your Chlorine test, are you using drops from the yellow cap bottle or the a pink solution with a little blue scoop? It makes a huge difference while shocking as the yellow cap drops will not allow you to accurately measure the CL levels required while shocking.

 

[Vetten14]

My kit has the little yellow bottle. Hopefully I can find the "scoop" test at the pool store. I would hate to wait to have it shipped.

 

[linen]

Hopefully I can find the "scoop" test at the pool store. I would hate to wait to have it shipped.

Unlikely you will find it locally. Dave (duraleigh) has really fast shipping: http://tftestkits.net/FAS-DPD-Chlorine-CC-s-test-p47.html

 

[Vetten14]

Ok I just ordered it with USPS priority mail. I'll have it Wednesday hopefully.

Any advice in the meantime? There is no way to start shocking since I can't monitor high levels of chlorine?

 

[linen]

If you use the OTO chlorine test with dilution, you can at least get started, though doing a OCLT will be tough.

 

[Vetten14]

By dilution, do you mean adding tap water before testing? For instance adding half tap water would change the scale from 0-5 to 0-10? I'm I figuring that right?

 

[ping]

You can not dilute with tap water due to tap water having chlorine in it. Use distilled water for the dilution, 50% pool water and 50% distilled water, then double the result.

 

[linen]

I should have been a bit more detailed. As ping said, if you have city tap water, then you do not want to use that, since it likely has chlorine in it. Use chlorine free water (you can always test the water you want to use with the OTO test first to check) and dilute 1 part pool water with 1 part chlorine free water, then multiply your result by 2. You can also do 1 part pool water and 2 parts chlorine free water and multiple your result by 3, but the accuracy of this dilution isn't great.

 

[techguy]

I don't know how others feel about this but I am of the feeling if you need to shock without the test, you could limp along with a good light to orange OTO result for the couple days it will take to get your kit. Then, when you get test kit, you see if your close to being done.

I would say get some liquid chlorine and shock away.

 

[linen]

I don't know how others feel about this but I am of the feeling if you need to shock without the test, you could limp along with a good light to orange OTO result for the couple days it will take to get your kit.

I think we are in agreement, except I would probably do the dilution instead of looking for light orange result since that has quite a range (10-20) and can be hard to determine when it is no longer light orange but instead dark orange (15-30). Both ways will be inaccurate.

 

[Vetten14]

Ok I started shocking and will use dilution testing until new kit gets here.

thanks for all the advice... I will update you on my results!