baquacil cloudy water.. HELP ME!

[careyshane32]

My family installed an above ground pool (18' round x 52") approximately three weeks ago. About 2-3 days after adding the initial doses of the baquacil products the pool was crystal clear. Our local pool store recommended the following routine:
Baquacil Algicide: 1 oz. weekly
Baquacil Sanitizer and Algistat: 1 pint every 2 weeks
Baquacil Oxidizer: one gallon per month

The routine was running smooth until a few days ago. Hard heavy rains hit our area and our pool hasn't been clear since. It just seems cloudy, no apparent algae growth noticed. Have also checked for white mold but didn't discover that it was the problem.

We took a water sample to the pool store to see what the problem was. Everything was clear and the employee said that the water was perfect chemistry wise. The only problem is the water is still cloudy. By cloudy, I mean that you can see the bottom if you are looking directly into the pool. You cannot see it from a distance like you could after the first few days of us having the pool. However, the bottom IS visible - just very cloudy!
The pool store employee recommended Baquacil flocculant. We added that approximately 24 hours ago (at time of post) and there are visible white particles floating now when you look directly into pool. I plan on letting it settle some overnight and check the progress in the morning. There are some "clouds" of white particles that have settled on the bottom, but not as much as we had hoped for. I have also read online that unless the Oxidizer level is above 100, you will have cloudy water. Is this true? On the printout from the pool store the oxidizer level was 89. If I need to add more of that, it would be a simple fix! My family is new to having a pool and we are just really unsure of what to do at the moment...What do you recommend we do to get our pool back to crystal clear?? Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

 

[MikeInNH]

Cloudy water and expense is the reason most people here that started with Baq have since converted to chlorine. Please check out the pool school link at the top right. Lots of info on there. I switched a few years ago and cannot be happier with my pool water. My wife never wanted chlorine but she likes ours now and didn't like the Baq after a couple months. She thought all chlorine pools were like public pools...yuck and not so. I would suggest limping along until the season is over and then converting in the spring. Please add a signature with pool info and what area you live in, it helps the folks here. Lastly, welcome to TFP.

 

[careyshane32]

Yes... everything I find on the web says that most people convert to chlorine and are happy with the decision. do you have any suggestions for getting the water cleared up? If we can make it until its time to close the pool, we will probably use chlorine next season. because of the cloudy water, we haven't really been able to use the pool lately. don't want to go through this again next season! any suggestions on clearing up our pool with baquacil will be appreciated!

 

[BoDarville]

careyshane32:

Welcome to TFP

We can help you get your pool back to crystal clear, but you will have to be open to changing much of what you have previously been taught about pool maintenance (it will be for the better, I assure you). I made the same leap of faith a year ago and am much better off because of it.

Here are the first steps in getting started:

• 1. Post information about your pool and a full set of test results (see Read This BEFORE You Post) for a complete listing of what we need to help you most effectively.

• 2. Stop relying on the pool store for advice. Yes, there are some reputable ones out there, but many will sell you chemicals you don't need.

• 3. While I would recommend reading all of Pool School, I would start with the articles under Pool Chemistry. This will give you a good understanding of what's important to test and what chemicals are needed (probably far fewer than what you're using now).

• 4. Change your mindset to accept that pool maintenance is not a three-headed monster. With the right approach, you can have a well maintained and crystal clear pool with (very likely) less effort than you're putting in now.

 

[MikeInNH]

I do not, I wasn't very successful getting rid of it. The one person I know that won't switch lives with it cloudy. looks kinda like the soda Fresca. Can you post a picture? Other folks will chime in, by tomorrow you'll have a ton of replies on here.

 

[MikeInNH]

 

[Leebo]

What is your current sanitizer level? My guess say's that with the heavy rains that your sanitizer level dropped below 30 and algae started to grow. In the past I've had zero luck using the Floc.

Did the pool store give you a list of the test results? Try this for now.....assuming your pool is less than 10k gallons large. My math went with 8600 gallons.
1. Bring sanitizer level up to 50
2. Add 15ounces of premium algicide. This is the only one I would suggest using....as it seems it's the same as polyquat60
3. Add one gallon oxidizer. Let the pump run 24 hours and look at the water again. If still cloudy re-add oxidizer

Sorry I missed this thread. Was at work all weekend and didn't have much time to check the board. Baquacil is a product that works only if you keep algae out of your pool. If the levels slip below the minimum algae will start to form very quickly. I always had issues with cloudy water after heavy rains as well....but the oxidizer should help you out.