Green deep end, cloudy everywhere else

[Hers]

FC- 34 Yes, 34
CC- 0
CH- 50
TA- 120
CYA- 60

So. Opened the pool a few weeks ago and balanced everything out just fine. Woke up 3 days ago and it looked a little cloudy in the deep end. The next day the pool is a green pond. Started the shocking process yesterday and of course I didn't notice the bleach is concentraited so I obviously over did it. FC was at 35.5 when I went to bed last night, 38.5 early this morning and 34 right now. Obviously this high level concerns me. The pool turned back to cloudy overnight, except the deep end which is still green. I have been brushing the pool everyday and vaccumed yesterday. I haven't vaccumed today as it is of course raining. Am I on the right track or am I in trouble?? Any help would be sooooo appreciated. This is my first season as we just put the pool in at the end of summer last year. I am in NW CT

 

[jblizzle]

Are you running the pump/filter 24/7? Bachwash when the pressure rises 20-25% over the clean pressure. Sand filters are kind of slow clearing up cloudy water, but they will eventually.

Just follow the shock process:
Shocking Your Pool

 

[duraleigh]

I think you are certainly on the right track and doubt the high chlorine will cause any long term issues....just let it come down around your shock value of 24 or so and then keep it there.

Have you backwashed/cleaned your filter? If so, did the psi go down?

 

[Hers]

I have back washed and the psi dropped from 17 to 12.

 

[Richard320]

Since you're already wet from being outside in the rain to backwash, go brush the deep end a little and stir up some of that green stuff so the filter can catch it and load up again.

 

[jblizzle]

So if you clean pressure is 12psi, you should start backwashing when it reaches 15psi.

 

[Cathy9887]

This could have been my post as well... Pretty much describes our experience exactly... 3 days ago we woke up to a muddy catfish type pond. Today was the "green deep, cloudy everywhere else". Hopefully our shocking process clears it back up soon! :-/

 

[Casey]

BRUSH, BRUSH, BRUSH that pool!

 

[Hers]

Ok. I'm confused. We had a little over 2 inches of rain yesterday/last night. My husband was keeping watch for me while I was working yesterday and went to backwash the filter for me and forgot it was going. He drained about 4 inches out. My FC reading this morning is 33.5, CYA 50. I'm so confused. Shouldn't I have lost a lot of FC between yesterday and today? I would say the cloudy area looks a little better as I can now see the coping, but the deep area is still green. Is it safe to go in at that FC level? I really want to go in and brush it again and vacume it. It's driving me crazzzzzzzzyyyyyyyy!!!

 

[Cathy9887]

(can you not brush/vacuum while standing outside along the edge?)

 

[Hers]

No. We don't have a deck on yet and I'm not tall enough to reach the whole thing.

 

[Cathy9887]

Sounds like you need ElastiGirl's (Mrs Incredible) stretchy arms & legs... :batman:

 

[Hers]

That would be nice! So are you asking these questions because it isn't safe to be in the pool at these FC levels?

 

[Richard320]

That would be nice! So are you asking these questions because it isn't safe to be in the pool at these FC levels?

You may end up with strange feeling skin and a bleached swimsuit. It is safe to go in up to shock level for your CYA. The only way to know is to test it!

 

[Cathy9887]

Honestly, I'm not sure (note my rookie status), I asked mostly because I was confused at your not having a deck yet. But, if your pool looks & smells like ours does right now with the high FC levels, personally wouldn't get in it. I'd be afraid of coming out looking like Freddy Krueger.

 

[Hers]

Just installed pool at the end of last summer. Slowly working in deck now. Can't wait as it's a pita to have to get in to clean every time. Especially this early in the year when the water temp is 68. Brrrrrr.

To Richard320....I have tested. FC is 33.5 and CYA is 50. My shock level should be 24. Hence my concern.

 

[Richard320]

Just installed pool at the end of last summer. Slowly working in deck now. Can't wait as it's a pita to have to get in to clean every time. Especially this early in the year when the water temp is 68. Brrrrrr.

To Richard320....I have tested. FC is 33.5 and CYA is 50. My shock level should be 24. Hence my concern.

Let the sun work down that FC for a couple hours.

 

[Smykowski]

For the amount of time hou're in the pool, the worst that can happen is your clothes bleach out. If it's me, I wear old clothes and jump in a quick shower afterward.

 

[jasonlk1]

Update

The wife and I have been working this issue for a week now! Here are the current numbers as of 9pm tonight:
FC 24.5
Ta 110
Ch 20
Cya 60

How do those numbers look? After a week we are still fighting a cloudy pool. Most of the green is gone and it has cleared up more in the last 2 days than last week. We had some issues with pump and filter. In the last 24 hr we have vac and scrubbed the pool 3 times and back washed once normal press is 12 and we are back washing at 15 pump and filter are back running normal now. The FC has been maintained above 24 all week. We plan to check it again first thing in the am to see if we have any overnight loss. I'm getting a little impatient waiting for this to clear up. I'm thinking about trying to add some DE to our sand filter tomorrow to help this out. Should I? If so how much should I add for a 22" sand filter? Any other suggestions? Btw I'm the husband of the original poster if you haven't figured it out.

 

[jblizzle]

Read the article in Pool School to see how to add the DE.