Would love some guidance to getting my pool back.

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M

martinqq1

0
Apr 22, 2015
9
Modesto, Ca
Hello,

First time pool owner and it is currently a swamp. I have been trying to do some research but the more I read the more overwhelming this process becomes. I bought a k-2006 test kit and the first thing I did was test my CYA. The black dot disappeared before the water even reached a reading so my CYA is extremely high and I keep reading that my best option is to do a refill. I have some concerns on doing a refill because I am in California and because I am not sure how to partially drain my water without damaging anything (if draining is my only option.

Here are some pictures of my situation.

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B0pNRWHPNDapM0tpYzRPOEY3Rnc&usp=sharing

Any help and guidance on where to get started would be greatly appreciated.
 
:wave: Welcome to TFP!!!

You can get a better feel for the CYA level by doing a diluted test as described in the Extended Test Instructions.

Once you know how high the CYA is then we will be better equipment to offer idea, but the easiest and cheapest is to replace water.

Unfortunately, with a swamp to deal with, you would have saved some money by getting the TF-100 with XL option. With the K-2006 you are going to run out of the CYA and FAS-DPD reagents very quickly. In fact, order refills NOW.

Here is some reading about how to clear up the pool, after the CYA is sorted:
Defeating Algae
Turning Your Green Swamp Back into a Sparkling Oasis
SLAM Process
 
You can vac to waste and get some of that sludge off the bottom and then refill, check CYA and repeat as necessary until you get to your desired level.
 
It looks like you just have a push-pull backwash valve, not a multiport, so draining water won't be easy. Your best bet is to rent a pump from Home Depot or buy a cheap submersible. There's mo point trying to adjust the chemistry until you get the CYA level down to something manageable, and the fastest way to do that is by draining a bunch and refilling it, drought or no drought. There's no easier way. The more debris you can scoop out with a leaf rake or with the pump, the better. You'll probably need to lose about half the water initially. Later, as you vacuum up the dead stuff, you'll be clogging your filter and backwashing it a bunch and replacing a lot more water.

Once you've replaced 50 to 60 percent of the water and removed any big chunbks of stuff, you're ready to fix the pH and start killing algae. Post test results after some water replacement and someone will be along to guide you.

Pool chemistry is not all that difficult, really,. There's a steep learning curve, and yours is steeper than most because your pool is green. But there's no reason the pool can't be sparkling clear before the end of May. I'd say well before then, and you'll be an expert on your pool's chemistry by then.
 
It is indeed a push pull valve. Would doing what was mentioned above help? The pull has an auto refill thing that starts filling the pool with water anytime I backwash the water out. Could I back wash every few hours and let the water refill for a few days straight or would this not be enough?

Its sounding like I'll have no choice but to drain the water. Should I have any concerns of water weight or anything like that?

Thanks again for your help!
 
You don't want to backwash as long as it would take to empty the pool. And the problem with draining a bit and refilling is that it will keep diluting and wasting water.

Mathematically, if your pool's average depth is 60", and you drain 30" in one go, your have used 3500 gallons of water and reduced CYA by 50%. But if you do it in 10 3" drains with refilling in between, you will have used 3500 gallons and only reduced CYA by 40% It would take almost 14 cycles to lower CYA by 50%, which would use 4900 gallons.

And if your gauge always reads zero, you need a new gauge.
 
I finally got around to emptying around 60% of the water. I did a cya test and it was around 40 I have since then been adding cal-hydro shock and backwashing 1-2 times a day for about 3 days. The water now is blue but very cloudy I can't see the bottom. Any suggestions? Thanks!
 

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I have started the slam process. I added a bit of bleach last night and then did my test again this morning. My FC level was 10. PH was 7.0 so I raised it a little. I also did a CYA test and now my CYA is so low it doesn't register. (Can't find a happy median) the pool is very blue I just can't see the bottom because its so cloudly. I spent all day yesterday testing and shocking as needed.
 
If your CYA was 40 Saturday, did something significant happen to reduce your CYA? It would not drop that much on it's own on 2 days. Perhaps test once again? Don't bother testing PH while you are SLAMming. It is not reliable with high FC levels. Really need to confirm that CYA though. As of SAT your SLAM FC would be 16, so there's a fairly large disparity there that needs to be confirmed to make sure you are using the correct amount of bleach.

- - - Updated - - -

If you confirm the CYA is definitely low or completely gone, let us know.
 
Texas Splash said:
If your CYA was 40 Saturday, did something significant happen to reduce your CYA? It would not drop that much on it's own on 2 days. Perhaps test once again? Don't bother testing PH while you are SLAMming. It is not reliable with high FC levels. Really need to confirm that CYA though. As of SAT your SLAM FC would be 16, so there's a fairly large disparity there that needs to be confirmed to make sure you are using the correct amount of bleach.

- - - Updated - - -

If you confirm the CYA is definitely low or completely gone, let us know.
Click to expand...


I just tested again and I'm thinking CYA iis low. Does the black dot have to completely disappear or just be hard to see? It never really completely dissapears but becomes very hard to see when the tube is completely full.

Thanks, i appreciate all the help I'm getting.
 
You do want the dot to disappear. When testing, make sure you hold it at waste level, preferably in outside lighting with the sun at your back. Look away once or twice so your eyes don't "lock" onto the target to drastically. It's a test that takes a little getting used to, but you'll get the hang of it through repetition.
 
Okay then, just keep that FC at 10 until you pass the 3 criteria for the SLAM. Don't let it drop below 10. :)

- - - Updated - - -

Of course during the SLAM, continue to run your pump 24/7. Remove any “muck” and debris, scrub all parts of your pool to expose any algae, and vacuum/clean (or backwash) filter as necessary. You may have to do this several times. It's a lot of babysitting, but with patience and consistency, you will succeed.
 
My pool passed the overnight FC drop test 2 nights in a row while tfp was having its nervous breakdown. However my pool is still murky. The pool has no algea and looks very clean and almost unnaturally bright blue but I still can't see the bottom. I turned the pump off for a day and that helped a little as I can see the bottom of the shallow end but not very clear. What other things should I look for? Thanks
 
It's good that your passed the OCLT two consecutive nights. :goodjob: What about your CC reading? That's one of the criteria. :) So is "water clear", but that's still an issue I see. Hummm. In addition, you are also supposed to leave the pump on 24/7 during a SLAM so it can try to filter the dead algae. Have you been sweeping/scrubbing as well?

Based on your feedback of the water, I would be very interested to know what your current FC and CC readings are. That may tell us how to proceed.
 
Long story short I continued the slam process and my pool is now clear and swimmable.

I still have issues with my push pull valve. It's very hard to pull up out of backwash mode and also shoots sand into the pool for about 20 seconds after backwashing. This isn't a huge deal as it gets vaccumed up quickly just not sure if that's normal. The pump is also pretty loud I think my neighbors probably hate me. The irony is the part that is loud says "whisperflo" on it.

Thanks again for all your help everyone!!
 

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