Losing pool again

[Mardo500]

I had my pool looking great. But in the last week it has turned a green tint and getting cloudy. Here is my readings for the last 2 days? Where should I begin and how do I prevent this from happening again?.

PH 7.6
CL 3.5 PPM
CC .5 ppm
TA 140 PPM
CH 600 PPM
CYA 30 ppm

I just do not understand why I lost the pool again. I have not let the CL go low. It is very frustrating. Also a note. My PH is going up every day about .2? should it be going up that fast?

Thanks for any help

 

[Yev]

Your TA and CH are both very high compared to the Recommended Levels.

Have you done a overnight free chlorine loss test? I would guess that you have some stubborn algae that you have not yet dealt with.

 

[Kiss4aFrog]

With a CC of .5 you're going to need to SLAM.

Being in Phoenix I would think you'd want to have 40 or maybe even 50 for a CYA if it's outside and getting plenty of sun but that's not answering your question.
The only way you can "lose" a pool is to be short on FC. If you're keeping the pH between 7.2-7.8 and have the right FC for your CYA algae doesn't have a chance. The only exception would be if you didn't fully pass the last SLAM, stopped early because the water looked clean and clear but you still had some living algae in there.

If you keep your FC above the minimum for the CYA level - algae doesn't have a chance to start. If there is some in there you haven't killed then that maintenance amount will slow it down but doesn't kill it.
How often do you test and adjust, what kit are you using and did you do a full SLAM last time and pass all three qualifiers (CC, clear water and OCLT) ??

Might be something hiding on a ladder or behind a light niche too.

 

[Texas Splash]

A couple thoughts, and others in your local area might reply soon as well:
- I'm assuming "CL" if actually your FC (free chlorine)? That is just below your target level of 4 based on CYA or 30, and with the heat/sun that may be struggling
- Speaking of CYA, have you considered taking that up to 40-50 to protect your FC level? Your FC may not be able to keep-up with the sun
- I agree with Yev in that an OCLT may be in order
- Is there anything new to your pool (i.e. plaster)?
- Have you put anything in it other than liquid bleach or acid?
- Finally, which test kit are you using?

 

[Donldson]

Looking through you previous thread, did you ever SLAM your pool after you did the water change?

Also your pH rise is normal, as you add acid to adjust it your TA will drop and when that gets lower it will begin to stabilize.

 

[Richard320]

The pH rising that fast would be expected with your high TA. As you keep adding acid to lower pH, TA will also come down.

Algae can grow where there's poor circulation. If you could grab a water sample from right next to where algae is forming without stirring it up, you'd see if was close to zero.

The solution there is to SLAM it and brush every inch of the pool thoroughly, even hiding places like behind the light. And when it's done and you're rebalancing, target 50 or 60 CYA and raise the FC level accordingly. You won;t use more bleach per day, it will just be at a higher level and better protected from the sun.

 

[Mardo500]

Donaldson~ No I did not. I assumed I had complete control of the pool. Crystal clear and no growth on the walls. I will start the SLAM tonight.
Richard~ I agree there might be growth behind the light. i will remove and clean properly.
Texas~ I switched out the entire pool water due to CYA that was at least over 1200 PPM. But as mentioned. i did not SLAM it afterwards. I am going to follow the procedure and hopefully it will get my pool under control.

My test kit is TF-50 Test Kit. PH is being tested with my old kit.

thanks for all the comments and I will repost after my SLAM is completed.

Thanks.for the suggestions.

 

[Texas Splash]

Best of luck to you on the SLAM. Lots of info passed around in such a short time. Follow-up with us if you have any questions. Good luck and have an nice weekend.

 

[Mardo500]

I slammed the Pool. It took 7 days.... I brushed and brushed and kept the Chlorine up.. All the test results were great. Today I noticed again some new cloudiness. Very little but... I remembered I had not removed the light fixture. LOL.... Wow.. I found my problem. There was so much growth it was disgusting. So I cleaned and started to SLAM again. I should have jumped on the suggestion Richard. Thanks for all the advice.

 

[pooldv]

This is the year of light niche algae. Good work figuring that out.

 

[Richard320]

I slammed the Pool. It took 7 days.... I brushed and brushed and kept the Chlorine up.. All the test results were great. Today I noticed again some new cloudiness. Very little but... I remembered I had not removed the light fixture. LOL.... Wow.. I found my problem. There was so much growth it was disgusting. So I cleaned and started to SLAM again. I should have jumped on the suggestion Richard. Thanks for all the advice.