Algae/Cloudy pool

[dconner]

I have been fighting what I believe to be algae in my pool. The water started out a cloudy green/blue. I have been SLAMming for about a week now and the water color is now more of a milky blue with a slight brown tint due to what I believe is suspended dust/dirt particles. My chlorine usage over night has gone down to almost nothing, but I have continued to add approximately 1 gallon of 10% bleach throughout the day just to keep the SLAM going. I am waiting on my TF-100 to arrive tomorrow to confirm what my cheaper test kit says, but if in fact my numbers are correct and I have killed the algae bloom, as evidenced by the slight drop in chlorine usage overnight, is there anyway to speed up the cleaning process? I have a Hayward sand filter that overnight the PSI increases only 1 or 2 psi. So I am worried if it is even cleaning appropriately. I have considered adding DE to the filter, but have never done it, so that makes me nervous. I have already added a skimmer sock in hopes that it will help.

My main reason for hurrying this process is that I have my daughter's birthday party on Saturday and I would really like to have this mess cleaned up quickly I know flock around here is a dirty word, but I am really considering flocking it. Any bad repercussions to flocking it and not waiting out the filtration process?
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[Beens]

I'd try the DE before the floc. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it gunks stuff up. (floc)

With your psi actually going up 1-2 overnight it's working.

Adding DE is really simple and no real risk involved. You just have to make sure you only add a little at a time because you're going to stop adding when your PSI goes up by 1. I used a bucket of water and added 1/4 cup to the bucket and slowly poured into the skimmer. My pool is a whole lot smaller so I'm sure my filter is too. I can't put in very much DE before my psi goes up.

Sand filters just take some time to clear stuff up. Remember, with floc I'm pretty sure you're supposed to vacuum to waste and not send it through your filter. That will pull a lot of water out!

Make sure you post your results here as soon as that kit comes in! Your chlorine level will probably need some tweaking!

*edit*

I found the link for the instructions for adding D.E.
http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/133-add-de-to-a-sand-filter

 

[257WbyMag]

If you see no more green, your CC is 0.5 or less, and your FC is holding to within 1 ppm or less of loss overnight, then all you need is filter time and to maintain your proper FC level according to what your CYA level is. Dead algae is white and it can cause the water to look cloudy white. It's not going to hurt you to put a flocculant in the pool, but I don't think that you are going to benefit much from adding it, if at all.

 

[dconner]

I had planned on vacuuming to waste after the floc, if I did that at all. Just really want this to clear up overnight, I just know that's not possible. I will go buy some de today and add to the filter per the instructions and see what it does for me. I will also post the results once the test kit arrives tomorrow.

 

[dconner]

Also, just to confirm what I have read in other posts, after each backwashing, I need to add new DE to the filter, correct?

 

[Smykowski]

Yes, that is correct. However, if the pool is as cloudy as you say, you will be adding DE and backwashing very often.

Sand filters work just fine, they just take awhile. I'd give it time to work.

 

[Richard320]

Also, just to confirm what I have read in other posts, after each backwashing, I need to add new DE to the filter, correct?

Yes. What the DE does is put a finer filter layer atop the sand bed. Sort of like setting a window screen on top of a barbecue grate. It will clog up fast if the water is cloudy. Then you backwash it away and redo it. Reports indicate it could jack the pressure 25% in two or three hours!

 

[dconner]

Went home for lunch, after i bought some DE and snapped this photo. You can see the color of the deep end here.

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[dconner]

I added 2.75 cups of DE per the instructions above. The pressure increased 1 psi as close as I could tell. Will watch the gauge over the next couple of hours and report back. Thanks again.

 

[Casey]

Did you just open the pool? If you did, I would suggest opening the pool earlier so it is not green and you won't be so hard pressed to get it clear for you're daughter's party in the future. If the pool is still cloudy on Saturday, I would caution you NOT to let children swim in the pool, especially the deep end! It is very dangerous and one could lose sight of a child in a cloudy pool if they were to go under.

 

[dconner]

Did you just open the pool? If you did, I would suggest opening the pool earlier so it is not green and you won't be so hard pressed to get it clear for you're daughter's party in the future. If the pool is still cloudy on Saturday, I would caution you NOT to let children swim in the pool, especially the deep end! It is very dangerous and one could lose sight of a child in a cloudy pool if they were to go under.

It has been opened for nearly 3 months without one problem. We have had a bunch of rain recently, which caused runoff to get into the pool. You can see my other threads for my thoughts/ideas on trying to fix that problem as well. It just turned green after the last big storm we had. Water had gotten behind the liner, which I think caused the algae to get into the pool. I think that coupled with the runoff caused this. Adding the DE has worked thus far. My pressure has raised from 19 psi when clean, to now nearly 24 in just under 3 hours. I am going to wait about another hour and then backwash, but not add any more DE tonight so I can rest easy tonight not worrying about the pressures while the pump runs overnight, again.

As for swimming when its cloudy, not one child will touch the pool unless this problem gets fixed. I will probably need to drain quite a bit to lower the chlorine if I can get it cleared up. However, as of about 6 pm, I can officially make out the patterns in the liner in the deep end of the pool. So I am making good progress. Will post more pics tomorrow, hopefully of a semi-clear pool... lol

 

[Casey]

I didn't see or look for your other threads. Sorry... Sounds like you have a problem with the run off. Hopefully you can get that taken care of.

Glad to hear the kids won't swim. I cringe when I see and read of children swimming in a cloudy pool. I don't care if they can stand up or swim. It's non negotiable with me. It's just the way I am. If the pool is cloudy, it's CLOSED! The last time my pool was cloudy was in 2006! Right before I found TFP and a pool store wanted to charge me almost $200! There had to be a better way!

 

[dconner]

I have for the most part switched over to the BBB method, or the TFP method. I still use the pucks occasionally when I am planning on being away for longer than a couple of days.

BTW - The pool looks much better this morning, just a slow process. I didn't get any pics taken this morning as I was rushing to brush the pool before leaving for work. Will post test results once my new test kit arrives this evening.

 

[dconner]

Received my test kit (TF-100) today. Thanks go out to TFTestkits for prompt shipment. I have never had a "nice" test kit before and I feel like it has already opened a new door for me. My numbers weren't too crazy today.

FC 5.5
CC 0
CH 400
PH 7.5
TA 130
CYA 40

I went ahead and brought the FC up to 15. Pool has cleared up quite a bit. As I said earlier, I can make out the patterns on the liner in the deep end. I plan on keeping my FC up to shock levels throughout the night and see where we are in the morning and verify OCLT. Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Richard320]

Recieved my test kit today....