Alkalinity/cloudy Water issue

[justanls1guy]

I am having an issue with cloudy water, and i think i need some help. I've been using the methods on here for years relatively problem free. Indoor 36k gallon pool, plaster/concrete bottom with fiberglass/vinyl sides. Pool is nearing end of life and will need refinished in the next year or two. I went to open for the year, cleaned the pool real well, had a calcuim ring, cleaned that off, shocked it, My water is very cloudy. I have thought maybe its time for a drian/refill but decided to go to the local pool store first ( yes i know, pool stores bad, but i feel i'm little over my head here). They are saying that doesn't need done.

Pool store numbers were
7.9 ph
6.5 Free Chlorine
8.6 total Chlorine
214 Total alkalinity
153 calcium harness
792 Phosphate


They say the alkalinity is the issue. SO i use Muratic Acid to lower Ph and TA, ph dropped to 6.8 (which is lower than pool calc said it would be) and TA only dropped to 180, pool is still cloudy. More Muratic Acid to get TA down more? Thoughts?

 

[mknauss]

I've been using the methods on here for years relatively problem free.

Great! Welcome to the forum!
If you have been following TFPC, you have your own proper test kit. Post up the results from your own testing.

 

[justanls1guy]

Test results from from 1Pm today are ( my testing not pool store like posted above), i still have very cloudy water, i can't see the bottom in the deep end.

7.0 ph
6.0 Free Chlorine
8.8 total Chlorine
190 Total alkalinity
150 calcium harness

I expected the acid to bring the TA down more, i have the jets pointing up to aerate the water, pool filter has been running constantly.

Any thoughts? Thank you

 

[Donldson]

What did you use to get those numbers? Did you test your CYA?

If those numbers are correct you have a significant CC problem. Whatever is causing that is probably the cause of the cloudiness, not alkalinity. TA was never a very likely source of cloudiness, but that kind of "diagnosis" is about what I would expect from the pool store.

 

[justanls1guy]

I have a liquid drop kit and strips. Currently Cya appears to 0 or 1, pool store said it was one. Test strips and drop tests correlate with each other.

 

[mknauss]

You need to follow the SLAM Process. To do that, you need a proper test kit. I suggest the TF-100 A proper test kit is needed to get the accurate water chemistry results needed to follow the TFP protocols.

While you are waiting on your test kit, add 5 ppm FC worth of liquid chlorine / plain bleach to your pool each evening with the pump running. This will replenish the FC lost each day to the sun and also inhibit any algae in the water from growing further.