Almost passed OCLT but water is still cloudy

[nadar]

We are on day 5 of a SLAM. We lost no chlorine overnight and CC is .5, but water is cloudy. I assume this means that we need to continue the SLAM. We had the same test results yesterday morning as well, and the water is just as cloudy as it was yesterday even though I've been keeping the pool at shock level and have been brushing, vacuuming and backwashing often. I feel like I'm not making any progress and could use some advice on what I can do to clear it up. I tested the water a little while ago and here are the results:
FC - 16
CC - .5
CYA appears to be 40
PH appears to be 7.8
TA is still 50

Could the low TA (50) and high PH (7.8) be causing the cloudiness? I never installed the ladder and have scrubbed the walls repeatedly so I'm pretty sure there is no algae hiding anywhere. I'm having trouble keeping leaves out of the pool since it is so windy so I'm wondering if this is stalling the progress of the SLAM. It is supposed to rain daily for the next 5 days starting tomorrow so I really would like to clear this pool up before all of this rainy weather starts. Other than continuing to SLAM and continuing to brush, vacuum and backwash often, is there anything that I can do to clear this up?

 

[mknauss]

Only test for FC and CC (at AM test of OCLT) when in SLAM process. The pH test is invalid.
Sounds like you must have a sand filter as you said backwashing several times. Please update your signature.

Sand filters take the longest to clear a pool. Be sure you are waiting until your filter pressure rises by 25% over clean pressure before backwashing. You can also try the Add DE to a Sand Filter - Trouble Free Pool but be ready as the filter can plug up quickly using that process.

 

[tim5055]

No, and during a SLAM don't bother testing TA, CH or pH.

Test FC & CC and even CC is really not that important until the water is clear.

Don't "backwash often", backwash when the pressure rises 25% over clean pressure.

There is no magic to fix it quick. Each SLAM is unique and takes the amount of time it takes.

You need "POP" Pool owner patience

5 days would be a quick SLAM. rain doesn't stop your SLAM, keep it up.

 

[zea3]

It can take a while to filter out all the dead algae that is clouding the water at this point. Don't run an OCLT until the pool is mostly clear. Find one spot in your pool (preferably near the steps for reference) and take a picture of that spot at the same time every day. Sometimes it seems like nothing is happening but the photos usually show small daily changes that indicate progress clearing the pool. Run the pump and filter 24/7 and clean the filter after a 20% rise in pressure from when it was last cleaned. As long as you are still filtering the water and adding chlorine as needed normal amounts of rain won't undue your progress. If you are expecting days of heavy storms you might drain off a couple of inches, but you don't have to. I don't see the type of filter listed on your signature, but if it is a sand filter you can add a little DE to help it catch more debris.

 

[Richard320]

TA won't cause cloudiness and yours is on the low end anyway. The pH test is not reliable above 10 FC. The chlorine reacts with the red stuff and makes it read falsely high. So yours may be 7.8, but is probably a little lower, and you won't get Calcium clouding until you get far above 8 pH. No, your problem is just a bunch of dead bleached algae carcasses floating around. It takes time to get them all gathered into the filter where they can be strained out.

But take heart. Your cloudy pool is not unlike the cloudy CYA test. Above a certain number, it all looks the same. You may have removed three quarters of the solids and are just unable to see a change yet.

 

[wireform]

If you want to speed the sand filter up a bit you can introduce some DE only after a good backwash so you have clean pressure. Raise with De slowly till you have a 1 psi rise and then stop adding. The only con to this is with all the dead algae floating pressure will rise quickly and then you would do it all over again but it'll clear faster but you have to babysit the filter gauge....

 

[nadar]

Thanks for all of the advice! I will try to be a little more patient and will continue the SLAM. I just wanted to make sure the low TA wasn't causing the cloudiness or hindering my progress since I've never had low TA like this before when doing a SLAM. I've also never had one that has taken more than 5 days before but I think the water was a little greener this time. I'll take the advice about not backwashing until filter pressure increases 25% because I've definitely been doing it more often than that.

 

[Casey]

Hows the pool looking? Is it getting clearer?