Blue Cloudy Pool

[psu527]

Hi everyone! I’ve been trying to keep my pool clear but it just continues to remain cloudy. I’ve been working on it for almost a week now…

I have an 18 ft round above ground and am using the Taylor 2006 testing kit. I added photos of what it started as and what it looks like now.

Here’s what I’ve done:

6/13
pH 6.8-7.0
FC 2
CC 0.8
TA 60
CH 180

Added 1 gallon chlorine and 8oz pH up, vacuumed and skimmed.




6/14
6:30pm
pH 7.0
FC 3
CC 0.8
TA 60
CH 180
CYA 0

Added 1 gallon of chlorine, skimmed.

7:05pm
pH 7.4
FC 15
CC 0.4
TA
CH
CYA

Added 3 chlorine pucks, skimmed, vacuumed. Added 1 more gallon of chlorine.




6/15
12:30pm
pH 7.2
FC 13
CC 1.0
TA 70
CH
CYA

Added 1 gallon chlorine, 2 lbs chlorine stabilizer into skimmer, vacuumed, skimmed

1:30pm
pH 7.4
FC >20
CC ??
TA
CH
CYA 10-20

Didn’t add anything, let filter do its job.





6/17
12:40pm
pH 7.0
FC 14.5
CC 1.0
TA 70
CH
CYA 50

Added 8oz of pH up, vacuumed, skimmed. Backwash and rinse.

2:20pm
pH 7.0
FC 14.5
CC 1.0
TA 80
CH
CYA

Added 4 oz pH up and 1/2 gal of liquid chlorine. Backwash and rinse. Let filter do its job.




6/18
1:50pm
pH
FC 15.5
CC 1.0
TA
CH
CYA

Slowly vacuumed and skimmed entire pool. Backwash and filter.

2:35pm
pH 7.2
FC 15
CC 0.4
TA 80
CH
CYA 20

Added 1/2 gallon of liquid chlorine. Backwash and filter.

 

[wireform]

Not sure how your CYA was 50 and then 20 the next day. You need not to check anything other then the FC while doing slam. Checking PH with FC above 10 isn't accurate. The beginning logs showed no CYA so the chlorine was being destroyed by UV and doing very little work. You need to be at slam level for it to work.
SLAM Process

 

[psu527]

Not sure how your CYA was 50 and then 20 the next day. You need not to check anything other then the FC while doing slam. Checking PH with FC above 10 isn't accurate. The beginning logs showed no CYA so the chlorine was being destroyed by UV and doing very little work. You need to be at slam level for it to work.
SLAM Process

Thank you. I’m not sure either why the CYA went from 50 to 20. I very well could have been incorrect on the 50.

I’ll add more stabilizer and liquid chlorine today.

 

[wireform]

If you add be careful not to overshoot 30. Test again before adding.

 

[psu527]

If you add be careful not to overshoot 30. Test again before adding.

Chlorine stabilizer is now at 40-50. I overshot a little bit I am going to continue to backwash the filter so that’ll require me to eventually add more water.

Here’s my updates:
6/19
6:05pm
pH
FC 13
CC 0.5
TA
CH
CYA 10

Added 1 gallon liquid chlorine, vacuumed and skimmed.



6:45pm
pH
FC 31
CC 0.3-0.5
TA
CH 10 (retested numerous times, water had been added to the pool)

Added ~1.5-2 lbs of chlorine stabilizer in a sock.





6/20

9:00am
pH
FC 22
CC 0.2-0.4
TA
CH
CYA 40-50

Took the stabilizer sock out.



I’m going to recheck it today after work.

 

[psu527]

Update:

6/20
4:00pm
pH
FC 22
CC 0-0.2 (I truly think it was 0 but it was hard to tell)
TA
CH
CYA 40-50


Vacuumed entire pool with skimmer sock on filter (it was disgusting). Brushed entire pool. Skimmed. Added nothing since chlorine level didn’t change.

 

[Newdude]

Added nothing since chlorine level didn’t change.

Then you've likely killed everything and it's now a mechanical battle to remove it.

Keep the FC up just in case. Brushing may expose new layers of algae that'll need killing.

Brush and vac at least once a day.

Backwash at +25% psi over clean.

This may speed things up

Add DE to a Sand Filter

A clean pool filter will increase the efficiency of your pool! ... your filter are to backwash it, clean the manifolds and grids, and add new DE.

www.troublefreepool.com

Only do it when you can babysit the filter. It could spike the psi in 30 mins to 2 hours if you've added enough DE.

 

[psu527]

Then you've likely killed everything and it's now a mechanical battle to remove it.

Keep the FC up just in case. Brushing may expose new layers of algae that'll need killing.

Brush and vac at least once a day.

Backwash at +25% psi over clean.

This may speed things up

Add DE to a Sand Filter

A clean pool filter will increase the efficiency of your pool! ... your filter are to backwash it, clean the manifolds and grids, and add new DE.

www.troublefreepool.com

Only do it when you can babysit the filter. It could spike the psi in 30 mins to 2 hours if you've added enough DE.

Thank you! I would add the DE, but I’m working on this pool for someone I know so I can’t babysit the filter (and neither can they).

I plan on heading back over tomorrow to see where the chlorine levels stand and go from there. Hopefully like you said, I’ve killed everything and the worst is behind us. It still is cloudy, but continues to slowly improve.

They really want to swim, do you think they could?

 

[Newdude]

but continues to slowly improve.

The process still works with less effort, it just takes longer.

They really want to swim, do you think they could?

They need to see bottom well enough to rescue someone, or be rescued.

If so, swimming is safe between min and and slam.

 

[psu527]

The process still works with less effort, it just takes longer.



They need to see bottom well enough to rescue someone, or be rescued.

If so, swimming is safe between min and and slam.

UPDATE:

6/21

10am
pH
FC 19.8
CC 0.4
L
TA
CH
CYA 40

Vacuumed, skimmed. Changed the skimmer sock which was disgusting. Backwashed. Added nothing (pool calculator says slam level is 16).



It still remains semi cloudy but I think it keeps getting better. I realize at this point, like you said, it’s a mechanical battle now.

 

[Newdude]

Switch to 10ml samples and each drop is 0.5 FC. You'll save 2.5X the supplies.

 

[psu527]

I just took a sample to the pool store for sh*ts and giggles. Why the heck would their free chlorine level be so off from mine?

(I know we aren’t supposed to use pool stores but this seems odd)

 

[psu527]

Switch to 10ml samples and each drop is 0.5 FC. You'll save 2.5X the supplies.

Will do! Now I’ve seen some people only use 1 dipper vs 2 with the 10 mL sample (the Taylor kit says to use 2 dippers regardless of sample size).

 

[Newdude]

Now I’ve seen some people only use 1 dipper vs 2 with the 10 mL sample

Yup.

I just took a sample to the pool store for sh*ts and giggles

It's all shoots and giggles until somebody giggles and shoots.

Why the heck would their free chlorine level be so off from mine?

Why would any of them ? I don't give a flying rats patootie how many they got right last time. They're the dumbest kid in class and will likely fail this time. Trust your A+ average kit and your gut while you smile at the class clown. (No need to be rude to him).

 

[psu527]

Yup.


It's all shoots and giggles until somebody giggles and shoots.

Why would any of them ? I don't give a flying rats patootie how many they got right last time. They're the dumbest kid in class and will likely fail this time. Trust your A+ average kit and your gut while you smile at the class clown. (No need to be rude to him).

Okay, now that was funny. Thanks for making me laugh! And yes, you’re right.

I’ll send updates tomorrow

 

[psu527]

Yup.


It's all shoots and giggles until somebody giggles and shoots.

Why would any of them ? I don't give a flying rats patootie how many they got right last time. They're the dumbest kid in class and will likely fail this time. Trust your A+ average kit and your gut while you smile at the class clown. (No need to be rude to him).

UPDATE TIME

6/20

11:05am
pH
FC 15
CC 0.4
TA
CH
CYA 40

Vacuumed, skimmed. Backwashed. Changed skimmer sock. Added liquid chlorine amount that the pool calculator said to get the slam level back to 16.

Pool looked the clearest it’s been to date.

 

[psu527]

UPDATE

6/24

pH 7.4
FC 8
CC 0.2
TA 80
CH 150
CYA 40

Pool is clear