Cloud pool water, dirt or algae?

[SorryImaNewb123]

Hello pool experts.

For the last week or so our pool has been a cloudy, possibly from some hard rains we have had recently. I added some Clorox Clarifier/Flocculant yesterday (https://tinyurl.com/jx5dd9bz) and today things seemed to clear up pretty good as everything was now sitting on the pool floor (some yellow'ish, some white/clear, other a bit darker). While vacuuming everything up to waste, I noticed that while passing the vacuum head over certain parts of the pool floor, I noticed some suspended cloudy matter what looked like a couple of inches above the pool floor. I know it was suspended off the floor because I can see it up against the vacuum head as I passed under it.

What is that cloudy matter?

- Matter that still hasn't sunken to the floor yet? Maybe didn't keep the pump off long enough for everything to sink? I had the pump off for 13 hours (they suggested 12-24 hours)
- Algae?

20x40, 35,000 Gallons Inground, Hayward Sand Filter
AL - 110
pH - 6.5
CyA - 55
FC - 6
TC - 6

 

[mknauss]

Sadly, you added a material that you will need to get out of your pool by vacuuming to waste many times. Do not get the floc in your sand filter or you will be changing the sand in it.

Once you get all that out, you will need to follow the SLAM Process. To do that, you need a proper test kit. I suggest the TF-100 or Taylor K2006C. A proper test kit is needed to get the accurate water chemistry results needed to follow the TFP protocols.

 

[SorryImaNewb123]

So I ran the flocculant through the skimmer in recirculate setting on my valve for 2 hours, then I shut down the pump for the the remainder of the afternoon and overnight. In the morning I went directly to waste setting to vacuum up everything that was at the bottom.

the chemical readings are from the TF-100 test kit as of this morning.

do you think I might have algae?

 

[mknauss]

Once you clear the pool of the floc goo, then circulate the pool well and do a Overnight Chlorine Loss Test

 

[SorryImaNewb123]

For the last 2 days my FC level has been 6, so my FC doesn’t appear to be decreasing at any substantial rate.

I will test again tomorrow and see if it’s still at 6. That was using the FC test in my TF 100 kit.

 

[mknauss]

Your FC is not changing without addition of any chlorine?

 

[SorryImaNewb123]

Ohhh, I do have a auto chlorine feeder which was on so I think that was why the level probably didn’t drop. I will turn that off and do another test since it’s night time, then I’ll do another test first thing in the morning Before the sunrise to see what the results are.

 

[mknauss]

If you are using Trichlor, your CYA is constantly rising.

 

[SorryImaNewb123]

Yes, they are tricolor tablets.

 

[SorryImaNewb123]

I will do a CYA test as well once more right now.

 

[wireform]

I will do a CYA test as well once more right now.

No you can't do that now. You need strong sun....

 

[SorryImaNewb123]

Ok. I’ll do the cya test tomorrow afternoon, as long as the weather agrees.

 

[SorryImaNewb123]

Hi!

I did the test last night around 10-11pm after turning off the chlorine feeder. The free chlorine was at 6ppm and tested again earlier this morning around 6am and the FC was 5ppm.

Jeff

 

[mknauss]

Great. If the goo is all gone, deep clean the sand filter to be sure it is not compromised. Then consider using DE in the sand filter to capture any remaining material.

 

[SorryImaNewb123]

Here's an update...

So the CYA is still at 55 and the water has cleared up a bit (not as cloudy), but there is lots of dark patches at the bottom of the pool. I had our robot cleaner clean it up yesterday, but when I looked at the pool this morning, it's all back looking how it was yesterday

 

[mknauss]

That appears to be dead algae or leftover floc goo. Are you following the SLAM Process?

 

[SorryImaNewb123]

I am a bit confused, because I thought since my overnight FC didn’t drop over 1 ppm, that the slam process wasn’t necessary.

 

[mknauss]

You have visible algae debris it appears. That trumps the OCLT everytime.

When you brush the debris, does it poof away?

 

[SorryImaNewb123]

Yes. It does poof away. So, I need to Slam it?

 

[Auburn02]

When you brush the debris, does it poof away?

Can you clarify what the different answers to that question mean? If it does poof, what's that mean? If it doesn't poof, what else would happen and what would that indicate? Sorry, I just see that question asked all over this forum, but have never found the answer to what it means when it poofs or doesn't poof (and what it does in lieu of poofing). Poof is a funny word when you use it so many times in a single thought.