Cloudy Blue water 1 week after opening

[CMH-CVG]

First time trying to balance the pool chemistry myself following the Pool company opening the pool last week.
Currently the pool is cloudy blue.

Pool details: in ground 30,000 gallons, Plaster from 1963 painted white by prior owner (dolphin is slowing removing the paint....), Chlorine, Sand filter, Variable Speed pump running at 2900 rpm, No heater, Dolphin cleaner, Cincinnati/Ohio USA

Took 3 days for the Dolphin basket to come back "Not full" of fines and other debris.
Water has been Cloudy blue all week.

Taylor test ppm results 5/18/23: FC 3.0, CC 0.4, pH 7.0, TA 60, CH 230, CYA 90, Leslie's test has Copper at 0.7ppm and TDS 700. Water sample for copper = 0.0, thus pool copper 0.7 must be coming from the algaecide during opening day.

Questions and learning:
a) Noticed the TA limits change between TFP 60-80, PoolMath 50-90, Leslies 80-120... with a Taylor value TA of 60, different limits will have me adding different amounts of Baking soda. Assume once I pick one, e.g PoolMath, stick to it for adjustments going forward
b) Will adjust TA, followed by CH, then pH last
c) How to achieve a clear water with no cloudiness....Is the cloudiness caused by Unbalanced chemistry, need to SLAM again, add a flocculant? Suggestions on how to proceed

Thanks, Carlos

 

[PoolStored]

a) Noticed the TA limits change between TFP 60-80, PoolMath 50-90, Leslies 80-120... with a Taylor value TA of 60, different limits will have me adding different amounts of Baking soda. Assume once I pick one, e.g PoolMath, stick to it for adjustments going forward

Leave TA alone. Manage your pH and TA will be just fine. If TA goes below 50, then raise it. Otherwise ignore it.

b) Will adjust TA, followed by CH, then pH last

Leave TA. Your CH is ok, might want to get it to 250 for now. Do you know the CH of your fill water? Leave pH, it will rise over time. Any pH in the 7s is just fine. And if you have to SLAM, pH 7.0 is great.

c) How to achieve a clear water with no cloudiness....Is the cloudiness caused by Unbalanced chemistry, need to SLAM again, add a flocculant? Suggestions on how to proceed

DO NOT ADD FLOC.

I would replace 30% of your water to get your CYA down to 60. Slamming at 90 is VERY difficult.

Read the "no drain water exchange" section here:

Draining - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

After you exchange your water, then SLAM. We'll get that pool cleared up!!!
WELCOME TO TFP!!!

 

[borjis]

Probably an algae bloom, free chlorine at 3 is insufficient for a cya of 90. The paint probably isn't helping though that would cause slight clouding after swimming activity. My last pool had been painted as well.

 

[CMH-CVG]

Leave TA alone. Manage your pH and TA will be just fine. If TA goes below 50, then raise it. Otherwise ignore it.

Leave TA. Your CH is ok, might want to get it to 250 for now. Do you know the CH of your fill water? Leave pH, it will rise over time. Any pH in the 7s is just fine. And if you have to SLAM, pH 7.0 is great.

DO NOT ADD FLOC.

I would replace 30% of your water to get your CYA down to 60. Slamming at 90 is VERY difficult.

Read the "no drain water exchange" section here:

Draining - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

After you exchange your water, then SLAM. We'll get that pool cleared up!!!
WELCOME TO TFP!!!

Thank you for the advice
Forgot to ask:
After entering the CYA level 90 the calculation shows a SLAM level 35
What does a SLAM 35 mean?

 

[PoolStored]

What does a SLAM 35 mean?

Print this out. Read it three times. This is where we are going...Link-->SLAM Process

That is the FC level required to SLAM with CYA of 90. However, SLAM at 90 is not practically possible.

 

[PoolStored]

BTW, are you a pilot?

 

[wireform]

I think you need to do a diluted CYA test and see what comes back. Your 90 is really 100 and at that point who knows how much higher it may be. When the definitive CYA is reached it'll probably take a "no drain water exchange" to get back on track.

 

[PoolStored]

diluted CYA test

Great catch.

 

[CMH-CVG]

Got to dark to continue outside...
a) Replaced portion of the water to waste and replaced with new water (hardness of city water is 130ppm)
b) Repeated CYA test diluted (2x) and the new value is 70 ppm after the water replacement (Thank you wireform)
c) Understood after guidance from PoolStored (thank you) and watching the SLAM video, to use PoolMath to determine the amount of Bleach gallons to add to match the CYA to the corresponding FC. After some water replacement done, the slightly lower CYA 70 required a SLAM of 28. MathPool indicates about 7 gallons 10% Bleach needed. I did not repeat the FC after the water replacement but changing the value from 1 to 4 they all provide about 7 gallons. I will proceed with adding 3 gallons and retest all parameters the next morning.

 

[PoolStored]

b) Repeated CYA test diluted (2x) and the new value is 70 ppm after the water replacement (Thank you wireform)

If you did the diluted test and got a result of 70, you need to double that...your CYA is then 140. To get it to 70, you then need to replace 50% of your water.

a) Replaced portion of the water to waste and replaced with new water (hardness of city water is 130ppm)

Did you allow the water to circulate before you retested?

 

[CMH-CVG]

If you did the diluted test and got a result of 70, you need to double that...your CYA is then 140. To get it to 70, you then need to replace 50% of your water.


Did you allow the water to circulate before you retested?

Thanks, the CYA diluted value was between the 40 and 30, thus picked 35 x 2 = 70. (Thanks for the check) also been recirculating to filter all this time.

 

[PoolStored]

Thanks, the CYA diluted value was between the 40 and 30, thus picked 35 x 2 = 70. (Thanks for the check) also been recirculating to filter all this time.

We only measure CYA at the lines. The scale is logarithmic. If between, round up. You should treat your pool as 40x2 = 80.

 

[CMH-CVG]

No visible change from Cloudy Blue.
SLAM in progress.
The overnight test showed pH 7.2, FC 7.6 CC 0 @ 8pm 5/20/23 and FC 6.8 CC 0.4 @ 8am 5/21/23. Not quite a CC 0.5 threshold but a drop in FC, so I started the SLAM, adding 5/21/23 the indicated 5Gallon Bleach 10% to reach a SLAM FC 24.
5/22/23 @ 8pm the FC is 19.0 CC 0.2, pH 7.4 the CYA increased to 80 (unknown why, have not added chems, nor 3" tablets added) and pH also increased from 7.2 to 7.6

For understanding, if the CYA had been 60 as the initial SLAM conditions it will ask to add 1G more of Bleach..to continue with the SLAM MAINTAIN.....or with a CYA 80 it indicates 3 gallon of bleach to maintain.

As I proceed with the Maintain levels adding indicated Bleach, but I am also doing Backwash (Cloudy) and Rinse (clear)adding Bleach, I need to replenish the water lost during the Backwash, so will retest the chemistry again.

a) Am I on the right path? SLAM maintain adding bleach as needed until its clear and overnight is <0.5
b) Continue with the backwash/rinse or stop backwash because it keeps altering the chemistry?

and my third point....
c) Once I have a clear pool, I just have to wait for the FC level to drop by itself from the high SLAM target of 24 or 31 depending on the CYA, just based on natural degradation?
Pool would be usable if clear at a FC 24 just more irritation if I dont want to wait for the level to drop, I believe...?
Thanks

 

[PoolStored]

a) Am I on the right path? SLAM maintain adding bleach as needed until its clear and overnight is <0.5

It looks like to passed the OCLT. FC loss <=1 and CC <=.5. Unless I read that wrong (7.6 to 6.8). And CC <=.5. The only criteria you have not met is clear pool. Keep slam going.

b) Continue with the backwash/rinse or stop backwash because it keeps altering the chemistry?

Go ahead and backwash when pressure rises 25% above clean filter pressure. ALSO...do not test pH or CYA during slam. Use original CYA value for slam FC. pH test is invalid when FC is >10.

and my third point....
c) Once I have a clear pool, I just have to wait for the FC level to drop by itself from the high SLAM target of 24 or 31 depending on the CYA, just based on natural degradation?

Yep, sunlight will reduce your FC.

Pool would be usable if clear at a FC 24 just more irritation if I dont want to wait for the level to drop, I believe...?

No irritation. Safe for swim and equipment up to slam level. Don't swim unless you can see the bottom of the pool for safety.

Thanks

You are welcome. You still didn't answer my question...are you a pilot?

 

[CMH-CVG]

It looks like to passed the OCLT. FC loss <=1 and CC <=.5. Unless I read that wrong (7.6 to 6.8). And CC <=.5. The only criteria you have not met is clear pool. Keep slam going.

Go ahead and backwash when pressure rises 25% above clean filter pressure. ALSO...do not test pH or CYA during slam. Use original CYA value for slam FC. pH test is invalid when FC is >10.

Yep, sunlight will reduce your FC.

No irritation. Safe for swim and equipment up to slam level. Don't swim unless you can see the bottom of the pool for safety.

You are welcome. You still didn't answer my question...are you a pilot?

Thank you. You been very kind with your advice. I missed the pilot query as per the Columbus to Cincinnati airport designation. Unfortunately I’m not. Only an aficionado with minor experience. Thanks for the wishes!

 

[PoolStored]

I missed the pilot query as per the Columbus to Cincinnati airport designation. Unfortunately I’m not. Only an aficionado with minor experience. Thanks for the wishes!

No worries, didn't mean to pry to hard. No one here knows that I'm a commercial pilot and certificated flight instructor, now they do...I'm outed. LOL. I used to live in Anderson Twp...overlooking Lunkin when I worked for P&G.

 

[CMH-CVG]

If you did the diluted test and got a result of 70, you need to double that...your CYA is then 140. To get it to 70, you then need to replace 50% of your water.


Did you allow the water to circulate before you retested?

NEXT STEPS AFTER SLAM TURNS WATER CLEAR:
Clear pool as of Sunday 5/21/23, kept the SLAM at 23 for another day and did an Overnight test 9pm FC23/CC0, 6am FC21/CC0.5

Are the next steps (as long as water remains clear) to wait for FC to reach 7-9, assuming the SLAM CYA of 60 and then retest all parameters, and then adjust chemistry in the order of 1) Alkalinity, 2) Hardness, 3)pH, 4) CYA ?
(Dolphin peeling paint comment just for completion in case questions arise from the surface discoloring)
Thanks

 

[PoolStored]

Overnight test 9pm FC23/CC0, 6am FC21/CC0.5

Unless this is a typo, you didn't pass OCLT... 23-21 = 2.

 

[CMH-CVG]

Unless this is a typo, you didn't pass OCLT... 23-21 = 2.

Thank you. Failed OCLT. Will SLAM Maintain...thanks.