Cloudy pool

[Tina88]

I have a 20 x 40 inn ground pool. We opened it up and it was black green. Started shocking, now we r at a blue cloudy water.
Fc was 1.6 this am
no cc chlorine anymore.
Suggestions? I was told not to worry about anything else until we shock it and the cc is gone.
Thank u

 

[Texas Splash]

Hi Tina and welcome to the forum! Your pool still has algae which is why it's cloudy. You've made a lot of progress, but it will not go away completely unless you do a few things, and for that we have some questions:
- How are you testing? Do you have a TF-100 (link below) or Taylor K-2006C test kit? That's a must.
- What are all of your current test readings - hopefully from one of those recommended test kits I mentioned?
- What have you been putting in the pool to chlorinate?
- Have you used any pool store products recently?
- Are you on a well by chance?

Besides those questions, we treat algae by the "SLAM" method (link below). That's key, and to do it you again need the right test kit. Also, please take a moment to update your signature (much like mine below) with all of your pool and equipment info. It will help us as we continue. Nice to have you with us.

 

[Tina88]

Hi! Thank u for helping. I have a taylor k2006 test kit. We are using menards bleach to shock/slam it. Yes i think that we’ve had some isssues keeping the clorine at high levels to get the algea gone. I will post readings in a bit. From the chart we should have it at a 12 til its clear? No well water. I think we have used at least 70 gallons of bleach! Theres got to be a better way but i will not go to the pool store unless i have to. Thank u!

 

[Texas Splash]

From the chart we should have it at a 12 til its clear?

If your CYA is 30, that's correct.

I think we have used at least 70 gallons of bleach!

Wow! That IS a lot of bleach.

 

[Tina88]

Hello,
Sorry late post with numbers:
FC- 18.4 just put chlorine in this am because it was at a 8
CC- 0
PH- 7.4
ALK- 90
CYA- less than 30

so my question is? when you open your pool and you have full blown algae in stead of dumping gallons of chlorine do you use the shock powder packets? What does everyone here do? I think we haven't been able to clear it faster is bc we've let the chlorine get past the 12ppm mark.
Also we've put in some stabilizer because the chlorine goes out of the pool fast
Again thank you for your input


20 x 40 in ground vinyl pool
hayward sand filter

 

[Texas Splash]

when you open your pool and you have full blown algae in stead of dumping gallons of chlorine do you use the shock powder packets?

No, never do that or you run the risk of yelling, screaming, and further punishment here at TFP. You know I'm kidding right. It's all about the bleach Tina. That's all it ever is, just in the correct amount. That's where the Chlorine/CYA Chart (link below) comes in handy.

So if your CYA is below 30 (dot never goes away), make sure to add just a little stabilizer to ensure it's at 30. The dot must be gone at 30. Any lower than 30 and you may not be protecting the chlorine enough from the sun. At that level, your FC only need to be at "12". Anything higher doesn't help the SLAM, it just wastes bleach and your money. Remember, we use just the right amount of chemicals without waste so that you can save money for other things - like drinks or a new TFTeskits.net product. Or .... maybe even..... wait for it............a Supporter badge!

So Tina, for now, make sure you have at least a CYA of 30 and keep the FC at about 12. Try to find time each day to brush the pool's surfaces, and make sure to inspect ANY potential hiding spots for algae like inside hollow steps, ladders, behind the light (niche), etc. Don't leave anything to chance. If there's a gap, algae will grow.

 

[Tina88]

Thank you! Okay. I will kick it into gear and keep it in the limits. Thanks again. I’ll see how the next couple of days go and post again.

 

[dschribs]

One thing that wasn't mentioned...make sure to run your pump 24/7 during this process. Not sure if you are doing that or not.

 

[Mr. Haney]

One thing that wasn't mentioned...make sure to run your pump 24/7 during this process.

And clean your filter a time or two or three.

 

[Tina88]

yes we are!

- - - Updated - - -

you mean back wash? we have a sand filter and I do that also!! Thank you

 

[Tina88]

Hello! Cloudy water person here. So it’s been a week. Keeping my chlorine up so it clears and still have cloudy blue water.
FC- 15.2
CC-0
PH- 7.6
ALK- 80
CYA- 60-80
we live in Iowa so it got really cold and rainy. Wondering if I’m just not doing something! Vacuum, scrub walls and back wash. Your thoughts again? Thank u for your help. Happy mother’s day.

 

[Texas Splash]

Since you are still in "SLAM mode", let's recap:
- No need to test pH since your FC is elevated. You can test pH again after the SLAM when FC is below 10.
- You should try to narrow down the CYA reading. 60-80 leaves a lot of wiggle room for the SLAM (FC) level. So try this:

CYA Testing:
Proper lighting is critical for the CYA test, so you want to test for CYA outside on a bright sunny day. Taylor recommends standing outside with your back to the sun and the view tube in the shade of your body. Use the mixing bottle to combine/gently mix the required amounts of pool water and R-0013 reagent, let sit for 30 seconds, then gently mix again. Then, while holding the skinny tube with the black dot at waist level, begin squirting the mixed solution into the skinny tube. Watch the black dot until it completely disappears. If it helps, pour a little, look away, then look back and pour some more. Once it disappears, record the CYA reading. After the first test, you can pour the mixed solution from the skinny view tube back to the mixing bottle, shake, and do the same test a second, third, or fourth time to instill consistency in your technique, become more comfortable with the testing, and validate the CYA reading. If you are still questioning your own results, have a friend or two do the same test 2-3 times. Share your results only after everyone is done to see if you came up with the same average results.

- Next, do your best to maintain and keep that FC high enough to match the CYA as noted on the Chlorine/CYA Chart (link below). For example, if the CYA is 60, then your FC needs to be 24. If your CYA is closer to 80, then the FC needs to be 31. But you have to try and keep the FC at that proper level. Of course after that, do all the other things listed on the SLAM page and you should see those improvement much better. Hope that helps.

 

[Tina88]

Thank you again! My pool is up and running and clear!

 

[Texas Splash]

All 3 SLAM items passed I hope? If, so, congrats! If you have any other issues let us know.