Cloudy pool

Jump to latest Follow Reply
DonnieTheMan

DonnieTheMan

Well-known member
Apr 3, 2021
98
Houston
Pool Size
6423
Surface
Vinyl
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
So I just spent days slamming my pool to kill off Algae. My pool is back to being blue, but it’s super cloudy. I’ve been putting DE in my sand pump skimmer in hopes to clear it up, but it doesn’t seem to be changing. Should I go out and buy a clarifier? Haven’t had this issue yet.
 
Donnie, it would help us to first see a full set of water test results. That's always step #1 when it comes to questionable water. Typically, when a SLAM Process is completed properly and until all 3 criteria have passed, algae is a thing of the past. Did you pass the Overnight Chlorine Loss Test?
 
  • Like
Reactions: DonnieTheMan
DonnieTheMan said:
So I just spent days slamming my pool to kill off Algae. My pool is back to being blue, but it’s super cloudy
Click to expand...
Sounds like it's killed or mostly killed. Now you need to filter it all out. You maintain SLAM FC throughout to not risk losing any ground in the battle. Plus, everytime you brush/vac, it exposes new layers on the walls that need killing.

Sand filters take the longest to clear the cloudy water. Intex style sand filters take even longer. They are horribly undersized, even if they've been upgraded to bigger intex equipment.

Temporary pools are a blessing for all the people they let into the pool game, but a curse at times like this.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DonnieTheMan
Texas Splash said:
Donnie, it would help us to first see a full set of water test results. That's always step #1 when it comes to questionable water. Typically, when a SLAM Process is completed properly and until all 3 criteria have passed, algae is a thing of the past. Did you pass the Overnight Chlorine Loss Test?
Click to expand...
Texas Splash said:
Donnie, it would help us to first see a full set of water test results. That's always step #1 when it comes to questionable water. Typically, when a SLAM Process is completed properly and until all 3 criteria have passed, algae is a thing of the past. Did you pass the Overnight Chlorine Loss Test?
Click to expand...
As of yesterday morning:
FC 3
PH 8.0
TA 120
CYA 10 (pool hasn’t been used since last summer)

Haven’t don’t the OCLT. I have to pick up more liquid chlorine this evening. I’ll also get a pic of the pool water
 
Newdude said:
Sounds like it's killed or mostly killed. Now you need to filter it all out. You maintain SLAM FC throughout to not risk losing any ground in the battle. Plus, everytime you brush/vac, it exposes new layers on the walls that need killing.

Sand filters take the longest to clear the cloudy water. Intex style sand filters take even longer. They are horribly undersized, even if they've been upgraded to bigger intex equipment.

Temporary pools are a blessing for all the people they let into the pool game, but a curse at times like this.
Click to expand...
I use this one. It’s a 50lb 1/2hp pump
Limited-time deal: GAME 61201-BB Series, Complete 0.5HP Replacement Unit, Designed for Intex & Bestway New and Improved SandPRO 50D Sand, High-Performance Above-Ground Pool Filter https://a.co/d/1eKTox5
 
DonnieTheMan said:
I use this one.
Click to expand...
It's undersized and can only do so much. Even if you doubled it, it would likely still struggle against a swamp. (Now a former swamp with cloudy water).

I don't fault the equipment, it's great for the price. My filter is selling for almost 10X what that one is at the moment, ($2136) and my pump is in the mid $1800s.

If you're sad about it taking a while, see it in the proper prospective, you're WAY ahead in the long run.

woody-harrelson-crying.gif


Give it time and stay the course. You got this. :)
 
Also, check FB marketplace and the offer up app occasionally. I sold my 1.5 HP above ground pump and 200 lb sand filter for $100. You'll find a similar steal eventually for traditional pool equipment and you can upgrade on the cheap.

This whole setup is available by you today for example. The ad goes on to include all of it. At the end of the season it will all likely be much cheaper so people don't have to store it.

Screenshot_20230414_154126_OfferUp.jpg
 
Newdude said:
Also, check FB marketplace and the offer up app occasionally. I sold my 1.5 HP above ground pump and 200 lb sand filter for $100. You'll find a similar steal eventually for traditional pool equipment and you can upgrade on the cheap.

This is available by you today for example. At the end of the season it will all likely be much cheaper so people don't have to store it.

View attachment 482651
Click to expand...
I honestly don’t plan on having this pool very long. It was a $700 Intex pool that went to Crud fast. Pretty much all of the metal has rust on it and the liner is completely faded out. This is only a 3yr old pool….TBH, if it wasn’t for my wife who basically uses it as a hot tub, because that’s what it is during the summer, I wouldn’t have it. My 13yr old son rarely uses it as well. IMO, it was a waste of money and has just been a money pit lol.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
OK. I give up. I don’t know what else to try. Had to kill off algae in pool a couple weeks back. Water went back to normal, just had what I consider all the dead algae floating around. Upon others advice, I kept the pool at a slam level of 16. Nothing was changing. Took the sand pump system off and put the stock Intex pump back on using Pleatco filters. Did this because the pool was always clearer vs the sand pump. OCLT has not shown a loss over 1ppm. Slam level was 16 last night. Results as of this morning.

FC: 15
PH: 7.2
TA: 90
CYA: 40-50

Not sure what else to try…
 
If it was floating around I don't think it was dead. I have SLAM for several days on a nearly clear pool.

I suspect you aren't done yet. Once the SLAM is working the sand filter will be good enough. And if it were me I would raise to 20 for good measure.
 
hwy17 said:
If it was floating around I don't think it was dead. I have SLAM for several days on a nearly clear pool.

I suspect you aren't done yet. Once the SLAM is working the sand filter will be good enough. And if it were me I would raise to 20 for good measure.
Click to expand...
What I meant was dead algae making the pool cloudy. Nothing green in the water whatsoever and my OCLT numbers don’t reflect algae still being present.
 
hwy17 said:
In my experience when I have thought that not green cloudiness was either not algae or dead algae, it was actually still living algae. Not blooming, but still alive. You don't have to take my word for it though.
Click to expand...
That’s why I’ve been keeping it at a slam level. But at nearly $6 a gallon, it gets expensive. My wife says this will be the last summer we’ll have the pool because I’m always saying it’s been nothing but a money pit 😂
 
  • Like
Reactions: hwy17
Apr 14, 2023
As of yesterday morning:
FC 3
PH 8.0
TA 120
CYA 10 (pool hasn’t been used since last summer)

Apr 21, 2023
FC: 15
PH: 7.2
TA: 90
CYA: 40-50


How did your CYA go up that much if you are only using liquid chlorine? Or are u using pucks also? How many in a week? Using dichlor shock? If your CYA is that high, I would personlly lower CYA by dumping/refilling water as apposed to increasing my FC to 20. Of course with dumping you will have to raise FC again.

How often were you backwashing/rinsing the sand filter when u had it hooked up? Which are you using now?
The more you brush up the bottom the easier it is to get trapped in filter if u can't vac to waste.



Rough estimate of how CYA can get out of control. Higher CYA requires higher FC to be effective but at some point it binds (locks up) chlorine to the point chlorine is ineffective at any level. (the devil IMO)
5 ppm CYA per 3' puck 4-5 pucks a week = 25 ppm raise in CYA peer week =100 ppm in a months time plus your 40-50 right now =150 ppm CYA (the devil) double edge sword
Back washing and having to add fresh water does reduce the CYA some over the course of DAYS possibly pending puck usage. to slow and time consuming.


All my friends/family know about CYA and when/why to dump.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply