Cloudy Pool

[ultra800_96]

If your cartridge fits well in the housing, no holes or tears in the pleats, I would say first glance it's good. After you clean it, notice the pressure. When you clean it or think it needs cleaned, the pressure should be 25% or so higher than your clean pressure. If you are shocking to 19, very soon it should start to hold better also, not dropping quite so much. Just think of it as a battle between your chlorine & the organics. Both are trying to win. By raising to 19 your adding more troops. They will get the upper hand & win, how soon, impossible to quite tell.

 

[linen]

Any comment on the filter cartridge based on the date purchased and the 0 to 11 readings?

You didn't answer my question:

What is your clean cartridge pressure? If you do not know, observe it this time right after starting up the clean cartridge and post the result.

When I am asking for clean pressure, that is with the filter running after just being cleaned.

 

[foosboy2]

Filter has not looked this dirty when cleaning for the last 3 weeks. You can see the color difference. I cleaned it this morning. The reading on the gauge was 11 before I shut down the motor to clean this. With Power off the gauge went to 0. After cleaning the gauge went back to the same spot of 11. Water was not real bad in the bottom of the filter container. See attached picture.

Mitch

 

[foosboy2]

Pool reading at 6:15 AM this morning was 17.5 FC and 1.0 CC although it was almost clear with one drop.

Here are the pool progression photos that I took.

 

[foosboy2]

More pics.

 

[foosboy2]

Last set of pics.

 

[foosboy2]

14.5 FC and 1.0 CC at 9:30 and add .5 gallon
15.5 FC and .5 CC at 11:52 and clear and wife and kids are basically demanding to swim. Is it ok? What are the risks?

Mitch

 

[gboulton]

You are done shocking when

1) You pass the OCLT
2) You have .5 or less CC
3) Your water is crystal clear

The answer to your question is the same as the answer to "Do you meet those 3 criteria"?

 

[foosboy2]

I understand that but they do not want to wait another night and that is why I asked.
Mitch

 

[gboulton]

Children do what feels good in the moment. Adults devise a plan, and see it through. - Dave Ramsey

 

[foosboy2]

Yes I agree. I told my wife I did not know the risks and to check again and it dropped to 11 FC and 1.5 CC. I said no pool.

Do the pictures of the pool or the filter cartridge help at all?

Normally the cartridge does not look dirty yellow like that. Only this morning after running 19+ FC.

Its just hard to believe that currently at 16 gallons and 7 full time days and that the fight is still on.

Mitch

 

[ultra800_96]

You have a nice pool Mitch! Also during the day, you are losing some chlorine due to sunlight, so that is surely some of your loss during the daylight hours. How much did you lose overnight? 1.5 PPM? I'm betting you are getting close. Do another OCLT tonight, & see what that brings in the AM. I can't advise you to swim yet, especially with chlorine officially above your shock level. Back in 09' when I was fighting my battle when I first joined the club, my son's friends got in one day & night when I wasn't around. I had the battle mostly won, & was waiting for it to clear. Seemed it was taking forever to clear, & the next day after, walla, it made a definite improvement in the clarity. The increased circulation from the swimmers helped get things into the filter, evidently. Again, I can't advise you that it's ok to swim, especially with small children. I have a sand filter, so I can't give an opinion on the filter, but being that it was dirtier, it shows that it's doing some good.

Also to update you on my situation with the citric acid treatment, I am still losing chlorine also more than normal although it is improving. I still haven't had any cc's when checked & the pool is sparkly, so my thoughts are I still have some residual citric acid that's eating the chlorine yet..

 

[foosboy2]

Thank you for the comments. That helps. Although my wife says her and the pool are no longer friends. And personally I want a divorce from the pool also. It just seems crazy. I am continuing to investigate mustard algae and chlorine locks and other things that could help and honestly I just feel helpless and that this is a losing battle that I cannot win. I know I am posting too much and people are tired of answering the same stuff of keep "doing what your doing". Maybe that is why I am searching so hard, I am just looking for someone else that had a similar experience of time and the amount of chlorine so that I feel normal.

I just feel like there is something more complicated happening! And of course I still have the lingering thought of pool store 1's idea that I need a new filter cartridge although I really do not think that is the case.

Thoe overnight lose was big, like 7.5 PPM but I thought maybe some of my high measurement last night was from reading too shortly after adding chlorine and that is why I looked closer today rather than consider yesterday.

At this point I will try anything so I will go home and jump in the pool and swirl the water around and rub the wall and such and then take reading and then add more chlorine.

I really just want to walk away from this all now though! UGH!

Thanks again for the continued response and support.

Mitch

 

[ultra800_96]

I can understand your frustration. I do believe you are winning though. Even if it was the filter, that is more of a clarity issue, not a chlorine demand or trying to get cc's down. If it was strictly the filter causing the problem, you wouldn't be fighting chlorine loss like you are. Just a dirtier pool. Understand? I just ran a full test on my pool before this post. Although my chlorine is down again, I have zero cc's and the pool is clear as a bell. It has been since I pulled the cover off this spring. Therefore, I still think I have some demand from the citric yet. That could be part of your problem as well. There are others on this site that have experienced what you are experiencing, believe me. Some have had bacteria over winter convert to ammonia. Others have converted from using Bacquacil. It has also been a long struggle for some & both of those situations take enormous amounts of chlorine & a long time in some cases to clear out. One thing I do know, Chlorine is the MOST effective and the MOST cost effective route to fix it.

Just keep adding chlorine, & try to have some more patience with it. It will get there. It will!

Keeping us updated, & asking questions is fine.

One quick question, in one of your pics you stated at 6:46 am you had 17.5 FC. I had been under the impression you shocked to 19. That is 1.5 loss. Am I missing something? Tonite again, if you can, add to 19. Wait at least an hour, preferably just before bed recheck but don't add anything, & then recheck early in the am before the sun hits. I'd like to see an actual, reliable OCLT, not that you aren't doing it already.

Also, water needs to be circulating well when you test. If you can, run the pump all night doing the test.

 

[ping]

I was going through a chlorine demand last year about this time and my pool started off clear and .5 CC but would not hold chlorine. A week later, and holding my FC at shock level the entire time, my pool finally passed the OCLT and I haven't had any trouble since. I went through 30 182oz jugs of bleach.

After reading most of this thread it seems you haven't held the pool at shock level continuously and seem to lose a little bit when you fall below shock level. You are definitely making progress these last few days.

Just be patient and keep on brushing, pump 24/7, and keep that FC at shock level or a little more at all times.

 

[foosboy2]

Hearing that someone else has gone through crazy amounts of chlorine and time totally calmed me down. Thank you

Still can't pass OCLT but the pool looks incredible. Just going to continue adding chlorine and monitoring, although I already need to order replacement R-0871.

Still at 14 FC and 1.0 CC at 8:30 this morning. Not really trying to do OCLT until I can get the CC under 1.0 CC because I am so low on R-0871. Can you buy R-0871 locally with an equivalent? Is there a way to just check CC?

[attachment=1:1lj4v7hd]Pic one clear pool.jpg[/attachment:1lj4v7hd]
[attachment=0:1lj4v7hd]Pic 2 clear pool.jpg[/attachment:1lj4v7hd]

And regarding questions (sorry I do not know how to do the fancy copy and paste that blocks it in like others do):
One quick question, in one of your pics you stated at 6:46 am you had 17.5 FC. I had been under the impression you shocked to 19. That is 1.5 loss. Am I missing something?
I was over 19, I think I was around 21.

Also, water needs to be circulating well when you test. If you can, run the pump all night doing the test.
Pump is always on except to clean the filter cartridge. Pump is on when getting water samples. Pump has been on 24/7 since opening the pool.

Happy Memorial Weekend.
Mitch

 

[ultra800_96]

Hey you too Mitch!! That is looking fantastic! Didn't mean to mistrust your testing. Just double checking. Are you close to being a believer yet?

R0871 availability? That is one thing you could ask the pool stores about. Not available in my neck of the woods. The girl at the pool store got this cloudy look on her face when I asked. Her reply was to bring in a sample so they could test my water with there fancy, smancy computer tester. I calmly replied "not needed, thanks".

Also, no, you have to do the chlorine test before testing for cc's.

If you are desperately low on the R0871, till you get some, you could use the simple tester & dilute 1/3 pool water & 2/3 distilled water & multiply by 3. Not nearly as accurate, & no way to test for cc's, but it would give you a general idea of where the chlorine level was.

 

[jblizzle]

Keep up the fight.

There have been threads of people using well over 50 bottles and longer than 2 weeks ... unfortunately it takes as long as it takes.

You are doing a good job based on how nice the pool looks.

Posted with Tapatalk ... sorry if I sound short ... hate typing on phone

 

[foosboy2]

Its been a few days so here is a brief update.

Well the process must be clear water first, then getting .5 CC and finally 1.0 FC or less loss for OCLT.

Going on my second day of .5 CC, but still getting about 2.0 FC loss overnight.

Measured 19 FC last night and 17 FC today, both with .5 CC. Its white fuzzies time so maybe that is one of the reasons. It is different that I am basically only adding chlorine once a day now.

The only other thing that I am occasionally measuring is CYA, which is now at 35. Although yesterday I did measure TA at 180 and PH at 7.8 but was told not to worry too much about these until I pass OCLT.

I will let you know when I pass OCLT to understand what is the next step and to ask my other questions.

Thanks,
Mitch

 

[linen]

Well the process must be clear water first, then getting .5 CC and finally 1.0 FC or less loss for OCLT.

Seems like half clear first, the other half pass OCLT first. Having your cc be <.5 is a good sign.

Although yesterday I did measure TA at 180 and PH at 7.8 but was told not to worry too much about these until I pass OCLT.

Yes focus on the shocking process, TA you can deal with after and ph reads high during the process.