Cloudy water

[Household6]

Can someone tell me:

Adding too much [X] at one time;
and/or
Adding [X] and [X] too close together . . .
can cause water to be cloudy the next day.

 

[Catanzaro]

The answer is usually "NO". Instead of trying to solve the puzzle, please tell us what we are working with.

What exact chemicals are you referring to? Please explain what you have added as well, and when.

Cloudy water is not about adding chemicals, but more in line with your chemistry being off.

Can you please advise how you test your water, what kit you are using, and how you are chlorinating your pool?

Have you read "Pool School" and the relationship between CYA/FC? Thanks!

 

[aussieta]

adding bicarb and calcium at the same time can cause cloudiness
also adding too much calcium or bicarb at once
but usually is start of an algae problem

 

[Household6]

adding bicarb and calcium at the same time can cause cloudiness
also adding too much calcium or bicarb at once
but usually is start of an algae problem

I think I did all of the above.

After about 2 weeks of letting the pool go, I started seeing a green tint. I commenced testing and began getting numbers where needed.

Feeling I knew how my water responds, I was (too) comfortable in adding chems while SLAMing. Somewhere along the way, though water still had a green tint, I seemed not to lose (much) chlorine overnight so I let the chlorine level drop and wanted to give everything a bit to “settle” and see what would happen.

A few days ago I woke up to water that was still a tint green AND cloudy - could/can barely see the bottom of the shallow end. It has remained that way ever since.







Build Type: Plaster
Volume: 36000 gallons
------------------------------------------
Latest Test Result Summary:
FC: 4.4 (36 minutes ago)
CC: 0.0 (2 months ago)
pH: 7.6 (36 minutes ago)
TA: 70 (36 minutes ago)
CH: 310 (36 minutes ago)
CYA: 60 (36 minutes ago)
==========================================
------------------------------------------
Test Results 10-09-2018 @ 06:54 PM
------------------------------------------
Free Chlorine: 4.4
pH: 7.6
Total Alkalinity: 70
Calcium Hardness: 310
CYA: 60

------------------------------------------
Test Results 10-09-2018 @ 10:31 AM
------------------------------------------
Free Chlorine: 4.8
pH: 7.6
Total Alkalinity: 80
Calcium Hardness: 310
CYA: 60

------------------------------------------
Test Results 10-07-2018 @ 04:25 PM
------------------------------------------
Free Chlorine: 7.0
pH: 7.4
Total Alkalinity: 80
Calcium Hardness: 310
CYA: 50

------------------------------------------
Chemical Addition 10-06-2018 @ 12:03 PM
------------------------------------------
+ 15 Pounds of BakingSoda

------------------------------------------
Chemical Addition 10-06-2018 @ 12:02 PM
------------------------------------------
+ 4 Gallons of Bleach

------------------------------------------
Test Results 10-06-2018 @ 10:01 AM
------------------------------------------
Free Chlorine: 9.0
CYA: 40

------------------------------------------
Chemical Addition 10-05-2018 @ 11:39 PM
------------------------------------------
+ 10 Pounds of DryStabilizer

------------------------------------------
Chemical Addition 10-05-2018 @ 11:36 PM
------------------------------------------
+ 4 Gallons of Bleach

------------------------------------------
Test Results 10-05-2018 @ 11:04 PM
------------------------------------------
Free Chlorine: 4.0
pH: 7.4
Total Alkalinity: 50
Calcium Hardness: 310
CYA: 15

------------------------------------------
Chemical Addition 10-05-2018 @ 03:37 PM
------------------------------------------
+ 25 Pounds of CalciumChloride

------------------------------------------
Chemical Addition 10-05-2018 @ 03:20 PM
------------------------------------------
+ 28 FluidOunces of Baume31

------------------------------------------
Chemical Addition 10-05-2018 @ 02:45 PM
------------------------------------------
+ 898 FluidOunces of Bleach

------------------------------------------
Test Results 10-05-2018 @ 01:56 PM
------------------------------------------
Free Chlorine: 0.0
pH: 8.0
Total Alkalinity: 50
Calcium Hardness: 180
CYA: 0

 

[Household6]

The answer is usually "NO". Instead of trying to solve the puzzle, please tell us what we are working with.

What exact chemicals are you referring to? Please explain what you have added as well, and when.

Cloudy water is not about adding chemicals, but more in line with your chemistry being off.

Can you please advise how you test your water, what kit you are using, and how you are chlorinating your pool?

Have you read "Pool School" and the relationship between CYA/FC? Thanks!

I have the K2006 kit.
Results in previous post.
Have read PS (and Refer to it often)!

 

[Grape Ape]

Is there a reason you're not testing CC every time you test FC?

 

[aussieta]

see extended test kit directions and use 10ml sample, your test kit will last twice as long
you need to keep your chlorine higher for cya 60 your minimum fc is 5
and you dont want your ta or cya any higher

 

[Catanzaro]

Is there a reason you're not testing CC every time you test FC?

No need until the water is clear and you are performing the overnight test.

- - - Updated - - -

Can someone tell me:

Adding too much [X] at one time;
and/or
Adding [X] and [X] too close together . . .
can cause water to be cloudy the next day.

I see nothing in how you added chemicals and this could be the cause of cloudiness. A proper SLAM is in order.

 

[Household6]

No need until the water is clear and you are performing the overnight test.

- - - Updated - - -


I see nothing in how you added chemicals and this could be the cause of cloudiness. A proper SLAM is in order.

HOW I added:

bleach -I split the amount and pour in at each of 2 returns.

CYA - split between 2 socks and hang in front of each return.

Everything else I distributed across water evenly, minus one which was across deep end only . . . can’t recall which now.

 

[Household6]

see extended test kit directions and use 10ml sample, your test kit will last twice as long
you need to keep your chlorine higher for cya 60 your minimum fc is 5
and you dont want your ta or cya any higher

I usually use the 10 ml. Since things are off, 25 would seem to be more accurate.

This is the first time my CYA has EVER been this high. Max has been 40. Normally, 30. I obviously screwed up something. Glad I caught it as there was still about 1/4 of dose in socks when I realized it and removed. Not horribly worried as TS Matthew promises to pay a visit tomorrow.

I needed some guidance to get through the SLAM this summer, but that came out beautifully (thanks to the fine folks here, especially KimKatz). The only thing that’s given me issues at all this season is the CH, and I know why.)

I’m sure I added too much of something at once, or too many things not spaced far enough apart. The question now is how do I fix it!

 

[kimkats]

Sure am hoping big bad Michael goes easier on you than he did on us. That was NOT fun and may not be fun for a while as power is off for 99% of the area!! I want my ac back! Lol
Lol

Lets do a OCLT when the storm is gone. I would push the fc up to slam level for now just to be on the safe side.

You can also add some DE to your sand to help it get the finer stuff out. Have talked about de yet and how you need to babysit it until you learn how much your filter likes?

Kim

 

[duraleigh]

I usually use the 10 ml. Since things are off, 25 would seem to be more accurate.

but it is accuracy that doesn't help you......you don't need .2 resolution when the parameters ALL are designed around .5 resolution.

Totally up to you but the 25 ml sample size is a waste of time and reagent.

 

[Household6]

Since you put it that way, totally makes sense. Thanks!

 

[Household6]

Florence was our biggie, mainly due to flooding. Kids were out of school for over a week. But we never even lost power.

Michael managed to trash our gazebo, but given the blessings of both events, we feel lucky.

I hadn’t done OCLT as it SEEMS the bleach is holding. But I’ll do it this evening.
I know VERY little about DE.

 

[kimkats]

I am on my phone so will tell what to look for. Do a search for "adding DE to a sand filter" in the search. Just now each filter is different. Some like this amount and some like that amount. You should start with 1/4 cup. Watch the pressure gauge close. If it shoots up turn the pump off and back wash. If the pressure does not go up then add another dose. You will have find what YOUR. filter likes.

KIM

 

[Household6]

Guess what.
Turned off the filter during Michael. Next day the water was clear.

I’m fairly certain the sand has never been changed nor deep cleaned in at least 9 years. I think it would be prudent to start fresh.

Specs on our filter call for 250# of .45mm to .55mm sand. I see the forums suggest HTH sand, but I can’t seem to find the mm size mentioned. (Also looked on the HTH website). Does the HTH sand fall within these specs?

I am on my phone so will tell what to look for. Do a search for "adding DE to a sand filter" in the search. Just now each filter is different. Some like this amount and some like that amount. You should start with 1/4 cup. Watch the pressure gauge close. If it shoots up turn the pump off and back wash. If the pressure does not go up then add another dose. You will have find what YOUR. filter likes.

KIM

 

[kimkats]

So long as it is listed as pool filter sand and it is NOT qiukcret brand (yeah the company that makes concrete) it should be fine. My sand came from Leslie's pool store. No idea of brand.

Now if you want to spend sweat instead of cash you can shop vac the sand out into a big wheel barrow and rinse it out good that way. If need be you can put the cleaned sand on a tarp until it is all out and ready to go back in.

Kim

 

[Household6]

It dawned on me yesterday - BACKWASH!
Considering what exited that pipe, very strong possibility problem solved.
Is there a Darwin Award I should claim?

 

[kimkats]

LOL Well notice I did not even think of it either! Both of us were thinking about a BIG clean instead of the normal thing start with the easy THEN go big! DOH

When you have a couple of extra mins and it is warm enough to get wet I WOULD do a deep clean as seen here: Deep Cleaning a Sand Filter

Kim