Cloudy weeks into SLAM added DE...

[Rhollerud]

Hello all!

Struggled with our new pool last season, did a terrible job over the colder months and started out this year as a TFP devotee, already spreading the gospel!

We started our SLAM a few weeks ago. First got our PH down to 7.2. Initial CYA tests weren't reliable (so we were slamming at 31 thinking it was 80). Since vacuuming, a few storms and lots of backwashing and adding fresh water we're pretty positive it's in the 40s, rounding up to 50. Now we're keeping FC at 20. Using new reagent as well, so thinking the combination of old reagent and lack of experience caused us to get 80.

We've been pretty dang consistent, but not perfect, some days we've only tested and added twice, but most days (and the last 5 at least) we've tested at least 5 times a day and keeping it at shock level. CC has been .5 for a few days.

For about 10 days we've been totally blue, but very very cloudy. Like can't see my hand more than a foot down. Trying to remain patient and trust the process and avoid clarifier, although the Amazon reviews are tempting, I keep coming back here and talking myself out of it.

We knew that the guy that installed our hayward sand filter last year used quikcrete sand, so we switched to pool store sand hoping that might help last week after reading stories about bad quikcrete sand.

I bought DE and we added 1/4 cup diluted in water into skimmer basket. PSI has been consistently around 19. Just 1/4 cup made it quickly go up to 25 so we backwashed and it went back to 19. A few hours later decided to add more to try to get to 20, and it shot back up to 25 again. Backwashed again.

So then I realized that when I turned off filter to backwash, PSI only went to 10 when it was off. Not 0. So I guess I'm buying a new gadget.

A few questions for the brilliant experts:

Since I can't reliably check my PSI should I just backwash out the DE to avoid issues until new gauge arrives?

How can I test to see what other issues may be causing cloudy water if I'm mid SLAM?

Is it completely abnormal to be bright blue but so cloudy for over 2 weeks?

What else am I missing?

I really want to stay the course and solve this with liquid chlorine and DE, but I'm getting pretty discouraged and wonder at what point I try clarifier. Also unclear on what else I could mess up by using clarifier, I just know it's discouraged here.

Thanks for reading all my troubles! Y'all are the best and reading these forums and pool school finally made it all click after a really befuddled first season!

Hi there! Your situation sounded so familiar to ours and I’m just curious how it turned out? We are pretty close to killing all our algae and although it’s blue it’s extremely cloudy. We have an old sand filter. Wondering if we should try DE as well!

 

[Texas Splash]

Wondering if we should try DE as well!

Have you passed the Overnight Chlorine Loss Test portion of the SLAM Process? That's key. I wouldn't mess with DE until you pass the OCLT.

 

[Rhollerud]

Have you passed the Overnight Chlorine Loss Test portion of the SLAM Process? That's key. I wouldn't mess with DE until you pass the OCLT.

No we have not. We are on day 13 and just running out of steam. So I wanted to get a head start on the filtering. The stuff just doesn’t want to come out. When we backwash, the water doesn’t seem that dirty and the pressure has never risen more than 14 psi since we’ve used it. It does drop to zero when the pump is shut off so I think it’s working? We cleaned an insane amount of stuff out of the sand when we deep cleaned. This is a picture of my husband cleaning it out. I just don’t think we will be keeping the pool if it takes another 2 weeks to filter out the dead algae.

 

[Donldson]

If I'm reading correctly, you developed algae in August of last year and did not correct it before the end of the season, and then opened sometime in June. Is that accurate?

If so then there were several months in there that the algae had free reign to grow and take hold in the pool. It is extremely optimistic to think that someone could eliminate months' worth of growth in a few days. Any time one says "I'll deal with it next season" they either need to prepare to open pretty much as soon as the water thaws, or ready themselves for a time consuming battle. The algae is in the prime position for that battle, the water temperature is now perfect and long days means plenty of sunlight to photosynthesize. It's going to give you a fight and you can't give it an inch now that you've made headway.

I speak from experience from my first year here on TFP: it's not easy and it's very disheartening to fight and not see the progress. BUT keeping up the fight will win the day. And the harder the fight the sweeter the victory. Getting through the process and following TFPC moving forward prevents situations like this from ever happening again. I was going through a situation like this 14 years ago and have never dealt with a similar situation again. We just put in a new pool after our old one finally failed, if you'd have asked me in 2008 if we'd ever get another pool I would have said no chance. Only because TFPC has made things easy to handle was I willing to take that plunge again.

Anyway, just my experience. You can do it, no question. It's just going to take going through more uncertainty before things start to look up. I hope you keep it up.

 

[Rhollerud]

If I'm reading correctly, you developed algae in August of last year and did not correct it before the end of the season, and then opened sometime in June. Is that accurate?

If so then there were several months in there that the algae had free reign to grow and take hold in the pool. It is extremely optimistic to think that someone could eliminate months' worth of growth in a few days. Any time one says "I'll deal with it next season" they either need to prepare to open pretty much as soon as the water thaws, or ready themselves for a time consuming battle. The algae is in the prime position for that battle, the water temperature is now perfect and long days means plenty of sunlight to photosynthesize. It's going to give you a fight and you can't give it an inch now that you've made headway.

I speak from experience from my first year here on TFP: it's not easy and it's very disheartening to fight and not see the progress. BUT keeping up the fight will win the day. And the harder the fight the sweeter the victory. Getting through the process and following TFPC moving forward prevents situations like this from ever happening again. I was going through a situation like this 14 years ago and have never dealt with a similar situation again. We just put in a new pool after our old one finally failed, if you'd have asked me in 2008 if we'd ever get another pool I would have said no chance. Only because TFPC has made things easy to handle was I willing to take that plunge again.

Anyway, just my experience. You can do it, no question. It's just going to take going through more uncertainty before things start to look up. I hope you keep it up.

Thanks for the encouragement! We bought this house last summer and husband was dealing with the pool alone so he has already given up. The SLAM process is our (my) last hope and he’s just waiting for me to throw in the towel. We are making progress for sure (see photo)! Can I ask, once you have the pool balanced and at the maintenance stage, how much time do you spend on it on average in the summer?

 

[proavia]

Follow the SLAM Process - To. The. Letter.
No shortcuts.
Don't throw in the towel. It works.
And once completed, you probably won't have to SLAM again - if you follow the TFP protocol.

Also, closing late and opening early is key.
Yeah, water is way to cold to swim, but remember - algae will grow in water too cold to swim in.