Diatomaceous mistake

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SparklingPool4Darryl

Member
Oct 2, 2020
9
Mesa, AZ
Hi,
I just started taking care of my pool October 1 to cut back on expenses. My pool was green so I found this website and started SLAM last week. The past 2 days my pool has been crystal clear and CC is 0. Still working on OCLT. But I read a post that encourages using DE. It said don’t use garden DE as it hasn’t been pasteurized. So I have food grade that I use around the house to kill spiders and bugs. I used it. Now my pool is so cloudy I can’t see the drain. I just read a post I wish I had seen before talking about using pool grade. So how do I fix the cloudy DE water now? I feel like my 5 days or so of SLAMing has been wasted. I wish some of these unreliable posts were removed for us newbies.
 
Hi and welcome to TFP. Maybe help us out by Create Your Signature to help us understand what your current setup is.
DE in the pool is not a disastrous issue. Please also post your test results and what type of test kit you are using.
 
Hi. Thanks for replying. I have a 20,000 gallon inground pool. Plaster. Sand filter. Taylor test kit K-2006. I think I may have figured out how to add a signature. Let me know if it didn’t work. FC 11-16 still SLAMing. CC 0. pH was 7.2 at start of SLAM. TA was 90. CH was 400. CYA was 40
 
Darryl,

You just need to keep the pump running and brush a lot to keep the DE that is in your pool water in suspension so that it can get captured by the filter.

If you have not already done so, you need to open and clean your filter and refill with the proper DE. You can find it at Lowes, or Home Depot, or the dreaded Pool $tore.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Darryl,

So sorry.. I did not see your signature and had "assumed" you had a DE filter... :rolleyes:

I would add a little pool DE to your sand filter... The only other option is to try to vac it out to waste.. But that would be like herding cats.. :mrgreen:

Jim R.
 
SparklingPool4Darryl said:
thanks. Sounds like I’m going to have to drain my pool
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I wouldn't just yet. I would see if it settles then vac to waste or run your robot if you have one with the pump off.

I would also try some fiber clear in the filter. It is safer than DE anyway. If you find it is working then brush, brush, brush to get it filtered out.

Just remember that it is not going to clear in a few hours. Patience is key.
 
SparklingPool4Darryl said:
thanks. Sounds like I’m going to have to drain my pool
Click to expand...
The advice given by @Jimrahbe to add some "pool" DE to your sand filter will help capture the stuff in your pool. That may be a better first step then draining the pool but its your choice. Keep brushing and circulating the water will also help. It may take some time. As with all feedback on the forum, it is specific to your issue and ultimately your decision to determine if that is doable based on your system, costs of water and electricity in your area, and your time to implement it.
 

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And keep in mind that sand filters work the slowest, so make sure you are giving it several days to clear up.
 
Unless you do very large back wash volumes (1000's of gallons), I would be suspect of your test results. Or the fill water is tied to a softened water line.
 
I have calcium on the tile which I’ve been scraping off with pumice stones, so I would think CH would be high. My CH test results have been all over the place and I get purple instead of blue endpoint. According to my Taylor test kit booklet this could be due to metal ions, most likely copper. I did what they suggested and added 6 drops of titrant to sample BEFORE adding buffer and indicator. I counted those 6 drops in the total. But it wasn’t totally blue still. More blue than it was, but still a little purplish.
 
Needs to turn blue. I add 10 drops of R0012, then 10 drops of R0010, and then 5 drops of R0011L. I find the extra color reagent helps me see the blue. I use a Speedstir, nearly mandatory. But with patience you can get a blue endpoint.

If it has been as long as you say since new water, I suspect your CH will be close to or above 1000 ppm.
 

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