First Time Pool Owner With Cloudy Water - HELP

[AgentL]

I have managed to stump two pools stores with my pool...
HELP - MY POOL IS MILKY WHITE CLOUDY AND WILL NOT CLEAR. I have done several treatments of phosphate remover and metal remover. My pool cleared up after the initial fill with a good reading on my water and the metal remover cleared it up. After using it one week it started to become cloudy and never cleared. If I scoop water out of my pool and let it sit for 24 hours it clears up and I get a white whispy film on the bottom of the cup. If you slightly shake the cup it blends with the water quickly and it becomes cloudy. I run my filter 24 hours a day and I have backwashed my sand. It is very cloudy. I have vaccumed my pool. I have a Volt. I have stirred up my pool with a brush to try and filter out the cloudiness. Nothing.
5500 Vinyl Above Ground Pool - Started with a cartridge filter moved to a 50lb sand filter with about .3 HP - I am moving up to a .75 HP sand pump with 120lbs of sand #20 silica
My pool water reading from this morning from one store is (they have 7646 for gallons listed on my account which isn't right):
8.56 FC/TC...pH 7.79...Hardness 250ppm...Alk 179 ppm ( this is showing high but the other store said I was low so I increased it)...CYA 27ppm...Copper .2ppm...Iron .1ppm....Phosphates over 5500 ppb

 

[Texas Splash]

I have managed to stump two pools stores with my pool..

That's probably a big part of the problem right there. Pool store products, testing, and advice is often well off the mark. You should always test your own water with a TF-100 or Taylor K-2006C test kit. Everything we discuss here at TFP revolves around that accurate testing.

Why do you suspect metals? Do you fill from a well or is your city water known to have metals? Have you been using copper-based algaecides or products called "Blue"?

For now, you might just add about 1/2 gallon of liquid chlorine per day until you can get one of those test kits. Do not add any other pool store products other than chlorine or muriatic acid to control pH. Read our Pool Care Basics page, sign up for the PoolMath APP, and I'm sure we can help you.

Welcome to TFP!

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum.
Likely the clarifiers in the pool store potions you have used are clouding up the pool. Quit using them.

What does your water cost? A very healthy water exchange followed by what Pat posted above is what I recommend.

 

[AgentL]

That's probably a big part of the problem right there. Pool store products, testing, and advice is often well off the mark. You should always test your own water with a TF-100 or Taylor K-2006C test kit. Everything we discuss here at TFP revolves around that accurate testing.

Why do you suspect metals? Do you fill from a well or is your city water known to have metals? Have you been using copper-based algaecides or products called "Blue"?

For now, you might just add about 1/2 gallon of liquid chlorine per day until you can get one of those test kits. Do not add any other pool store products other than chlorine or muriatic acid to control pH. Read our Pool Care Basics page, sign up for the PoolMath APP, and I'm sure we can help you.

Welcome to TFP!

Thank you so much and great to be here! The pool is filled from well water. Yes metals were in the water and I have done a couple treatments for those. The last treatment was about a week ago and when I backwashed the sand it was a cloudy orange.
I know that I used a product called Super Blue probably twice and that accounts for maybe an ounce of what I have used. I have not used any algaecides as I haven't had that problem. My chlorine pucks are from Chlorox with Xtra Blue in them.
My chlorine is plenty high and I have a puck for chlorine that is just about, if not all gone. So if I need to get a liquid chlorine what do I get? I will definitely get a test kit to start having a conversation with more accuracy. This pool is not heated and will be taken down at the end of the summer.

 

[AgentL]

Welcome to the forum.
Likely the clarifiers in the pool store potions you have used are clouding up the pool. Quit using them.

What does your water cost? A very healthy water exchange followed by what Pat posted above is what I recommend.

Thank you! My water came from the well. I will be taking down my pool in about a month. I am not familiar with a water exchanger. Do I still need that if it is just a summer pool?

 

[Texas Splash]

So if I need to get a liquid chlorine what do I get?

Liquid chlorine like "Pool Essentials" from Walmart or any liquid chlorine from the pool section of your local hardware store. Even regular bleach is fine (no scented or splashless though). Stay away from those "Blue" tabs and stuff as they could very well be adding copper. Unlike iron, copper cannot be filtered and you would need to change the water. Marty mentioned the possibility for a water exchange above, so that may be beneficial. If your iron is currently aggravated and precipitating out, now is the time to filter it with some polyfill. The more you physically remove the less dependent you are on sequestrant products.

Keep in mind your chlorine may not actually be "high". Don't rely on pool store recommended levels as they do not recognize the FC-to-CYA relationship as noted on our FC/CYA Levels.

 

[Texas Splash]

Here are a couple examples of filtering out iron.

From brown to 😍😍. Thank you polyfil!

We filled our pool from our well. We knew the risks and knew we would have a battle when the water was 12" deep as it looked green from the metals. Our fears were confirmed when we added chlorine and the water turned brown almost immediately. Enter 5 gallon polyfil filter. It worked...

www.troublefreepool.com