First time test results - some issues

[wobblegoose]

Hi all

I've recently bought a house with a salt water pool. When I arrived it was in bad shape, green and murky. The previous owners engaged a pool professional to get it back up and running and things were looking good for a week or so, clean, blue and clear. it started to return to green.

Issues/questions/results below

Test results
CYA: less than 30ppm (no reading)
FC: 0.5ppm
CC: 0ppm
PH: 7.8
TA: 100ppm
CH: 125ppm
Salt: 5,200ppm
Next steps?

Issue 1
Lack of chlorine. Pool guy said there were two controllers but only one was in use. I sat down and had a look at them yesterday. There is an aquatek digital controller that seems to control the pump/filter. This was on and operating. There was also a Davey controller that from what I could work out, controls the salt water chlorination. This was off. I've since turned it on and set it to run at 80% for the same time as the pump is on. Am I right as to the purpose of both controllers? Will this solve the chlorine issue?

Issue 2
Fine sediment. The pool appears clear until the bottom is disturbed, then a bunch of fine sediment is kicked up. I've run a robot with a Ultra fine filter over it a number of times but it doesn't seem to be getting a while lot better. Could this be due to the lack of chlorine?

Thanks all. I'll probably have way more questions after this, but this is a start!

 

[Rocket J Squirrel]

Welcome to the forum. Your Free Chlorine is catastrophically low. Your salt water chlorine generator will not be able to make up the difference in time to prevent algae. You need to add some liquid chlorine right away to get your FC level up. Are you sure about the CYA level being so low? If so, you need to get that up ASAP as well.

 

[wobblegoose]

Yes. Pretty sure on the CYA. I've tested it with two different kits.

I'll add in some liquid chlorine now.

 

[Mdragger88]

Algae means It is
SLAM Process time.
You need 30ppm or so of cya to do this or your fc will be gone in a flash with the sun.
No higher, you will raise it to the recommended cya level for swcg pools AFTER slam is completed.
FC/CYA Levels
After slam is completed and you have confirmed algae has been eradicated you can then troubleshoot your swcg.
It is impossible to accurately do this when you have algae as a swcg simply doesn’t produce fc fast enough to overcome an algae problem.
You will need an fas/dpd kit to do the
SLAM Process.
Do you have one of these?

Pool Test Kits - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[wobblegoose]

Hi all

Thanks for all your help thus far. Turns out I have a issue with water flow which is causing some/all of the other issues. I'll get that sorted first and will be back with chemistry questions following the fix.

 

[proavia]

Are you using one of the Clear Choice Labs test kits?
They have test kits available in Australia that are comparable the the test kits TFP recommends.

What water flow issue are/were you having?

 

[wobblegoose]

Yes. Clear choice labs salt water kit.
Low flow is basically the issue. The salt cell isn't getting enough water over it so is erroring out and not producing much/any chlorine. Still trouble shooting the source of the problem, but a blockage or filter issue are the most likely candidates.

 

[wireform]

With your low FC and green water you now have a full blown algae problem which not knowing what equipment you have but I'm sure the filter is restricting. What is the psi on the filter gauge. How's the return flow?
Your salt cell may be producing but it's getting consumed faster then it can produce due to algae. Here are some links for you to understand pool care.
Pool Care Basics
FC/CYA Levels
SLAM Process
Overnight Chlorine Loss Test
PoolMath

You need to slam and keep the filter in a normal psi range for your pool which only you can know after cleaning the filter and observing the psi on the gauge. Only then will you know what a restricted filter psi is for you which would be 25% increase from clean filter pressure.
Please fill in you signature like mine below so we can better assist you knowing your equipment in advance.

 

[DavidLast]

Yes. Clear choice labs salt water kit.
Low flow is basically the issue. The salt cell isn't getting enough water over it so is erroring out and not producing much/any chlorine. Still trouble shooting the source of the problem, but a blockage or filter issue are the most likely candidates.

You didnt say if the filter is sand or cartridge. However to find the cause of the flow try thi order:
Clean skimmer basket
Clean H & L Pot
Backwash or clean cartridge

If still got low flow:
Sand turn the MPV to recirculate or bypass and see if this fixes the issue - likely indicates sand change needed.
Cartridge remove he cartridge element from the filter, run without it. If this fixes the issue likely need a new cartridge.

Hope it helps.

 

[sande005]

If removing the filters (or by passing) as DavidLast suggests doesn't fix the flow problem, it may be time to figure out how to take your pump apart to check the impeller. Back when I had trees that would shed a lot of stuff in the pool, so much "gunk" would get through that the fins of the impeller would get plugged with debris, and greatly reduce the amount of water it could push. Yes, the baskets are supposed to catch most of it, but it is amazing how much can still make it through. With yours originally being in bad shape, no telling how long it was run with an overload of similar making its way into the pump itself. Most pumps are designed for relative ease of taking apart for that kind of check, so no degree in mechanical engineering needed.

 

[Mdragger88]

To reiterate what others have said & put it simply-
you have algae —>
this is overwhelming your filter —>
which is then in turn reducing your flow—>
subsequently giving your swcg a low flow error.
The answer is to fix the algae to stop the cycle by doing the
SLAM Process.

For a successful SLAM Process
you need to continue to MAINTAIN Slam level fc for your cya as often as possible (multiple times per day is best) until you meet ALL 3 end of slam criteria-

You are done when:

CC is 0.5 or lower;
You pass an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test
AND
The water is clear.
(Crystal Clear w/no algae dead or alive)

Do ALL the things while slamming

*Check & scrub every nook & cranny where algae may hide {light niches, steps (inside & out), drain covers, ladder handrails, skimmer throats/weirs, abandoned lines, autofill, overflow drains, seam flaps, etc.}
*If water can go there, algae can thrive there.
*Run slam level water through all water features & lines for at least a couple hours a day during the SLAM Process.
*Brush & or vac daily (this breaks up biofilms that algae uses to protect itself from chlorine)
*Backwash/clean filter when pressure rises 25%over clean pressure.