Hi! After weeks of trying to make my green pool clear and after having the chemicals balanced for two weeks I decided to use flocculent. I have an oval 18 by 33 above ground sand filter pool and I put the flocculent in last night. The flocculent as of tonight has still not dropped to the bottom of the pool and now some local frogs have decided to take a dip. So I have three question: why hasn’t the floc dropped yet? Two: will the frogs swimming mess with the floc? And three what do I do if the floc never drops?? I can’t turn the filter on with it in there, correct? Thank you so much for any help you can provide!!
Flocculent help!
- Thread starter Astegner
- Start date
-
- Tags
- algea filter flocculent frogs green pool
- May 3, 2014
- 58,369
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Welcome to the forum!
This forum does not recommend the use of flocculants under any circumstances.
I do not have any answers for you. I do know you must vac to waste all floc and then plan to replace your filter media.
Other members may be able to answer your questions.
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry and consider reviewing the entire Pool School eBook.
This forum does not recommend the use of flocculants under any circumstances.
I do not have any answers for you. I do know you must vac to waste all floc and then plan to replace your filter media.
Other members may be able to answer your questions.
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry and consider reviewing the entire Pool School eBook.
Sounds like the floc has bonded to the neutrally bouyant algae. Dead algae sinks, so kill the algae, and the floc/algae will drop out of solution. I am sure you know, but don't introduce the floc to you sand filter, or you may not only wreck the sand media, but may destroy the filter itself. Floc + sand is kinda like concrete. Don't ask me how I know, but my dad was not happy!
Good luck!
Jim
Good luck!
Jim
Last edited by a moderator:
While we don't recommend floc, I do have a lot of experience with it in industrial applications.
I think Jim may be right, at least his suggestion is a good thing to try. As he warns, DON'T run the filter in 'filter' mode while there's flocculent in the pool. My first suggestion would be to add a little more flocculent and brush the pool well. You could possibly run the filter on recirculate if your valve has that setting on it.
You'll have to follow the directions again once you disturb the water to let it sit and then vacuum to waste.
I think Jim may be right, at least his suggestion is a good thing to try. As he warns, DON'T run the filter in 'filter' mode while there's flocculent in the pool. My first suggestion would be to add a little more flocculent and brush the pool well. You could possibly run the filter on recirculate if your valve has that setting on it.
You'll have to follow the directions again once you disturb the water to let it sit and then vacuum to waste.
Okay so quick update: Sunday morning the water turned clearish and I could see the floc at the bottom. I vacuumed it all out and the water went to being just cloudy with a green tint. I can actually see the bottom though. I waited a few hours and did not see anything else sink, so I vacuumed on waste again and turned on the filter. This morning it looks just cloudy, but only slightly green. What is my next step? Can I use clarifier in a day or two since my readings are good?
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,790
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Probably time to step back and go back to some TFP basics so we can really get you back on track. Let's start with the following:
- We need to see a full set of test results. A TF-100 (link below) or Taylor K-2006C are the two test kits we recognize as accurate and perfect for home use.
- Update your signature with all of your pool and equipment info.
- To kill and remove algae, we follow the SLAM Process process. You should start reading that now.
- Tell us how you chlorinate your water and what do you normally use?
- Are you on a well?
- We need to see a full set of test results. A TF-100 (link below) or Taylor K-2006C are the two test kits we recognize as accurate and perfect for home use.
- Update your signature with all of your pool and equipment info.
- To kill and remove algae, we follow the SLAM Process process. You should start reading that now.
- Tell us how you chlorinate your water and what do you normally use?
- Are you on a well?
The most important thing to understand about TFP is that we don't play the pool store game. We don't shock, floc, or clarify. We don't routinely recommend phosphate removers, or enzyme treatments, or anything else that largely represents a significant profit margin for the pool store. We especially don't trust their testing and have pages of evidence to back up that distrust. Everything at the pool store is designed to keep the sales coming: they sell you the shock which requires the floc which requires the new filter. TFP don't play that.
We promote tried and true procedures for clearing pools that cannot harm the pool or equipment but kill everything growing, and then make sure the pool owner has the tools and knowledge to keep it from coming back. SLAM Process clears a pool using the filter, not with potions that gum up and damage filters. Even the term "clear" means something very different here, every one of us who didn't start their pool with TFPC can vouch to that. Concepts such as "all pools get cloudy after rain" or "all pools get a little green throughout the year" are exposed when our members go years without dealing with those problems.
So to your question about using clarifier: Ours is only to advise, each of us makes their own pool care choices. However, our advice is virtually always the same regarding this topic: it's not the answer to your problem. It may mask the problem and clear the pool some, but the problem will remain.
We promote tried and true procedures for clearing pools that cannot harm the pool or equipment but kill everything growing, and then make sure the pool owner has the tools and knowledge to keep it from coming back. SLAM Process clears a pool using the filter, not with potions that gum up and damage filters. Even the term "clear" means something very different here, every one of us who didn't start their pool with TFPC can vouch to that. Concepts such as "all pools get cloudy after rain" or "all pools get a little green throughout the year" are exposed when our members go years without dealing with those problems.
So to your question about using clarifier: Ours is only to advise, each of us makes their own pool care choices. However, our advice is virtually always the same regarding this topic: it's not the answer to your problem. It may mask the problem and clear the pool some, but the problem will remain.