Green, Green, and still green

[Skylertinnin]

I successfully opened my pool two years ago and after a lot of patience the pool finally, after I think a month, opened. I started early this year and unfortunately I'm having worse luck than last time. The pool isn't changing color much at all. It was dark green and now its a mix of gray, brown, and green and has been the same color for over a week with me consistently shocking it. I think I've used over 30+ bottles of bleach at this point. My CYA was zero and I read somewhere I could start shocking with it at 0 as long as I kept the FC checked and at 10.

Today I bought dichlor shock packets to bring the CYA up and put 4 packets in for my 33,000 gallon pool. Its been close to two hours since I put it in and the levels are below

Ph- 7.0
FC-13
TA-40
CH-20
CYA-<20 dot never disappeared but got a little less visible than the previous times I've checked it.

Any guidance would be much appreciated!

P.S. I also had to take off the Stem O-ring on the grid filter because it was worn away and the new one will be here tomorrow. Not sure how much that would affect the filter with filtering out the algae.

 

[mknauss]

SLAM Process Read the article.
Add 20 ppm CYA using the sock method. Assume you have 30 ppm CYA in the water and SLAM with liquid chlorine. Test and dose every couple hours until the FC starts to hold but no less than 3 or 4 times per day. Brush daily. SLAM level FC for CYA of 30 is 12 ppm FC.

What test kit are you using?

 

[Skylertinnin]

Yes very helpful article. Can you elaborate on the sock method? According to pool calculator I need to add 3 quarts of stabilizer to my pool. Was hoping to use the dichlor shock to raise the CYA since I have it on hand and would like to use it up. I have two pounds left so wondering if I should use that and see what CYA is before adding liquid stabilizer.

Not sure the exact name but Taylor 2006 is the kit I'm pretty sure

 

[mknauss]

Two pounds of dichlor will raise your FC by 4 and CYA by 3.7 ppm. Throw it in now. It will have little effect on what you are doing.

You can use liquid stabilizer. The sock method is for granular CYA. Up to you.

 

[Skylertinnin]

Alright thank you. Im gonna get the CYA balanced and see how it does. Is PH and TA fine for now or should I bring both up after CYA before continuing to add bleach?

 

[mknauss]

pH is inaccurate with FC above 10 ppm. TA is a bit low. If your FC falls to below 10 ppm today, test them both. If pH is 7 or less, add baking soda to raise your TA to 70 ppm. If you can aerate that will raise your pH a bit.

 

[Skylertinnin]

I made a post yesterday about the pool being murky greenish gray and got help with balancing CYA. I still didn’t understand why there has been no change in color of pool in almost two weeks with me constantly keeping the FC high even with a low CYA.

Alright so long story but when I started opening the pool, the first few days before I cleaned the DE Grids were the only days that the pool color changed. So I followed instructions for adding more DE but I no longer had an Oring on the stem of the grid because when I took everything apart it crumbled. So I ordered one and put everything together for the time being. A couple days later the valve spring broke so During repairs I find a crumbled up gasket that was causing everything to leak and I AT THE TIME suspected it was the reason for the green/gray murky water. I had a few days for parts to come in so turn everything off but continue to brush and keep the FC high. There was one day I couldn’t do anything so the next morning I come outside and the pool looks the best it’s looked from the beginning with no filter running. I didn’t think much about this but i now suspect there is DE all in the pool and that’s why it’s not changing color. I think the DE settled during that day & allowed for me to see some clear water at the top.

Any advice on how to get this much DE out of the pool? I think it’s a lot from how cloudy everything is. My guess is when I put new DE powder in a majority of it escaped bc of the missing ORing and crumbled gasket. New Oring will be delivered in a few hours. Filter is off. Curious if cleaning the grids and putting them in without new DE will pick up enough to allow me to see clearly enough to VAC to WASTE?

 

[mknauss]

There is a good chance that some of the DE made it into the pool.
Let me ask @Richard320 to give you some advice on cleaning it out of the pool.

 

[Skylertinnin]

Yeah I’m thinking so as well. I feel at this point that most of the algae is dead because FC is holding high and isn’t being able to either filter out or it is filtering I can’t tell that it is bc of the dirty DE powder

 

[ajw22]

Curious if cleaning the grids and putting them in without new DE will pick up enough to allow me to see clearly enough to VAC to WASTE?

Never run a DE filter without DE. It will clog up or ruin the grids. Get DE in the filter within 5 to 10 minutes of turning the pump on.

If you have your DE filter repained then get it running with DE and run your pump 24/7 to filter the water. What pool cleaner do you have to run along the bottom and vacuum the floor and keep the bottom stirred up?

 

[Skylertinnin]

It’s old and I’m not sure of name but it’s a hose that connects to the pool and is connected to pole and brushing attachtment that suctions waste out. It works very well when I can see. Not sure how well it’ll work with a green pool but I’m willing to try. Would floc help my visibility?

 

[Skylertinnin]

So I think best to leave the DE POWDER that’s in there and add the Oring. I don’t want to risk adding more into the pool until I can get some vaccumed out

 

[mknauss]

Would floc help my visibility?

Do not use Floc. It can seriously compromise your filter unless carefully vacuumed to waste over multiple times.

 

[Skylertinnin]

Filter will be off while I’m allowing DE to sink and then I would be vacuuming to Waste so you don’t think it’d help?

 

[Richard320]

What I see as needing to happen is to get the FC level up there. Then tear the filter apart and get it put back together correctly and add the appropriate DE. Set the vacuum in the pool and get things ready to go, but tie the full hose up out of the way. Let the pool settle overnight or all day while you're at work. whichever. Then turn on the pump, purge the last of the air out of the hose. connect it, and start vacuuming. Slowly, so the crud on the floor gets sucked in before the wave ahead of the head pushes it away.

You'll load up the filter in a hurry with a double charge of DE, but it can't be helped. You'll need to backwash and recharge (Remember, only 80% unless you take it apart and clean the grids) a couple times, most likely.

Don't be tempted to use floc or clarifiers unless you have the ability to vacuum to waste., Otherwise you may just gum up your filter grids beyond cleaning.

Also, keep the FC level up there. If it isn;t algae, you won't lose much, but if it is, you'll kill it and vacuum it away with all the rest of this.

 

[Skylertinnin]

I was under the impression the vacuum bypassed filter so it’ll be going down the driveway. Can I leave the current DE powder and add missing parts and then vaccum to waste after everything has settled to floor? Or would you suggest cleaning the filter grids and filter in new DE powder before turning filter off and letting everything settle

 

[Richard320]

I was under the impression the vacuum bypassed filter so it’ll be going down the driveway. Can I leave the current DE powder and add missing parts and then vaccum to waste after everything has settled to floor? Or would you suggest cleaning the filter grids and filter in new DE powder before turning filter off and letting everything settle

I wasn't suggesting vacuum to waste. I was suggesting vacuum to filter, then backwash. You'll lose less water that way. Maybe you want to replace a bunch of water?

I don't think you'll be successful trying to repair things with DE left in the tank for reuse. In fact, you're probably low on DE on the grids, because it's in the pool! .

 

[Skylertinnin]

Okay I see what you’re saying now. I’ve never vacuumed to filter. Do I leave the valve on filter mode and just add the vacuum?

 

[Richard320]

Okay I see what you’re saying now. I’ve never vacuumed to filter. Do I leave the valve on filter mode and just add the vacuum?

Exactly. Instead of stuff floating past the skimmer and getting sucked in and filtered out, you chase it down with the vacuum. Then it gets sucked in and filtered out. I don't even have a waste option on my backwash valve. I can only vacuum to filter. People with cartridge filters have the same.

 

[Skylertinnin]

Alright thank you. I will update how it does.