Green pool now cloudy

[Nnpdiana]

Hi! New to the site. Opened the pool last week. Green and low water. Added water and some liquid chlorine and and got pump and bromine running. Started Slam last night with 2 gallons liquid chlorine 12.5%. AM test with Taylor K-2006
FC 20
pH 8.0
TA115
CH 280
Cyanuric Acid 0
Water is light blue and cloudy. Can see bottom.
what next? Took 8 drops to get the pH to 7.2
Thanks for the help!

 

[JVTrain]

Welcome to TFP!

pH will read artificially high whenever your FC is above 10 ppm. Do not adjust pH unless you get a reading when the FC < 10 ppm.

Your pool is a bromine pool so you can't follow our SLAM procedure which is designed for chlorine pools. Unless you convert to chlorine, I would follow the SLAM procedure otherwise, targeting 10 ppm FC (~22 ppm bromine) and maintaining it until you can pass the clarity and overnight loss test as in the SLAM procedure (see link in signature). It's going to take time for everything to filter out but you must maintain that high sanitizer level as much as you can. Backwash your filter whenever the pressure rises by 30% of your clean pressure.

Bromine is the least economical way to sanitize an outdoor pool, aside from maybe Bacquacil. Bromine has very limited protection from UV light, unlike chlorine paired with CYA stabilizer.

 

[Donldson]

Welcome to TFP!

You can SLAM a bromine pool, though it is more fickle as is everything with a bromine pool. First, you are not testing FC, you are testing Br which is about 2.25 times whatever you get for an FC reading, so your Br level is actually about 45. That's pretty high. You are going to want to aim for 22ish as JVT mentioned. It is also unprotected from sunlight so your daytime losses during the SLAM will likely be astronomical. Once you pass the SLAM you will need to maintain Br levels between 2-6 ppm. No need to test for CYA, even if you have some it does not affect bromine. It doesn't buffer it to create a more pleasant swimming experience, nor does it protect it from sunlight. You have DMH in your pool from the bromine tablets, this will buffer the bromine somewhat but it does not protect it from sunlight nor can it be measured like CYA so you just kind of run blind with it and hope it isn't too high.

If you aren't already make sure you are using a 25 ml water sample for the FAS-DPD test. Each drop will be 0.5 ppm Br.

 

[Nnpdiana]

Thank you! I didn't know the conversion from bromine to free chlorine! I will test again tonight and AM. A sunny day so hope I don't loose too much! My copper reading is 0.2ppm I added Sequesal last week. Should I add more?

 

[Nnpdiana]

Finicky is right! I have never enjoyed the crystal clear water most other pools attain in almost 20 years! I have a whole bucket of bromine to use before I can switch but I will definitely try it!

 

[Nnpdiana]

So here is my pool progress thanks to your wonderful advice. Still SLamming the pool. Have to add 1-2 cups bleach every 8-12 hours. Am I getting close?

- - - Updated - - -

There are wall stains that I will address once I get finished with slam. Come off with Vitamin C capsule. Will be looking for your advice as to the best way to get walls clean.