Green Pool

[luvtoswim]

Hello! We bought a new house that came with a pool. This is our first time owning one. I did some research that led me to this forum. We've been vacuuming and scrubbing the pool non-stop. We're planning to start the SLAM process this afternoon, but I want to run it by the pros first.

Pool: 28,000 gallons, Hayward Pro series sand filter

These are the test results:

FC: 0
TA: 240
CYA: 30
PH: 8.4
Calcium Hardiness: 250

PoolMath suggests adding 233 oz of liquid chlorine, 144 oz of pH down, 56 oz of dry stabilizer, and 207 oz of calcium chloride. Is this correct? What else should we consider doing?

Thank you in advance for your help.

 

[JFarr]

How did you test PH at 8.4?

I don't think you want to increase your stabilizer untill you've finished your slam. I think the calcium chloride can wait till after too.

You're aiming for a PH of 7.2 to begin slam. You have to do that first because you can't test PH during a slam.

I think you should adjust your pH down incrementally till you get to 7.2. So add half the amount of acid. Wait 30 mins and test again. See where you're at and go from there

 

[HermanTX]

Welcome to TFP.
If you plan to SLAM please print out and read again the SLAM Process
Great that you have a K-2006 test kit.

1. If your CYA is 30 then leave it at 30, do not add stabilizer at this time as that will only increase the amount of liquid chlorine you will need to use.
2. Decrease pH in stages. As not sure how you tested 8.4 as color comparator only goes to 8.0. So target 7.6 and add muaratic acid. Wait an hour and test again as to where your pH is at. Continue to lower to 7.2
3. don't worry about TA and CH at this time
4. Purchase lots of liquid chlorine as with a 28k gal pool each gallon of 10% LC will only raise FC by 3.6ppm. You will need to target and hold 12 ppm of FC level for SLAM. So that is 3.5 gallons just to hit target of 12ppm

 

[mknauss]

You have a vinyl liner pool. Low CH is of no concern to you. Be sure you have the proper pool surface selected in Poolmath setup.

 

[luvtoswim]

Hello! Apologies for the delayed response; life with small kids has kept me busy.

After I posted my questions, it rained until the next day. I'm not sure why I wrote 8.4 for the pH—it was actually 7.8. Also, I realized I didn't input the correct numbers into the PoolMath app and didn't know I needed to press the slam button.

Once the rain stopped, I tested the pH again—it was 7.2, and CYA was 30. FC remained at 0. I started the slam process yesterday and have been retesting and adding chlorine every 2 hours. By noon, I noticed dead algae floating.

Can I run the robot vacuum, or should we only vacuum to waste? Thanks again for all your help.

 

[PoolStored]

Can I run the robot vacuum, or should we only vacuum to waste? Thanks again for all your help.

You can do both, or either. My robot really helped...

 

[luvtoswim]

You can do both, or either. My robot really helped...

Thanks! I will put the vacuum in the pool now and vacuum to waste later.

 

[HermanTX]

Can I run the robot vacuum, or should we only vacuum to waste? Thanks again for all your help.

Vacuum to waste removes the dead algae however it also removes water which will lower your CYA when water is added back. It is best to do that if there is no alternative other than having your filter capture the dead algae.
So a robot vacuum is great if you have it to remove dead algae. You may have to empty basket a lot depending on amount of algae in pool

 

[luvtoswim]

Hi! I took a vacation with the family for four days. I was worried the pool would turn green again, but it wasn’t too bad when I got back. My vacuum lost its guide wheels before we left, so I had to order a new pool rake to retrieve them.

I went to the pool store to have the water tested because I ran out of reagent this morning after adding more chlorine. My reagent refill should be delivered this afternoon. They gave me a printout with instructions to fix the pool, but I trust your advice more than theirs. What should be my next move? Thank you.

 

[PoolStored]

Wait for your reagents and test this afternoon.

I would add 5ppm of liquid chlorine now, nothing else.

 

[HermanTX]

Hi! I took a vacation with the family for four days. I was worried the pool would turn green again, but it wasn’t too bad when I got back. My vacuum lost its guide wheels before we left, so I had to order a new pool rake to retrieve them.

I went to the pool store to have the water tested because I ran out of reagent this morning after adding more chlorine. My reagent refill should be delivered this afternoon. They gave me a printout with instructions to fix the pool, but I trust your advice more than theirs. What should be my next move? Thank you.

The report states the water is cloudy. Can you see algae?
You need to prepare to do the SLAM Process.
When you test, confirm if CYA is 40. If so, your SLAM level FC is 16ppm. So add FC now to maintain current levels until you confirm all with your own test results.

 

[luvtoswim]

The report states the water is cloudy. Can you see algae?
You need to prepare to do the SLAM Process.
When you test, confirm if CYA is 40. If so, your SLAM level FC is 16ppm. So add FC now to maintain current levels until you confirm all with your own test results.

Yes, there’s algae in the pool. I added chlorine after my initial post to reach SLAM level. I just received my reagents, and my FC is now 14.50, while my CYA is still 40. I then added more chlorine according to PoolMath recommendations.

I found some walnuts at the bottom of the pool and am unsure if the previous owners closed it properly. Has anyone else experienced this? I used my pool rake, but after a couple of days, it now has holes. If you could recommend your trusted pool tools, I would appreciate it.

 

[HermanTX]

So follow the SLAM process with testing every 2-3 hr during the day and top off FC to SLAM level.

Each area has their unique issues with debris. I only use a brush and a skimming net.

 

[luvtoswim]

Hi, I’m back with an update and a question. I’ve attached the “before” and “now” photos of the pool situation. We can finally see the bottom of the deep end!

I’m not sure what the white stuff stuck to the floor is. The vacuum can’t seem to pick it up. In the first week, we had to backwash almost every 2 hours because it was so bad. Now we backwash and rinse once or twice a day. Any advice on how to get rid of it?

I also want to thank everyone who has helped me. I followed your advice even when I felt like giving up.

 

[HermanTX]

Hi, I’m back with an update and a question. I’ve attached the “before” and “now” photos of the pool situation. We can finally see the bottom of the deep end!

I’m not sure what the white stuff stuck to the floor is. The vacuum can’t seem to pick it up. In the first week, we had to backwash almost every 2 hours because it was so bad. Now we backwash and rinse once or twice a day. Any advice on how to get rid of it?

I also want to thank everyone who has helped me. I followed your advice even when I felt like giving up.


View attachment 603514View attachment 603519

It is great improvement. Still some to go but it is much much bluer now.
Once you can see bottom more clear, try to enter water (you can swim up to the SLAM level FC) and determine what that is on the bottom. It could be calcium buildup or something else but let’s address the algae first to get the pool completely clear and pass all the tests for the SLAM.