Help! I can’t get water to clear up

[SarahObrem]

Hello, took cover off pool 2 weeks ago. Started running pump 10 days ago. There was algae when we opened so I went right to SLAM. Added soda ash bring up pH to 7.2 then stabilizer in a stocking to bring up to 30.
Then started adding shock. sLAM level is 12, I’ve had it at 12 for a week now and the water has not cleared at all. Cleaned filters mid week. No change.
The water is so dirty you can’t even see the bottom of the shallow end. I’m getting frustrated, after a week of shock I thought it would be starting to clear at least a little by now.
What am I doing wrong???

 

[PoolStored]

How many times a day are you testing and adding chlorine?

 

[Griswald]

Is it full of organic material? Leaves, grass, dirt etc.
That would require lots more chlorine to kill.

 

[SarahObrem]

How many times a day are you testing and adding chlorine?

Depends on the day. At least 2-3 times every day since last Sat, some days if I’m home more I’m checking every 2-3 hours.
It wasn’t holding any chlorine the 1st few days but the past 2 days it’s only dropping a little so I’m adding 1 bottle or less when I add. Also the combined chlorine was high the 1st few days usually 3 and the past 2 days that has been 1 every time I test.
The water just doesn’t look any better at all!

 

[SarahObrem]

Is it full of organic material? Leaves, grass, dirt etc.
That would require lots more chlorine to kill.

Nothing in it, cleared all of that out in 1st few days.

 

[PoolStored]

Do a few things.
Log every test and addition so we can see them.
Do it as often as you can, more often the better, no more than every 2 hours.
Take a picture of the pool from the same location every day and post those.

 

[SarahObrem]

Do a few things.
Log every test and addition so we can see them.
Do it as often as you can, more often the better, no more than every 2 hours.
Take a picture of the pool from the same location every day and post those.

Where would I post all of that? In this thread? Or can you see it if I log it in the app?
And when I’m testing I’m only doing free chlorine and combined chlorine right? Not all of the tests?

 

[PoolStored]

In pool math. Log all tests. Log all additions of chemicals. We can see it.
FC and CC is fine during SLAM. No need to test anything else.
Post pictures daily to this thread.

 

[SarahObrem]

Ok!
Will log everything in pool math moving forward
At 4:10 pm FC=7.5, CC=1
Added 1 gallon shock
At 6 pm FC=16, CC=1
Did not add anything since chlorine was above 12
Here are photos now at 6 pm

 

[PoolStored]

Take a pic, same time every day like the 2nd one, longwise toward the diving board.
If you can test and replace FC every 2 hours, you will make progress.
Clean your filters, note clean pressure. When your pressure rises 25%, clean your filters again.

 

[SarahObrem]

Today 5/18
No change, still very cloudy/murky
I’ve been logging tests and additions in the app

 

[PoolStored]

I see improvement. Green to blue. I can now see steps three and four.

You are only a couple days in, it is still early.

Are you watching your filter pressures and cleaning your filters when clean pressure rises 25%?

 

[SarahObrem]

I see improvement. Green to blue. I can now see steps three and four.

You are only a couple days in, it is still early.

Are you watching your filter pressures and cleaning your filters when clean pressure rises 25%?


View attachment 647296

Thank you
Could color change in photo be related to the Sun? It was sunny when I took photo yesterday and cloudy today.
I’ve been checking pressure on filter, the meter has not moved since he cleaned the filters on Thursday night.
And I’ve been SLAMing it for over a week now. Is that normal? I’ve put in close to 30 gallons of shock by now. I thought by a week it would start to look just a little clear at least …

 

[PoolStored]

Takes what it takes. Sometimes a few days, sometimes a couple weeks. Looks like you are doing this 3x a day. I would increase the frequency...like every 2-3 hours, that should help.
Not likely the sun...it is clearly cleaner (I've seen 1000s of these).
Does your pressure gauge go to 0 when pump is off? What does it read with pump on?

 

[SarahObrem]

Photo from earlier today.
I’ll ask my husband about the filter. He usually cleans them and sets the pressure gauge.
I’ll try to increase frequency but it’s hard when we are at work all day and nobody is home to do it every 2 hours. Today was gone most of day so only tested and added once in morning and once in evening.

 

[SarahObrem]

Takes what it takes. Sometimes a few days, sometimes a couple weeks. Looks like you are doing this 3x a day. I would increase the frequency...like every 2-3 hours, that should help.
Not likely the sun...it is clearly cleaner (I've seen 1000s of these).
Does your pressure gauge go to 0 when pump is off? What does it read with pump on?

Hello
Yes when pump is off, pressure gauge goes to 0
When pump is on its reading 18
Do you think there could be an issue with the filter?
The paper cartridges are 1 year old, purchased about this time last year. Before storing them for the winter he cleaned them.
The odd thing to me is that he cleaned them on Thursday night then I had him check them last night. The gauge has barely moved at all and the cartridges were pretty clean. Definitely with the way the water looks and the pump running 24/7 I would expect them to be much dirtier. Could the problem be that the filters are not working? I’m going to be honest I don’t u set stand pool equipment that well. Is there something inside the container that holds the filters that could be broken?? My husband says it’s the pool pump that pushes the water through that. Pump is only 2 years old. But is there something inside etching in the filter (aside from the cartridges) that could be broken? I took a video of him cleaning 1 to show how it’s not very dirty but I don’t think I. Am attach a video only a photo

 

[SarahObrem]

Photo from today. Again was at work all day so unable to test every 2 hours.
To me it looks worse today than yesterday?
See above with my question about the filters.
Also we are noticing a “yeast” smell in the pool area. Not sure if that is a sign of anything?
Thank you!

 

[PoolStored]

The paper cartridges are 1 year old, purchased about this time last year.

Do you have a link to what you purchased, and the model # of the filter?

Smells are hard to convey...usually when a pool smells, it smells of chlorine, which means chloramines, which we measure by CC test.

You may have filter issue, but It is more likely that you are not keeping up with the chlorine additions and you are stalled. We do what we can do. If you can do twice in the morning before you leave, and every 2 hours when you get home until you go to bed, that would help. You logs since May 8th or thin (not many) and not frequent.

I'm not looking down on you, we do what we can...but unless you can be more consistent and increase frequency, you likely will go sideways.

 

[SarahObrem]

These are the filters that he ordered last year and are on there now.
Filter model # is C5025 Hayward Swimclear
I know you are not looking down on me, I really appreciate your help.
I wasn’t logging every test until you told me to on Sat. I only logged a few of them, I was testing much more frequently just not logging them all. And I also wasn’t logging any of the chlorine I was adding. I didn’t realize I needed to log them all, I was just testing and then using the app to see what to add but not logging.
Learned for next time to just log everything.

 

[PoolStored]

Those are 50 micron filters.

Unicel, Pleatco, and Filbur are all large and reliable suppliers of filter cartridges, which are typically 10-20 micron.

Have you done an OCLT yet? Do that, let’s see where we are…link —>Overnight Chlorine Loss Test