I will try to keep this as brief as possible but would like to give a little history so maybe somebody will have a suggestion that I haven't already tried. I have been dealing with clean but hazy/cloudy water for almost 3 weeks now and I am really at the end of my rope. Ready to punch a hole in the side of the pool and let it drain and be done with it. Can't imagine living without a pool though.
I have kept a pool at several different homes I have lived in for 35+ years and have never had such a hard time with keeping my pool sparkling clear. Not only is this frustrating because all the usual methods are not working but I have never had a problem like this to begin with.
About 2.5 weeks ago the pool started with a green tint and I ended up with an algea bloom, don't get these very often. Cleared that up using my normal methods of dosing with algea eliminator and then vacuuming. My pool was clean and clear for approximately one day. Came out the next morning and it was cloudy/milky. Tried the tried and true methods which usually clear it up in a few hours or overnight, mostly I use a Clarifier with no change. Put some more in and still no change.
The person at the pool store told me to use some floc for maybe some residual algea to get it to fall to the bottom. I had already done that after killing off the algea from the algea bloom but did it again and vacuumed....no change. They had me try clarifier again but this time only letting it circulate for a little while and then shutting down filter and letting it sit like you would floc. Still no change.
So basically every day I have been adding bleach, or clarifier, not at the same time or even on the same day and have been vacuuming as well even though it seems like I am vacuuming nothing as there is nothing on the pool floor. Still no change. Or I should say very little change. It is probably a little bit clearer as I can see bottom better but definitely still cloudy. Man at the pool store said to try floc again though I didn't think I needed to and still no change.
I don't have the fancy TF-100 testing kit and can't find it anywhere in my area. I would have to order it from Amazon. Quite frankly I really don't want to spend the money on such a fancy kit, as I have never had this kind of problem and it really baffles me why I am now, but I may have to bite the bullet and get it.
Besides using my normal methods I stumbled upon your site and forum and have read all threads and tried all methods given to others with the same problem and still the water will not clear. The sand is new this year and is not the standard sand but something called Zeobrite that I have been told is much better as it is finer and catches more of the small particles that are suspended in the water. My husband insists it has something to do with the sand as it is the only thing that is different this year than for the past 5 years. Pool is usual very simple to open and maintain and this year I seem to be doing a lot more cleaning and stressing about it than enjoying it. It is pretty bad when every day you are consumed by this issue to the point that you are screaming, crying or both. Just shouldn't be this hard. I am not a stupid woman but I certainly feel like it right now.
I did read something about "channeling" in the sand but don't know if that would create a problem and if I should open the filter and take a look.
I also think I may backwash filter too much and backwashed quite a bit more with algea bloom, maybe too much that something happened?
I will definitely wait for PSI to rise much more than I have before I backwash from now on.
Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much.
PH is 7.6
Alkalinity is 120
FC & TC are off the charts with both test strips and small plastic comparator, that only measures PH and Cl, showing very dark and bright fushia/purple......green
Calcium Hardness is low as I don't usually worry about that due to I have an AG, vinyl liner pool.
Cuyranic is about 90. I only know this as a neighbor has the TF-100 kit and had just enough drops for me to test this so I could post here. I know this is high and it is suggested to drain half the pool and refill, however with all the vacuuming to waste I have had to do recently and then fill as well as all the filling I have done throughout the summer do to we have had very little rain I can't imagine that I have not already done that....just not all at once.
AG 18' round, 8,600 gallons, Hayward Power Flo Matrix pump/sand filter
I have kept a pool at several different homes I have lived in for 35+ years and have never had such a hard time with keeping my pool sparkling clear. Not only is this frustrating because all the usual methods are not working but I have never had a problem like this to begin with.
About 2.5 weeks ago the pool started with a green tint and I ended up with an algea bloom, don't get these very often. Cleared that up using my normal methods of dosing with algea eliminator and then vacuuming. My pool was clean and clear for approximately one day. Came out the next morning and it was cloudy/milky. Tried the tried and true methods which usually clear it up in a few hours or overnight, mostly I use a Clarifier with no change. Put some more in and still no change.
The person at the pool store told me to use some floc for maybe some residual algea to get it to fall to the bottom. I had already done that after killing off the algea from the algea bloom but did it again and vacuumed....no change. They had me try clarifier again but this time only letting it circulate for a little while and then shutting down filter and letting it sit like you would floc. Still no change.
So basically every day I have been adding bleach, or clarifier, not at the same time or even on the same day and have been vacuuming as well even though it seems like I am vacuuming nothing as there is nothing on the pool floor. Still no change. Or I should say very little change. It is probably a little bit clearer as I can see bottom better but definitely still cloudy. Man at the pool store said to try floc again though I didn't think I needed to and still no change.
I don't have the fancy TF-100 testing kit and can't find it anywhere in my area. I would have to order it from Amazon. Quite frankly I really don't want to spend the money on such a fancy kit, as I have never had this kind of problem and it really baffles me why I am now, but I may have to bite the bullet and get it.
Besides using my normal methods I stumbled upon your site and forum and have read all threads and tried all methods given to others with the same problem and still the water will not clear. The sand is new this year and is not the standard sand but something called Zeobrite that I have been told is much better as it is finer and catches more of the small particles that are suspended in the water. My husband insists it has something to do with the sand as it is the only thing that is different this year than for the past 5 years. Pool is usual very simple to open and maintain and this year I seem to be doing a lot more cleaning and stressing about it than enjoying it. It is pretty bad when every day you are consumed by this issue to the point that you are screaming, crying or both. Just shouldn't be this hard. I am not a stupid woman but I certainly feel like it right now.
I did read something about "channeling" in the sand but don't know if that would create a problem and if I should open the filter and take a look.
I also think I may backwash filter too much and backwashed quite a bit more with algea bloom, maybe too much that something happened?
I will definitely wait for PSI to rise much more than I have before I backwash from now on.
Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much.
PH is 7.6
Alkalinity is 120
FC & TC are off the charts with both test strips and small plastic comparator, that only measures PH and Cl, showing very dark and bright fushia/purple......green
Calcium Hardness is low as I don't usually worry about that due to I have an AG, vinyl liner pool.
Cuyranic is about 90. I only know this as a neighbor has the TF-100 kit and had just enough drops for me to test this so I could post here. I know this is high and it is suggested to drain half the pool and refill, however with all the vacuuming to waste I have had to do recently and then fill as well as all the filling I have done throughout the summer do to we have had very little rain I can't imagine that I have not already done that....just not all at once.
AG 18' round, 8,600 gallons, Hayward Power Flo Matrix pump/sand filter