Help.Pool Party on Saturday!!! Slightly Green pool

[hermsdad]

Ok. I don’t think it’s horrible but I need to clear it up quick! Or at least make it safe.
Here’s my numbers.
FC: 7 (just added about 1/2 gallon
TC: .5
Alk: 10
CYA: 50-60
Salt: 2800
PH: 8.14, just a touch high.


We had a huge windstorm a week or so ago and I had a tone of leaves and pine needles in the pool. Have spent the last week clearing it all out and today I wake up and see my pool is just a touch green. It’s not a dark green but definitely green. Need to halt this and get back to my crystal clear pool.

Y’all have been an amazing help. I had a much smaller AGP last year and I’ve been able to maintain this much larger pool clear all summer with much greater ease.

Thanks,
Jim

 

[BDY]

Given the color I would start a SLAM now. You may be able to catch in infant stages and get a quick SLAM done by Sat.

if you added a gallon to get to 7 you may have fallen below min at some point

 

[HermanTX]

Any sign of algae requires the SLAM Process.
First lower the pH to 7.2/7.4 as future testing at elevated FC levels are not accurate.
Your CYA of 60 requires a SLAM level of 24ppm FC.

 

[BDY]

Ps - anyone can swim safely up to slam level as long as you can see The bottom

It wouldn’t hurt to have a higher FC for the party anyway - parties will use a lot of chlorine fast

 

[HermanTX]

Follow up - if you can bring up to 24ppm FC and hold it for next 2 days it may clear quickly. The goal is that you should test every 3hrs and bring it back up to 24ppm. The longer you can maintain it at that level the quicker it will go.

 

[ccharleb]

Alk: 10

Is TA= 10 or TA=100 ?

 

[hermsdad]

Is TA= 10 or TA=100 ?

My bad. 100. 10 drops in the kit. I just go by the number of drops and know in the back of my mind that means x 10.

 

[hermsdad]

Ps - anyone can swim safely up to slam level as long as you can see The bottom

It wouldn’t hurt to have a higher FC for the party anyway - parties will use a lot of chlorine fast

I can see the bottom now. Which is part of the reason i see this as an early stage problem. Ran off to Lowe’s to get their 10% chlorine but they were out. Had to get the 7.5 % at Walmart. Will check first thing in the am and hit the other Lowe’s after dropping off kids at daily camp. Fingers crossed tomorrow goes well.

Thanks everyone.

 

[mknauss]

Did you check pool section (indoor garden area) in Walmart? Pool Essentials Chlorinating Liquid.

 

[hermsdad]

Did you check pool section (indoor garden area) in Walmart? Pool Essentials Chlorinating Liquid.

I didn’t go over to that section. I searched on my app for pool specific chlorine and my Walmart was only showing tablets, etc. But might be worth a physical check next time if I can’t get to Lowes. The other Lowe’s has the 10% gallon chlorine. I know because I bought it a couple of days ago when I noticed my FC was low. It’s just not the closest one but I’ll pass by it after dropping off the kiddos.
Thanks for the tip!

 

[BDY]

Ace hardware carried 10% as does HD.

 

[hermsdad]

Thanks everyone. Pool is turning blue again. Did another vacuum and scrub today. FC in the am was at about 25. It was around 18 an hour ago and I went ahead and dumped another gallon of 10% bleach in. Will probably vacuum and scrub again tonight or at least tomorrow morning. Hopefully I‘ll be back to my usual crystal clear blue or somewhere close by Sat. at 11 a.m.

Unfortunately my local ACE doesn’t have a huge or even moderate selection of pool stuff. Which makes sense. Not a lot of pools downtown. Home Depot is too inconvenient for me and the one time I did check there they didn’t have the liquid chlorine.

 

[BDY]

For Hd, did you check outside in garden? Usually their pool supplies are in the garden area

 

[hermsdad]

That’s true in most of the stores and where I look.

 

[Mdragger88]

keep at it the more you keep fc at slam level the faster you’ll reach the finish line
Don’t forget to do all the things

*Check & scrub every nook & cranny where algae may hide (light niches, steps, drain covers, ladder handrails, skimmer throats/weirs, abandoned lines, autofill, overflow drains, seam flaps etc.)
*If water can go there, algae can thrive there.
*Run slam level water through all water features & lines for at least a couple hours a day during the SLAM Process.
*Brush & or vac daily (this breaks up biofilms that algae uses to protect itself from chlorine)
*Backwash/clean filter when pressure rises 25%over clean pressure.
You are done when:
CC is 0.5 or lower;
You pass an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test
AND
The water is clear.
(Crystal Clear w/no algae dead or alive)

You may consider adding a little de to the sand filter to help catch the finer stuff if you have a skimmer
Be ready to backwash as needed as the pressure can rise quickly

Add DE to a Sand Filter

A clean pool filter will increase the efficiency of your pool! ... your filter are to backwash it, clean the manifolds and grids, and add new DE.

www.google.com

 

[hermsdad]

Pool is blue again although still a little hazy. I have been vacuuming and scrubbing daily. Actually did it twice yesterday and have also been backwashing the filter every time after I clean. I’ve been running my pump basically 24/7. Backwashing is getting clear faster every time so I think I’m getting closer. Looks like I should be good to go for tomorrow.
What is DE?

Thanks everyone.

 

[kellyfair]

Pool is blue again although still a little hazy. I have been vacuuming and scrubbing daily. Actually did it twice yesterday and have also been backwashing the filter every time after I clean. I’ve been running my pump basically 24/7. Backwashing is getting clear faster every time so I think I’m getting closer. Looks like I should be good to go for tomorrow.
What is DE?

Thanks everyone.

Don’t backwash unless your pump pressure rises by 20-25%. It actually clears more efficiently when the sand is a bit dirty - catches smaller particles.

 

[Mdragger88]

DE is diatomaceous earth
It is used in DE pool filters as the filter media.
Adding a small amount to a sand filter helps “dirty it up” enabling it to catch smaller particles. It will just sit on top of the sand bed & be washed away at the next backwash.
You want Pool de not food grade.
One box will last you a lifetime of backwashes. Follow the instructions on the guide posted not on the box