HELP—water not crystal clear but no sign of green

[TXPoolmom6]

Every year brings a new issue, this year the pool store says it’s pollen. I finally got the green out of my pool but it’s not crystal clear yet. It’s definitely not green. There appears to be a slight cloudiness to it but hardly any at all.

I was at SLAM leaves for two days and then passed the OCLT. Then it went obviouly cloudy, I realized I had not backwashed my filters, so I did that. Kept my FC between 4-6, now it’s NOT crystal clear. Here are my current numbers.

FC 4.5
CC .5
CYA 30
pH 7.5? (Leslie’s says 7.7)
TA 90

My pH was around 7.5 when I started the SLAM, total alkalinity was in range. I was losing small amounts of chlorine during the day .5 every couple of hours and I have passed the overnight chlorine lost test two days in a row, but something isn’t making sense to me. I feel like I am missing something.

I tested at the pool store to see if my numbers were around the same and the last two weeks my phosphates have been creeping up last week. They were 125 on this week they are 250 PPB.

They want to sell me clear aid or no Phos… And keep telling me not to use liquid chlorine that I really need to shock the pool with powder… I am coming to you guys for advice because I trust you.

Advice appreciated

 

[mknauss]

Follow the SLAM Process. Read the article. Pass the three criteria.

 

[TXPoolmom6]

Follow the SLAM Process. Read the article. Pass the three criteria.

right… Not Crystal Clearwater yet… Keep going… I am curious why the phosphates keep getting higher… Is that something I’m ever going to need to address? Or will the slam process take care of that?

 

[mknauss]

Pool store testing.

 

[TXPoolmom6]

I am still fighting cloudy water… I tried to check all the levels before adding the chlorine in since I know mainly with pH you can’t rely on that being accurate at high chlorine levels… So I let the chlorine burn off tested the pH again and it was well beyond 7.8

I got it lowered to what looked like 7.5 and I started doing the slam, do I need it lower than 7.5 to start the slam because it seemed to be clearing up ans I don’t seem to be brushing up algae, but it’s still a bit cloudy… I decided to chexk the chlorine levels and it is at 3ppm. If I test the pH will it be accurate?

 

[PoolStored]

I got it lowered to what looked like 7.5 and I started doing the slam, do I need it lower than 7.5 to start the slam because it seemed to be clearing up ans I don’t seem to be brushing up algae, but it’s still a bit cloudy… I decided to chexk the chlorine levels and it is at 3ppm. If I test the pH will it be accurate?

pH of 7.5 is fine for a SLAM. pH test is accurate when FC <=10.

 

[TXPoolmom6]

OK great thanks! That helps a lot. I checked my pH again before I added chlorine and it was back up to 7.8+, what causes the pH to continually rise even though I was just in the slam a couple weeks ago?

 

[PoolStored]

what causes the pH to continually rise even though I was just in the slam a couple weeks ago?

High TA. You should log your testing results in pool math. Would help us help you....

 

[TXPoolmom6]

Is there a way to log results without logging a chemical addition? I think I have figured out how to save the log once I make an addition, but I guess I just never realized that I could do that. I was simply using it to figure out what I needed to put in.

Here are my results today before making any additions (I realize I need chlorine, but wanted to submit this and pics first)

FC - 1
CC - .5
pH - 7.8
TA - 70
CH - 275
CYA - between the 40 and 50 mark

I am submitting pics from last year when I mastered PoolSchool and today. the more blue one is last year and was perfect. Today is still looking a bit cloudy or “off”. It also looks like I might need to add more water , but I know that’s also going to possibly change some of my numbers so I’m waiting to do that.

 

[PoolStored]

Have you started the slam process? Link-->SLAM Process

To enter results, touch the + and select test results.

 

[TXPoolmom6]

Have you started the slam process? Link-->SLAM Process

I did a couple weeks ago, and I got it clear that it started getting cloudy again and that’s when I noticed my pH was rising… I haven’t started the slam yet because I wanted you guys to see my levels as far as my numbers go… I believe my pH is too high to start the slam process so I need to get that lowered.

 

[PoolStored]

Yep, lower pH and start the SLAM.

The reason it got cloudy is you let your FC get below minimum for your CYA. Always follow this...Link-->FC/CYA Levels