Help with 1st time SLAM, cloudy water just wont clear!!!

[Tresam20]

Hi! I found this forum about two weeks ago when my pool turned green. We let it go about three days before getting a bag of cal-hypo from the pool store. At that time, I had no idea what I was doing. After a few days, it started turning green again. So I decided to buy a TF-100 test kit. I added a gallon of bleach over that weekend while I waited for the kit to arrive. Then Monday, I started my SLAM. It's been a week since then and the water is blue, but still cloudy.

I vacuum the pool everyday and also brush it once a day. I rinse out the cartridge filter once a day. I thought that maybe I had mustard algae because the algae that the filter collects is yellow, so yesterday I brought shock levels up to 29 FC for 24 hours.

Here are the water test results for 11am this morning:

TA 290
CYA 30
CH 200
FC 23.5
CC .5
TC 24.0

At sunrise the FC was at 30. By 9am, it was down to 27FC, so I added about three cups of LC to bring it up to 30, but by 11am it's down to 23.5FC. I notice it burns off quickly when the Texas sun hits the pool.

All along I thought that the CYA level was 40-50 because I was testing inside. But just now I tested outside in the direct sunlight and got a much lower reading of 30. So maybe I've been over doing my bleach.

Should I just continue with the slam? Or take a break, let chlorine drop to normal levels, and see if it clears up? I am starting to doubt my decision for wanting a pool so badly!!!

 

[Tresam20]

Just a little update, at 2:00, my FC level is at 16 ppm. Maybe my CYA is actually lower than 30? Is it normal for the liquid chlorine to evaporate so fast? Either way, it's still at shock levels, so that's good.

This all started a few weeks ago when I took a water sample into Leslie's, and they told me my CYA was high, and that I needed to drain some of the water. I drained about a foot. Then, the pool turned green 3 days later, and I'm thinking I didn't drain enough.

We just opened this pool up in June for the first time, never had a vacuum for it until after it turned green.

Also, this past week I drained and refilled it (probably 20%) about 2-3 additional times.

 

[Fool4pool]

If you scroll down a bit, I just went through this. I'll let the experts chime in, but here's what I learned. Read how to slam in pool school and follow it exactly.

That means FC always needs to be above minimum spam level, and keep pump running the entire time. As I learned, it will stay cloudy if pump isn't running 24/7 during the slam.

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum! :handshake:

Please do not go above shock level for your CYA based on [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA].

You only do the mustard algae level FC for 24 hours, that is it. Long term at those levels of FC could degrade your vinyl liner.

Your FC loss you see today is normal. You were well above shock level and thus a significant amount of the chlorine was unbound from the CYA. UV degradation of that chlorine would be swift.

I suggest you read Pool School - ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry and consider reviewing the entire Trouble Free Pool School book.

 

[Tresam20]

It's a miracle!!! I can see the bottom of my pool! I think it's because I went 1-2 days without vacuuming it. Then, today when I vacuumed, it got cloudy again, but should be crystal clear again in the morning.

Is it okay to call it good, or should I wait until it no longer gets cloudy when I vacuum it? Thanks!

 

[mknauss]

Read the SLAM Process article. The three criteria are described in it. The first is crystal clear water. Not cloudy water due to algae.

Stay at it.

 

[Divin Dave]

No its not OK.
Dont stop Slamming. You aren't finished! Keep the FC at SLAM level. Keep the pump running. There are 3 criteria to finish.

1. Water is PERFECTLY CLEAR, just as it should be.
2. CC is less than .5
3. You pass the OCLT

Soooo many people get close like you are now and think its OK to stop, but its not OK and it gets right back on them within a week.

Don't stop until it's 100% finished.