Help with Stubborn Cloudy Green

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Yeah the CYA test always messes with my eyes too madyogi. My pool was exactly your clear green when I opened it two weeks ago. I know you have a lot of gallons to turnover, and have been doing awesome maintain the SLAM levels and the rest of the chemistry for a month. I'm a little perplexed that the water is still green after a month of SLAMing. One would think it would be at the tipping point of turquoise or aqua blue, or cloudy at least right about now after maintaining SLAM levels for so long.
I AM HOPING....Keyword hoping....That the bags over the next several days, get some of that gunk out of the water, so the chlorine can work more effectively in changing the color, turning the tides and killing off that stubborn algae.

I've read from other TFP members on here that its ok for humans to chemically swim in cloudy blue, because the algae is dead, and turned white, as long as the all the numbers are in proper range, and the water still isn't green. People can swim in SLAM shock levels within normal ranges without repercussions. My family and I have done it before with no ill effects.

Its really a personal choice, so If it were my kids, it was that hot, and they wanted to swim that bad ? Mandatory goggles, and shallow end only for water clarity and safety reasons.

I'm really hoping you get to a hazy blue by Sunday. Your lucky you can use your pool before Memorial Day.
I only open my pool in early may just to maintain it. Even if I had a few 90 degree days here which we just had, and even if I used my solar cover, I
won't see water temps above 72-76 degrees until late June, July 4th. So my season is really short. Right now my pool is a brisk 62 to 64 degrees.
(I secretly wish I could chop down my neighbors trees not only for more firewood, but sunlight on the pool, because we lose sun at 2 pm to shade.)
 
Not getting anything out in terms of debris. Have run the Polaris numerous times, getting a little less each time, until now it doesn't pull much of anything (with the exception of a random toy or two my son has tossed into the "abyss"). I am also brushing multiple times daily, without any noticeable obstruction or anything floating up to the top.

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I know, Robert, I'm flabbergasted it has taken so long this year, and I am definitely thankful for the long swimming season! Just this week, the water got into the 80's, with air temps in the 90's, though it has cooled off after rain yesterday. Still, we're chomping at the bit!
 
It was testing pretty much where it is now: Faint at 40, pretty much gone at 30, unless I squint real hard and overthink it. Couldn't get a reading on it at all when I opened this year, so I added CYA over the course of 2-3 days until readings became cloudy and the dot disappeared at the 40 line.
 
madyogi said:
It was testing pretty much where it is now: Faint at 40, pretty much gone at 30, unless I squint real hard and overthink it. Couldn't get a reading on it at all when I opened this year, so I added CYA over the course of 2-3 days until readings became cloudy and the dot disappeared at the 40 line.
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This sounds like your CYA might be 50. The dot should "disappear" at a glance from waist level (holding top edge of tube with fingers) with bright sunlight behind you
 
I wouldn't rule out 50. Like I said, I tend to be real thorough and overthink these things, so "disappear at a glance" is a hard instruction for me to execute ;-)

If my CYA were actually 50 that would make sense why FC loss started to accelerate once I upped the shock level to 20+, but that's where it's been for 10+ days now. The past 2-3 being possible exceptions. Hopefully my new R-0871 will be at the house when I get home!
 
funandsun said:
Great idea, I did think about just running recirculate with these on the returns. Only reason I didn't was because I am a bit nervous and wanted to see how much pressure built up. But put these on at 9am with PSI @ 8 and as of 1 hour ago PSI @ 10 and can see some discoloration to the bag too. Again trying to remain calm and composed but I can see liner, ripples and dirt that is holding up on the ripples like it loves to do and a very clear dark area in the corner of my deep end where dirt calls home. oh breathe, calm, breathe calm. I really hope my daughter can swim tomorrow.
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I think, there shouldn't be a PSI issue on recirculate because you aren't using the filter media (sand in this case) it's basically just the pump circulating the water.

funandsun said:
splashpad, what are your thoughts here with madyogi? Test and filter right? anything jumping out that we are overlooking?
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I'm leaning towards not high enough chlorine based on under estimated CYA level.

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madyogi said:
I wouldn't rule out 50. Like I said, I tend to be real thorough and overthink these things, so "disappear at a glance" is a hard instruction for me to execute ;-)
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I get it! I do! I would recommend the CYA calibration test (it's pre-diluted to a "perfect" 50). So you can trust what your eyes are telling you =)

madyogi said:
If my CYA were actually 50 that would make sense why FC loss started to accelerate once I upped the shock level to 20+, but that's where it's been for 10+ days now. The past 2-3 being possible exceptions. Hopefully my new R-0871 will be at the house when I get home!
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Exactly =) It's a catch 22
~ if your CYA isn't 50, then anything over the [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA] "shock" level (i.e. for 40) wouldn't be protected from UV burn off,
BUT
~ if your CYA is 50, then the chlorine would be held and not "cleaning" if you weren't @ shock level for CYA/50
 
splashpad said:
I'm leaning towards not high enough chlorine based on under estimated CYA level.
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Okay, so I'm willing to super slam things, with the thought that I'm underestimating the level, but up until the last day or two, it had been 20-22 by regular testing for over a week. Should I just try to keep it there, since that's where I notice the bigger drops in FC per day, or should I go up even further for a day or two to see what benefit that might bring?

And what's the CYA calibration test? Can I do that with my K-2006 kit, or do I need something else?
 
madyogi said:
I wouldn't rule out 50. Like I said, I tend to be real thorough and overthink these things, so disappear at a glance is a hard instruction for me to follow ;-)

If my CYA were actually 50 that would make sense why FC loss started to accelerate once I upped the shock level to 20+, but that's where it's been for 10+ days now. The past 2-3 being possible exceptions. Hopefully my new R-0871 will be at the house when I get home!
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Could very well be madyogi. Once your test re-enforcements arrive you will be better armed for sure on this.

I will say, I test exactly like kellyfair suggested. I fill to lines and THEN I look in, still see the dot, fill to the next line, then look in again, no dot? that's it.

I started doing that because like you, if I stare, heck I can probably see that dot even if it was stopped at 100 and I filled the whole thing up to 30 lolol

For me it's all about the lines, then look.

CYA @ 50 has SLAM @ 20ppm. So if I read you right, you are already doing that. Maybe I misread.

When you get home, can you check the expiration date on your CYA reagent or have you already done that?
 

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madyogi said:
Okay, so I'm willing to super slam things, with the thought that I'm underestimating the level, but up until the last day or two, it had been 20-22 by regular testing for over a week. Should I just try to keep it there, since that's where I notice the bigger drops in FC per day, or should I go up even further for a day or two to see what benefit that might bring?
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Per [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA]
CYA/50 - Goal_FC/6-8, Shock_FC/20

So maintain 20 as frequently as you can (every few hours) for the next couple of days and see what happens. I'm trying to find the dates of the tests & timing, lots of off-topic filter talk :D

madyogi said:
And what's the CYA calibration test? Can I do that with my K-2006 kit, or do I need something else?
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R-7065 CYA Standard 50 ppm (2 ounces)
 
Sorry for the off topic chatter :)

Looks like I started the 20 level slam on 5-7-18, and I can tell you that it was up there consistently until at least Monday when my reagent ran out. It's probably still relatively close to that as I've been adding about the same amount daily that I was over the weekend to maintain 20-22.
 
madyogi said:
Sorry for the off topic chatter :)
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LOL, nothing wrong with it, just trying to find the results posts =))

madyogi said:
Looks like I started the 20 level slam on 5-7-18, and I can tell you that it was up there consistently until at least Monday when my reagent ran out. It's probably still relatively close to that as I've been adding about the same amount daily that I was over the weekend to maintain 20-22.
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So my question, on glance, when do you start to notice haze over the dot?

Your CYA might be higher if you are "over staring" at the CYA test =)
 
Thanks for the CYA procedure tips FUNANDSUN. I haven't even had the chance to dial in my cya or check it cuz I ran out of reagents. Right off the bat I just shot for 20ppm on the SLAM going blind, I'm so broke being off from work intermittently because of my kid coming down with croup, and frequent days off because of all the rain we have been having. (I do Solar Work.) that I need to order more CYA and FAS-DPD reagents for my K-2006 as well.

What is this CYA calibrator that I am hearing about that fool proofs at 50ppm? Sounds like fun.
 
Yep, once my SLAM was finished I was planning to start a thread related to filter augmentation, so I'm totally on board with that!

As far my CYA, I just took another test, and it gets cloudy at 50, but you can totally see the dot. At 40, the dot is obscured at a glance, but it doesn't take long (like 1 second) to spot it through the haze, and by 30 it's gone. I am coming out as officially biased against this test! Number one, it's very subjective compared to the other tests, and number two, it seems to have a big impact on how effective your SLAM actually is ... :brickwall:
 
Kellyfair - I will gladly accept the bumper sticker! I got my R-0871 in a 16 oz bottle on Amazon. It cost $25-ish, but the kit with 2 oz of R-0871 and the powder was at least $10, so it's a much better deal for the reagent.

I pulled my dudas off as well, and washed them out in the sink, nowhere near as much fun as using the pressure washer, I'm sure!

Whatever the case, they're back out there, and ~20 ppm SLAM is back on.
 
madyogi said:
As far my CYA, I just took another test, and it gets cloudy at 50, but you can totally see the dot. At 40, the dot is obscured at a glance, but it doesn't take long (like 1 second) to spot it through the haze, and by 30 it's gone
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Yup 40 it is :)

madyogi said:
I am coming out as officially biased against this test! Number one, it's very subjective compared to the other tests, and number two, it seems to have a big impact on how effective your SLAM actually is ... :brickwall:
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Yet you've done it correctly! =)
 

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