How much chlorine will I need to clean a "FL Everglade" pool

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Re: How much chlorine will I need to clean a "FL Everglade"

Should I adjust pH before applying huge amounts of Cl? I'm not sure that I'll be able to do it because the water is black. Maybe I’ll try to filter it. Unfortunately I've been out off the pool business (as an amateur) for more than a year so I'm rusty.
 
Re: How much chlorine will I need to clean a "FL Everglade"

The PH might be anything, if you haven't tested it in a while it could be high, low, or fine.

Run a leaf rake across the bottom and see if you come up with any leaves. If you do, keep doing that until you stop getting leaves.
 
Re: How much chlorine will I need to clean a "FL Everglade"

JasonLion said:
The PH might be anything, if you haven't tested it in a while it could be high, low, or fine.

Run a leaf rake across the bottom and see if you come up with any leaves. If you do, keep doing that until you stop getting leaves.
Click to expand...

Since this involves scanning the entire bottom in total darkness, what's the worst case scenario if I don't scoop up whatever is at the
bottom until the water becomes clearer and the bottom is visible?
 
Re: How much chlorine will I need to clean a "FL Everglade"

Worst case, four or five times the chlorine and four times the number of days shocking the pool. It isn't usually quite that bad, but debris on the bottom can really slow things down dramatically.
 
Re: How much chlorine will I need to clean a "FL Everglade"

I took a water sample in a plastic bottle. The solution is clear, although it has a faint greenish - yellowish color.
I would say that the light absorbance of 10cm of water is between 30%-50%. This explain why the pool looks dark.
In a previous post somewhere in this thread I was advised to use 30 gal of 12% chlorine. I wonder - should I apply everything at once or in a few doses.

Can someone remind me please how much DE is needed per square foot of DE filter?
 
Re: How much chlorine will I need to clean a "FL Everglade"

JasonLion said:
One pound of DE for every 10 square feet of filter area.

You need to get some idea of your CYA level first.
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Thanks, I got that part about the CYA. I read in Pool School that the turbidity test may not be accurate so I will also use dip strips for ball park values. Once the cover is taken off I'll start taking pictures
for all the stages of the clean up. I must finish it by July 4th not so much because of the holiday, but because of what awaits me personally
after that. I'll be away for three weeks and during my absence I hope that family members will know how to add chlorine to the Liquidator. I can't expect them to run water tests and adjust pH.
 

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Re: How much chlorine will I need to clean a "FL Everglade"

It's been a week now since I started shocking. The water color changed from green to white - blue into blue, but it's cloudy.
A couple of days ago the shallow part was a lot clearer and I could see the bottom, but now it's cloudy everywhere. Will using floc help clear the cloudiness?
 
Re: How much chlorine will I need to clean a "FL Everglade"

Floc can help, but it requires that you can vacuum to waste, costs something, dumps water, and takes a bunch of work.

It would be better to find out why the water stopped improving. Have you done an overnight FC loss test recently? How has the filter been behaving? What are your current test results?
 
Re: How much chlorine will I need to clean a "FL Everglade"

The filter will clear it. Keep it running. Cloudy is a normal part of shocking. It's dead algae and it has to be filtered out. Maintain shock level. (plus listen to Jason, he's way smarter than I am)

Also, I noted that you were using strips for CYA. They are never accurate. You're much better off with turbidity issues giving you a slightly erred reading than using those for CYA. The CYA part of them is the worst in relation to accuracy. Most the other ones are kinda accurate, CYA color NEVER is.

Were I in your shoes, I'd do a real CYA test to be sure you're hitting shock level. If not, adjust your bleach calculations. Even 10ppm off the CYA reading will change the shock level and the strips can be as inaccurate as much as 40-60ppm in my experience. Missing shock level by even 1ppm can cause delays in the process. Since you're leaving for 3w it will be much easier for you to consult from afar to your pool slaves left at home what to do if you have an accurate CYA reading.
 
Re: How much chlorine will I need to clean a "FL Everglade"

Thank you JasonLion and Frogabog,
I've been keeping the pool at shock level of 24 FC (CYA 50). I used strips only once in order to determine which CYA reagent was bad ( I had two different batches). So my CYA reading is based on the Taylor reagents.
I can't vacuum to waste and the filter has been working fine.
 
Re: How much chlorine will I need to clean a "FL Everglade"

Steady she goes, chief. :cheers: The water has been solid blue for three days, while FC has been kept on at least 20, but most of the time at 24. (CYA=50. pH=7.2). Slowly but surely the cloudiness disappeared.
Again, I've learned that the most important ingredient in this process is patience, although one should always open his eyes and ask what goes wrong if it seems that it does.

I found what caused the efficiency of the DE filter to deteriorate. When I performed frequent backwashes, the "dirty" water came out not continuously but in spells. I decided to clean the filter. When I opened it after depressurizing (important!) I found a lot of dirty DE on the bottom. A backwashed filter is supposed to be DE free.
So I cleaned it up and the efficiency of the filter improved right away.

Whoever is faced with this process for the first time (mine is the second or third), should keep in mind that there's a reward in the end. You just created a miracle when something so pristine, as a clear blue pool is coming out of a dirty and murky green swamp where frogs and alligators would consider as home. Despite all the logic behind why it happened, you just can’t believe it did, and you consider it as your own precious miracle.

JasonLIne: I have two questions:

1. I have other observations and questions related to this thread but they may be better posted in a sub forum that deals with the issue directly.
2. Is it safe to swim at FC 20?
 
Re: How much chlorine will I need to clean a "FL Everglade"

With CYA at 50 I would only swim up to 16, but some people swim at higher levels.

It is usually best to keep things together in one place, so people can see the context. But it depends on what you plan to talk/ask about.
 
Re: How much chlorine will I need to clean a "FL Everglade"

Alright, I'll try this one.
I've had frequent backwashes, because of all the dead algae the filter had to handle. I noticed that every time the filter's pressure went up to the backwash level, that is from 13 to 23-25 PSI, the pump's basket showed both air and water. When the filter runs normally, you can see only clear water.
My question is - where's the air coming from?
 
Re: How much chlorine will I need to clean a "FL Everglade"

You might have a smallish suction side leak that when the pump and filter are in perfect shape, the pump can keep the air drawn out of the pump strainer basket, but when the pressure rises, the flow decreases, so the air doesnt get flushed out of the system. Check the pump strainer basket lid o-ring or gasket. Lube it lightly when replacing for the best seal. If it is bad, local pool store should have a replacement.
 
Re: How much chlorine will I need to clean a "FL Everglade"

The most common places for the system to get air in is the pump basket lid o-ring, the pump basket drain plug, or the skimmer, either because it sucks air in or the weir sticks.
 
Re: How much chlorine will I need to clean a "FL Everglade"

The pump's lid o-ring was just replaced by a new one and it was also lightly greased with silicone grease.
I assume that even a tiny air leak will show as bubbles in the strainer basket, but nothing shows up when the system runs smoothly and the filter isn't clogged yet.
 

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