I need your help. Cloudiness has not changed over a week & a half !

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G

Gx

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May 17, 2013
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Lexington, Ky
Hey experts! I'm sure you can figure this out. I have run out of ideas, & nearly patience.

I took the mesh cover off my pool on May 25.
I vacuumed, then adjusted the pH from way high down to 7.1 & TA from ~40 up to 80. I may have overshot CYA from ~20 up to ~70 (perhaps more on that in a diff thread).
I replaced my R-007, 8, & 9 chemicals (TA test) & R-0004 (pH) this year. I replaced the R-0013 (CYA), R-0870 & 871 (FC) last year. They are all kept indoors, basement over winter.
I started [sand] filter, with skimmer socks, backwashing & cleaning skimmers ~3x per day.
By the next day, the green/black was mostly gone, & water was cloudy/light blue (my liner is light blue).
I started SLAM, with a FC level of 31. I also added ~300lb salt, but chlorinator is not running.

Now, 10 days, & ~60gal of 'clorox' later, the water hasn't changed much at all !?!
I have removed the skimmer socks, as there is hardly any foreign [visible] in the pool (still can't see the bottom).
I have been running my 'TigerShark' robot several hours per day. The first few days, it brought up some leaves, but now it is pretty clean.
I have brushed everything i know to brush.
I have checked for ammonia: negative
I am only losing ~2ppm FC overnight.
The air temp has been quite volatile over this time - between 45 & 90F .
Today, the TA is still 80, CYA ~60, pH: can't tell. I have been keeping FC at 31.
To initially raise CYA, I used two gallons of "Instant Conditioner" (Amazon.com : Natural Chemistry 2 07401 Spa Swimming Pool Conditioner Stabilizer - 1 Gal Each : Garden & Outdoor), up from one gallon last year.
When I added the salt, the water surface went quite 'frothy', for a couple hours.

I am stumped as to why the water hasn't cleared. This is my 6th year opening this (or any) pool.
I have a [Belmont] party planned for this Saturday, June 8.
Thanks for your help.
 
The 2ppm overnight loss still shows there is stuff to be killed. Looks like you are doing most everything right, are you brushing the entire pool at least once a day?

The fact that it hasn't changed clarity in over a week is puzzling. Are you only backwashing when the pressure reads 25% over the pressure it shows right after a backwash?

Once you stop losing chlorine over night, you might want to try some DE. Take a picture every day and post it here!
 
Sounds like a filtration issue with some algae lurking somewhere that you can't see through the haze.

More brushing, investigate the hiding spots like lights and steps and ladders, and I'd say you're a good candidate for adding DE to that sand filter to strain things better. Only do it when you'll be around to watch the pressure because it will probably shoot up within the first hour or two.

Check out the pictures in these threads to see what I mean about lurking

Think I may have found my FC demand issue?

Not saying conclusively BUT.... I've been chasing a FC demand issue that maintaining shock levels for days wasn't taming. Have been losing about 6ppm FC per night while trying to achieve the OCLT. Pool is sparkling as if there is almost no water in it. No CC or less than .5. Still consuming...
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

Water problems

I've been slamming my pool for about a week now and although I have cleared the water up my water is still cloudy. Cya is at 40 so I'm using 16 as my chlorine shock level according to the cya/chlorine chart. When I started slamming I had a combined chlorine of 1 and I did get that down to 0. Any...
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

Problem Found and Ideas needed

I began SLAMing my pool 4 days ago (84 hours). My CYA is somewhere between 25-40 so I used the SLAM values for Mustard at 30-40 CYA, which is about FC 22 or mustard and 14 for a normal SLAM. I checked the FC every 3-4 hours and after the first couple of checks where the FC drop was 5-8 the...
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
I might suggest a sand cleaning before starting to try DE:

Deep Cleaning a Sand Filter

This post will walk you through the anatomy of a sand filter, and then provide a video at the end for how to deep clean your sand filter. The filter used in the photos and videos is a Hayward S180T top mount sand filter. The images are of a similar filter. Obviously not all filters are...
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
Thanks for the replies.

I am not brushing the entire pool every day, but the robot is. I am brushing the corners, lights, returns, skimmers, steps.
Wouldn't the water mostly clear anyway, at such a high FC level?
My pressure hardly ever goes up 25%. I am now backwashing ~daily. The waste water is not very dirty.
I have put ~10oz DE in a skimmer, three times now.
I have not yet installed the ladders.

Can you backwash too much?
Should I change the sand? It is only 4 years old.
 
Gx said:
Thanks for the replies.

I am not brushing the entire pool every day, but the robot is. I am brushing the corners, lights, returns, skimmers, steps.
Wouldn't the water mostly clear anyway, at such a high FC level?
My pressure hardly ever goes up 25%. I am now backwashing ~daily. The waste water is not very dirty.
I have put ~10oz DE in a skimmer, three times now.
I have not yet installed the ladders.

Can you backwash too much?
Should I change the sand? It is only 4 years old.
Click to expand...
Yes, you can backwash too much. A sand filter works best when slightly dirty.

That said, adding DE makes it slightly dirty, and since that didn't send the pressure skyrocketing or clean the water, a cleaning is called for.

Sand doesn't need replacing unless you glued it all into clods with floc or clarifiers.
 
So, I tore into the sand filter today. It was surprisingly clean.
I did the "Deep Cleaning" & very little came out, other than cloudy water.
The pool water clarity still has not changed at all.

Now, let's get into CYA level.
Given that I am now at 50 in my SWG pool, but with the chlorinator never started, what is my shock FC ?

Thanks.
 
Gx said:
So, I tore into the sand filter today. It was surprisingly clean.
I did the "Deep Cleaning" & very little came out, other than cloudy water.
The pool water clarity still has not changed at all.

Now, let's get into CYA level.
Given that I am now at 50 in my SWG pool, but with the chlorinator never started, what is my shock FC ?

Thanks.
Click to expand...
20 FC is shock level for 50 CYA.

Since the sand isn't all clumped, try the DE.
 
I am in a similar boat, except 12 days in.

This year I used 2 gallons of Natural Chemistry Instant Conditioner. I had only ever used 1 gallon previously.
I note that stuff goes in quite thick.

Does anyone here have successful results using much of this to open?

Thanks.
 
Thanks for the info.
I might say that the "Chlorine / CYA Chart" page can be misleading for a SWG pool.
The way I [now] undertand it, you should keep your CYA in the "Non-SWCG Pools" range, for opening ?

I sprinkled DE in the filter while I had it open.
It raised my pressure from ~7.1 to ~8.3 PSI.
I am still brushing, & running the robot all day.

I replied in another thread in this same forum, regarding someone who appears to be having a similar issue, & has used the Natural Chemistry Instant Conditioner for the 1st time, same as me...
 

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Instant conditioner is CYA (Stabilizer). The liquid should be mixed in a bucket (5 gallon), add 4 gallons of water and use a drill with a paint mixer to mix well and then broadcast all over the pool. If you used 2 gallons, then you CYA levels were low.

This has nothing to do with clarity of water. Clarity of water is because of filtration and proper CYA/Chlorine levels. Your pool is quite large and your pump and filter may be undersized. Try using the DE alternative as well. If not, a deep cleaning may be in the near future.
 
So, I didn't mix the liquid stabilizer like that. I just poured it in the pool.
Yes, my CYA level was low, as it is every spring.

I am just looking for some explanation why the water is acting so much different this year as it has in years past, same as the OP.
I have done the "deep cleaning" on my sand filter, which wasn't dirty at all. I have also added DE, as I do every year.
 
Still absolutely no change in clarity ! The water is a beautiful turquoise color.

I am at a loss.
I don't know what else to try, except going to a pool store ! :hammer:

I've spent over $200 on 'clorox' , + the pump running 24/7 for two weeks now.
My CC is 0, btw.

It seems like the water isn't being filtered at all, though I don't think that possible.
 
My sand is only 4 years old.

The water clarity has not changed at all now for two weeks !
I have spent over $200 on 'clorox', besides leaving the pump running 24x7.

@Brendon , Is yours a salt pool?

@Catanzaro , when do you add salt?
That's one thing I did different this year; I put in ~350lb salt, early/during SLAM, not after. Though, I have not yet turned on the 'salterator' .
 
Thanks for the reply.

It certainly isn't "clear." You can't see the bottom, even in shallow (3') end.
I'm figuring it looks "turquoise" just because my liner is light blue.
I am/was just trying to say that it doesn't look bad, not brown or green at all. I've had an algae issue before, & I don't think it looked like this.
I guess I would say it appears to have tiny white specs suspended perfectly evenly throughout, though I don't see any actual specs, when dipping out a bucket full.
The water actually looks pretty good, you just can't see through it at all !?!
I've had this pool take 6 days to become crystal clear, after getting "pretty clear" 2 days into a SLAM. But, this year, it has never gotten close to "pretty clear."
I'm trying to answer your "murky" question here ^^ . I don't think I would call it "murky."

So, how/should I test for copper ?
The tap water here is quite hard, & high in calcium.
I have added very little water this year. The pool was full from all the rain we had this Spring.
 
Thanks for the reply.

I am using "ClearXtremePro Pool Shock" from Rural King, same as I have used the past four years.
Bottle says "Sodium Hypochlorite 10%"
"Distributed by Polyguard Division of DYK Automotive"

BTW, I have some more info in this thread:

I need your help. Cloudiness has not changed over a week & a half !

Hey experts! I'm sure you can figure this out. I have run out of ideas, & nearly patience. I took the mesh cover off my pool on May 25. I vacuumed, then adjusted the pH from way high down to 7.1 & TA from ~40 up to 80. I may have overshot CYA from ~20 up to ~70 (perhaps more on that in a...
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 

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