Nasty Black Pool Inherited from Home Purchase

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I'm not tempted to use an elixir. I'm already in it at this point and I'm not going to stop. I know it takes a while it's barely been two days since I started. It was also difficult during the week with work and what not to keep the levels up while I was at work. I know that can slow it down.
I want to raise it higher during the night when I'm sleeping and can't maintain. Last night I brought it up to 15 before going to bed. This morning it was at 8. How high can I bring it up before it's dangerous for the liner? I don't want it to drop that low while I'm sleeping or at work. Any suggestions in that department?


16k gallon IG, Hayward Super Pump, Polaris Booster Pump, Hayward DE filter, 2 skimmers and a main drain?, 4 returns that I can see, Vinyl liner w/aluminum coping
 
Hopefully if you can hit it hard this weekend (test as often as every 1 hr if at all possible) you'll get to a point where the FC isn't dropping as fast. Then when you have to leave it a little longer on a work day you won't have to overshoot that much.

Remember, as you progress the demand will start to drop so you won't lose so much so fast and you testing frequency will start to stretch a bit.

Any day you're off make sure you check it and redose as often as you can. (even overnight if you can talk yourself out of bed)


As a side note, when I was trying to fix my pool before I found TFP, I tried a clarifier and a flock and I added algaecide. Ugh the foam! I had foamy green water. :( and I'm pretty sure I have some staining from the copper that was in the algaecide.

The clarifier and flock didn't really seem to do anything. Maybe because of all the garbage I still had in the pool. Maybe because they just don't always work.

It seems like that's really what it comes down to. They're too iffy. Sometimes they might help, sometimes they do nothing and sometimes they make things worse. (floc can really make a mess in a filter)

So TFP sticks to tried and true, proven to work and not harm methods. (That's my interpretation at least...)
 
I'm losing hope? I think there may be a problem with the filter. Doesn't seem to be doing anything. I've gone through three boxes of DE and have bought four more. Plan to go through those tomorrow. Keeping the FC at 18 now. Did some vacuuming and got some good stuff but there's still mid stuff on the bottom. Not a lot but it gets mixed up when I brush. I assume that's normal to mix it up like that. Any kind words of hope for a hopeless guy?


16k gallon IG, Hayward Super Pump, Polaris Booster Pump, Hayward DE filter, 2 skimmers and a main drain?, 4 returns that I can see, Vinyl liner w/aluminum coping
 
Here is some POP for you (pool owner patience) It comes in a six or 12 pack at the local stores! LOL

Has the water changed color at all? Do you vacuum to waste to get that stuff out? Is your filter gauge pressure going up?

It is good to stir it up if you cannot vacuum it up.

It is hard but it can be done. Time and bleach are your friends.

Kim
 
No the water isn't really changing color. Yes the gauge goes up. I backwash between 8-10 above normal.
Yeah we vacuumed to waste today. Got some nasty stuff. It hasn't really changed from the green it began with. I haven't really been filtering because the DE was expensive but I changed my mind today when I saw a bunch of tiny floaties. Hoping the filter will get those out.
Tomorrow the name of the game is bleach and use all the DE I have. If it doesn't change then I'm going to cry. For real.


16k gallon IG, Hayward Super Pump, Polaris Booster Pump, Hayward DE filter, 2 skimmers and a main drain?, 4 returns that I can see, Vinyl liner w/aluminum coping
 
Hang in there Art. Mine took 12 days with a sand filter. Post up a pic of the water color tomorrow. Filter 24/7. No harm in stirring up the silt, and getting any out you can....helps the filter catch it.

Tell your wife the reason not to have the pool guy do it is because even a thousand later they usually can't in a case like this -- because they can't maintain the FC. I started out that way and $700 in NO change and then I found this site ... And nailed it ;)
 

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Well today at 1230 was day two. But Thursday night and Friday at work brought it back down to 10 FC. Today has been easier to maintain because I was here all day. Plus I bumped it up to 18. Lowest it got all day was 16. Well except for this morning when I woke up.


16k gallon IG, Hayward Super Pump, Polaris Booster Pump, Hayward DE filter, 2 skimmers and a main drain?, 4 returns that I can see, Vinyl liner w/aluminum coping
 
Even though you are going through a ton of DE, keep filtering the water and don't leave it on recirculate. All recirculate is going to do is keep the algae particles in suspension. Dead algae must be physically removed from the water, either by filtration or vacuuming before you will see a significant change in the water clarity. If you don't want to run the filter while you are away at work, add bleach about 30 min before time to leave and then shut off the pump on your way out. That will allow some of the debris to fall out of suspension and if you vacuum slowly and carefully you can remove a good bit of it without mixing the water too much.
 
I had my pool built about a year and a half ago in the fall. My builder filled the pool and threw the cover on for the winter. When we opened it for the first time last spring, aside from a good bit of mud from the backfilling during construction, my pool was also slightly green in color from never having any chemicals in it. Even with slightly green water, my SLAM took me about 10 days before I passed the SLAM requirements (clear water, .5 CC's or lower, and an OCLT). I was extremely inpatient just like you, but eventually my water was perfect. You need to have patience. Your water was way worse then mine. You have to remember, with a swamp like yours, it may take a couple weeks slamming to get it cleared up.

A couple tips that worked for me:
Keep the filter filtering as long as you'll be around to monitor the pressure. It can't filter out the dead algae while its running on recirc.
Test and dose as frequently as possible.
Brush as often as possible. When i started my SLAM, I was vacumming every chance I got. Instead of vacumming, I started brushing the entire pool 4-5 times a day. I saw significant progress once I started brushing the pool as frequently as I could. Brushing helps to stir the water and suspend the particles so your filter can do the job it was designed to do. Unfortunately, your pool is in very bad shape. It's going to take some time and a bit of money to get it where it needs to be. But you will learn a ton and in the long run, you will save yourself money.
 
It was recommended to be to take out the plug on the filter, remove the top, and rinse the grids with a hose while it's all still in the housing. That helped the filter once it was needing backwashed more and more. I did it twice over my 8 day slam. My recommended DE for a full clean was 2 scoops, then 1.5 the backwash after that, then 1 scoop on till I do a full clean again. I was using double that and it can clog the grids too. I your filter is larger but there is an idea. I slammed it hard the 1st 2 days and tried to do as often as I could through the week. I also kept the levels high, over 16.
 
Ok so I have done the above. It seemed to help. The pressure isn't going up as quickly.
I have the kept the FC above 16 all day. Have been shooting for 18 but with backwashing and going to see the new Avengers movie it's been a little difficult. I bought 4 boxes of DE yesterday and plan to go through all of them today.
This is a before picture after almost one whole box. 3 more to go. We shall see if it clears up. I still think there is a problem with my filter. After today I will know for sure. :)
In the below picture I just got done brushing so it's a little dark and brown. It was a lighter brown before doing that.
878772c4b3787e49b907449ee8ba414c.jpg



16k gallon IG, Hayward Super Pump, Polaris Booster Pump, Hayward DE filter, 2 skimmers and a main drain?, 4 returns that I can see, Vinyl liner w/aluminum coping
 
Next time you think the pressure has risen enough for a backwash, go hold your hand in front of the return while the pump is running. If you feel a strong flow you should be able to run a little longer until backwashing the filter. If the return flow feels week, go ahead and backwash.
 
DE filters are awful when clearing a swamp because they basically need baby Sat and go through the DE. They are fantastic a keeping a pool clean though.
 

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