New house, first pool

[sdrober1]

Hello friends,

I moved into a home with a pool about a month ago, and started my SLAM process. Slacking on the M, but I'm doing my best. I've added about 40 gallons of chlorine and I can't get the cloudiness to clear up beyond where it is now. I feel like I've stalled out.

I know there's gunk on the bottom, I can pull some out from time to time with my net. I can't see it yet though. I just ordered a vacuum and hose to try and get it all up. I guess my question is, will the cloudiness improve when the gunk is gone, and at what point do you start thinking about a flocculant.

Thanks!

 

[ajw22]

Welcome to TFP.

Floc is never the solution. It will just cause other problems.

Flocculant - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

You admit you are slacking on the M and that slows the process down or stalls it.

What filter do you have?

what test kit do you have?

You using PoolMath and logging your tests and chemical additions?

What is your FC and CYA now?

How often do you test and add chlorine?

 

[sdrober1]

Welcome to TFP.

Floc is never the solution. It will just cause other problems.

Flocculant - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

You admit you are slacking on the M and that slows the process down or stalls it.

What filter do you have?

what test kit do you have?

You using PoolMath and logging your tests and chemical additions?

What is your FC and CYA now?

How often do you test and add chlorine?

I've got a 21" sand filter, and the TF-PRO test kit. I'm using the app to track everything. Testing and adjusting chlorine twice a day, until we took a week off for bad weather. FC was 0 this morning, added 7 gal of chlorine. CYA is 70.

Before the weather, I held FC at around 24 for almost a week, she wasn't eating much of it, I just didn't see much change.

 

[ajw22]

At CYA 70 your SLAM FC is 28. 24 will not get you there.

Do you test FC 30 minutes after adding chlorine to confirm your FC is at or above 28?

Sand filters are the slowest to clear a large algae problem.

How often are you backwashing the filter?

What is your clean filter PSI?

What is your PSI now?

 

[Newdude]

The crud needs to go ASAP. Having the vac will certainly help you in your battle. I watched my green swamp go cloudy blue right before my own eyes when I got the last bit of crud out.

 

[PoolStored]

Testing and adjusting chlorine twice a day

You will not get there with this frequency. Needs to be MINIMUM 4 times a day. If you can do every 2-3 hours, you will make significant progress.

Can you increase the frequency?

Even if you have to get up early and do two doses, and stay up late and do doses every 1.5 to 2 hours into the night will help.

 

[sdrober1]

At CYA 70 your SLAM FC is 28. 24 will not get you there.

Do you test FC 30 minutes after adding chlorine to confirm your FC is at or above 28?

Sand filters are the slowest to clear a large algae problem.

How often are you backwashing the filter?

What is your clean filter PSI?

What is your PSI now?

For some reason, I want to say the math app was telling me 24, but I may be mistaken. I wasn't testing 30 min after, I didn't realize you could test that soon. I've boosted the sand filter a few times with a bit of DE. It seems to help. I'm backwashing daily or every other day. Clean psi is around 18, right now it's around 19. Backwashed yesterday.

I'll get back on the ball today and get to 28.

 

[sdrober1]

The crud needs to go ASAP. Having the vac will certainly help you in your battle. I watched my green swamp go cloudy blue right before my own eyes when I got the last bit of crud out.

Thats why I was thinking about adding flocc. If I already have a years' worth of crud to vacuum off the bottom, I didn't think it would hurt anything.

 

[sdrober1]

You will not get there with this frequency. Needs to be MINIMUM 4 times a day. If you can do every 2-3 hours, you will make significant progress.

Can you increase the frequency?

Even if you have to get up early and do two doses, and stay up late and do doses every 1.5 to 2 hours into the night will help.

I appreciate the advice, I just don't see that being feasible for me. If that's my issue, maybe I'd be better off calling a professional.

 

[Newdude]

If I already have a years' worth of crud to vacuum off the bottom, I didn't think it would hurt anything.

The floc gobs up the filter after it gobs up whatever is in the water.

Most cartridge systems don't have a backwash option so they're out entirely.

Sand and DE need to be vac'd to waste and may cause issues with any residuals that didn't settle for the vac job.

 

[PoolStored]

There may be filter issues (how often you backwash), but it likely not clear without frequent chlorine additions.

Floc will not kill/clear algae. Please avoid floc.

 

[sdrober1]

Ok so, added 3 more gallons of chlorine, and 2 hrs later we're at 28. I will focus on keeping that level up.