Opening pool, cloudy water not going away

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You were correct earlier in the thread about not being able to test PH at High Chlorine levels FYI.

I would wait to deal with any borates addition for at least a month after you are swimming.

Have you read about adding DE to help your sand filter clear up a cloudy pool? pool-school/add_de_to_a_sand_filter

I understand you have to monitor your filters pressure regularly after you add it, but you can always backwash and get rid of it.

Keep at it you are almost there.
 
Thanking ya'll in advance for the help. I am still in unclear water and am now in POL-pool owner limbo. FC has remained at 23 since Sunday. Last addition of bleach was Sat night. CC-0, PH-7.2, CYA 30-35. I have back washed and added water and chlorine level didn't drop. Water looked to be clearing but now hasn't gotten any clearer. I an apprehensive about adding DE to the sand filter-first because it is only 2years old and there has been no huge algae clean-up as I believe it must have been in nascent stage as I originally wasn't putting in enough bleach. Secondly because taking the filter looks very complicated and the guy who put it in hasn't had a chance to come out here and show us how to do it. But I have been diligently testing, bruising and vacuuming and have even taken to stirring.
So, is it common for the FC not to drop over a two-three day period? It has been overcast at times but not constantly. The pool is covered with a UV blocking roof. Should I continue adding bleach? Is there anything other than DE that can speed the clearing process?



Kidney shaped pool, approximately 20k, vinyl
1HP Pentair pump
Sand Filter, no drain, one return next to skimmer, one return as waterfall
 
Couple of things, i reviewed the thread and it seems you are getting some drastically different CYA test numbers. CYA doesn't evaporate, it only leaves the pool with water leaving the pool (splash out or back washing your filter). Perhaps there is a testing issue there.

Tell us more about your cover/roof? I have an auto cover which blocks the sun and i have issues with getting chlorine to drop. Without use and with my cover closed i can go days with no measurable chlorine loss.

So to add DE to a filter, you don't have to take it apart. You actually add it through your skimmer (the very same way a person with a DE filter such as mine adds it). To get rid of it you simply backwash your filter. The DE creates a fine layer on top of the sand which filters down to a much smaller micron level. I believe all of that is explained in the links that have been posted about adding DE to a sand filter.

So i saw where you pasted OCLT, then failed. But it looks like you've passed again the past couple of nights.

Seems like to me it's just going to take more time for your filter to clean it up. I would allow the FC level to drop down to your normal maintenance level since you've passed the OCLT but the article "shocking your pool" says to keep shocking till it's clear.
 
The cover is actually a roof as the pool is enclosed-screen on sides, uv roof. I should have re-read to article on adding DE. I may have read to many threads about the sand filter and gotten confused.
I thought the same thing about the CYA test. Unless the chemicals are old or I have poor eyesight, I have conducted each test five times to get the reading. I have removed water and added it because the CYA was so high at first. There is splashing with the waterfall.
I was thinking I should stop shocking, but was confused because water is not clear yet. There is a very small amount of white sudsy looking foam in the deep end, also.
I appreciate the answer and look for further help if I should continue the shocking process?
 
Thank you so much for the help! I'm not sparkling quite yet, but the water is clear. I learned so much from everyone and appreciate your patience. The most important things I learned were
1. You must have a good test kit and be sure to have extra FAS refills on hand. CYA and FC are going to be parts of your vocabulary, as will OCLT.
2. It's going to take more bleach than you think, so be sure to use the pool calculator and don't second guess.
3. You must brush and vacuum and monitor the water at least twice a day -more frequently if at all possible.
4. The magnetic speed stirrer is a wonderful tool.
5. Keep shocking until the water is clear-so you must have POP-pool owner patience-it sometimes requires a lot.
6. If you have a sand filter, add DE or cellulose. I used cellulose because I live on a waterway and was worried about discharging DE during backwash. I believe the water would still not be clear had I not added it. (6 wks later)
7. Read all of the articles in Pool School, read the questions being asked and answered in the forum, follow the rules of BBB and next year will be so much easier.

Once again, many thanks! I am so glad I joined.
 
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