PH is not going down and have cloudy bluish water

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xsmarc

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Jul 30, 2014
27
Liberty Corner / NJ
Pool Size
42000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
In-ground Gunnite Pool/35000 gal.


The water was green when the pool opened on 6/2. Poured in 5 gal. liquid chlorine and ran filter for 24 hours. The first reading after 24 hours was as follows: FC=5, PH=9, ALK=120, CYA=100, and water was still green.

On 6/3 added 4 lbs. of dry acid to lower PH and ran filter for another 24 hours (filter has been running pretty much non-stop). Numbers on 6/4 were: FC= 0, PH= 8-9, ALK= 100, CYA=80, and water color was turning to sort of cloudy turquoise. PH was still very high and have no idea why FC came out 0.

On 6/4 added additional 4 lbs. dry acids. After aprox. 4 hours interval added 2 lbs. powder shock. This morning (6/5) water color has become cloudy bluish. Still can not see the pool floor. The numbers haven't changed much: FC= 0.5, PH= 8-9, ALK= 80-100, CYA= 60.

I have back washed the filter many times in last 3 days. I suspect the cloudiness in water is due to very high PH (could there be another reason?).

What else should I do to lower the PH and remove cloudiness from the water. Any guidance is much appreciated.
 
I'd suggest to stop adding stuff until you get your pH in line.

You don't get good test results on pH when you are at shock.

Where are you getting your test results from? I have never owned a pH test that could test up to 9.

Make sure that your test results are good, and then go to the pool calculator: http://poolcalculator.com/index-classic.html

It's telling me that you are not adding nearly enough acid. To go from 9 to 8 (which is still very high), it wants you to put in 18 lbs.

Bring your pH down GRADUALLY to the 7's at least, then start looking at your SLAM.
 
Hold on!

First, what are you using to test with?

Test strips bleach out at high FC levels, so you may have FC much higher than you think, and the rest of the readings will be suspect because they could be bleached out.

If you're using a drop test, if FC is above 10, the pH test will read falsely high. Pictures No matter how much acid you add, it won't shift the pH reading. So stop it before you damage something. If the drop test for FC is the pink DPD test, it also bleaches out like the test strips.

If you're trying to follow the SLAM Process instructions, then you need to follow them properly. A FAS-DPD FC test and the pH set to 7.2 before you start dumping in bleach and CYA to some reasonable level. And the bleach should be done at intervals, to a specific target, not one nuclear blast. Although as it turns out, for a pool your size, 5 gallons of bleach isn't enough to do much but annoy the algae if CYA is really at 100.
 
Good advice above and here's a couple more things.

Same comment on the test kit. Get yourself a TF100 from tftestkits.net if you don't already have one.

I would use liquid acid (muriatic acid) to correct pH. You can do it all in an hour or two. Let it mix for 30 minutes between partial additions. Take the pH down to 7.2 (with the reading being from your own recommended test kit)

With algae growing in the pool, shopping for chlorinating liquid or bleach will be worthwhile. You're going to need a fair bit. You can search the forum on "bleach price" and you'll find out good places to buy it. Powders are adding either CYA which you don't want or calcium which you probably don't need.

You're going to need to SLAM the pool, and the procedure is described here: SLAM Process. Be sure to follow the written instructions because the video is there only as an extra illustration of the process.

When CYA is up near 100, try the diluted test to verify that it's not a lot higher than that. The diluted test is described in point no. 8 at: Pool School - CYA
 
Hi guys,

Thank you very much waskydiver, Richard320, and needsajet for your input. I am very sorry for being MIA, was held hostage by work.

Any ways, a little background, I am a pool owner for only two and a half seasons and therefore still have lot to learn. I was not doing SLAM. For the last 2 seasons I have been following this very simple approach and it has worked: dump 5 gallons of liquid chlorine and run the filter for next 2 days, the green water clears up and turns blue in 2-3 days, tested the water using stripes and have found the numbers in range.

This year did exactly the same, green water did turn blue but has remained cloudy and still is after 8 days. I have been taking water sample to the local Leslie's pool store for drop testing. I was adding Dry Acid based on their calculation which they get from software they have on their system. The numbers from June 7th test are as follows:

FC = 0.5
PH = 7.4 - 7.6
CYA = 40 - 50
ALK = 80

water is still cloudy blue. I was thinking with PH in 7.4 - 7.6 range it would clear up.

As the numbers now look a little bit more respectable, should I still must do SLAM or is there any other way to clear up the cloudiness. And what could be the real reason for the water cloudiness.

Thank you and best regards
 
Leslie's numbers look anything *but* respectable. How in the world can they say your CYA is first 100, then 80, then 40-50 if you haven't emptied and refilled your pool water at least 50%??

You *need* a good test kit. Or you will be spinning your wheels and possibly spending money unnecessarily.

Maddie :flower:
 
+1 to Maddie's advice. And yep, you need to SLAM. The cloudiness is particles in the water, probably dead algae 'carcasses', and I'm afraid you won't get to trouble-free until the algae is completely killed off.

Weekly one-time shocking leaves live free-floating algae which remains invisible to the eye and becomes your source for repeated algae blooms. There's a fair chance it's also leaving hidden algae somewhere else in the pool fittings (weir, ladders, or lights, etc). Then an actual algae bloom starts, which is when you can see algae and the water turns green. The SLAM is a method that gets rid of the algae so you don't have the source for it to get started easily.
 
Thanks! I have to admit I'm still trying to understand cricket (expat Canuck here). When I hear the acronym DL about sport, I think of baseball. But I've now read about the Duckworth-Lewis method of declaring a winner despite them scoring fewer runs! I fully respect cricket and its athletes, but all that I try, I may never understand it! I know that as soon as we get back to bashing mother England in the Ashes, all will be good :)

Good luck with the SLAM :) You'll be very happy with the results :)
 
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