Please help me to clear up my pool!

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Update:

Tested -

FC - 11
CC - 0.5
PH - 7.4
ALK - 90
CYA - 40

pool1.jpg

So the water starts just above the grip and the pole touches bottom, and it's been like this for a couple of days (about 75% visible to the bottom). The filter still gets backwashed twice a day but I literally raked all the leaves off the bottom (works much better than a vacuum btw) and the CC dropped from 1.5 to .5 in about 3 days. Should I consider adding some floc to help speedup the process? I added DE powder but that really hurt the flow of my return, raising the PSI by 1 but even more so after about an hour. I'm unsure how old the sand in the filter is, so I may just go change it out today or tomorrow. Any other tips and advice? Is the water able to be swam in even if it's still cloudy but the numbers come out right?
 
You are in Pool Owner Patience (POP) time. It is tough but it will clear. Please do not use any floc or clarifier. They are not needed and you create other problems.

The add of DE sounds like it works. And yes it must be watched closely.

I doubt the sand is an issue. If you want you could deep clean - Deep Cleaning a Sand Filter

You can swim in the pool with FC above minimum and at or below SLAM level AND you can see the bottom of the pool.
 
So I've been at this for a little over a week now, pool has been pretty blue with 80-90% clarity for about 3-4 days. I've been testing at 0-.5 CC based on the 10 ML sample, and today I actually tested around .5-1 a couple of times. I tested my pool around 7:30 PM just when the sun was going down and the FC read 15, and at 2:30 AM it read 10. I don't really understand this as the sun was down, and yesterday it tested at 0-.5 CC 15 FC around 8:30 PM and still 15 at 2:30 AM. What could suddenly cause my FC to fluctuate like that? With the CYA test, I feel like I can always see the dot. Does it need to completely disappear or just turn hazy and hard to see? I have my return filter facing away from the skimmer and towards the bottom. I always seem to have little itty bitty particles always floating around on the surface. I'm curious as to how long I should expect to keep SLAMMING whether 1-3 weeks is common, or if I should consider other issues. Also, I'm planning on hopping in the pool tomorrow for a bit, giving it a good scrub from within. Again there's not really any debri in the pool but this last bit of cloudiness doesn't seem to wanna go away. I can see the bottom BUT it's cloudy.
 
Also make double sure that there's no hidden algae somewhere. Check lights, ladders, etc to make sure there's not some hiding somewhere.

Bulk algae will eventually get treated, but it goes much much faster if you can break it up and remove any visible materials.
 
So today I noticed the pool was slightly more visible, yet still cloudy. I decided wth I'm going in. I tested 8 FC & 0.5 CC just before going in . The bottom is completely clear give or take a few straggler leaves. Was in today w/ the family for about 2 1/2 hours. Tested an hour later, FC down to 4.5 CC still 0.5. Going to raise it up to 15 again tonight (I believe CYA came in closer to 40 than 30 previously). I did add 2 cups of DE to the sand filter last night right after adding chlorine. It increased the PSI 1-1.5 and I do think that is actually helping a bit. I will repeat the process again now. I also believe the pool appears a bit more cloudy than usual because most of the bottom is faded (liner must be 10-20 years old) and appears whitish or very light blue. All in all I believe the process I've learned from this forum works and has helped me tremendously. I should be pretty good to go for the 4th. Thanks to everyone who has helped!

Question: How should I maintain the pool once the SLAM is complete. I have a chlorinator I can hookup, or a floater, but I know this forum is sort've against the tabs. Do we just add X bleach every night b4 bed, after every heavy swim, or once per week? I would imagine the FC would deplete within' 2 days being stable n clean due to the sun and what not. What do you guys do when you plan to take a 2-3 day leave?
 
Pool School - Basic Pool Care Schedule

Add liquid chlorine DAILY. If you will be gone a few days, then use the pucks/tablets. When you return test your CYA and adjust FC based on [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA]

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