Pool opening - cloudy

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M

marsui

Well-known member
Jun 12, 2016
55
West Babylon, NY
I opened my pool this morning, added 1lb of shock, balanced my water, ran the filter for the day. (last season I needed like 1/2 lb of shock when I opened).

I have an 8,500 gallon oval, above ground pool, and a hayward DE filter with a 1hp pump...

This evening I tested the water, 0 chlorine, added another lb of shock, 0 chlorine, added 2 more, 0 chlorine, 3 more...........I kept going till I had 9lbs of power shock [Calcium Hypochlorite] in the pool (diluted in warm water first). At one point I saw 3ppm of TOTAL chlorine, but always 0 Free chlorine.

I did notice some tree debris in the bottom of the pool, the robot vac has been going all day but isn't doing a great job so I'm going to manually vacuum.

Anyhow is this normal? I read somewhere shock will attack all organic material first, so did I make a mistake by trying to shock before having every spec of organic material out of the pool first? I'm so annoyed I wasted 9lbs of shock already. The pool is not green at all, walls not slimy, and the pool was not too bad when I took off the cover, ofc now it looks less clear with all the shock I added.

Should I vacuum like mad and keep shocking, I feel like draining the water when its not even a little green is a waste, but then again so is all the shock I just dumped in.
 
I cleaned the pool, brushed, all surfaces, and now I'm just going to let the filter run, still have 0 chlorine, maybe I just need to let the filter run a few days to clear out any particulates I'm not seeing. It's only mildly cloudy. I tested the bucket of dissolved shock with my test strips and it went the darkest purple I've ever seen so my shock is definitely good. I just don't understand how the chlorine just disappears when it hits the water. Especially when I did 3lbs at once one time.

I have 3 chlorine slow release tabs in my floating chlorinator for now, I added a few ounces of algaecide just in case and I guess I'll try to shock again in a few days, I'm at a loss here.
 
marsui said:
I tested the bucket of dissolved shock with my test strips
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So I take it you are using test strips? Accounts for the test data that does not make sense. A pH of 6.2 cannot exist with a TA of 80.
You need a proper test kit. I suggest the TF-100 A proper test kit is needed to get the accurate water chemistry results needed to follow the TFP protocols.

While you are waiting on your test kit, add 5 ppm FC worth of liquid chlorine / plain bleach to your pool each evening with the pump running. This will replenish the FC lost each day to the sun and also inhibit any algae in the water from growing further.
 
mknauss said:
So I take it you are using test strips? Accounts for the test data that does not make sense. A pH of 6.2 cannot exist with a TA of 80.
You need a proper test kit. I suggest the TF-100 A proper test kit is needed to get the accurate water chemistry results needed to follow the TFP protocols.

While you are waiting on your test kit, add 5 ppm FC worth of liquid chlorine / plain bleach to your pool each evening with the pump running. This will replenish the FC lost each day to the sun and also inhibit any algae in the water from growing further.
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Yea, maybe the TA is closer to 40, but yes I am using "AquaChek 7-Way Pool and Spa Water Test strips"

Can you help me understand though how TA or PH has anything to do with 9lbs of shock dissappearing instantly when the pool is not green at all?

I'll probably raise the TA some more today.
 
As we have no idea what your water chemistry data is, we cannot provide guidance on it. Please get a proper test kit.

I do not know what 'shock' you are using. And test strips may or may not provide any usable data.
 
marsui said:
Can you help me understand though how TA or PH has anything to do with 9lbs of shock dissappearing instantly when the pool is not green at all?
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They shouldn't, but there could be other variables in the water that might account for a drastic drop in FC, but the test strips won't tell you that. Notice on those strips the wide ranges they display? Those are far too wide of ranges, not to mention their color swatches are simply unreliable. You'll drive yourself nuts trying to fix water levels with those, not to mention spend more money doing so. PH-Up is over-priced as well. As Marty noted, the proper test kit will pay for itself in time, chemicals, and frustration saved.
 
mknauss said:
As we have no idea what your water chemistry data is, we cannot provide guidance on it. Please get a proper test kit.

I do not know what 'shock' you are using. And test strips may or may not provide any usable data.
Click to expand...
islandrecreational.com

Power Shock 1lb Bags Premium Calcium Hypochlorite

Power Shock - 1lb Bags Calcium Hypochlorite
islandrecreational.com islandrecreational.com

The issue is by the time I get a proper test kit it will be a week, so I will get one but its going to take time. The test strips may not be perfect but those are supposedly the best ones out there and if I'm off by a little it still doesn't explain why 9lbs of calcium hypochlorite dissapears.

Going to buy some bleach today and try to SLAM it with that, I just have a feeling its going to dissapear again and I'm just wasting my money.
 
marsui said:
Going to buy some bleach today and try to SLAM it with that, I just have a feeling its going to dissapear again and I'm just wasting my money.
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That would be my concern as well. That's why we are so persistent about the right test kit. You can't perform a SLAM Process without one of those kits, so it will be mostly estimations and guesswork. Not ideal. Until you receive a recommended test kit, you could just add about 1/4 gallon of liquid chlorine each day. I would refrain from the cal-hypo. It is not efficient enough to use on a long-term basis nor a SLAM when you get the right kit. Your pool probably doesn't need all that calcium either. If you can't find liquid pool chlorine at Walmart or Home Depot, regular bleach will work as well.
 

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Texas Splash said:
That would be my concern as well. That's why we are so persistent about the right test kit. You can't perform a SLAM Process without one of those kits, so it will be mostly estimations and guesswork. Not ideal. Until you receive a recommended test kit, you could just add about 1/4 gallon of liquid chlorine each day. I would refrain from the cal-hypo. It is not efficient enough to use on a long-term basis nor a SLAM when you get the right kit. Your pool probably doesn't need all that calcium either. If you can't find liquid pool chlorine at Walmart or Home Depot, regular bleach will work as well.
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Thank you so much for all your replies, I've had this pool for years I've never had this much of an issue before, My pool has gone very green a few times and I never had issues shocking it back to life.

I just ordered the K-2006 kit off amazon since it will be here tuesday, quickest I can get it. I figure I can just refill the reagants as needed and use up my test strips here and there in between once I'm passed this problem.

I'll do what you said with the bleach, I can get it at BJs 3 gallons for like 13 bucks so I'll use that for now.

Is this a better shock to use?
islandrecreational.com

Green Out Premium Pool Shock 1 lb Bags Fast Acting Formula

Green Out Premium Pool Shock
islandrecreational.com islandrecreational.com

or should I just always stick with bleach?

I usually don't need shock but every once in a while my chlorine levels slip when its really hot (I have solar heaters and I keep my pool in the upper 80s). I use tabs for simplicity, I did the liquid bleach thing for a time but I just couldn't take having to add bleach every single day.
 
marsui said:
or should I just always stick with bleach?
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Definitely liquid chlorine or regular bleach. No Clorox brand and nothing that says splashless, scented or fabric softeners. Simple pain stuff. Don't forget to update your signature please. I helps when we review your posts. :)
 
Texas Splash said:
Definitely liquid chlorine or regular bleach. No Clorox brand and nothing that says splashless, scented or fabric softeners. Simple pain stuff. Don't forget to update your signature please. I helps when we review your posts. :)
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Oh I always used Clorox darn!

This is what the Bjs by me sells, doesn't have fabric softeners or splashless:

www.clorox.com

Clorox® Performance Bleach2 with CLOROMAX® – Concentrated Formula | Clorox®

You wouldn’t hire a kinda-respectable babysitter or eat kinda-fresh sushi, so why not clean with an outstanding bleach? Get the whitest whites and power through stains with Clorox® Performance Bleach2 with CLOROMAX® - Concentrated Formula. Disinfects to kill 99.9% of germs and bacteria...
www.clorox.com www.clorox.com
 
That's a big NO-NO. That Cloromax stuff they started using a few years ago is what pushed their product out of the pool world. It tends to make water cloudy and messes with chemical levels. Just find another local place like Walmart, Home Depot, Pinch-a-Penny, or other such place.
 
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Alrightly I got my TA raised yesterday using strips but my Taylor kit came today.



I did good because my TA is 110ppm testing with the Taylor kit.



My PH was either 7 or lower though and I needed between 6 and 7 drops to raise it to 7.2 I held it up to a white piece of paper I think I'll figure it out based on 7 drops since 7.2 is like the minimum it should be.



My pool is almost crystal clear now after running filter for 48 hours straight and vacuuming like mad. Still no chlorine. I added 32oz of 10 percent chlorine from home depot last night and I still have 3 slow tabs in the floating chlorinator to try to keep the algae at bay. Pool temp is about 73 right now so I'm going to balance the PH now and then add enough liquid chlorine to hit 3ppm later tonight and pray for the best.



I think the pool just had a ton of organic matter in the water and maybe the filter just needed time to clear it out. Also I think a lot of rain water got in last fall due to small holes in my winter cover that I fixed so I bet that's why the oh was so low.



Im pretty sure the PH was less than 7 because it looked even lighter than the Taylor test showed.
 
Okay, so here are some things to do:
- In the future, please post a full set of your own (new) Taylor test results as follows:
FC
CC
CYA
PH
TA
CH
That really helps us. Also be sure to update that signature of yours and include which test kit you have (i.e. Taylor K-2006C)

- Take the tabs out! They are acidic and pulling your pH down too low. If you have a way to aerate and create bubbles in the pool, start that immediately. You do not want a pH below 7.0 for very long. If after about 2 days you do not see the pH rise to about 7.2 or higher, let me know.

- Keep the FC balanced to the CYA as noted on the FC/CYA Levels. That is what will prevent algae if it's not too late.

Since your water seems to be clear right now and you are still getting the hang of testing, focus on the pH increase and FC for now. Be sure to keep that FC nice and strong. After a day or two, let's see how the water is doing and if you have excessive FC loss each day.
 
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Texas Splash said:
Okay, so here are some things to do:
- In the future, please post a full set of your own (new) Taylor test results as follows:
FC
CC
CYA
PH
TA
CH
That really helps us. Also be sure to update that signature of yours and include which test kit you have (i.e. Taylor K-2006C)

- Take the tabs out! They are acidic and pulling your pH down too low. If you have a way to aerate and create bubbles in the pool, start that immediately. You do not want a pH below 7.0 for very long. If after about 2 days you do not see the pH rise to about 7.2 or higher, let me know.

- Keep the FC balanced to the CYA as noted on the FC/CYA Levels. That is what will prevent algae if it's not too late.

Since your water seems to be clear right now and you are still getting the hang of testing, focus on the pH increase and FC for now. Be sure to keep that FC nice and strong. After a day or two, let's see how the water is doing and if you have excessive FC loss each day.
Click to expand...
OK yea I didn't do all the tests yet. I knew TA and PH were way out of whack so I wanted to address that first.

I'll do the other tests soon.
 

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