Not really a start but a reboot - after 600mm of rain, garden runoff etc, pool was DARK BROWN. Couldn't see the shallowest step, I just turned off the pump and chlorinator and waited for the weather to clear.
First, I put the suction cleaner to work to try and remove some of the debris in the bottom of the pool. I had to empty the skimmer every 10 minutes for most of the day just to clear the debris.
Next morning, a full 15L container of liquid chlorine went in. Was only planning to put half the container in but the phrase "if it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing" came through my mind as I was pouring it. I figured quite a bit of the chlorine would instantly be consumed by the remaining debris. An estimated 45ppm of chlorine instantly turned the brown to milky green.
At the same time I added a double dose of polyaluminium chloride flocculant, with the filter bypassed (recirculate). After an hour or two I saw clumps floating around the pool.
Turned the filter off in the afternoon to let it all settle overnight.
Next morning, a thick fuzzy white layer had settled on the pool bottom and the water was mostly clear. I vacuumed this to waste (the layer was taller than my manual vacuum!) - probably got 90% of it out easily. I figured if I had to do a deep-clean of the filter it wouldn't be the worst thing.
I also re-tested the chlorine. After 24 hours, it had been busy - I now had 0.5ppm left in the pool. Wow. A whole jug, all gone in 1 day.
Following this I put the filter back to normal, with the suction cleaner going to suck the remainder into the filter. Backwashed in the afternoon.
The morning of Day 4 had beautiful crystal-clear blue pool water again. I added a small amount of chlorine to maintain 5ppm, cleaned out the SWG and added enough salt/calcium/bicarbonate/etc to rebalance the water.
Day 1: Mechanical filtration only
Day 2: Massive Chlorine + Floc
Day 3: Vacuum to waste + normal suction cleaner filtering
Day 4: Rebalance water, clean SWG
Since doing this the pool water is the clearest it has been in the past year. I am now unashamedly a Floc convert, I thought I'd have to battle with the pool for weeks to get it right again. TFP likes to preach "you almost never need floc" and while this is true, I think it's far more helpful to say WHEN you DO need it. Floc (and LOTS of chlorine) rescued my pool really fast. Thankyou, floc.
First, I put the suction cleaner to work to try and remove some of the debris in the bottom of the pool. I had to empty the skimmer every 10 minutes for most of the day just to clear the debris.
Next morning, a full 15L container of liquid chlorine went in. Was only planning to put half the container in but the phrase "if it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing" came through my mind as I was pouring it. I figured quite a bit of the chlorine would instantly be consumed by the remaining debris. An estimated 45ppm of chlorine instantly turned the brown to milky green.
At the same time I added a double dose of polyaluminium chloride flocculant, with the filter bypassed (recirculate). After an hour or two I saw clumps floating around the pool.
Turned the filter off in the afternoon to let it all settle overnight.
Next morning, a thick fuzzy white layer had settled on the pool bottom and the water was mostly clear. I vacuumed this to waste (the layer was taller than my manual vacuum!) - probably got 90% of it out easily. I figured if I had to do a deep-clean of the filter it wouldn't be the worst thing.
I also re-tested the chlorine. After 24 hours, it had been busy - I now had 0.5ppm left in the pool. Wow. A whole jug, all gone in 1 day.
Following this I put the filter back to normal, with the suction cleaner going to suck the remainder into the filter. Backwashed in the afternoon.
The morning of Day 4 had beautiful crystal-clear blue pool water again. I added a small amount of chlorine to maintain 5ppm, cleaned out the SWG and added enough salt/calcium/bicarbonate/etc to rebalance the water.
Day 1: Mechanical filtration only
Day 2: Massive Chlorine + Floc
Day 3: Vacuum to waste + normal suction cleaner filtering
Day 4: Rebalance water, clean SWG
Since doing this the pool water is the clearest it has been in the past year. I am now unashamedly a Floc convert, I thought I'd have to battle with the pool for weeks to get it right again. TFP likes to preach "you almost never need floc" and while this is true, I think it's far more helpful to say WHEN you DO need it. Floc (and LOTS of chlorine) rescued my pool really fast. Thankyou, floc.