Pool Still Cloudy

[jweeks3]

Hello all,

I kept the cover off the pool this year and kept it pretty clear all thru the winter. Once the temps started warming and the pollen started falling here in Atlanta, the water quickly went green then black. I stopped fighting it while the oak blossoms were falling in the pool, but I've been working to clear it up for 15 days now. The color isn't bad, but the water is still cloudy. I had been managing my FC with liquid chlorine, but dumping $15 worth a day into the pool was getting a little spendy without seeing much improvement, so I've got my SWG working on the super chlorinate setting now.

FC - 12.5
CC - 0 - 0.5
CYA - 30 ppm

It's been in this cloudy status for at least 10 days... running the dolphin mutiple times per day to pick up any muck. Dumping skimmer baskets multiple times a day to get rid of oak blossoms, etc. Seeing maybe a dozen pill bugs per day in the baskets, and some big dead spiders. Not sure what thats all about. It's getting hot outside, so I'm getting ready to jump in.

I have the ability to vacuum to waste, so I'm getting real tempted to just floc it. Any other ideas? Pump is a VSP running at 2500 rpm 24/7. I've backwashed the sand filter probably 8-10 times whenever the pressure increases.

Thanks for your help and consideration.

 

[mknauss]

Definitely looks like you have a ways to go.
Curious - if the SWCG is set at 100% for 24 hours per day, that is adding 4.4 ppm FC. If that is maintaining your SLAM level FC, what were you paying for liquid chlorine? You would have needed less than 2 gallons per day of 10% to achieve the same FC add.

With a sand filter, it can take a while.
Be ware that running a SWCG at 100% setting continuously tends to reduce the life of the cell.

 

[jweeks3]

I was adding around 2.5 gallons of 10% per day per the pool math app.

I was just expecting to see some improvement in the appearance but the coloration and cloudiness hasn’t changed for like 10 days now. I did have skimmer socks on to catch a lot of the pollen and whatnot before it got to the filter, but stopped that to ensure I was getting more water flow. I’d love to have this cleared up before summer electricity rates kick in on 5/1.

 

[mknauss]

Chlorine and POP (Pool Owner Patience).

If you start to pass multiple OCLT's, let us know.

 

[JJ_Tex]

Keep at it and take pictures daily so you can see progress, no matter how small.

When you get a bit more clear, you can also look at adding DE to your sand filter to help it along the last few days.

Add DE to a Sand Filter

A clean pool filter will increase the efficiency of your pool! ... your filter are to backwash it, clean the manifolds and grids, and add new DE.

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[duraleigh]

SLAM the pool. It works.

There is nothing in your post that indicates you are following the SLAM procedure precisely. Once you do, your pool will clear probably in a couple of days.

Floc has as much chance of making it worse instead of better

 

[Newdude]

running the dolphin mutiple times per day to pick up any muck

This could be part of the problem. Robots aren't meant for heavy duty muck and you may be stirring up crud leaving it to slow the process.

How often were you testing/adding with LC ?

 

[jweeks3]

This could be part of the problem. Robots aren't meant for heavy duty muck and you may be stirring up crud leaving it to slow the process.

How often were you testing/adding with LC ?

Thanks. I removed the dolphin. I just thought it would help to filter out some of the algae and supplement the brushing.

I was probably not testing as often as I should, but was adding LC to bring it back to 12 FC with what pool math suggested.

So last night at sunset I was down to 8.5 FC. I added 1.4 gallons of 10% and tested 2 hours later and it was at 15.5 FC, so I turned off the SWG overnight and tested again this morning before sunrise and it was at 14.5 and no CC.

 

[Newdude]

I just thought it would help to filter out some of the algae and supplement the brushing.

It does. But it can only do so much and times like this really call for a manual vacuum.

I was probably not testing as often as I should,

How many times a day ? Define 'as often' We don't do high, low, often, etc here. We need actual data

so I turned off the SWG overnight and tested again this morning before sunrise and it was at 14.5 and no CC.

Ok hopefully you're getting close to having killed it all. Filtering is still a battle but progress is progress.

 

[elleb]

Brush 2 to 3 times a day to break up the algae after you add LC, make sure your skimmer(s) are clean and clear. Clean the robot after you take it out of the pool to ensure no algae hiding in it. It takes patience, but it'll clear.

 

[duraleigh]

Sorry to be strident, but I STILL see no evidence you have started to SLAM you pool

 

[PoolStored]

How often are you testing and replacing FC. This makes a huge difference on progress. 3-4x per day is min. Every 2 hours is max. Try increasing the frequency of testing and replacing FC.

Sand filters take the longest to clear the cloudiness.

Keep at it, you will get it. Please, don't resort to FLOC, you will have a bigger problem.