Pre pool opening (white water mold)

[Badpoolmom]

Help me understand is going on

I test twice a day everyday adding Lc as needed to stay on the high end of my suggested 4-8 (8)

I just can’t understand why on earth I’m having to slam for the third time in 3 1/2 months

How can I keep my fc at 8 everyday and “something” still take hold?!
For about the past month or so I’ve been basing on 50 cya. (I was down to 40 losing fc rapidly to uv, but passing oclt and added 1 lb sock method) fc loss slowed, never went near lava range. I brush and vacuum several times per week.

Tested a few days ago, and again today cya is more like 40, but even then I would have been running the fc even higher than suggested since I was basing it on 50

 

[Badpoolmom]

I did brush under the cover today (as much as I could) the cover is sooo heavy.

I thought I could maybe prop it up with the pool brush/pole in one area and use a hand scrub brush, no dice . Just had to scrub the poles length then brush the top of the cover with slam water. Trying to push down slightly to “swish” water onto the cover

Opened cover for awhile, added Lc back to slam level and decided to close cover immediately so it’s in contact with 16ppm . I’m not sure what else to do
I know you usually recommend cover open to burn of cc

The underside of the cover wasn’t super funky or anything (at least where I can see) didn’t feel slimy etc but did see some black moldy looking stuff in the corners where the water doesn’t touch . However it was 90% cleaner than when I posted pics of that back in March

 

[Newdude]

I just can’t understand why on earth I’m having to slam for the third time in 3 1/2 months

I am at a loss as well. You have a simple pool with not much to go wrong.

FC has remained well above min. Twice daily testing is well above and beyond. (Once is plenty with no overnight loss).

If the CYA dipped, you've been running hot. Or hotter.

I thought I could maybe prop it up with the pool brush/pole in one area and use a hand scrub brush, no dice .

You may have to lower the water level to get under there. I'm not sure how far it'll sag but at some point ( a foot maybe) it'll hold itself up.

From the parts you can feel, it seems clean like it wont be the problem. You wont know for sure until you get it all, of course, but i bet its all the same ine way or the other.

did see some black moldy looking stuff in the corners where the water doesn’t touch .

I'd say mold or mildew.

Have the deck jets remained off ? If so there can be nasty water in them and it'll never touch the pool and that's not it either.

 

[Badpoolmom]

I run the deck jets daily, as well as the bubbler. I changed the weir door and took off skimmer face plate a few days ago with no signs of anything

 

[Newdude]

I run the deck jets daily, as well as the bubbler

Then that removes them a suspects too. What about the cover basin ? How's that look ?

 

[Badpoolmom]

It was nearly pristine . I only pulled out one locust and maybe 3 leaves. Still poured a couple gallons of slam water in there

 

[Badpoolmom]

Is the only way to test if the Lc is good, add and test after 20 min?

My problem started BEFORE the bleach change
But this week I ran out of the 10% we’d bought this spring and started using 12.5% bought about a month ago .

When I open it/pour it I don’t smell bleach (like I did with the 10%)
Like I put my nose right up to it and still don’t smell it . I happen to have a very sensitive sense of smell btw lol

 

[Badpoolmom]

I added to reach 16ppm fc last night. However didn’t test to make sure I reached target. This morning fc 13.5
Cover closed all night

 

[Newdude]

Is the only way to test if the Lc is good, add and test after 20 min?

It much easier than making up a 5 gallon batch and diluting it (twice

I added to reach 16ppm fc last night. However didn’t test to make sure I reached target. This morning fc 13.5

Hard to say if it was weak or you had overnight loss. A bad supplier by you (or two) would make more sense at this point than you missing anything else. Going forward, there's no need for 2 tests a day. If the FC hits target you'll either see reasonable loss or excessive loss the next day. So maybe use that second test to prove it's consistently reaching target everytime you get a new batch of chlorine.

 

[Badpoolmom]

Ok. I just added to 16, did the 20 min test.
Came up with 15.5 which is within the +/- for the test
So that idea basically shot

 

[Newdude]

*for this jug. Several jugs (or the whole batch) ago may have been the problem that got you here .

 

[Badpoolmom]

I’ve been doing SLAM since Saturday. Test and add 4 times a day. The other times I’ve tested every two hours .

I’d say the loss is pretty consistent 4-5 ppm between tests
Overnight loss a little less 2-3
I’m sure I need to add cya because I seem to lose a lot to uv at 40.
Wait til I pass right?

 

[Newdude]

Yes. Each 10 CYA raises the slam target by 4.

 

[Badpoolmom]

Still struggling over here
8:30 pm raised fc to 16
7:30 am fc 13.5 raised to 16
2 pm fc 9 raised to 16
8:30 pm fc 9.5 raised to 16

I will be available more tomorrow, should I do the 2 hour test/add?
I feel I’ve been stuck at these same numbers for 4 days
I’m testing cc once per day stays 0.5

 

[Badpoolmom]

Failed oclt again
8:30 pm fc9.5 added to 16
6:30 am fc 13 added to 16
Cc 0.5
Water is clear as can be

 

[Newdude]

I will be available more tomorrow, should I do the 2 hour test/add?

It should be second nature by now and take next to no time to stay on top of it when you're available.

Still struggling over here

I'm stumped as it's defying everything that always works. I don't think it's bad bleach at times because you would have caught that 2 weeks ago (?) when the morning test was way short, or even with once daily testing. You're running your water features to purge them daily. The filter was addressed. There isn't anywhere else for algae to be hiding besides under the cover. (Where it probably isnt). The mold/mildew you see in the corners doesn't touch the water.

Once this round is cleared, I'd go ahead with the rest of the ahhsome. Maybe last time loosened up the crud and this time expells it giving us the AHA moment we've been searching for.

And then raise your FC target going forward. The bottom line is your pool is telling you it wasn't high enough. There are times such as black algae or mustard algae that require a higher base level than the norm. I don't think either are bothering you but the pool may be behaving similar.

 

[Badpoolmom]

Well, I had decided before I saw your message and added the ahhsome about 5 min ago.

I’m with you, everything has been addressed (including the plumbing, once with ahhsome) maybe this round will knock it for good.

Test so far today each time raising to 16
6:30 am fc13
8:00 am fc 15
10:30 am fc 14.5 (pool starts getting sun about 11)
1:30 pm fc 13 (added ahhsome)

 

[Badpoolmom]

Failed oclt
(but getting closer to passing haha)

Wiped this out of the skimmer this morning . The hunky gunk was around the edge. The speckled stuff was on/in the water
So I’d say the awesome is knocking stuff loose ….. but WHAT is the stuff? The wwm didn’t look like this last time.
Is this algae?

 

[Newdude]

Is this algae?

It sure looks like it

 

[Badpoolmom]

Just run of the mill algae? Or one of the weird ones you mentioned yesterday

To my knowledge I’ve never fought algae before just the wwm . I guess I expected algae to be green