SLAMing but pool is getting greener and cloudier

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Day 4: No better. Maybe worse. Only lost 1ppm overnight. CC is <.5

GuinnessPhish said:
you need to read this thread and realize that you will get your pool clear if you follow to advice of this forum:

http://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/79256-I-m-so-ready-to-fill-in-the-pool
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I did read the above thread. Trust me, I think I've read about every thread on this site about green pools. :( The people opening their swamps are having better results. I'm about out of R-0871 (maybe 2 more tests.) My refills shipped on 7/2. So with any luck (something I haven't been having much lately.... woe is me ;-) they'll arrive today. If not, I'm going to be guessing what my numbers are until it arrives.
 
I agree with you Francescl, it's good the stores are closed as I know the feeling of being willing to pay whatever for anything anyone says will make the mess go away and become blue. This works, but it takes time and you need to have patience. :(

Even the pool store is better than guessing. No one here recommends them but if you have no other option till your chems come in ... ya gotta do what you gotta do. Just keep track of the readings and if something doesn't seem right consider the pool store result suspect.

If you are home and able to monitor your filters pressure then you can use DE anytime. The danger of using it early in a SLAM is it might build pressure quickly and go too high, too fast. It's a good idea to flush it out before bed time. If from your experience it's ready to backwash in 2-4-6 hours then you know how long it takes and after backwashing not add it if you know you'll be gone or asleep in the next 2-4-6 hours when it should next require a backwash. There is noting wrong with getting more junk out of the water sooner it's just a bit more work and you need to pay attention. Every pool and pool person is different.
You bought your DE at a pool store so you're good but if you buy it anyplace else you need to make sure it's heat treated for use in pool filters, sometimes called "sintered". You can't use a food grade or DE from a garden store used for pest control it will just blow through your filter and go back into the pool.
I bought a box at FleetFarm. Way more than I needed but it was cheap and it can sit on the shelf for next year just fine. :goodjob:
 

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I know people will disagree, but I've found that doing the methods listed for slamming don't work for me, only large amounts of chlorine all at once do the job and I've turned my pool from green to clear at least 3 times. The problem you are having is the same problem I had, I would use what I thought was the right amount of chlorine, I would wait, then I would add more, wait, add more and my pool was still green. When I added what I thought was insane amounts of chlorine, my pool cleared. For me that was 12 jugs of 10% 2.5 gallon liquid chlorine in a 12000 gallon pool. I would venture you would need approx 36 jugs. 3 gallons of 10% not going to do the job in that size pool.
 
Are you recommending they add 36 jugs all at one time ?? If so I'm one of those that disagree. Not sure if you are taking CYA into account but even so the calculator is showing 80+ ppm increase if they followed that advise :confused::confused:(beyond confused)

Going to mustard algae strength (24ppm) at their CYA of 40 would only call for <9 gallons 10% and that's if the pool started at 0 FC.
 
robl45 said:
I know people will disagree, but I've found that doing the methods listed for slamming don't work for me, only large amounts of chlorine all at once do the job and I've turned my pool from green to clear at least 3 times. The problem you are having is the same problem I had, I would use what I thought was the right amount of chlorine, I would wait, then I would add more, wait, add more and my pool was still green. When I added what I thought was insane amounts of chlorine, my pool cleared. For me that was 12 jugs of 10% 2.5 gallon liquid chlorine in a 12000 gallon pool. I would venture you would need approx 36 jugs. 3 gallons of 10% not going to do the job in that size pool.
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Likely why you have had to do it three times already. You are not completely getting rid of it, only temporarily stalling it.
 
My gut feeling is that your CYA result is off. Your testing it outdoors with your back to the sun?

Once you get your refill, could you post your FC and CC reading each time before you add bleach?

And brush the pool whenever you can!
 
robl45 said:
I know people will disagree, but I've found that doing the methods listed for slamming don't work for me, only large amounts of chlorine all at once do the job and I've turned my pool from green to clear at least 3 times. The problem you are having is the same problem I had, I would use what I thought was the right amount of chlorine, I would wait, then I would add more, wait, add more and my pool was still green. When I added what I thought was insane amounts of chlorine, my pool cleared. For me that was 12 jugs of 10% 2.5 gallon liquid chlorine in a 12000 gallon pool. I would venture you would need approx 36 jugs. 3 gallons of 10% not going to do the job in that size pool.
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During a slam, especially the early stages, the cycle should be add more chlorine, wait, test, add more chlorine and the cycle should be repeated every 1-2 hours during the day. You are recommending what we refer to as "nuking" the pool. When you nuke a pool you run a higher risk of damaging vinyl liners, and any rubber seals and gaskets in the pool and pool equipment.
 
Yes, I test the CYA with my back to the sun and the vile at waist level. I have tested, retested, and just now tested the CYA and it is 40. I was second guessing myself earlier thinking that maybe it was 45. So I've kept the shock around 18 instead of 16. Is that a problem that I've kept the FC a little higher (18 to 20 instead of 16)?
8:00 am - 18.5 FC <.5 CC
12:30 pm - 17.5 <.5 CC

I have added 0 chlorine so far today. I probably have 2 tests left in the bottle. I've been brushing every couple of hours. I put in one cup of DE this morning and it seems to be raising the pressure about 1 per hour. Without the DE (overnight), it doesn't go up at all. I need to go back to the pool store this afternoon to buy some more (she only sold me 6 cups in a baggie). I'm not going to take a water sample with me because I don't want to hear her chastise me for keeping my chlorine level so high.

Thanks for the hand holding. Fingers crossed.
 
If you punch in your numbers on the Pool Math calculator down near the bottom of the colored bars is "Suggested FC Levels" and in the right of that is the "Mustard Algae Shock" level. I think yours will come up around 24 and you'd be safe up to that level.
 

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You'd be safe going all the way up to 24 IF you had mustard algae. OR, you're just fine going to 16-20ppm FC.

EDIT 070614

You'd be fine going all the way up to 24ppm FC if you wanted to give it an extra shot of chlorine but you should not maintain that level for more than 24hrs as you might start to cause damage to equipment.
If you don't have mustard algae you shouldn't need to.

You should be OK going up to 20ppm FC if you need to overshoot some so you don't drop below (too far) the target FC overnight or if you'll be gone and can't bump it back up.
 
tim5055 said:
Just to obfuscate it a little, the Mustard Algae shock level is only meant to be held for a 24 hour period at the end of a normal SLAM. Mustard Algae Information.
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That does obfuscate things a bit... especially for me. So does that mean that my trying to keep the FC around 18-20 is too high with CYA 40. (I do know that it's supposed to be 16 but didn't know if going a little higher was a problem.) As to Mustard Algae, I've read the information on it and don't think that's what I have.
 
Sometimes we have a "too many cooks" situation on the forum. It happens when there are several people who all want to see you clear your pool, so it is a good problem to have ;)

Please do not "nuke" your pool, there are too many potential issues with it. If you want to try raising your FC up to the mustard algae level for a time to see if it helps then you may do so with minimal risk. You should not get in to the pool while it is above 16 (your SLAM level) so if you need to get in to the pool for anything let the FC drop below 16.

If there is anything you can still physically remove from the pool (leaves, dead animals, blobs of algae, etc) do what you can to remove them. Can you post an updated photo? Try to get a more detailed view of the water instead of an overview. Maybe we can get an idea based on the color and type of cloudiness you are experiencing. Try to make us see exactly what you are seeing.
 
My refills just arrived. So I'm back in the testing business. At 4:00 p.m. it was at 16 FC with 0 CC. (It was 17.5 when I tested at 12:30) Should I add chlorine now?

As far as getting stuff out of the pool, it is too cloudy to see the bottom except in the very shallow end. (I did rescue a swimming toad this afternoon. Much longer in the pool and I'm sure he would have been one of those blobs on the bottom.) I put our automatic cleaner in this morning on the one hour cycle with the hopes of getting whatever might be below. It really didn't have that much in it. I hosed the cleaner off really good when I took it out.


This photo is from 2 pm this afternoon.
 
Day 5: No better. Maybe worse. 11:00 pm - 15 FC. Added 2 gal and 3 quarts of 12% liquid bleach to bring it up to mustard algae shock level. Brushed the pool and went to bed. 8:00 am - 24 FC, <.5 CC. Now what???

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"Can you post an updated photo? Try to get a more detailed view of the water instead of an overview. Maybe we can get an idea based on the color and type of cloudiness you are experiencing. Try to make us see exactly what you are seeing."

It's usually a little more informative if you take a picture of your steps. Standing in the middle, at the edge, down. That way we get to see not only color but also a way to judge distance on how many or how clearly the steps appear.

Following the TFPC method is a way to save money and have a sparkly and sanitary pool. If you follow it you will overcome the green. It takes a different amount of time for each pool.
Trust me, this year it took over 2 weeks for my blue to come in but even when it's 3 days it seems forever. You need to dig deep and have patience and let the chemicals and filter do their job.

"As far as getting stuff out of the pool, it is too cloudy to see the bottom except in the very shallow end."
Even if you can't see I'd still be raking and then vacuuming the deep end to try and get anything you can out. Anything there is eating chlorine and making the process slower. As always brush the whole pool at least once a day too ;)
 

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