Stubbornly Cloudy Water

[duraleigh]

YOur new found kit tells us that you should bring the CYA to 30 PPM and SLAM the pool. Sooner rather than later.

You'll need that kit again (which brand and model is it?) to check your progress as you SLAM so don't return it until you complete the SLAM.

 

[duraleigh]

It is being chlorinated by an in-line chlorinator. I add 3” pucks to it.

Pucks add CYA which should have tested at least something. What kit did you borrow?

 

[alex_t]

TF-100

 

[duraleigh]

TF-100

Well, then you are ready to SLAM the pool. I am not sure how you got a ZERO CYA test result when you have been adding CYA the entire time you have been chlorinating with pucks. Regardless, Start your SLAM and follow the article in pool school to the letter. If you deviate, improvise, etc the SLAM may fail.

The process works..........always. It's your call to decide whether or not to use it.

 

[alex_t]

I feel like if these pucks at CYA to the water, and I am reading 0, there is an underlying issue that I am missing here.

 

[dfwnoob]

Can you see an expiration date on any of the reagents in the test kit? The CYA component is generally stable, but perhaps it was stored in the heat somewhere?

Can you tell us exactly which pucks you're using?

To confirm, you're filling the CYA squeeze bottle to 7.5ml with pool water, adding R-0013 CYA reagent to hit 15ml, shaking thoroughly, and then testing?

 

[proavia]

You may have ammonia since the CYA tested at zero and you are using pucks.
Have a read thru this article.

Ammonia - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[MichaelT20]

I feel like if these pucks at CYA to the water, and I am reading 0, there is an underlying issue that I am missing here.

Some pucks are calcium rather than cya - and I think they need an in line chlorinator. I might be wrong. Any idea what kind of pucks they are? Can you tell us the active ingredient.

I’ll chime in to say I’ve been following TFP since my newly constructed pool got filled last year. I’ve never had anything but crystal clear water. And I never buy anything besides muriatic acid now and then.

TFP is about understanding your pool’s chemistry and only adjusting what you need. Knowing what chlorine and cya do in your pool, knowing what levels they should be at, and how to raise or lower as needed. It’s that easy.

I recommend you follow the slam process, and see if it clears up your pool. That’s really the only way you’ll know if this websites recommendations are gonna help. Make sure to follow it properly. Test that fc - regularly - and keep it at the right levels until you pass an Oclt. Get the cya to 30 and ph at 7.2 before starting.

Good luck!

 

[alex_t]

I am using the tablets in the attached picture. 99% Trichloro-s-Triazinetrione and 1% other. Do these have CYA?

And yes, performing the test as you described. I just ran the test again and same results, see attached photos. The viewing tube is completely filled with the pool water/reagent solution.

There is no date on the CYA reagent. I found a few dates on other bottles, 2 of them had 03/24 and one had 09/23

 

[alex_t]

Photos this time.

 

[Mdragger88]

How many pucks have you used?
Here’s approximately what each dissolved puck does to your water

Small amounts of cya (below 20) aren’t registered on the test so you may have a little but can’t read it.
At any rate you should likely first follow the ammonia instructions @proavia linked above before then proceeding to adding 30ppm cya (use the sock method) & starting
SLAM Process
You can retest cya in 24 hours & adjust slam level if necessary.

 

[alex_t]

Probably 9 pucks in like 3 weeks.

 

[duraleigh]

9 pucks explains it. That's only about 10 ppm CYA........not really enough to register.

SLAM the pool!

 

[alex_t]

Wouldn’t it be reasonable to assume there was CYA in the pool before I added the pucks?

That article explaining how to test for ammonia is not clear. It says to go to the pet store to get an ammonia test kit and then explains that chlorinated pool water will ruin the test. Am I reading that correct?

 

[alex_t]

The test strips I have indicate there is CYA. And the 12 test results from the wretched pool store indicate consistently the CYA is at 30.

 

[duraleigh]

That reagent for the CYA test in the TF-100 has never been reported as "bad" It is inert.

That said, do you know the age of that kit?

By the way, mdragger is right about the ammonia test but I am suggesting, in this instance to proceed without that test.

In the VERY unlikely event you have ammonia, it will manifest on the first dosage of chlorine during the SLAM.......we can treat it from there, if need be.

 

[Mdragger88]

Wouldn’t it be reasonable to assume there was CYA in the pool before I added the pucks?

That article explaining how to test for ammonia is not clear. It says to go to the pet store to get an ammonia test kit and then explains that chlorinated pool water will ruin the test. Am I reading that correct?

Perhaps, perhaps not.
Anywhoo, go straight to this part no extra test needed
If fc holds for 30 minutes you’re good to proceed with slam

Getting Rid of Ammonia in Pool Water​

1. Dose the pool to SLAM level of 10 ppm
2. Do not add any CYA until chlorine begins to hold
3. Test chlorine every 30 minutes until chlorine begins to hold. Add chlorine as needed to get back to 10 ppm. FC will likely test close to 0 until you get to the next step
4. You will know when the chlorine begins to hold when you begin seeing FC testing > 3 ppm after 30 minutes.
5. When you see a significant jump in FC from the prior 30 minute test CYA can be added back into the pool. Limit the CYA to 30 ppm for the duration of the process
6. Increase the FC target to 12 ppm and follow the steps in the SLAM Process until the criteria of “Done” are all met.
7. Follow the SLAM Process FC test procedures. You no longer a need to test every 30 minutes at this stage.

 

[alex_t]

Do I keep my in-line chlorinator supplied with the 3” pucks during the SLAM process?

 

[Mdragger88]

Do I keep my in-line chlorinator supplied with the 3” pucks during the SLAM process?

No,

 

[MichaelT20]

Do I keep my in-line chlorinator supplied with the 3” pucks during the SLAM process?

Not when you’re testing the overnight Chlorine loss - that would throw off the test as you’re looking to see if you lose chlorine overnight. Adding it via the chlorinator would throw off those results.