SW pool clear all spring, now just a touch cloudy

[jdsaengine]

SW pool (first time use after last fall new build) has been fine for the first month, very clear. Then several days ago started to get a little cloudy although I could still see dirt flakes on the bottom. I have the Taylor test kit results

FC 4
CC 0.5
PH 7.5
CYA 50
TA 200
Salt is 5000, very high, the pool builder over salted last fall before we closed, so I've been periodically draining and refilling, but slow going with a garden hose

I added a couple of cups of liquid stabilizer yesterday to get CYA up a little. and had the grandkids and 4 adults going hard in the pool most of the afternoon.

This morning FC was more like 2 so I upped the SW gen to 80 %. It was at 50% for the last several days. PH was still 7.5

How to get rid of the slightly cloudy?? Seems like SLAM might be overkill to me, but I'm new to pool chemistry.

Anything to add? Get the FC up into the higher numbers??

 

[PoolStored]

This morning FC was more like 2 so I upped the SW gen to 80 %. It was at 50% for the last several days. PH was still 7.5

You are letting your FC get below minimums and allowing algae to grow. Always follow this, and never allow a test to be out of range. Link--->FC/CYA Levels

How to get rid of the slightly cloudy?? Seems like SLAM might be overkill to me, but I'm new to pool chemistry.

SLAM now, don't wait. It will be short if you get going. Link-->SLAM Process

 

[PoolStored]

I added a couple of cups of liquid stabilizer yesterday to get CYA up a little. and had the grandkids and 4 adults going hard in the pool most of the afternoon.

You cannot add liquid CYA this way...CYA settles in the bottle. You must use the entire bottle and rinse it out thoroughly. Adding a full bottle may be adding too much. I would recommend you switch to dry chlorine stabilizer.

Having kids and a lot of adults will use up FC, letting it get below minimums. Clouding is the first sign you let it get too low. You can add chlorine in advance of a swim day, you can test and add during swimming, you can turn your SWCG up before you get in, and should test after swimming. You need to keep FC in range at all times...or you risk what you got...

 

[jdsaengine]

will upping the SWG and getting FC up around 6-7 or 8 for the rest of this week get rid of the cloudy eventually ? pool will not get any use for another week . Too cold outside !

 

[PoolStored]

Not likely...

 

[jdsaengine]

Ok, well I guess I will try my first SLAM. Just go to the store and buy several jugs of Clorox bleach, get the FC up to around 20 based on the chart ??

 

[PoolStored]

Get liquid Chlorine from wall mart. They have Pool Essentials brand. Best price...

If you have a Menards, go there, even cheaper, will be a liquid chlorine...labelled as liquid shock.

Do not use clorox, it has polymers.

 

[jdsaengine]

Gotcha. Menard's is down the street, thanks for all the advice

 

[jdsaengine]

OK, got Menard's Pool Shock. 12.5% Sodium Hypochlorite. Using the pool math app it asks me what type of shock I'm using and none of them are the 12.5%.

If my FC is 4, CYA is 50 I need FC to be 20 for slam. 8500 gal pool, any idea how much to dump in?

 

[PoolStored]

Choose liquid chlorine for the sanitizer type, enter 12.5% by typing in 12.5.

Use effects of adding in the menu...

 

[jdsaengine]

in the pool app I did not see "liquid Chlorine" but did see "bleach" so I input 12.5% and it basically said to dump in a little over a gallon, so thats what I did.

that was 90 min ago, will test and see if I'm close to 20

 

[PoolStored]

There is a new version of the app in the appstore if you want to update...

 

[jdsaengine]

On initial FC test I got 17 around 5pm when I wanted 20. I put in more shock. 3 hr later FC was down to 15 so I dumped about 1/2 gal more shock. So will check again in the morning. Being new to SLAM I
assume if FC is down its working away at the cloudiness and I should keep putting in the shock until it stabilizes at 20 for a day.

Also, just since starting SLAM this evening all the sudden I'm getting what looks to be some soap suds like foaming on the surface. NEVER have seen that before. I will take a pic in the morning if its still there.

 

[PoolStored]

So, make this easy. Test, add required chlorine to get to target. Wait at least 2 hours, repeat. Don't worry about stabilizing at 20. Don't worry that the tested number is up or down from last test.

Don't sweat the suds...SLAM will clear it all.

 

[jdsaengine]

FC was down to 15 this morning so 2-3 ppm was consumed during the night. So I dumped in another 1/2 gal of shock.

I know, don't sweat the suds, but here is a pic after I opened the cover this morning, also shows the water cloudy.

 

[PoolStored]

Test and replace, up to every 2 hours, and you'll get it...

 

[jdsaengine]

One other question. I never turned off my SWG, its still running at 80%. I assumed that during SLAM, no harm in letting it run. Although I can see It might give a false reading of how much chlorine is lost overnight making it seem like less is lost. Off or on?

 

[Newdude]

It won't keep up in the beginning and once it does, you probably want more precise tracking of FC loss while trying to maintain slam target, and then it needs to be off for OCLTs.

That said, anything it does add to the battle is cheaper than LC. A couple dozen hours off the 10k hour lifespan is peanuts and you'll never know when it reaches end of life a few days early.

 

[proavia]

Leave the cover open 24/7 during the SLAM Process.

 

[jdsaengine]

got it, cover open.
Just scrubbed the wall, cleaned the filters. Filters had a bunch of white gooey snot like material
water SEEMS to be a little better.