Time To Floc?

[Nikidrans]

I've been messing with my pool for 3 weeks now. The first week and a half I was doing a blind slam. I didn't have the TFP test kit so I just shocked the Crud out of it. This worked! It went from total swamp full of leaves to light cloudy blue in a week. Awesome.

Test kit comes and I continue the slam for another week. Basically doing the same thing I already was except I was wasting a lot of chlorine. Nothing has changed int he last week. I'm vacumming, scrubbing, backwashing, etc.

So I decide it's time to floc. I need to do a bit of a water replacement anyways so I figured this is a great way to drain some and replace. I used "In the Swim" Super floc out. It's something I got on Amazon last year when we first got the pool. It said I could double the dose, so I did. I was excited to finally see the bottom of the pool and get this dead suspended algae out. I waiting for the next morning.

IT DIDN'T DO ANYTHING. How is this possible? I cant turn my filter back on because I know it will wreck my sand. I can't vacuum it because I still can only see about 8 inches below the surface. What do I do now? Go get some more from the store and do it again?

 

[Silver_2000]

without some test results, it will be hard to help. based on the visual description it wouldn't be unusual to need gallons if not tens of gallons of chlorine to clear a swamp as you describe it

 

[Nikidrans]

Sorry, I should have been more specific. Swamp has already been cleared. It's been cleared for 2 weeks. I am just dealing with blue cloudy water. Bottom of the pool seems clean, I can't see it but I'm not really getting anything when I vacuum.

Test results:
CYA 50
FC 20
CH 800
Alkalinity 160
PH 7.6
CC 0.5

I've been dealing with the cloudly blue for over a week and am getting no difference. Scrubbing, vacuuming. Nothing is changing. As a last resort I tried the floc, but nothing happened. I'm puzzled. Do I floc again with a different brand? Can I even turn my sand filter back on with this Crud in there? Do I curl up in a corner and cry?

 

[TomGallopavo]

What the heck is floc?

nv, short for flocculant...I get it.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Its reasons like this that we *never* recommend the use of FLOC. Can you vac to waste to keep it out of the filter??

You might have to drain some water and replace it if you can't get that stuff outta there. Sorry to say.

Maddie

 

[Donldson]

I would definitely not be doubling down on this, especially not with a different brand. If things are still so cloudy that you can't see the bottom of a 4 foot deep pool then that stuff is still in your water. You're going to have to get it out of there, which means getting the water out of there.

One of the problems is that if you were still burning through chlorine, you still have plenty of live algae in the water. You were not wasting chlorine, it was being used. Please don't take this as any kind of browbeating, just a reminder for the future that the SLAM Process doesn't include floc or clarifiers for a reason. Not only because of the potential to end up causing entirely new and exciting problems to deal with, but also because trying to shortcut when there is still live algae in the water just leaves clear looking water with high chlorine demand and always on the verge of another bloom.

 

[Nikidrans]

I haven't been using much chlorine the last week. Keeping it at 20ppm I add maybe a few cups of liquid chlorine a day to keep it there. Yes, I can vac to waste but that's not easy to do when you can't see the bottom at all. How can there still be live algae after 3 week of shock level chlorine? How long does this process take? At this is rate I'll be well into summer SLAMMING the pool, might as well drain and refill?

 

[Donldson]

You said you got your test kit a week ago. Without proper testing you have no idea what was going on in the pool before then so you can only really say you have been at it for a week.

In your first post you said that you were "wasting a lot of chlorine ". Now you "haven't been using much chlorine the last week"? We can't help someone who is providing conflicting information.

If floc is suspended in the water you need to replace the water. That's all that matters at the moment.

 

[Nikidrans]

I meant at the beginning I was wasting a lot of chlorine because I was using way more than needed as I didn't have a test kit that went over 5ppm.. Once the test kit arrived, my chlorine level was nearly 40ppm. Obviously much higher than needed with a CYA of 50. So, yes, I'd say that was a waste of chlorine?

Since getting the test kit a week or so ago, I got the slam level where needed. I haven't had to add major amounts to keep it at slam. The pool math tells me about 3 cups per day, give or take. So in a pool my size, that seems like a small amount?

I'm not trying to argue with anyone nor am I trying to give conflicting advice. I'm just trying to get my pool clear and am just not getting any improvement the last week. From everything I read about SLAM it should slowly get better day by day. I've hit a wall. I tried Floc, it didn't do a thing. I just wondered if that is typical or if that meant something else was going on.

 

[mknauss]

Sand filters require a lot of patience. They are the slowest to clear a pool. The floc is now just another solid in the water to deal with. You most likely will need to deep clean or change your sand in the filter when this is done.

 

[Nikidrans]

Sand filters require a lot of patience. They are the slowest to clear a pool. The floc is now just another solid in the water to deal with. You most likely will need to deep clean or change your sand in the filter when this is done.

I spent a lot of time cleaning today to waste, so I think I got a lot of it out. I figured I'd need to change the sand after all this anyways, so I'm OK with that. I'm going to try a higher level of chlorine. Maybe my CYA is higher than I think. The test is questionable. It's hard to tell if I'm seeing the black dot or not.

 

[Silver_2000]

get the CYA test solution so you can see what a known number looks like - its not hard, just test outside during the day, back to the sun and dont stare, either you see it or you dont in a glance and round down

 

[Nikidrans]

get the CYA test solution so you can see what a known number looks like - its not hard, just test outside during the day, back to the sun and dont stare, either you see it or you dont in a glance and round down

What do you mean by CYA test solution? Are there pictures somewhere?

I definitely think I'm over thinking that test. But I'm over shocking a bit to compensate.

I did a deep clean on my sand filter and wow did a lot of dirty water come out. I changed for an hour and it still wasnt perfectly clear, but much better.

Just going to continue to slam for the next week and see how the a deep cleaned filter improves things.

 

[Silver_2000]

I used the wrong term - its a standard solution

Standard Solutions

tftestkits.net

R-7065 CYA Standard 50ppm (2oz)

tftestkits.net

it will test to a known CYA of 50 so you know what 50 looks like

 

[Nikidrans]

I used the wrong term - its a standard solution

Standard Solutions

tftestkits.net

R-7065 CYA Standard 50ppm (2oz)

tftestkits.net

it will test to a known CYA of 50 so you know what 50 looks like

Oh, neat! I'll order some. That will be helpful! Thank you!