total newb, don't know where to start with my TF-100

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Just keep at it and don't give up. Make sure you are meticulous about staying on top of the FC and daily brushing. I only added DE once, and it was when the pool was 98% clear. Your pool will come around. And yes, adding water after a backwash is pretty normal assuming you let it run for at least a couple minutes or more.

Try to take your daily pic of the steps from the same angle every day and if possible around the same time of day so the lighting is similar. Additional images can be whatever works, but consider that the 'control' pic.
 
Sooo after 7 whole days of of checking the FC level at least 3 times a day, keeping it above the target FC (24) re-ordering the FC chemicals twice, daily brushing _or_ vacuuming (the first couple of days - lately i've just been brushing since i can't see the bottom any more) there isn't any improvement on the cloudiness level. In fact I think it may even be slightly more cloudy than it was 7 days ago. (Bottom step is barely visible now.) After backwashing and adding DE that one day–about 4 to 5 times during the day–there was hardly any noticeable change in cloudiness the next morning. So I think something else must be going on... about ready to fill this in with dirt instead of chlorine!

One hunch I have is the pH level. I read that testing the pH during a SLAM is unreliable... AND that aerating the water can increase the pH. I don't have any eyes on my return jets, but the return jets do have sporadic air bubbles coming out every 3-5 seconds or so. I checked the drain plugs in my pump, and checked for water leaks on my filter/pump but didn't see any, but the real question I have is: can increased pH make the water cloudy? I have muriatic acid, if that helps, but I'm not sure how much to put in during a SLAM... can any chemical experts weigh in here?

Someone help! Please! SOS! :eek:
 
garybtru said:
Sooo after 7 whole days of of checking the FC level at least 3 times a day, keeping it above the target FC (24) re-ordering the FC chemicals twice, daily brushing _or_ vacuuming (the first couple of days - lately i've just been brushing since i can't see the bottom any more) there isn't any improvement on the cloudiness level. In fact I think it may even be slightly more cloudy than it was 7 days ago. (Bottom step is barely visible now.) After backwashing and adding DE that one day–about 4 to 5 times during the day–there was hardly any noticeable change in cloudiness the next morning. So I think something else must be going on... about ready to fill this in with dirt instead of chlorine!

One hunch I have is the pH level. I read that testing the pH during a SLAM is unreliable... AND that aerating the water can increase the pH. I don't have any eyes on my return jets, but the return jets do have sporadic air bubbles coming out every 3-5 seconds or so. I checked the drain plugs in my pump, and checked for water leaks on my filter/pump but didn't see any, but the real question I have is: can increased pH make the water cloudy? I have muriatic acid, if that helps, but I'm not sure how much to put in during a SLAM... can any chemical experts weigh in here?

Someone help! Please! SOS! :eek:
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Have you done the Overnight Free Chlorine Loss Test (OFCLT) described in the SLAM article? Are you getting any CC on your latest tests? What's your latest CYA reading?

If the chlorine is not holding over night, or you have CC > 1, you need to keep powering through the SLAM. pH issues generally do not cause cloudiness like this.
 
Nope I haven't tried the OCLT yet because I thought the first indicator for when it was time to do that was the water being clear, which it hasn't been :eek:. I'll do that tonight, thanks for the suggestion.

I haven't checked the CYA since May 20th when I started the SLAM. And I haven't checked the CC either. I'll test those today though and let you know!

If pH doesn't cause cloudiness, what does cause cloudiness in general, besides brushing up algae?

Thanks again!
 
garybtru said:
If pH doesn't cause cloudiness, what does cause cloudiness in general, besides brushing up algae?
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It's almost always algea. Algea isn't always green, it can appear milky white like you are seeing.

If you pass the OFCLT and have CC <1 then we look at the filter, but the algea needs to be ruled out first.

pH is important not so much for water clarity, but more for protecting your equipment from damage and avoiding calcium scaling
 
Okay, I know it's not right after sun-down, (is that ok?) but my FC around 10:00pm was 25. CC was 0. I'll check the FC again as soon as I wake up in the morning.

I didn't get a chance to test the CYA today, but hopefully tomorrow will be another sunny day and I can check it then. We've still been having SUCH crappy weather!! Raining every other day, 55 degrees. Fiiiiinally today it was above 70º. Yeesh!

Thanks for the info on pH.
 
I tested the FC at 5:20am when the sun was just starting to come up (no direct sun on the pool though) and the FC was 20.5. :eek: I was half awake and forgot to check the CC though. (Does that matter if the difference in FC isn't <= 1)?

Gonna test the CYA in a bit now that the sun is out (yay!)
 
pinguy said:
It's fine that you didn't test CC. You're still failing the OFCLT so keep on slammin!
Click to expand...

Okay will do, thanks! Isn't it a bit disconcerting that I could see my drain on day 9, and now it's week 2 and I can't see my bottom step? :eek: Let's say my CYA level was back up to 100 somehow... would that be the obvious culprit? Hypothetically, what would I need to do at that point? Drain, re-fill and start over, maybe targeting a starting CYA of like 40 this time around? Just curious. Of course I'll know for sure after I test my CYA in a few.

Thanks!
 

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pinguy said:
CYA doesn't increase on its own, so if you are getting a higher number now it would have had to be some sort of testing error.

Give it another test and get back to us and we will get it figured out :D
Click to expand...

Okay! The results are in! So if I go by the visibility of the actual black dot, "inside" the entire sticker at the bottom, I'm just under 50 (so, 50). If I go by the visibility of the *entire* sticker dot thingy at the bottom, I'm at just over 30. (So, 30?)

I guess the lower CYA would make sense since we've been getting rain here and there the past couple weeks. (Only a few sunny days!!) And I've also had to add water a couple of times after some backwashes (like when I added the DE 4-5 times in a day).

So where do you think I should go from here? Could it be that my target FC (24) is now too high? Would adding *too much* 10% liquid chlorine cause cloudiness? :eek:

Thanks!
 
Keep on going with the SLAM.. I can't speak specifically as to why you're seeing some regression, but I do know that the final stretch can sometimes be the longest part of the slamming process. Too much FC wouldn't cause cloudiness.
 
Ok thanks. But the *why* I'm seeing a week's worth of regression/cloudiness is really my main concern though.

So before I spend another $20 in chlorine and another $15 for FC reagants for _next_ week, only to have the pool looking as cloudy as it does now at the end of next week, I'd reaaaallly like to know if I need to be doing something different to help get rid of this cloudiness! Days 1-9 were awesome... the filter and the liquid chlorine really cleared things up! I mean I could see my drain and everything! :eek:

No offense to @pinguy but does anyone else have any input here? The more eyes on this the better, imo.

Thank you!
 
To get the final clear water is a filtering issue. I have no idea if 'Zeosand' is good at that or not. In typical sand filters the pool owners use a small of DE in the filter to 'polish' the water. You might try that - but again - not sure how that matches up with the artificial sand you have.

Take care.
 
Tried it, didn't do much. My water needs more than polish - I'm back at day 2 in the SLAM, basically.

Taken at dusk:

w8EkMIE.jpg




The Zeosand worked great for the first 9 days, then stopped working, apparently.

Checked my FC in this pic, was at 26. (Target is 24).
 
Looking back in this thread there are times you stated a CYA of 100 and then 50, etc. It is a huge difference in the ability to successfully complete a SLAM if you actually have a much different CYA level.

I would suggest doing a CYA test following step 8 in the Pool School - CYA.
Just to be sure you do not have much higher CYA level than you have been using.

Take care.
 
I appreciate the input! I started out w/ a CYA of 100, but I drained ~60% of the water twice, which brought it down to 60 when I began my SLAM. I re-tested it 3 times that day and got 60 each time. I also checked my CYA today (3 times) and got between 50 and 30. Step 8 says "if your CYA is above 90" but if anything my CYA is lower than when I started. :(
 
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