Update on the Cloudy Swamp

[Nikidrans]

Current Test Results:
FC - 12
CC 0.5
CH - 650
Alkalinity - 160
pH - 7.5
CYA just over 30

Background: Our pool was new last fall, closed it crystal clear. Cover blew off. We are surrounded by maple trees. This spring it was a fishy swamp. I dug out probably 10 or so 5 gallon buckets of maple leaves and pine needles. End of March I started what I'm calling a blind SLAM. Didn't have the test kit yet, so just shocked the heck (Gallons and gallons of liquid chlorine). The regular up to 5ppm chlorine test was always dark dark orange. I had no CYA in the pool at the time. (I know this because once I got the test kit, I had none) so in theory it should have been way more chlorine than needed to SLAM. Fast forward a week and it was no longer a swamp, just very cloudy blue and high CC. I kept the chlorine very high and filtered/backwash/vacuum/scrub daily. I was really happy with that progress! That would have been End of march into the first week of April.

Test came and I continued to SLAM. I got very little out when vacuuming, but it was still very cloudy (can't see past 1st step). So, I continued through April basically vacuuming, bleach, scrub. I got frustrated after weeks of no progress so last weekend I used flocculant. (I know, I know) Nothing happened, it didn't work. Got yelled at for it here (Lol). I couldn't see the bottom but I vacuumed to waste as much as I could. I also did a deep clean on the sand filter. Lots of dirty water came out. That was Sunday/Monday. Filter doesn't seem to be affected from the Floc so i think I got most of it out. I do shut the filter off from time to time and let things settle and vacuum, still no solids except a few small pieces in the skimmer.

I know the process can take awhile, but should it take this long with my numbers pretty decent? I've been getting the above results for the last week and a half. I thought I started this process only a few weeks ago, but I actually started March 29th so it's been a month and a half of shocking.

Should I be concerned about phosphates? I've read that leaves can raise it. With the amount of tree junk that was in my pool plus what I deal with daily (Whirly birds galore, but skimmer takes care of them) could this be an issue? I imagine my phosphate level is quite high, I don't have a test for it though. I read here it's not really a number to worry about?

Any thoughts on this?

 

[mknauss]

In your other thread you got your test kit around the first of May if I decipher it correctly. So your SLAM process has been going along for a couple weeks. With floc added to increase the solids to deal with.
Are you passing multiple Overnight Chlorine Loss Test? Have you used DE in your sand filter?

 

[Mdragger88]

Lower ph to 7.2 & continue to slam at 16fc - your cya is 40 there’s no in between cya #s u always round up. Many people make this mistake & it causes slam to drag on. Filter 24/7 & Backwash when pressure rises 25% over clean pressure. Unfortunately when you were “blindly slamming” at the beginning your efforts were not that effective. That’s why it’s generally recommended here to just add 5ppm /day of liquid chlorine until you get your test kit.

 

[Nikidrans]

In your other thread you got your test kit around the first of May if I decipher it correctly. So your SLAM process has been going along for a couple weeks. With floc added to increase the solids to deal with.
Are you passing multiple Overnight Chlorine Loss Test? Have you used DE in your sand filter?

I would say beginning of May is when I got the test kit, my time line in my other posts was shorter than I thought. I didn't write dates down and probably should have. While I wasn't using a test to SLAM all of April, my chlorine levels were very high at least over 5ppm according the the regular chlorine test with 0 CYA, wouldn't that be Slamming, technically? I would say Since the end of March I've never had under SLAM numbers of chlorine in the pool, but understand that I don't have offical test results so I see what you mean.

So now that I have been doing the SLAM with the test. What is a realistic time line with the above results? Should I be seeing any improvement or is staying the same typical?

I currently have DE in my filter according the the instructions here. Did that after the filter deep cleaning. No improvement.

 

[Nikidrans]

Lower ph to 7.2 & continue to slam at 16fc - your cya is 40 there’s no in between cya #s u always round up. Many people make this mistake & it causes slam to drag on. Filter 24/7 & Backwash when pressure rises 25% over clean pressure. Unfortunately when you were “blindly slamming” at the beginning your efforts were not that effective. That’s why it’s generally recommended here to just add 5ppm /day of liquid chlorine until you get your test kit.

Ok, I'll try that. It's right under the 30 line, so I didn't think it would jump that far to 40, but I see what you're saying. When would I expect to see any improvement with the the higher FC? Is this a daily improvement? Weekly? I just need something to look forward to.

 

[Mdragger88]

Ok, I'll try that. It's right under the 30 line, so I didn't think it would jump that far to 40, but I see what you're saying. When would I expect to see any improvement with the the higher FC? Is this a daily improvement? Weekly? I just need something to look forward to.

Lots of people take pics daily to keep track- when you look back through them you’ll notice improvement. It will clear but it does take time - the floc set u back a little with filtering most likely. Sand filters need time to clear but it will happen- stay the course! Follow SLAM Process to the letter & it will clear- unfortunately there are no shortcuts as you have found out.

 

[Nikidrans]

I'll try the picture idea. Ty