Water not clearing and FC at 0

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T

TMeister

0
Mar 30, 2017
12
Wake Forest, NC
Hi All,

I had my opened 2 days ago, and utilised a local company to do the equipment side of things. I decided to manage the chemicals and cleaning myself. However, I have hit a snag.

I have vac'd and brushed the pool both days (the bottom and walls are now clear), and have backwashed on both days. The pool water at this stage is cloudy and remains greenish.

My chemicals look like this:

pH: 7.4
FC: 0
Alkalinity: 90
Hardness: 300
CYA: 25

I have added 14lbs of shock plus (7 on both days) and have given the right dose of algaecide.

I cannot get the FC level above 0, and the water isn't changing. Does anyone have any kind advice for me, or am I being impatient?

Thanks,

Tony
 
Welcome to the forum:wave:

It sounds like you do not have a good understanding of the consumptive nature of chlorine. Chlorine kills algae but in the process chlorine is consumed.

You need to do a process we call SLAM.

It is not a one time dose of chlorine but rather repeated doses of chlorine to clear your pool.

Please read "The "ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry" up in Pool School. Then read the SLAM article in Pool School. Ask lots of questions about the SLAM process and don't try ANY shortcuts.......they most always don't work.
 
Hi duraleigh and thanks for your advice.

I am actually trying to follow the slam process, as you recommend, but I was concerned with the comment about seeing an improvement each day. Maybe I just need to keep at it and report back in a few days.

I'll report back.

Thanks.
 
Wait a minute, is the "Shock Plus" you are adding from Pool Time? What are the active ingredients? You may be hurting your chances of clearing up your pool by using that rather than using liquid chlorine.

We are missing a lot of information here that we need to help you. How many gallons is your pool and what are you using to test? That is going to help us out quite a bit.
 
Personally, I would not be putting anything with copper in my pool. Using a product with copper in it will eventually lead to staining.

I'd use liquid chlorine - aka bleach - for the SLAM - and for continued chlorination moving forward. The product you are using also adds CYA, in addition to a small amount of copper.
 
TMeister said:
20k gallon pool and using a TF-100 FAS-DPD test kit. Using Shock MaxBlue from Pool time (63% Sodium Dichloro-s-triazentrione, copper 0.26% and 'other ingredients' 36.69%), 6-in-1 pool shock. Does that help?
Click to expand...

Stop using that granular right away, and switch to liquid chlorine, aka bleach.

With every 1ppm of FC added with dichlor, you also add 0.9ppm of CYA.

Copper is the last thing you want to add to a pool. Copper does not evaporate, and as it builds up it will stain your pool and turn blonde hair green.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
They've got you on the right path! Anytime a pool is green you've got a nice algae army that your bleach will attack. A lot of bleach will die (get used up) in each attack, and you'll have to retest, up to once per hour at first like it says on SLAM page, to bump the FC back up to Shock level per your CYA. Keep your bleach army at full strength. Only use the bleach during SLAM and hold off on the solid forms of Chlorine because they almost all come with CYA too, which partners up with some of your FC to form your chemical sun umbrella - which you have enough of for the SLAM. You don't want more umbrella, you want more algae fighters. Hope this wasn't too silly and made sense.
 

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Please run an updated CYA test. All that powdered product (ugh!) also raised your CYA level which in turn raises the amount of chlorine you need to kill algae. Check the CYA/Chlorine chart to update how much FC you need to SLAM--> [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA]

(and lets not even think about the copper it added... no bueno!)

Liquid chlorine (aka bleach) is the ONLY product you need to use to perform a SLAM and then care for your pool after if you don't have a SWG. Stay away from anything solid or granular unless you desire the *extra ingredients* they bring along with them.

Yippee :flower:

<psssst-algaecide doesn't kill algae....its just a preventative. And one we normally don't recommend anyway>
 
BattleOfYakima and YippeeSkippy.

Thank you both for the advice and explanations - great advice again and I take on board all of it!

Interesting about the algaecide, I was thinking a little too literally (homicide, genocide, algaecide - I assumed a trend :D)!

Just bought 6 gallons of liquid chlorine and sitting by the pool ready to test in an hour or so. Game on!!!

TMeister:bounce:
 
Great! Sounds like a plan coming together. :testkit:
Post back with your new CYA number too.

If you run low on liquid chlorine, a quick trip to Walmart or the like for some good old BLEACH is good. It's the same as liquid chlorine, at a slightly lower strength. Just do NOT buy scented or splashless. Bleach is usually listed as 8.25% sodium hypochlorite - Liquid Chlorine usually at 10% or 12.5%. Some Walmarts also have "Pool Essentials Chlorinating Liquid" - which is 10%.

Since you're sitting around waiting to test again, here's a link to a chlorine calculator to help you see the cost benefit per ounce of the different strengths....
Chlorine Price Per Ounce Calculator
 
Welcome Tmeister

Please add some pool details to your signature line so we can help you better and quicker. Don't know you pool size, but youll likely need to pick up more Jugs of Bleach right away for this SLAM. GLad you joined us, and hope you enjoy the forum.

:swim:
 
Hi All,

In a break between weeping, I am back to check in. I still have problems.

I have followed the process for slamming the pool and there has been some partial success. However, my FC is still at 0. My CYA also sits at 0 (despite 4lbs of stabiliser). I have now used about 40 gallons of liquid chlorine.

The good news is that my water is clear!

No matter how much chlorine I put in, my values don't change, and I can't shift this CYA level.

Any thoughts?

Patrick_B - I'll get my signature line updated very soon! :)
 
I hate to say it, but it seems like there is some testing error here. Unless you have drained your pool and started fresh, there is definitely still CYA in your water.

How often are you testing you chlorine level? How often are you adding liquid chlorine? I can tell you during the winter with clean water and a healthy chlorine level to start, my pool uses .5-1ppm/day. Where your pool already had algae the chlorine consumption would be far greater if you did not run a SLAM to full completion. Did you pass the 3 criteria for passing SLAM?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I fear you might be right ff702 - testing/tester error. I am using the chemicals in the test kit from last year - do they expire?

I am testing chlorine 2-3 times per day and adding chlorine twice per day. I haven't passed the 3 tests yet, as I can't get the FC above 0, so no OCLT test pass.
 

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