White Cloudy Pool

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D

dr53sk

Member
Jul 10, 2024
8
kennesaw, GA
Pool Size
28000
Surface
Vinyl
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Hi Everyone,
I live in the Atlanta area and just opened my IG pool 1 week ago because I was waiting on a new Hayward sand filter. (New filter and sand now in place) However, the pool was dark green swampy looking once the cover came off.

My local pool store (which I know you guys are not big on) recommended Soda Ash, followed by a 'Green to Clean' product, followed by 4lbs of shock every 12 hours. The 'Green to Clean' definitely changed the water from swampy dark green to a milky white, but for the last 6 days of running the pump 24 hrs and constantly adding clarifier and some shock, the pool is still cloudy. (I can see the bottom of the pool in the shallow end but still can't see the main drain on the deep end) It's strange because I thought the clarifier is supposed to bind all those particles for the filter to capture, but I don't think it's working because the pressure gauge continues to read normal. I was going to go back to their store today to figure out what to do next, but while reading this site with folks having similar issues, I'm now concerned about the negative affects of the clarifiers on my new sand filter.

For what it's worth, these are the last readings (4/26) from the pool store:
0.5 Free Chlorine * Chlorine is low because they told me not to hook up my SWG until the pool was clear
2.18 Total Chlorine
7.0 pH
95 TA
233 Calcium Hardness
34 CYA
2000 Salt

Not sure what to do next and would appreciate your recommendations.
BTW, because of this site I did order the test kit you all recommend, which was just delivered this morning and why I'm posting today.

Thanks much, Don
 
Post a full set of current test results from on of the recommended test kits.
Test Kits Compared

FC
CC
pH
TA
CH
CYA
Salt
Water temperature

We don't offer advice based on pool store or on non dropped based testing.
 
proavia said:
Post a full set of current test results from on of the recommended test kits.
Test Kits Compared

FC
CC
pH
TA
CH
CYA
Salt
Water temperature

We don't offer advice based on pool store or on non dropped based testing.
Click to expand...
Sorry for this late response. We lost internet in our neighborhood so I didn't see your post. But before we lost internet I was able to test CYA (35) FC (1.0) and pH (7.2) before I started the SLAM.
Pool Math called for 5 gals of chlorine that I added yesterday afternoon and this morning I measured FC (2) and CC (1) which called out 4 gals more of chlorine that I put in this morning at 7:00 am
Am I looking at this process correctly?

A couple of questions:
1) Should I be taking other measurements (i.e. CYA, TA, CH, etc) during this Slam process?
2) Do I keep testing the water (morning, noon, night) and run the numbers through the Pool Math until I reach my SLAM level of 12?
3) When I reach 12, can I go ahead and add my salt to get the SWG going again and then provide you with updated readings for FC, CC, pH, TA, CH, CYA?

Sorry for all the questions as this is all very new to me. And I greatly appreciate all the help from everyone.
 
dr53sk said:
Sorry for all the questions as this is all very new to me.
Click to expand...
Stahp. We literally all come visit the forum to help people. Depending on your schedule you'll get our AM crew, PM crew, or the Aussies on the night shift. We got you around the clock, even if you've been busy for a bit. :)


dr53sk said:
CYA (35)
Click to expand...
Always round to the next 10. (40)
dr53sk said:
this morning I measured FC (2) and CC (1) which called out 4 gals more of chlorine that I put in this morning at 7:00 am
Am I looking at this process correctly?
Click to expand...
Yup. You want to maintain slam as often as it needs replacing, no less than 2 hours apart. As the process plays out the 2 hour dose will mostly hold and you switch to 4 hour tests. Then 8 hour tests. Etc. You have to sleep / work / eat. We get it. Do the best you can and go right until bedtime at night.

Also, skip the CCs until the Overnight Chlorine Loss Test to end slam. Only FC matters now.
dr53sk said:
When I reach 12, can I go ahead and add my salt to get the SWG going again and then provide you with updated readings for FC, CC, pH, TA, CH, CYA?
Click to expand...
You can use the SWG to assist at 12, but the FC loss is all over the place and the SWG is also constant so you'll be dialing it up/down every test and hoping you guessed correctly. If not you saved on bleach but lost time being less efficient. It's more trouble than its worth.

IMG_2607.jpeg
 
I believe I am following SLAM steps to the letter, in fact tonight was the first time I've seen the main drain even though the pool is still clloudy.
But I do have two questions:

1) In these first two days I've gone through gallons of liquid chlorine... 13 gals so far. Is that normal, safe?
2) And my FC went down today. Is this to be expected?
  • 4/29 @ 15:00 FC: 1.0 / CC: 1.0 (Added 5 gals of Chlorine)
  • 4/30 @ 07:00 FC: 2.0 / CC: 1.0 (Added 4 gals of Chlorine)
  • 4/30 @ 10:45 FC: 10.0 / CC: 0.5 (Added 1 gal of Chlorine)
  • 4/30 @ 13:00 FC: 10.5 / CC: 1.0 (Added 1 gal of Chlorine)
  • 4/30 @ 19:30 FC: 7.0 / CC: 1.0 (Added 2 gals of Chlorine)
FWIW, here in the Atlanta area it's been warm and sunny.

As always, I can't thanks this group enough for the assistance and support you've all provided to me.
 
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