White / Gray Cloud When Brushing, Vacuuming

[KingTJK]

I had an issue last week where I had added stabilizer to the skimmer and a good portion of it wound up back in the pool - mostly under the returns. Please don't focus on how I should hang it in a stocking in front of the return. That lesson has already been learned.

I vacuumed the large deposits back into the filter and most of it appeared to hold. The pool is currently clear and the chemistry is pretty good. The results using TF-100 kit for this morning are:

FC - 3.5
TC - less than .5
PH - 7.3
TA - 60
CYA - 30

Later additional test results from the same sample at Leslie's (I know not to rely on these but sometimes I use them to check against my results):

Phosphates 587
Calcium Hardness 22

So, I've been noticing that a white/gray cloud has been kicking up when brushing the walls and bottom of the pool since before I added anything except 12.5% liquid chlorine when opening the pool. The first time brushing the sides this year the pool a very milky blue/white. The pool is currently clear but got a little cloudy/milky when I ran my pool robot yesterday. I could see the little puffs of milky powdery clouds being stirred up by the robots brush. My DE filter cleared it in less 24 hours. See pictures of what was left in the filter basked.

So, I think I might have more than one issue going on. The granules pictured in the filter basket of my pool robot look like they could be some of the remaining undissolved stabilizer. But because the milky cloudy thing has been happening since before I added stabilizer, I don't know what that is. Please help me figure this out. My details are in my sig but I have a vinyl liner so I don't think it's a calcium hardness thing. In addition to that not being as important in a vinyl liner pool, it's also very low.

One other thing to consider is that my liner is 15+ years old and is totally bleached out. I'm trying to get a new one installed but because of supply issues, it's not going to happen until fall. Could any of this be the liner degrading?

I should probably add that I've seen something like this happen in previous years (some cloudy debris coming off the bottom and sides) but it never seemed to cloud the pool so much.

Should I just brush the walls hard and let the filter clear it until it doesn't happen any more?

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[KingTJK]

Anyone?

 

[needsajet]

Welcome to TFP! Good to have you here

Often the powder is dead algae carcasses, and it's easy to rule out, which helps with diagnosis. To rule it out, do this test: Overnight Chlorine Loss Test

Also, what's your calcium level by the TF100 kit? No need to post pool store results here, we'll ignore them anyway, lol

 

[KingTJK]

I'll try the calcium hardness test tomorrow but I didn't think it mattered in a vinyl pool. Does it?

I'll also do the loss test tomorrow and report back but in the meantime, could you explain a little further. If the algae carcasses are dead, would they be affecting the chlorine levels?

 

[needsajet]

You don't see the free-floating live algae cells. They're invisible to the naked eye. When a pool shows green, there are bazillions of cells floating around. Long before that you'll see overnight chlorine loss unless the pool is TFPC clean.

Usually report all the numbers. If it's old test that's fine.
FC
CC
pH
TA
CH
CYA

Just helps us see the whole picture

 

[KingTJK]

All my numbers were in my first post.

Fresh numbers from this morning (all from TF-100):
FC - 4.5
CC - >.5
pH - 7.3
TA - 60
CH - 25
CYA - 30

I'll do an overnight chlorine test tonight.

I appreciate the response about the free floating algae cells but my questions was "do dead algae carcasses impact chlorine levels"? That was a possible interpretation of what needsajet was saying (post #3). Thanks!

 

[needsajet]

Fair point, yeh. Dead algae would not have much impact on FC levels, no. They're just be an indication that there are live ones getting killed off by chlorine.

 

[KingTJK]

Did my overnight chlorine test. Passed:

10:00 pm - 4 ppm
8:00 am - 3.5

The loss was probably a little less than .5. There was just a very slight tinge of pink that required one last drop on the nighttime test.

 

[Oly]

Good news on the OCLT. Sometimes the cloud can simply be dirt and dust that settles on the bottom. The white material in your basket is the CYA you dumped in my guess. I too see a slight dust cloud in my pool after a windy day and I use my robot with the fine pleated filters for cleaning. Your pool looks great in the middle of all those trees.

 

[KingTJK]

Good news on the OCLT. Sometimes the cloud can simply be dirt and dust that settles on the bottom. The white material in your basket is the CYA you dumped in my guess. I too see a slight dust cloud in my pool after a windy day and I use my robot with the fine pleated filters for cleaning. Your pool looks great in the middle of all those trees.

Thanks! The trees are pretty but they make a mess. Every year at this time I eye my chainsaw.