Pool party aftermath

[Poolhouse]

We hosted an after prom pool party this weekend. The pool was clean and clear before hand with readings of: FC=9, CC=0, Ph= 7.6, TA=100, CYA=60, temp=90, ambient temp 55 (Brrr) Fifteen teenagers splashed around for about two hours. They had a blast. Knowing the pool now contained huge amounts of sweat, makeup, glitter, self tanner, etc, etc I turned the salt water chlorinator to 50% and let the filter run all night. The next morning I brushed the walls and vaccumed. Water testing with my Taylor kit showed FC=7, CC=0.5, pH 7.6. I felt pretty happy with this and went for a swim myself. However, as I swam underwater with goggles on, the water appeared a bit hazy although still clear (does that make sense?). The sun was shining brightly and it looked as though there were a lot of tiny bubbles or very fine particulate everwhere. I finished my swim, closed the cover and left the pump running and ran some chores. Around 5 pm, I got back into the pool and noticed the pool still looked hazy. There was a definite scum line seen and felt around the perimeter. I followed this forums advice and used a sponge with baking soda and washed down the walls. I vaccumed again and made sure the skimmer and pump baskets were clean. Being curious, I tested the water again to see if the chlorine had dropped. FC= 7, CC=0.5. I closed the cover and kept the pump running. I am wondering if this haze will disappear with continued manual cleaning or do you suggest I add bleach to get the FC to 15?

[PoolDoc]

You can take the chlorine to 15 ppm -- it definitely won't hurt anything.

I'd also recommend leaving the cover at least partially open. After that kind of bather load on a small pool, there's a lot of gook in the water than has to be oxidized. Some of the oxidation products are noxious, but are volatile and will escape the pool on their on. However, if the pool's covered they remain trapped.

Just as important: some types of 'goo removal' require BOTH chlorine AND UV (ie, sunlight) so covering the pool interferes. If you're not going to be using the pool for a few days, I'd turn the heater off and uncover the pool.

If it's practical, it would also help to clean the filter, since it's better to remove the goo physically than chemically.

However, I wouldn't be surprised if it took most of the week to return to the water quality you've seen in low use periods.

[Poolhouse]

Thanks so much! I did turn the heater off and will let the water temp reduce on its own. The weather in this part of Ohio is unpredictable and I can't see swimming on a regular basis quite yet. I think I will increase the FC tonight--as you say, it can't hurt. We are expected to get a few days of 60 degree sunny days so I will open the cover. My husband will clean the filter as well. Again, thank you for your help. I was so lucky to have found this forum as our pool was being installed last fall. I've resisted all "pool store schooling" and have used nothing but liquid bleach (and the SWCG)and muriatic acid. So far everthing has been running smoothly and our pool has been easy to maintain and a joy to use.

[PoolDoc]

You're welcome. Glad it's working out so well for you!