My Pool Water Turned Cloudy After Adding Bleach

Hi, I have some experience with flocs, so if I may chime in :)

Flocculants (floc) work by coagulating small particles together into bigger (heavier) ones, so that they can either filter out better or sink to the bottom. Your result from the drinking glass test is what you want to happen in the pool. What I have done in the past is add the floc, circulate water for 2 hours (recirculate if you can, avoid running floc treated water thru your filter), then shut off the pump and let everything settle overnight. Next, day I vacuum the debris and settled particles from the bottom to waste. NEVER run it thru the filter, as you will have a mess on your hands, cleaning the filter. I made that mistake the first time, wondered why my filter pressure went up so fast, went to clean it and found the floc left a slimy residue on the cartridge. I can only imagine what kind of mess it would be for a sand or de filter. As far as how much to add, every floc is different. You'll have to follow the directions on the bottle. Also, make sure you adjust your ph to the ph range listed on the bottle for the best results.

You just need to act on the basis of what your tests showed; I can't advise more than that.

I don't see what kind of filter you have, in your signature. If you can carefully vacuum to waste, that would be probably be best. What you want is to vacuum with as little water as you can, moving as fast as you can without stirring up the floc. You may want to try vacuuming, while someone else adjusts pump speed for you.

Of course, if you have no "waste" position, you'll have to vacuum to filter. In that case, you want again to go as quickly as possible, with as little water as possible, with one more point: keep the pump speed down so you do NOT over load the filter, or push the floc through.

I'd love to hear how it goes!

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Originally Posted by gordyjamz

As far as how much to add, every floc is different. You'll have to follow the directions on the bottle. Also, make sure you adjust your ph to the ph range listed on the bottle for the best results.

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That, in a nutshell, is why we've been reluctant to recommend floc usage. But, we've had so many slimed pools this year, we've relented. However, I have some hope of identifying floc products with 2 or 3 standard ingredients in known concentrations. Even then floc usage is tricky, but if you use PAC instead of alum, it's not quite so 'twitchy'.

It doesn't help in the least though, that most of the chemical companies want to pretend that THEIR product is special and unique, when in fact, they are all single ingredient products, selected from one of 4 or 5 possible ingredients. The only variation is WHICH one they've picked, and how much they've DILUTED it.

Just to clarify things a little. I have not installed the Hayward Ecostar Vari-speed pump yet. I have a brand new one, a salt water system, and a new hayward sand filter. I wanted to get the pool all clean, before installing the new stuff. I am currently running a 3/4 hp Hayward super pump with the OLD sand filter.

I added the flocculant again this afternoon right before dark. Now that it is dark, when I turn my underwater light on, the water looks like it has millions of tiny snowflakes floating around in it. The problem is, is that it is not sinking.

Every time I vacuum though, I am getting lots of slime in both my skimmer and pre-pump filter. As I said earlier, I am still using the old sand filter, which is probably about 10 yrs old. I think I might should change out the sand, and see if that will help it catch more of the slime.

What you think?

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Originally Posted by PoolDoc

However, I have some hope of identifying floc products with 2 or 3 standard ingredients in known concentrations. Even then floc usage is tricky, but if you use PAC instead of alum, it's not quite so 'twitchy'.

It doesn't help in the least though, that most of the chemical companies want to pretend that THEIR product is special and unique, when in fact, they are all single ingredient products, selected from one of 4 or 5 possible ingredients. The only variation is WHICH one they've picked, and how much they've DILUTED it.

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Agree completely on how these companies try and hide ingredients. I have noticed that most of the stores that sell pool flocculant, it is always a thick liquid and blue in color. I think they all say the same on treatment, to use around 1 oz for every 5k gallons for weekly treatments, and to use around 12-14 ounces for 10k. I did a test with multiple "Clarifiers", and they all seem to work the same.

I think my pool and problem, is requiring a lot more ingredient that what they advertise though. ***Note*** I have only tried the thick blue liquid stuff, havent tried "ALUM" yet...

Is there something I can put over my skimmer to help catch some of this floating dead algea? Maybe a stocking, cheesecloth, etc??? My fiance suggested a pair of tights, she said that the material is sewn close together.

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Originally Posted by Wraypau

Is there something I can put over my skimmer to help catch some of this floating dead algea? Maybe a stocking, cheesecloth, etc???

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Sort of like this:
Poolmaster 16242 Poolmaster Skimmer Basket Liner

Watermom and others swear by those things.