Persistent Cloudy Water...now worse

I started this spring with a pool not maintained properly by the previous owners the past season and not closed properly in the fall. The pool was left uncovered during the winter when we acquired the house and we started to try to get the pool in shape beginning in mid May. At that time the pool looked like a swamp with clumps of green algae floating on the surface.

Fortunately I came across the Pool Solutions web site and this forum just before starting on the swamp. I have tried to follow the BBB method to the "T" and now after nearly a month and a half I am getting quite frustrated. I started with no CYA in the water and began nightly doses of of bleach that brought the FC to at least 15PPM on a nightly basis. Finally after weeks of this treatment I began seeing the water turn to blue but still very cloudy. I have left the filter on 24/7 since I began. In the whole month and a half the water has never cleared enough to make out the pattern on the bottom of the pool. We have had bluish cloudy water until about two days ago when the water turned a cloudy murky brownish green. While swimming near the bottom I can see what appears to be a brown dusting on the bottom that swirls up into the water when a hand or foot passes near. The night after the water turned a cloudy murky brownish green I shocked to FC of 20PPM which made no difference in the appearance of the water.

My test results this morning with my Taylor K2006 kit were as follows:

FC 4.0
CC 0.5
PH 7.4
TA 70
CH 60
CYA 50

Any help in getting this pool straightened out would be greatly appreciated...Thanks

Hi and welcome to the Pool Forum! I'm sorry you are struggling to get this clear. Hopefully we can help get you swimming soon.

My first question is .... what is your source of fill water? Actually, instead of me asking a bunch of questions, let me just ask you to fill in your pool's information in our pool chart.

Pool Chart Entry Form
Pool Chart Results

Also, please list all products you have used in your pool. Is your filter pressure rising? How often are you backwashing?

We'll start with this much and then go from there after we get some additional info from you.

By the way, thank you very much for the subscription! We appreciate the financial support because it helps keep our forum alive!

Thank you for your help! I have used nothing in the pool but 6% bleach, Borax, baking soda and granular stabilizer. My filter runs about 7.5 lbs of pressure after a backwash and doesn't really seem to rise very much even after vacuuming or letting it run for a week or more. I have back washed about once a week or so even though the pressure doesn't really seem to rise more than a pound or so.

I'm wondering if your gauge is working properly.

When you backwash, is the discharge water dirty?

Do you know if your sand filter has enough sand?

Have you tried turning the pump off and seeing if anything will settle?

Have you had any periods of time where your chlorine dropped too low?

I'm not sure about the gauge working correctly although I just bought it new and installed it.

Yes the water does run dirty for four or five minutes when back washing.

I do not know if the filter has enough sand although the previous homeowner claims that it does but considering the source... I DON"T KNOW.

I have not tried turning off the pump.

Yes, until I got the CYA built up it would drop to almost zero after a day in the sun.

Thanks

You might check to see if your filter has enough sand in it. How old is it, any idea? You typically do lose sand over time with backwashing.

Let's also have you do the overnight test. This evening, test your water and add enough bleach to get back to shock level. Then, in the morning within two hours of sunrise, test chlorine again and see how much you lose overnight. Also, please test CC in the morning. Report these readings. If you are still losing more than 1ppm of chlorine overnight and have more than 0.5ppm of CC, then you are still fighting something in the water.

Then, tomorrow, we may see about turning the pump off for awhile to see if anything will settle to the floor that can be vacuumed to waste.

I will have to check the sand. I know the filter and pump were replaced about two years ago but there is still no telling what is in it. I know that when I try to vacuum algae some blows through and the water becomes more cloudy. I tried to test it with DE though and didn't notice any of that coming back in through the return.

Added bleach last night to 15PPM, this morning tested 14PPM and no sign at all of CC.

Good news on your morning testing results. Yes, do check the sand level.

I have never been into a filter. How would I determine if it would be better to replace the sand or just add more? Also what level do I fill it too?

Sand doesn't need to be replaced unless it gets gunked up by using something like Baquacil. So, you wouldn't need to replace it but may need to top it off. Check your manual. It should tell you how high the sand bed is supposed to be for your particular model.

Sorry it has been so long...been very busy, out of town etc. Just to bring you up to date I changed out my sand and filled to specs and finally have crystal clear water! Thanks for your help.

What I am a little concerned about is my test results this morning. I can't really say why the big change other than too many people trying to help while we have been out of town.

FC 10
PH 7.8
TA 150
CH 120
CYA 40

We are leaving again Friday for about a week. Are there any adjustments I need to make before leaving? As I say the water is beautiful...I hate to loose it.

Thanks

I don't see anything wrong with those numbers at all. You could shock the pool again if you wanted to Friday right before you leave, take the chlorine up to 15 ppm but otherwise that's about as good as it gets :)

You could put some trichlor pucks in a floater if you wanted to and leave them in the pool (I would tether the floater so it doesn't float over next to your liner and bleach it) so that there is some continuous chlorine feed in the pool, or you might consider having somebody come in and dump a gallon of bleach in the pool every couple of days...

Janet