Test Results - Cloudy Water

I opened my pool about a month ago and everything went great! I had surgery last week and I was unable to keep up with the pool while in the hospital and we had lots of rain and HOT weather. When I got home the pool was GREEN! I didn't know what to do so I added Algicide which helped the greenness, nows its a light cloudy blue gray color and I can't see the bottom. I've read alot of these posts on here and you all have helped me so much- THANK YOU. I think I figured out what to do but I wanted to be sure. My pool is 10,000 gal vinyl with a Hayward sand filter. Here are my test results:

CL 0
CYA 60
PH 8.2 which is the highest (it was bright red)

I was using bags of shock until I came to pool forums and it the chlorine levels would always be 0. :( I started adding a gallon of bleach here and there and still 0. NOW I just went to the store and bought 10 gallons of 5.25% bleach! From what I've read I need to get my chlorine up to about 20ppm because my CYA is 60 and by using the bleach calc. I need to add about 3.5 gal of bleach which I just did. How long do I want to keep my chlorine level at 20? Just until it clears up then keep it within normal range? I know I need to get my PH down but wasn't sure about adding the acid now or wait until I get my chlorine levels under control first??? Its all so confusing but I'm trying!

Am I off to a good start??? Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much!!!

sounds like you know what to do, Just do it...

I HOPE I know what to do! :) It had already been done...crossing my fingers for a crystal clear pool soon! :) Thank you!

I'd get that pH lowered sooner than later, because bleach tends to increase pH in some pools. Muriatic acid would be quicker and easier. Just be careful when you add it, it's potent. Wear gloves, goggles and keep away from fumes. Michaels bleachcalc will allow you to figure out the calculations for both pH and chlorine/bleach, just download. http://www.hal-pc.org/~mwsmith2/BleachCalc262.exe

You need to keep the chlorine up to shock levels until you not longer have combined chlorine and you hold your chlorine levels overnite.

Good luck.

CaryB
Go 'Canes

Just added about 2 cups of Muriatic acid....crossing my fingers! :) Thank you!

First question, what are you testing the chlorine with. OTO (turns yellow but only measures TC accurately), DPD (turns pink and can bleach out with high chlorine levels making you think there is no chlorine in the pool) FAS-DPD (a titration test that will accurately determine FC and CC with high chlorine levels) or test strips which might or might not bleach out with high chlorine levels.

If your chlorine levels are high your pH readings are bogus because high clorine levels will cause the pH to look like it is 8.2 when it is actually much lower (possibly as low as 6.6!)

It is also possible that you have a very high chlorine demand in the pool and the chlorine is getting used up very quickly. This is what I think is occurring. Many algacides can create a chlorine demand like this so if you are using an OTO or FAS-DPD test and it shows no chlorine then you just need to keep putting it in until it takes care of the the demand created by the algae and the algaecide in your pool.

If you can determine that there actually is no chlorine in the pool then by all means get the pH down. It will help the chlorine to work better.

IMHO, test the water with OTO and keep the TC level up until the pool clears. It might take a day and a LOT of bleach but it will clear.

I am testing with OTO.

Yes I too think the pool has a very high chlorine demand especially after the algecide. I will continue to add the bleach. Good thing I stocked up today! :)

I added the Muriatic acid and a tested a few hours later. PH is lower and chlorine with WAY high! BRAVO! :)

Question: Since I can't see the bottom should I still vacuum? Should I scrub the bottom? I scrubbed the bottom today and it turned green again, not as bad of a green but still green. Does this mean there is still live algea at the bottom? Also, should the high chlorine levels kill the algea off?

Thank You!

The high chlorine levels will kill the algae

Okay - Here are my test results this morning:

CYA 60
CL 5.0+ bright yellow but not as bright as last night so I added another gallon and a half of bleach
PH 7.5

The water is still cloudy, can't see the bottom but the color looks like its getting better. More of a blue than gray :)

I'm brushing the pool, should I also be vacuming?

Since the chlorine stayed in the pool overnight does this mean whatever is making the water cloudy is almost gone? When I shocked it a few nights ago there was no chlorine when I retested a few hours later.

What does dead algea look like? Will it still be green? Will it float or sink?

There is a white film on the surface of the water, what could that be?

Thank you!!

UPDATE: I purchased the hayward aqua critter, diving dave actually! :) He is due to arrive tomorrow. Will this help suck up the dead algea and clear up the cloudiness?

Also, I tested again this afternoon and the chlorine is staying at the same levels. I hope all is dead now! :)

Thanks!

As of last night the chloine levels were still holding which had been more than 24 hours...This morning when I tested it was back down to 0!!!!!!!! I just added more bleach. The Ph is finally good but I guess that'll change now that I've added bleach! The water is still cloudy even when the bleach held for 24 hours. Diver Dave should be here any time now to start cleaning the bottom and maybe have better water circulation.

Any suggestions while I wait on what I should do?

Thanks!

Keep hitting it with bleach until it clears.

The addition of bleach doesn't necessarily mean that your pH will rise--it does in some pools but not all. Even if it does, it's an easy fix to add a little muriatic acid to bring it back down.

Janet

I'm reading this thread because I, too, have cloudy water and the reasons seem similar to quenterry0. There was a question in there about white film/foam on the surface of the water. I have that too and I don't know if anyone got a chance to respond to that. What is it? I have been following the bleach, borax, baking soda and muriatic acid plan, but with no luck. My ph levels are good this morning, the chlorine levels are a little low so I'll add some bleach. I have been filtering 24/7 since I opened in the middle of May. The cloudy water has not changed at all in 5 days. Ben's test is on its way ( I read somewhere that it's going to be sent out on Tuesday - yea!). Could there be something wrong with my filter (Hayward-sand)? I just don't remember ever seeing foam - almost bubble like - stuff at the top of my pool. Thanks for any help.

Did you use any Algaecide?

mine wasn't bubbly at all just little flake like things?? :)

My cloudy water never went away - it was a nice blue color but very cloudy! I couldn't see the bottom at all to know where to scrub/vacuum. Finally I added clarifier and my pool is CRYSTAL CLEAR!!!!!!!!

my next problem I'm trying to figure out - I bought this sand filter used from someone last year - they only had it 3 months and got rid of the pool. I filled it with 50lbs of sand b/c it didn't say on it how much to add and when I dumped the old sand out it looked like the same amount as the 50lb bag. Well it seemed like it was clearing my dead algea so I added another 50lb bag and I think I added too much...I have a pile of sand sitting in the center of the pool. I'm going to try to vacuum to waste and hope it doesn't make it cloudy again my stirring up all the sand.

Good Luck to you!! :)

In response to poolbuoy - no I did not use any Algaecide? I thought you should only use chlorine to kill the algae. My pool is starting to change for the better as I desperatly needed CYA. Now the chlorine is holding and the color is looking much better.

My new problem is similar to the last part of this thread. Sand in the water by the return jets. A couple of weeks ago, it was just a little sand. Now I've got at least a cup of sand by all three return jets in the pool. Clearly something wrong with the filter (Jacuzzi - ST24) - but what? How can I test where the problem might be?

I posted this question under the Pool equipment section, but no answers so far.

I believe that one common problem that has occurred when you see sand blowing back into your pool is that one or more of the laterals may be broken, but to check for that you're going to have to empty the filter again.

Janet