Help with Blue Cloud that is my pool!

[S-T-THREE]

Hi all, Thanks for any help. I have tried to recover my pool from the green monster and I feel I have had success. After maintaining a shock level of 15-20 PPM my pool wen t form green to a cloudy blue. Now I am having fits getting the pool clear. Here are my levels from this morning.

FC = 24ppm (level was held overnight!)
CC = 1ppm
PH = 7.8
TA = 60ppm
CYA = 0
Tested with Taylor Kit recommended by this site.

I have been attaining the shock level using HTH's granulated chlorine, I used this because I had it from last season and I'm not worried about my CYA level getting elevated by it. The pool has been this color for the past 4 days. I continue to shock, sweep and run pumps and backwash when needed.

Pool facts:
15,000 G
Sand Filter
Vinyl Lined

[aylad]

Hi, and welcome to the forum!!

Usually when the pool goes to cloudy blue, it means your algae is dead (which is also confirmed by the fact that you can hold chlorine overnight) but is still in the water, needing to be filtered out.

Are you running the filter 24/7? Is the pressure rising as the filter runs? Do you see anything shooting back out of the returns?

Sometimes, if the algae bloom was bad, it just takes several days of filtering to get it all out. The chlorine, after all, just does the killing--the filter is what removes the dead algae from the pool. You might try adding a handful of DE to the skimmer, and watching your pool returns to see if it shoots back into your water. If it does, then you have an issue with your filter. If it doesn't, then the DE will stay in your filter and will help catch some of the finer stuff.

I do suggest that you get some CYA into the pool, while you have it good and clean--if you add it through the skimmer, then it's just going to come out when you backwash. Alternately, you can put it in a sock or knee-hi hose and hang it in front of your return...

Janet

[S-T-THREE]

thank you aylad,
-Yes the pump runs 24/7.
-I have a bucket of stabilizer. I will start that today.
-The pump pressure builds up the longer it runs, and goes down after a backwash.*
*The pump issue leads me to another question. As far as D.E. is concerned, I'm not really sure what that is. Is it a power that works in corelation with a D.E. Filter? Is it a product I get for the pool store? should I be concered about it if my pump is not throwing anything back into the pool?

[aylad]

DE stands for diatomaceous earth, and it is the stuff that is used in DE pool filters. You can get it from the pool store, or from Lowe's or Home Depot, and I have even seen it sold in smaller bags in Walmart's pool section in previous summers.

You should not see anything shooting back into the pool from the returns except water. If you do, then you have a filter issue that needs to be addressed. If you don't, then that's a good thing! You can add a handful through the skimmer, give it about 30 minutes and check your pressure--you're looking for no more than a 1 psi rise in pressure. The DE will help coat the sand, and will help catch the finer stuff. It will wash out when you backwash, though, so you'll have to add more after a backwash.

If the pressure builds while it's running, and goes down after a backwash, then you're doing what you need to do--keep filtering and backwashing as the pressure indicates, and the pool will clear, you just gotta be patient!

Janet

[S-T-THREE]

I added stabilizer last night. I'm shooting for the 30 CYA range. I tested jsut over 20 this morning and I still see a little bit of granules that hav not yet desolved float to the top when I sweep. I can now make out subtle color variations on the pool bottom. I also was able to see a small group of leaves that I have missed. I scooped the leaves and got hte pool back to shock level. Making progress!!

[Watermom]

CYA (stabilizer) takes a while to dissolve fully. Don't waste your reagent. Wait a week before checking it again or adding more. Glad things are looking better.

[S-T-THREE]

Updates!
I can now see the pattern of the vinyl liner at the bottom. I still have a fine green/brown powder that sits on the bottom, I'm hoping leaving the pumps run 24/7 and sweeping will have it eventually get filtured out. I can vacuum if needed, but hate to void that much water from the pool if I don't have to.

Current reading are not complete because I'm waiting to refill reagents, So..

CC-FC = need reagent (But using an older kit I still have a very high reading. ( I know this does not help!!) :-(
CYA = 30ish
CH = 600 (i think this might be atributing to the cloudyness i'm still fighting
PH = 7.2
TA = 60

[Watermom]

You don't always have to vacuum to waste. Instead, you can vacuum to your filter and that way you don't waste so much water. (If a pool is really green and full of algae, it is best to vacuum to waste, though.) Secondly, I think you are right that part of your cloudy water problem is due to the high calcium hardness reading. That is really high. You really might want to consider doing a partial drain and refill to lower it. Glad things are looking better.

[aylad]

Is the CH that high in your fill water, or have you been using cal-hypo for chlorination?

Janet

[S-T-THREE]

I am using cal-hypo for chlorination, but I am not sure what fill water means. If it means municipal water I use to fill the pool, I have neve tested it. Regardless, I have not added water for some time due to heavy rains last week that nearly overfilled the pool. I guess I could test those levels and see if it's attributing to it?