White Cloudy Water

[ScosheOwn]

I have a Taylor kit. Numbers this morning were chlorine at 6 PPM, alkalinity at 80 PPM, hardness at 40 ppm, CYA very low (under 10 ppm - i wanted to get this cleared up before adding CYA boost since the granules I have require pretty much no backwashing of my sand filter for a few days while they dissolve. But the solar cover is on all day since we have not started swimming yet, so chlorine evap is not too bad a problem ) I have an above ground vinly pool, with a sand filter that holds 200 lb of sand. I have been backwashing pretty much every day but for a week now the pool cloudiness has not changed at all (milky white.) I checked the sand last night and the level seemed okay, but I added about 30 pounds more since it might have been a little low. the sand was changed 4 or 5 years ago. i do think the milky white was likely caused by my mistake of added baking soda and hardness increaser at the same time. Will that eventually filter out? I have had it suggested that I try adding poly 60% so I did order a quart of that today. Is there something else I should try. As you say, I would certainly prefer to not drain my vinyl pool very far at all, though if the cloudiness is permanent thanks to my screw up then I am not sure what else to do. thanks!

[ScosheOwn]

As far as chems added, I use liquid chlorine, baking doa to raise alkalinity, and granules of either PH minus or PH plus depending on the need. I aslo this week (in desperation) added a couple of pounds of shock - it was di-chlor I believe. I have also tried adding DE to my sand filter a couple of itmes, but that does not seem to help either.

[PoolDoc]

If it's calcium carbonate, just dissolve it!

Use muriatic acid to lower your pH to 7.0, and then add just a little more acid. Keep it at 6.8 - 7.0 for a couple of days -- if it doesn't dissolve, it's not calcium. Actually, with a TA=80 and a CH=40, I'm skeptical that it's calcium . . . unless you saw it turn cloudy, immediately after adding both.
Read http://pool9.net/muriatic/

Also, if you can see your pool return, do the DE test: http://pool9.net/de-test/ . (But there's no use, unless you could see a white cloud emerging from the nozzle.)

[ScosheOwn]

thanks very much! I can see the return, so when I get home tonite from work I will try the DE test. If it is not calcium then I guess it is just a ton of dead algea which I should be able to get out by running the pump 24/7 and using 60% poly?

[PoolDoc]

1. SLOW the water flow. Over-sized pumps force dead algae through under-sized sand filters.
2. Use the polyquat - it *may* help.

The bad news? It appears that the process of forcing algae through sand may fragment the dead bits into even SMALLER and harder to filter bits.

As an alternative:
1. Put the filter on recirculate
2. Add the polyquat (label sized dose, not the whole bottle!)
3. Mix for 4 hours and then turn the pump OFF.
4. Wait 24 hours, and see if the algae is settling.
5. If the algae DOES settle, wait, then vacuum to WASTE.
6. BUT . . . maintain chlorine levels with bleach while the pump is off.

[ScosheOwn]

Will do. Thanks very much for the advice!

[ScosheOwn]

Ben, i tried lowering the PH to 7.0 for a couple of days to burn off calcium, but that did not help, so I think you are right (and I am wrong) about it being a mix of calcium and baking soda that is causing the cloudy water. Last night I added the 60% poly, ran the pump for 4 hours on recirculate, then shut it off. This afternoon it finally looks like the water is clearing up - I can see the bottom for the first time in two weeks and it appears there are little piles of debris. I will wait a few more hours to see if the water continues to clear, and the as you said, I will vacuum to waste. Thanks very much for all of your advice! Seems like 60% poly works better as a clarifier then the stuff that is sold as a clarifier.

[PoolDoc]

It's a pretty good clarifier.

Back in the day when Buckman still held a patent on it, they sold it as a microbiocide under the label WSCP, and as clarifier under a different label for 50% less. It was during that period that requirements for MSDS info was first being enforced widely, and when I got my hands on the sheets for the two products, I recognized the labeling difference. Since I was not selling the product, but using in directly in large commercial pools, I purchased a couple of 55 gallon drums of the 'clarifier' for use as, well, an 'anti-algae clarifer'!

Buckman caught on to this practice fairly quickly. Apparently some resellers were packaging polyquat, but buying half of the stock as WSCP and half as the clarifier. Buckman did NOT approve!