My cloudy pool

[nateshirk]

I have not tried the DE. I haven't had a chance to get any. But I may wait because doesn't back washing clear out the DE? I'm constantly back washing from vacuuming. Will all the rain affect the chlorine level overnight? It's raining as I type. Can I use the sodium hypochlorite from the pool store, since I already have it, or just go to bleach? They're the same thing right? Just different concentrates?

[Watermom]

Backwashing will clear it out but if there is a problem with your filter, it will help find it and potentially help you get the pool clear faster.

The main problem with rain is that people don't go out and check their pools and thus chlorine levels get low. Just be sure you keep chlorine levels up. In my pool, a lot of rain will lower my pH.

You are right that bleach is sodium hypochlorite, usually 8.25% and yours may be 10 or 12.5%. (If it is at the advertised concentration although often that is not the case.)

[nateshirk]

FC was 12ppm this morning around 10am. No where near sunrise, but still good right? CC is 0, pH 7.6, TA 150. Didn't think I needed to test CYA and hardness again. Pool looks clearer. I can't vacuum yet because the water level is low from vacuuming to waste yesterday.

[Watermom]

Glad to hear that you are making progress.

To know when you have passed the overnight test, you need two numbers to compare. In the evening, add enough bleach to get to shock level. An hour or so later, retest the chlorine and make note of the reading. The next morning within an hour of sunrise, test the chlorine again and compare it to the reading from the night before. (The reason for wanting to get a morning reading before there is much sun on the pool is because sunlight will also drop the chlorine. Chlorine loss overnight when there is no sun is strictly from oxidizing stuff in the water. You need to be able to tell how much chlorine was used sanitizing without loss to the sun being a factor. Does that make sense?)

So, shock it again tonight and compare numbers in the morning and then post with results. Sounds like you are on the right track!

[nateshirk]

What should the chlorine level be for this type of shock? Am I supposed to jump it up to around 30ppm or is my level of 12ppm still shocking the pool?

[Watermom]

With a CYA level around 50ppm, your shock level would be around 15ppm. http://pool9.net/cl-cya/

What is the percentage of sodium hypochlorite in the liquid chlorine that you have?

(Also, please update your signature to say that you have a K2006. You can do so by clicking on the tab in my signature below.)

[nateshirk]

12.5% sodium hypochlorite. So I need to keep it at 15ppm all day everyday until it clears up? Even if it drops during the day, should I add chlorine to keep it at 15ppm, or just wait until night?

[Watermom]

Assuming that it actually is 12.5% (and may not be as it degrades), each gallon would add about 4.5ppm of chlorine.

The best time to add chlorine is in the evening but if you are around during the day you can certainly add more then as well.

[nateshirk]

When testing chlorine, it says to add 2 dippers of R-0870. If my water already turns pink after the first supper, is the second one necessary? Just curious.

Also, 1 of my 2 skimmers pulls air into the filtering system. I have it shut off. Would it be more beneficial to leave it open and let it suck in the air too, or just keep it shut off? How much could this be hurting the process?

[Watermom]

If one dipper turns the sample pink, no need to add the second one.

I don't know about the skimmer question.