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Thread: really cloudy water

  1. #1
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    Default really cloudy water

    at pool opening we had superbly greenish brown water, we tried everything from algae eliminater to vacuuming, to 10 bags of shock plus, you name it, water started to turn over, but then we had issues with pump motor, and algae took over again. Motor replaced and the battle of algae began again, So I drained pool 1/2 way took sample of water to pool store and they gave me a bunch of crap to dump in after I refilled and NOTHING, so I read online that you couldn't overshock a pool, so that's what I did I went to a local store and bought cases of liquid shock and started with 4 gallons the first night, and the next morning I had blue cloudy water, then the next day another 4 gallons and the next morning just a little bit better, that was over a week ago.

    Now I am stuck with extremely cloudy water and nothing seems to help, my ph keeps dropping and my chlorine tabs seem to just keep getting ate up, I don't know what to do, please help

    I have a 24 ft round above ground 4ft deep vinyl liner sand filter

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    Default Re: really cloudy water

    First of all, we need some good current water testing numbers to be able to help. Go see if your local Walmart has an HTH 6-Way drops kit (NOT test strips) and test your water. If they don't, at least pick up a cheap OTO/Phenol Red kit (yellow and red drops). Also, get a jug of distilled water, a bunch of jugs of their generic 8.25% bleach and two or three boxes of 20 Mule Team Borax (laundry aisle).

    Repost with some numbers and when you do, also tell us:
    -- exactly what all you have put in the pool, meaning ingredients and not just product names
    -- what size pump you have (hp)
    -- what size filter you have (how much sand does it hold)
    -- what your source of fill water is (a well or city water)

    Then, someone here can try and help.

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    Default

    Tara, without the information W-M asked for I can't be sure, but your problems are typical of AG pool owners with sand filters. There's nothing wrong with sand filters, though. The problem is that dealers sell big pumps, which cost the same as small AG pumps, as a 'feature', but supply small sand filters, since the big ones cost more.

    The combination of a big pump with a little sand filter does 2 things:
    1. It blows some of the sand out the drain every time you backwash, &
    2. It forces dead algae THROUGH the filter, instead of allowing the filter to catch the algae.

    The typical quick fix involves:
    1. Replacing the lost sand.
    2. Installing a valve BETWEEN the pump and the filter so you can slow the flow.

    The long term fix involves replacing or reworking your pump.

    The QUICKEST fix is to drain 3/4 of your pool and then refilling. It will STILL be somewhat cloudy, but you'll be able to swim while you work on your other problems.

    I should note that there are other possible problems, such as adding "Metal Free" and a polyquat algaecide to the same pool, or adding large amounts of alkalinity increaser and calcium increaser at the same time. But the algae / filter issue is the most common.

    . . . membership upgraded.

  4. #4
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    Default Re: really cloudy water

    our pump is a Hayward power flo lx pump Hp1.5
    the sand filter I believe holds 150lbs at least that's what it looks like it says on the side it is a V series

    about 2 weeks ago when we had major algae and pool was severely green we had tried aqua chem algae elimanator and it didn't do anything, I also bought shock plus from walmart a total of 10 bags and nothing, so we drained the pool 1/2 way took sample to pool store and they gave us, I don't even remember what they gave us we filled added didn't work, still had green algae filled water.....I went to a local mom and pop store, they had liquid shock, I put 4 gallons in the pool and left it running o filter all night and by morning we had blue cloudy water, that night I added another 4 gallons and water was a little bluer but still cloudy, I took sample in to pool store they said ph was low everything else good, add 8lbs of baking soda and 5 ozs of clarifier ad that should do the trick......24 hrs later.......nothing.......so after another 24hrs I added another 5ozs like they said and again nothing, that was a week ago today. Yesterday I got in the pool and spent 3 hrs vacuuming every inch of it, only got out a small amount of leaf debris and there were very few slippery spots, I'm not even getting anymore free floating dead algae, BUT I did find a quarter on the bottom of the pool if that matters, last night I added a bag of shock that is meant to treat 24000 gal n my pool is only 14000 and still no change.
    I only have the test kit that came with our pool and when we tested this morning the BR/CL was 3.4-1.5 and the ph was 7.6-7.8 range
    I also pulled the ladder out and scrubbed that bad boy down with bleach
    when I got in to vacuum yesterday I couldn't see waist down, excuse my babbling I'm an extreme newbie, we just got the pool last year this is our first opening after a winter
    thank you
    Last edited by tarak; 06-15-2014 at 07:31 PM. Reason: removed extra sentence
    12k gal 24' x 4' deep ft round AG vinyl pool, sand filter. PF=10

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    Default Re: really cloudy water

    Go to Walmart and see if they have an HTH 6-Way test kit (NOT 6-Way test strips). Also, buy a bunch of jugs of their 8.25% bleach, a jug of distilled water and a couple of boxes of Borax.

    Your pump and filter are very much mismatched. The pump is too big for your pool and the sand filter is too small for that pump. The problem is that the pump forces algae through the filter without filtering it out. It is probably also blowing sand out every time you backwash so your sand may be low which also would affect the function of the filter.

    Post numbers tomorrow and let us know if you were able to find the 6-Way kit. Also, tell us if the pool is green at all anymore or just bluish and cloudy. Run the pump 24/7 right now and backwash the filter as needed.

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    Default Re: really cloudy water

    went to walmart yesterday and they did not have the hth 6 way test kit, seemed to be sold out of them all except strips, so I'm stuck with what I have for now....I will go back again in the morning and pick up the bleach, distilled water, and borax, could you please specify the exact amount I should get and how much I should put in the pool at a time? I want to do it properly. thank you!!
    also about the pump and filter, the original pump we got with the pool last year was a smaller one and failed working it was under warranty and they had to replace, this is the one they gave us, they said that it's the one they are using now.
    and as for the current color of the water it is blue, no more green and no more algae, I'm not even getting the dead algae floating around anymore, I do believe I have killed it all off
    12k gal 24' x 4' deep ft round AG vinyl pool, sand filter. PF=10

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    Maybe, 6 gallons of PLAIN 8% bleach; 2 boxes of borax, and 1 gallon of distilled water. Try to find a 2-way OTO/phenol red drops kit, too.

    Till you get things worked out, adding 1/2 gallon of bleach each evening should 'keep' your pool.

  8. #8
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    Default Re: really cloudy water

    what is the borax and distilled water for?
    12k gal 24' x 4' deep ft round AG vinyl pool, sand filter. PF=10

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    Default Re: really cloudy water

    Borax increases your pH without screwing up other things -- if you have low pH, you want to fix that ASAP since it can tear up your pool.

    Distilled water is for pH testing (and later, CYA testing, if you have high CYA). Phenol red pH tests only work up to 5 ppm of chlorine (10 ppm with the Taylor kits), but you can dilute pool water with distilled, lowering the chlorine, but not changing the pH much.
    Last edited by Watermom; 06-16-2014 at 01:53 PM. Reason: fix typo

  10. #10
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    Default Re: really cloudy water

    ok I went to 2 walmarts and both are sold out of the HTH 6 way all they had were the 3 way, which I already have, I picked up the borax and the bleach came home and tested the water my ph is reading 6.8 or below, BR is 0.4 CL is 0.2
    The water is very blue but still very cloudy, I know I need to add the borax to bring up the ph but how much do I add? AND do I add it directly to the water or do I mix with fresh water then add to pool? also do I add the 1/2 gallon of bleach at the same time or do I wait awhile then add?
    I've already backwashed 3 times today, and it's been 48 hrs since I have added anything to my pool water.
    it's been a pretty beautiful sunny hot day here in Tn so I know I need to wait a bit while the sun goes down some before I add anything.
    thank you so much for all your help so far!!!
    12k gal 24' x 4' deep ft round AG vinyl pool, sand filter. PF=10

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