Cloudy water after algae bloom

[Robin N]

I've been fighting an algae bloom and now I'm struggling to clear up the cloudy water. I've been maintaining shock levels for a week and a half and still brushing and vacuuming and backwashing. Water looks clear, but still not sparkling. My water turned blue several days ago and has looked blue but cloudy since Saturday. I can see the bottom, just a little cloudier on the deep end. Each morning I go out to run tests, backwash, scrub and vacuum, then add bleach. Today it didn't need bleach - the Cl reading stayed the same from last night. I have been finding minimal amounts of algae lying on the floor, mainly along the wrinkles of the liner. Just a couple of "quarter sized" dots in other places.

My numbers are:

(was using Ben's FAS-DPD Test, but used it all during the algae - I've ordered a replacement bottle of #2 and the power)

Cl 40
FC (was at 0 each time I tested, before I used all the #2.)
pH 8.2+ (I'm not trusting this number because of the high Cl level)
Alk unreadable due to high Cl - stoppped trying after 40 drops
CYA read as 45 (BUT prior to my algae attack it was 130 - my reading and the pool stores reading. I've been draining about 4 inches of my pool each time I vacuum to waste and refilling, (at least once daily) plus my water evaporates here too. Could this have really affected my CYA levels that much?)

We really want to swim soon. We've had this pool about 3 weeks now and we've only been in it 3 times. My husband is off for a couple of days and the kids are ready to swim too. We are wanting to enjoy the rewards of all that hard work fighting the algae.

[CarlD]

Try 2 things that are easy and inexpensive:

1) add a skimmer sock to your skimmer. Most pool stores sell them and they are cheap and reusable--3-5 in a pack for $5 is the local price here--they go by various names. They catch an AMAZING amount of stuff--in May mine was catching tons of pollen. I'm only on my 2nd sock of the season, so it's a cheap addition.

2) Poconos's DE trick for sand filters. DE is cheap--buy 10# or less--should cost less than $9. Or, if you have a neighbor with a DE filter, borrow a cup of DE to try it. Start by adding 1/3 of a cup to the skimmer (without the sock in, please!), wait 20 minutes and see if your pump pressure goes up 1 lb. If it doesn't, add another 1/3 and wait again. Once pressure is up 1 lb, you are done. Keep running your filter and you should see the water clear. When you backwash, you lose the DE and need more, but you don't use much. If you add too much DE and you filter clogs, just backwash to clear it and start again, using less DE this time.

Hopefully these will help filter that fine stuff out. You can also try adding a dose of Polyquat algaecide--it's never bad to use polyquat, and it does act as a flocculant to clump particles together. But only polyquat

[Robin N]

Thanks for the quick response - can you tell me what DE is and where I might find it?

[Sherra]

DE is Diatomaceous Earth. It's a fine white powdery substance. Most pool stores will carry it. Just call and ask for "DE" or "DE filter medium". Both the pool stores in my town didn't carry it, so I had to call stores in the next town over to find any. I paid $14 for a 20 pound bag...it was the only size bag they had. That amount will last me for YEARS (since I'm just adding a little at a time to my sand filter).

[Dr. Spike]

You might also be able to find DE at places like Wal-Mart, hardware stores, or mega lumber yards that caries pool supplies. And of course on-line pool supply retailers.

[day1]

You can get DE at Lowes or home depot. It only comes in a big box, so don't
look eye-level, it will be on the bottom. I got AquaChem from Lowe's for $12

[poolmom06]

Can this be done on a DE pool too? My neighbor has one and has trouble with cloudiness this year. I can borrow some of their DE

[duraleigh]

Hmmm. It seems this thread has taken off chasing DE to get the ????? out of the pool.

After algae, probably the most common cause of "cloudy" water is high pH

I suggest you find a method to accurately confirm your pH and, if it's high, bring it down to 7.2 and keep it there.

[rollinrock]

Try 2 things that are easy and inexpensive:

1) add a skimmer sock to your skimmer. Most pool stores sell them and they are cheap and reusable--3-5 in a pack for $5 is the local price here--they go by various names. They catch an AMAZING amount of stuff--in May mine was catching tons of pollen. I'm only on my 2nd sock of the season, so it's a cheap addition.

2) Poconos's DE trick for sand filters. DE is cheap--buy 10# or less--should cost less than $9. Or, if you have a neighbor with a DE filter, borrow a cup of DE to try it. Start by adding 1/3 of a cup to the skimmer (without the sock in, please!), wait 20 minutes and see if your pump pressure goes up 1 lb. If it doesn't, add another 1/3 and wait again. Once pressure is up 1 lb, you are done. Keep running your filter and you should see the water clear. When you backwash, you lose the DE and need more, but you don't use much. If you add too much DE and you filter clogs, just backwash to clear it and start again, using less DE this time.

Hopefully these will help filter that fine stuff out. You can also try adding a dose of Polyquat algaecide--it's never bad to use polyquat, and it does act as a flocculant to clump particles together. But only polyquat

What does a skimmer sock do? I have nerver heard of it.

[itstoohot]

A skimmer sock is a finely woven fabric that allows water to pass, but traps particles down to a certain size. They fit over top of the skimmer basket. They are excellent at filtering out stuff that can muck up your filter and cause you to change cartridges/backwash more than usual.