White Cloudy Water - Twighlight Zone

[szampino]

My water had a white cloudy(hazy) color. I could see to the bottom but it wasn't clear. Just to put it in perspective, the 4th rung of the ladder closest to the bottom was harder to see then the first rung in the pool. Additionally, I have a fountain on my return that spashes into the pool. The bubbles from the splash linger longer then a bubble should and when I pop them with my finger I get a small little circular ring of white, sort of like a thin circular line of white residue.

Water Stats before dumping in 3gal of Bleach in a last ditch effort to clear the cloud!

Temp 80%
CYA - 50
TC - 5.1
FC - 4.2
CC - .9
PH - 7
TA - 107
Hardness - 127
I float a 3" Stabalized Chlorine tablet. (removed prior to adding the Bleach and wont put back in until I get this under control),
Use PoolMagnet to maintain Metals.

Pool - Intex above ground Blow-up Ring, 18' diameter x48" deep (round), Cartridge Filter

A little background -
Water source is a well (no filters). Battled Metals and got the water crystal clear for about 1 week (thanks to this site and some of the metals experts Vitaman C). I went on a business trip during some massive rain storms and came back to a white cloudy pool. Tried to clean-up using post(s) advise by raising the chlorine levels in the pool gradually to shock level to avoid metal reactions. Tried to add Clarifier-no reaction. I had the same cloudy water last year that no-one around me knew how to handle. I felt a lot more confident this year with the support from this site.

I used Super Sock-It in small quantities to raise to shock levels. I maintained shock levels for about 2 days, while keeping an eye on PH. No change at all to Cloudy water (no better, no worse).

I just dumped in 3 Gal of houshold bleach due to the CC readings and watched the pool almost magically get cloudier. (finally at least a reaction)

I'm hoping that someone out there has an idea. I am completely out of POP. If you would like more background please see the thread titled (iron Copper) in the metals area.

PS: I'm ordering my Bens Test kit today!

[bradjo]

...........snip....................
CYA - 50
TC - 5.1
FC - 4.2
CC - .9
PH - 7

Those chloramines indicate that you have an unfulfilled chlorine demand. You are at a good pH for chlorine so that's good news!

You need to follow Carl's post stickied at the top and start dousing your pool with Chlorine until your chlorine level remains the same overnight and your CC's have returned to 0.

Test 3 times a day as he says and keep dumping in bleach to keep your Chlorine at shock level according to Ben's best guess chart. Just keep up the bleach and the testing. Everytime you drop below the shock level you allow the critters to reproduce and get another toe hold taking longer to clear the issue. So first get that chlorine appetite fed. Then when your chlorine is holding overnight any secondary issues can be solved.
hth,
Jo

[szampino]

Thanks for the reply.

Question: How important is the Vaccum to waste? My pool doesn't quite accomodate that very well.

[szampino]

One additional Question: "the skeptic in me"

What are the chances that I have same exact problem as last year?

Consistant factor: Same water source, different Metal treatment (AA) along with PoolMagnet(usedLast year). Is it possible that I could be fighting the same thing? What are the chances it is not critter related?

Could the metals be doing this?

***I raise the question because if there is something strange in my well water it may have a larger impact then just cloudy pool water....like on my health considering its the same water I drink (thougth treated, Greensand,salts and a Neuturalizer.

Open to any thoughts.

[KurtV]

Is the "Super Sock It" calcium hypochlorite? Is so, that's probably a primary or contributing cause.

Insufficient (and maybe inconsistent) chlorination is the other likely cause.

I recommend you ditch the "Super Sock It and bring your chlorine to shock levels using bleach. I'd go to at least 15 ppm but probably 20 ppm for your CYA level based on the best guess table.

I also recommend that you not use any more clarifier; it won't do anything for cloudy water and one of Ben's basic tenets is that you shouldn't add anything to your water that you don't need. Likewise the chlorine tablets; your CYA level is about where you want it.

Finally, your test results look as if they're from a pool store. Do you have a test kit? You need something (other than test strips) that will allow you to test pH and chlorine daily. Many here recommend the 5-(or is it 6)way kit from Wal-Mart as a stop-gap until you can get Ben's kit (or a Taylor K2006 or other with an FAS-DPD chlorine test).

[szampino]

PoolStore it was.

where do I get the test kit. I've searched the site and can't find it. I did find it once from www.poolforum.com but coudn't access the site today. Everytime I click the link near pre-orders it gives me a bad page.

[KurtV]

The order page is: http://www.poolsolutions.com/cart/ps234.php, but as you said, there seems to be a problem there right now.

[szampino]

Thanks.

I thought I may have had the wrong page.

What about one of these kits? I'm considering the Taylor K-2006 FAS DPD

http://www.poolcenter.com/taylor_test_kits.htm

If Ben's site isn't up I'm going to have to do something.

The strips don't seem to be cutting it. I had a walmart 6way test strip and a 4way bioguard.

[KurtV]

The K2006 is very similar to Ben's kit. I think the main difference is that Ben has sized the reagent amounts better (you should run out of everything at about the same time). But, he uses the Taylor reagents so functionally they should be the same.

[bradjo]

I couldn't wait so I purchased the K-2006C that's the one you want if you can't get Bens yet and yes you need a good kit although my Aqua Chem ($12.00) performs as well as my K-2006C but my AC doesn't have the range of my 2006C. I use my AC daily and my Taylor twice weekly. Further other's on the forum haven't found their AquaChem's to be as accurate so I'd go with the Taylor if not Ben's.

Obviously chlorine can't remove large organic objects. If you have "things" on the floor of your pool then vacuuming to waste is good but any removal method will work.

Right now you need chlorine chlorine chlorine and kill that demand. Handle pools in a linear manner, kill the chlorine demand first. Your test results show you need more so give it more and don't be shy this can take awhile. Please read Carl's post stickied on top here.

As for your drinking water hopefully you don't swim in it. I don't suspect it has the nitrogen load a pool has. But if you have any concerns call your public health department and find sources for testing!
hth,
Jo