White Cloudy Water - Twighlight Zone

[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

[szampino]

Losing faith!

It's been 4 days of bleaching. I was traveling and just ordered bens kit(express mail). I purchased 6way strips from Walmart along with a Drop kit from Walmart that tests for TA,PH,TotalAlk, TotalHard, CYA just to bridge the gap from recieving Ben's kit.

My readings as of today:

TA - Orange (off the charts)
PH - 7.2
TotAlk - between 120 - 140
Hardness - 210 - 230
CYA - 30 - 40
FC - Strip - Purple(off charts) (pegs at 10)


**Going to take a sample to the poolStore to get a Chlorine Breakdown.

As of now there hasn't been any change to the water clarity except, as soon as I added the Bleach, the pool got a lot more cloudier, and hasn't cleared up yet.

Dilemna - Had the same (before Bleaching) cloudy water last year and couldn't kick it. So even refilling doesn't give me confidence that it won't happen again. Last year I attributed it to the metals in my water an thought I had it licked with the help from this group. Now I'm not sure what it is that is giving me cloudy water. All the stats appear to be in order.

For anyone interested below is a quick overview of everthing I did up to now.

1. Filled pool from Well water
2. Took raw water sample to Pool Store for sampling expecting too see metals(none present). I know I have metals regardless of pool stores readings and based on last years exciting pool season.
3. Added some Pool Magnet (Sequestering agent) to the water to be on the safe side.
4. Started to float my Balanced Chlorinator tablet. After about a week of keeping my FC at about 1-2ppm, and having crystal clear water, I noticed the water was beginning to change to that Greenish Blue. I knew exactly what it was and joined the Metals & Stains forum.
5. Went to the store and bought Vitamin C Crystals (1lb) and added it to the pool. Water cleared up in about 24 hours crystal clear. Yeah! had my pool under control. I added a little more Sequestering Agent and everthing was beautiful. I was finally in control (thanks to the forum)
6. Went away for a week. We had tremondous storms during that period of time and when I came back my crystal clear water was white cloudy hazy. I could see to the bottom but it just wasn't crystally clear.
7. Determined and Confident that I owned the pool and it didn't own me, I decided that the cloudyness was due to the metals so I added about a 1/2 lb of Ascorbic Acid to the pool along with a maintenance dose of PoolMagnet.
8. Nothing happened, no change at all.
9. Advise from the forum was to raise my Chlorine to shock levels.
10. I used powdered Sock-it to raise the chlorine slowly to shock levels.
11. No Change at all
12. I was still floating my Balanced Chlorine Tablet.
13. More advice from the forum suggested I remove the puck, stop using Sock-it and switch to bleach. CYA level was high enough.
14. Immediately when I added the bleach the water got very cloudy and now I can't see the bottom of the pool nor the 2nd step down on the ladder which is about less then a foot down.
15. I have kept the bleach regiment at the pegged marks of my Teststrips for the past 4 days. Ben's kit on order.
16. All my other stats look to be in check to the best of my existing test kits ability.

after 4 days shouldn't I see a little improvement, I'll even take improvement back to the origninal cloudy before Bleaching.

I'm stumped, frustrated, angry and ready to add some lilly pads to my pool and turn it into a water decoration in the backyard and Join the town pool.

I'm on the edge, and could use either a hand or a push either would be appreciated!

[mbar]

szampino,
I think you are fighting algae, and you are never getting your chlorine high enough to kill it off completely - that if why when you first put in the bleach it turned more cloudy - it was probably killing off something in your water and the cloudiness is the dead stuff that has to be filtered out. With a cya of 50, you have to get your chlorine level up to at least 15ppms, and keep it there consistantly. I know that you are afraid of the metals, but with all the sequester you have in the water, you should be fine - even if you get a little staining, after the aglae is gone, you can lower your ph and add more sequestering agent and the stains should go away. There is a method that you can use till you get a kit that measures high chlorine here it is:

Here is the message that has just been posted:
***************
Here's the Jen-You-Whine CarlD Shot Glass Method!

1) Get a shot glass (like you use to mix drinks).
2) Get a gallon of steam distilled water--most mass-market drug chains stock it, and many supermarkets.
3) Mix one shot glass full of pool water with one shot glass full of the distilled in a clean container (like a Pyrex measuring cup).
4) Fill your test cell to the line with the mixture. Add your drops and take the reading.
5) Whatever you read, double it. If it says "3ppm", you have 6ppm. If it reads "5ppm", you have 10ppm.
6) If it's STILL seems like the chorine's too high to read, go to step seven....
7) Mix 1 shot of pool water with TWO shots of distilled water, and re-run the test using that.
8) Now TRIPLE your reading--if it reads "3", it's 9. If it reads "5", it's 15ppm.
9) Going beyond two shots of distilled to 1 shot of pool water is possible (3 shots, quadruple your reading) but you lose accuracy fast. Still if it's the best way of reading chlorine, then you have to do it.

CAVEAT: ONLY use this method to measure chlorine levels. Do not use it for the other tests you run, and do not use it with the FAS-DPD powder test--that goes to 50 to 100ppm of Free Chlorine anyway.

There you have it!
***************

Something is very risistant in your water, and you will have to maintain shock levels consistantly - by checking a couple of time a day and adding bleach to take you back to shock. I really feel that if you do this you will kill off whatever your bleach is fighting, and you will get a clear pool. Do not use anything but bleach in the water to raise your chlorine. Especially with any well water and metals, I think that bleach works the best. Plus you can add it in small doses, and keep the clorine where it needs to be at all times. Don't be afraid to get your bleach high - it really works. Keep your filter running 24/7. Take the chlorine up to at least 15pmms.

[ssweaser]

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



You can vacuum to waste with that pool one of two ways. Using your pump, disconnect the return line where it connects outside the pool. Lay it on the ground and vacuum through the pump with the water going to the ground. I don't know if you have the new vacuum set up that goes through the skimmer, if so, just hook that up - disconnect your return hose and turn the pump on. Works great, but makes a mess.

If you don't have the new system, you can purchase a pool hose - don't get a cheap one as they break real easily. Go to Lowes and pay around $30 for a semi-decent one. You will need to measure your output port and the end of the hose and buy a rubber bushing to attach between the hose and your port nipple. You will also have to buy a vacuum head that fits the hose. Disconnect your input hose, turn on the pump and vacuum. ***Make sure you get all the air out of the hose or you'll be fiddling with the pump for days. I do this by turning on the pump and holding the hose near enough to it to pull the air through, then pull the hose back so the air rises to the surface in the water.

Another way you could do this is using the hose set up on the output nipple inside the pool. You could connect a hose using a rubber adaptor and then hang that hose outside the pool. The advantage of this is you can get the water that's draining to waste further away from your pool so you don't end up with a muddy mess right next to it.

I have found Vacuuming to waste to be the quickest - though maybe not the easiest - way to getting the pool cleared of dead algae, debris, and calcium fall out in these pools. You still have to keep your CL levels up, but it clears up much more quickly if you can get the stuff out of the pool.

Suz

Intex AG 18x48 Metal Pole pool 3rd year