Cloudy - shock????

[Simmons99]

Try getting some skimmer socks from Wal-Mart - or just cut the ends off some old nylons and put it on the skimmer basket.

Also - how long are you running your pump/filter a day? You need to make sure that you are circulating double the volume of water everyday.

Another thing you can do is purchase some DE and put some (I think a 1/2-1 pound) in your skimmer. This will go directly onto your sand filter and help filter out smaller particles. Be aware that when you backwash - all of the DE will wash out - so I would try this last.

[rferrel1]

thanks for the suggestion - I'll try the "skimmer socks" - I've already been doing the old nylons thing whenever I cut the grass around the pool.

For the last week I've been running the filter 24/7. Last night I vacuumed the pool (definitely some green on the bottom which has me puzzled as the chlorine has checked as low as 2 over the last 3 weeks but never lower) and then backwashed for a full 5 minutes/rinsed a full minute. Added water overnight as well as an additional 3/4 gal of bleach per the bleach calc - chlorine was 12.5 when I got home - that got it up to 18.
Checked this a.m. and it was 17.

Filter still going - will vaccum again this evening. Still kinda' waiting to hear if I need to add BS to get the TA up.

[aylad]

It wouldn't hurt--I'd get it up to the 80-90 range and see how that does for you.

Janet

[mbar]

I would keep the chlorine up at 15 for a while longer - be consistant, don't let it fall until it holds steady overnight. Your water will clear with the high chlorine levels.

[Jeffski]

Can you swim with chlorine levels that high?

[Simmons99]

You can - but it may fade your suit.

[chem geek]

Even the high FC of 15 in the presence of 40 ppm CYA won't likely fade your swimming suit or have other ill effects. The CYA makes the disinfecting chlorine (HOCl) concentration only 0.36 ppm and that is far less than the 1-1.5 ppm (of HOCl, 2-3 ppm FC) typically found in indoor pools that have no CYA. When my wife uses the indoor pool at the local community center during the winter, her suits do wear out (usually the rubber goes before the suit fades). She does not find any such problem with our outdoor pool that has 15 ppm CYA and typically 3 ppm FC in it.

Now on the other hand, I wouldn't want to swallow this water with higher chlorine levels, but then I wouldn't want to drink pool water in any event. Bottom line is that I think you are safe though this is not conventional wisdom.

Richard

[rferrel1]

Just reporting in - water finally cleared yesterday. I did end up putting some 3" pucks in the autochlorinator because due to the 2 full 5min backwashes/1min rinse cycles, my CYA had gotten down to around 30. Thanks for encouraging me to stick with the consistent shock level as I'm quite sure that's what eventually solved the problem. robin

[Watermom]

Since your cya is 30, you are fine to use the pucks for a while. But, keep an eye on the cya level. It is amazing how quickly the trichlor pucks can cause it to get to a level that is higher than you want. 30-50 is what we usually recommend. I like mine 40-45.

[stma]

Hey Rob:::
I'd bring the TA level up with the baking soda...little at a time directly into the skimmer....
try this tonite though:
When the sun goes down, shine a flashlight into the water and check if you can see the tiny particles that in fact make up the "cloud" in your cloudy pool....If so, the nylon sock should do the trick....but be sure to check the sock every so often so it doesn't clog the skimmer then ultimately the filter.
After doing such, perhaps you may want to shut the filter down for the nite to see if the cloud settles to the bottom of the pool....Although I would NEVER reccomend a pool store for ANYTHING, you may want to get a clarifying agent to see if that can bring the "cloud" together.....

I feel your pain....BELIEVE ME !!!.....(but that's why God created Budweiser)