A number of questions

[BuckeyeFanInFL]

I recently started on the BBB thanks to this forum and my pool has responded fairly well to it. It was in sorry condition before hand.

Question #1: My combined chlorine is still high. I assume that there is still a number of things that the chlorine is killing. But how does it get lowered? After it is done killing the miscellaneous items, will it evaporate like the free chlorine??

Question #2: There looks to be a lot of dirt and stuff like that on the floor of the pool after I sweep. Is this the dead algae?? I noticed that when sweeping the pool, the lines returning from my pump and filter shoot out this cloudy stuff that appears to be the dirt. Almost like the filter isn't able to filter it all. It gets some but what ever it can't get it gets returned to the pool water and clouds it up.

Question #3: Is there an advantage to running the pool over night instead of during the day?? I figure since the sun is not out evaporating the chlorine at night, it would be much better.

Thank you all for you time.

[GraceByDesign]

I recently started on the BBB thanks to this forum and my pool has responded fairly well to it. It was in sorry condition before hand.

Question #1: My combined chlorine is still high. I assume that there is still a number of things that the chlorine is killing. But how does it get lowered? After it is done killing the miscellaneous items, will it evaporate like the free chlorine??

Some numbers would help, obtained at a REPUTABLE pool store, or from your own drops-based kit, but in general, you need to get your pool up to shock level and keep it there until you no longer have any CC. (You are fighting something, and if you do not have enough free chlorine available to keep killing , it is like cleaning your house with a q-tip... will take forever, and not be very effective!) Then let your Cl drift back down to your normal range.

Question #2: There looks to be a lot of dirt and stuff like that on the floor of the pool after I sweep. Is this the dead algae?? I noticed that when sweeping the pool, the lines returning from my pump and filter shoot out this cloudy stuff that appears to be the dirt. Almost like the filter isn't able to filter it all. It gets some but what ever it can't get it gets returned to the pool water and clouds it up.

Again, some stats would help, such as pool type, filter type, etc. Have you backwashed/cleaned your filter? If it is a sand filter, you can add enough DE SLOWLY to raise the pressure 1psi, probably 1 cup or less. This will help filter out the tiny stuff. Or you could vacuum to waste and just get the dirt/dead algae out of there

Question #3: Is there an advantage to running the pool over night instead of during the day?? I figure since the sun is not out evaporating the chlorine at night, it would be much better.

Sorry, can't help here

Thank you all for you time.

Good luck!!

[duraleigh]

1. CC's are consumed when you "shock" which is frequently referred to as breakpoint chlorination. You didn't post test results but it sounds like you probably need to shock again.

2. Time for a filter inspection. Any filter should return only clear water to your pool.

3. Running at night is your call. Adding chlorine in the evening is a very good idea. I add chlorine around sunset and shut the pump off before bedtime......just my personal choice.

[Spensar]

Question #1: My combined chlorine is still high. I assume that there is still a number of things that the chlorine is killing. But how does it get lowered? After it is done killing the miscellaneous items, will it evaporate like the free chlorine??

Correct, the chlorine is still killing stuff. Keep the chlorine level high until it's done this job. The CC will zero out when it's done. It's important to maintain the chlorine at a high level and not let it zero out, since the unkilled stuff will make a rapid rebound and you will lose ground.

Question #2: There looks to be a lot of dirt and stuff like that on the floor of the pool after I sweep. Is this the dead algae?? I noticed that when sweeping the pool, the lines returning from my pump and filter shoot out this cloudy stuff that appears to be the dirt. Almost like the filter isn't able to filter it all. It gets some but what ever it can't get it gets returned to the pool water and clouds it up.

Yes, lots of dead algae. The best thing to do is to vacumm to waste or drain (whatever your setting is to send the filthy vacumm water directly down the drain and out of your system).

If you have a sand filter, try backwashing it until the water is clear. Despite the clouds coming from outlet jet, a lot of dead algae does get trapped. If filter or DE, follow the procedure is for cleaning them.

This uses up some water that you will probable have to replace, but the pool will clear up much quicker.

Question #3: Is there an advantage to running the pool over night instead of during the day?? I figure since the sun is not out evaporating the chlorine at night, it would be much better.

For the amount of waste, and with stuff still getting zapped, I would run the filter 24/7 until it is cleared up.

[Spensar]

2. Time for a filter inspection. Any filter should return only clear water to your pool.

Disagree there. If you have a lot of powdery dead algae, it will go through a sand filter when cleaning up a major algae mess. Had it happen to me, and vacumming to waste did the trick.

[duraleigh]

My sand filter (and, I believe, any properly operating sand filter sized correctly to your system) will return clean looking water to a pool.

If it is not or will not, then there is an issue within your system....normally a hole in a lateral or broken parts within the filter. Occaisonally, I understand an overly powerful pump can drive small particles through the laterals.

[BuckeyeFanInFL]

Wow, thanks for the response back so far guys.

FC = 3.0
CC = 3.0
TA = 90
Ph = 7.2
CYA = 50

I have a 10,000 gallon pool with a circular cartridge filter. The filter is relatively new, I bought it at the begining of spring. I wash the filter every other week.

So I should shock the pool by adding bleach to around 15 ppm and keep it there until the CC are at 0. I should keep the pool running 24/7 until that time.

I will do this tonite. Anything else??

[Spensar]

Duraleigh, my filter returns clean water, the only exception being when I had to vacumm a lot of the fine powdery dead algae that resulted from cleaning up from a major algae situation that came up while I was away. There was a lot of it and some did recirculate if I was on filter. I wouldn't want the poster to his the panic button because of an extraordinary situation of a very heavy load of very fine particles. If that happens in the normal course of operations there is a problem. Love to hear from others too if they think I may have a problem if this is happening.

The advice that has been given on this forum for the few years I have followed it is to vacumm the heavy dead algae to waste, and it works.

Buckeye, that will be good for now. Ride it out until the water clears. I went through this a few weeks ago and as I said, found vacumming to waste helped a lot.