Re: FAQ: Common Spring Startup Errors

[Watermom]

Yes - until you get your pool really clear and then you don't have to, although you still can if you want. I have a sand filter and I don't, but some people with sand filters routinely do add DE. It is a matter of preference. Glad it is looking better. I'm glad the DE tip seems to be working for you. Hopefully it won't be too much longer until you have sparkling clear water.

[jmcst25]

Within Ben's 'sticky' he recommends "drain and refill .... If you don't drain, plan to consume a LOT of chlorine, getting rid of the ammonia and urea....."

If you had high CYA levels (> 70 ppm) last fall, you may consume as much as 200 ppm of chlorine in the clean up process. (~ 80 gallons of household bleach, for a 20,000 gallon pool!) "

Draining / refilling might be cheaper than chemicals depending on where you live. ( just be safe in draining).

Good luck.

[vanhout]

The 200 ppm estimate might not turn out to be too far from correct. I've used over 70 gallons of 6% chlorine, which in my pool is 116 ppm. That's in 16 days.

If it happens ever again I think I would partially drain and refill. I'm on a well, and it would take a long time to fill 8 or 10k gallons off the softener.

[vanhout]

Still fighting. Water is still cloudy. Not bad, but not perfect. It ate 6 ppm of CL in 24 hours with CYA of 50, it wasn't that sunny.

[Watermom]

Keep hitting it with bleach.

[vanhout]

Pool is now clear, but it's still eating a lot of chlorine. I had it to 14 ppm yesterday evening, this evening it was 5ppm.

Think I should just keep feeding it chlorine?

[Watermom]

Yes. With a cya of 50, you shouldn't be losing chlorine so fast unless you are possible still fighting something in the water. Keep up the bleach for a bit longer.