Hopefully...minor clarity issue

[buki5]

New to having a pool. Started out surprisingly well now have cloudy water. Sorry for the long post....trying to include all the right details.

Through last Sunday the water has been clear, a little "dirty" as I was having pump problems but looked rather good. The pump has been running 24/7 for the last 7 days.

Tonight when I opened the pool it was cloudy. Still clear enough that I could see the water outlet at the bottom but it is definitely cloudy.

Here's the background:

16x32 vinyl inground
Hayward DE filter
1hp super pump (New)
RayPak heater at 82deg f
Pentair 300 Chlorinator with Tri pucks. (has been set to off until tonight...now on 2.5 (0-5 scale)
Power vinyl cover (covered anytime pool is not being used)
Taylor K-2005 (Will get 2006 or the proper Chlorine test when I get a chance)

Water tests (consistent from 5/30-6/6)

FC-5
TC-5
CC-0

PH-7.3
TA-190
CH 130
Temp-82deg

CYA-150+ (Have been reading here and discussing with Pool store, I understand this is quite high)

Last Sunday 6/6 and over the last week the pool got a pretty decent workout including our dog...I added 2lbs of Potassium Monopersulfate-44.7% to Shock.


This evening I opened the pool and Chlorine had dropped to maybe .5 Here are the readings

FC-.5
TC-.5
CC-0
PH-7.3
TA-190
CH-150
Temp-82deg

Tonight I've added approximately

1 lb of 45% cal-hypo
16oz of algeacide (di-methyl benzyl ammonium chloride-9.4%, Methyl ben amm-chl .04%)

Have "cycled" the DE filter about 4 times since adding the cal-hypo. (gauge goes from 18 to 22 within 5 minutes each time. Last time only to 21) About 14 seconds after cycling a 3-5 second jet of cloudy water comes from the near jet...haven't watched the far jet.

Any suggestions or changes recommended?

Thanks. This is a great resource.

[aylad]

If it were my pool, I would drain about 1/2 the water and refill to get that CYA down. With it that high, your shock level is 25+ ppm of chlorine, and even when you get it clear, you have to maintain 8-15 ppm of Cl just to keep the algae blooms at bay. Unless you drop the CYA level to something more manageable, I don't know how you'll be able to keep the pool clear, let alone clean, all summer. I'm sure that the cloudiness is an impending algae bloom. After you added the cal-hypo, how high did your Chlorine level go? And are you able to sustain that? Did you add it through the skimmer, which would explain the cloudy water coming from the jet, or did you broadcast it into the pool?

Also, the only algaecide that we recommend on this forum is polyquat 60, and it's usually better as an algae preventative than it is in killing an active algae bloom.

Welcome to the forum....

Janet

[Watermom]

Let me also add my welcome to you and glad to have you on the forum.

Seems like you have been adding a lot of things to try and help clear your pool. Sometimes (actually more like oftentimes) the more you add, the worse you make it. I would go with Janet's advice above and do a partial drain and refill and then shock your pool.

Don't use any more trichlor pucks. They are contributing to your cya problem. Even if you drain half of your water, your cya level is still gonna be pretty high at 75 but much more manageable. But, even at that level, you still don't want to use any more trichlor. (No dichlor shock powder, either.)

Cal-hypo is known for causing cloudy water problems. I'd probably just stick with liquid chlorine in this pool; either plain bleach or pool store liquid chlorine as they won't contribute to cloudy water problems.

I would also work on lowering the alk. You can see how to do this in the sticky at the top of the alkalinity forum called "How to Lower your Alk."

One last question --- why the Potassium Monopersulfate? More info about that can be found in the thread at this link. (Note post #2 within that thread.)

http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=3217

Again, welcome. Keep us posted how it is going and let us know if you have further questions!

[buki5]

Thanks for the quick responses.

Here is some follow-up.

Aylad
Considering the water drain and fill this weekend.

1) Can't say how high CL went didn't run a diluted test last night. Do know it is at 5ppm this AM
(DPD test- Ran diluted and it came out at 5 when adjusted)

2) Broadcast the Cal-Hypo. Also, cycled the filter this AM and got the 3-5 seconds of cloudy water from both jets.

Watermom

1) Hasn't seemed like I've had to do much. I've only added what I've noted since opening the pool at the end of May...but I'm new to this so I don't have any perspective.

2) The Pot Mon was here and marked algeacide...I don't know any better

Today's plan
1) Add another 1lb of cal-hypo this morning then measure tonight to see where it is.
2) Pick up liquid Chlorine.

[CarlD]

I've heard about the Potassium Monpersulfate...it's not going to help you. Neither is ammonia based algaecide.

You are OK using the Cal-hypo but only OK. As you were told, without diluting the CYA down to a manageable level you won't get your pool clear unless you reach and hold an FC level of 25ppm and thereafter have to maintain it between 8 and 15. Until you get your FC to the appropriate shock level for the amount of CYA, you are fighting a losing battle.

The Cal-Hypo may make your water cloudy but it will be a milky cloudy as opposed to a green cloudy--and it's better than algae.

But do not despair! The fix is not complicated, just takes patience and persistence. You can read up on the same advice we are giving you in the Algae section here at PF. It actually works and it's not magic or mystical.

It's simple. You have to kill the algae and keep making sure it and its capability of starting up again is dead. You do that with lots of chlorine maintained at a continuous high level so the algae cannot "regroup". There is no magic cure, magic bullet or "special" trick. Just lots of chlorine.

[aylad]

Just a quick note--brush your pool well to make sure that you don't have undissolved cal-hypo sitting on your liner, which will fade it. Cal-hypo is notorious for not dissolving well, and you don't want a bunch of it sitting on your pool floor. You might want to consider pre-dissolving it in a bucket of water and pouring it slowly into the return stream to help it dissipate better and to make sure you don't have clumps left.

Janet

[buki5]

Ok, before work added Cal-hypo to about 15ppm. Tonight I got home rechecked then added 3 gal 6% Bleach. Measuring around 25ppm (DPD test diluted and adjusted). I did flush my DE filter tonight and added 5lbs DE back in also cleaned out skimmers and checked pump basked (looks good since adding skimmer socks). Pressure holding steady at around 18 rather than quickly climbing to 23.

Now if I recall it's time for PPP. Will do another full round of tests later and monitor clarity and add bleach as needed. Also, I turned the eyes as straight up as I can. Will leave them that way while monitoring TA.

Two questions. Have I missed anything, and water looks good other than cloudy. With the high chlorine when can everyone go swimming?

[aylad]

I wouldn't swim unless the Cl is under 10, and even then I'd wear an old suit, just in case of fading.....Keep at it, filter until no longer cloudy, hold chlorine at shock level until you don't lose any overnight!!

Janet

[buki5]

Ran through a full set of tests, checked filter and pressure is slowly climbing, up to 20 now, brushed the floor and walls. Not doing anything else till morning, then likely only chlorine. Keeping pool open tonight. I think that I will close it tomorrow as we're expecting a bright sunny day.?

Scores:
FC-25
TC-25
CC-0
PH-7.4
TA-200
CH-130



Only this forum may understand this next piece. Laid down at the skimmer with a flashlight and just watched for a bit...actually kind of relaxing...except for the crud in the water.

Noticed a powdery like substance on the water surface in the skimmer. First thought was pollen but with the cover pretty much always on there shouldn't be all that much. Next thought is that the chlorine is working and it is the algae coming out...? Also notice along the skimmer wall a "build up" line of this stuff...a very slight yellow color with possibly hint of green (green is very faint, could be caused by lighting).


One other question. When might I get out of purgatory and be able to post without getting approval?

[buki5]

This morning Update.

Tested CL measured +/-25. Looks like its held so far.

Water was "lightly" coming out of returns so checked filter, up to 25 from 20. Recharged and dropped to 18 and the return water was back up to normal velocity.

With lighting changes couldn't tell if the water was clearer. Can easily see bottom of shallow end but not deep end (about the same as lst night).

This morning, planning on closing cover and waiting. Will check filter and Chlorine when I get home this evening.

Home stretch?