Cloudy water during swim party.

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texasdad

texasdad

0
LifeTime Supporter
Jun 10, 2011
187
DFW Metro
We had a pool full of kids today and my water got very cloudy. I had the same problem last summer with cloudy water with high swimmer load. It got bad enough today you could just barley make out the main drain.

Test results from this morning before party

TC 7
CC 0
Ph 7.4
Cya 40
TA 60
CH 400


Test results after the party
TC 4.5. (Stenner pump added about .5ppm during party)
CC O
Ph 7.4

The two speed pump has been on high all day and the ozonator has been on all day. The pool used alot of chlorine during the party, but I started with it a litte high and it stayed within range.
Kids have been out of the water for about two hours now and it already looks much clearer, but not all the way back to normal.

We have groups of kids in the pool frequently - anything I can do different to keep it sparkling? It is not cool to have sparkling water when it is the family swimming but have it cloudy when I'm trying to show off to company:).
 
I'm thinking along the same lines as JohnT. How frequently and thoroughly do you brush? I know my pool can look pristine, and then I grab the brush and suddenly it's not so clear. I'd give it a thorough working over a couple days before the next party, so there's less sticking to the walls for people to rub off.
 
It is plaster and built last spring. Polaris runs every day but I rarely brush it.
If it was dust or etc on the bottom wouldn't it get stirred up when fewer kids are splashing around with every day swimming?
 
Kids provide a lot of oxidizable products that can have an adverse effect on water quality. Things such as urine, suntan lotion, dead skin, hair etc. will cloud the water until the chlorine and filter have enough time to clear the water. Having kids shower before entering the pool and providing a convenient bathroom can help reduce the contaminant load.
 
JamesW said:
Kids provide a lot of oxidizable products that can have an adverse effect on water quality. Things such as urine, suntan lotion, dead skin, hair etc. will cloud the water until the chlorine and filter have enough time to clear the water. Having kids shower before entering the pool and providing a convenient bathroom can help reduce the contaminant load.
Click to expand...


Gross - but true. Doesn't the chlorine almost immediately oxidize the contaminates? I thought the immediacy is what made chlorine the best sanitizer while other options were not safe because of the time to oxidize?
 
If there are enough people swimming, chlorine alone can't quite keep up. Some cloudiness after a particularly large number of people have been swimming is normal. Extra chlorine and extra pump run time will both help.
 
This afternoon we are having my daughters 5th birthday party. That means lots of 5 year olds in the pool.

The pump has run for the past 24 hours. I've swept the pool several times this week (plus Polaris every day), and FC is higher then I normally keep it.

I hope it stays crystal clear!
 
JamesW said:
Kids provide a lot of oxidizable products that can have an adverse effect on water quality. Things such as urine, suntan lotion, dead skin, hair etc. will cloud the water until the chlorine and filter have enough time to clear the water. Having kids shower before entering the pool and providing a convenient bathroom can help reduce the contaminant load.
Click to expand...

Not just kids. Adults bring suntan lotion, dead skin, hair, etc into the pool just the same.

"Ah-ha!" I hear you say. But adults don't pee in the pool!

Want to bet?

A new survey by the Water Quality & Health Council indicates that 1-in-5 adults admits to urinating in public pools.
Click to expand...

http://www.wsmv.com/story/18678229/surv ... es-in-pool
 

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:arrow: Mostly a success. The water lost its sparke but didn't get so cloudy you couldn't see the bottom.

But I used up a ton of chlorine. At the start of the party my FC was at 7ppm. An hour in I checked and it was down to 3 so I turned on the Stenner to bring it back to 5ppm, an hour later i chrcked again and it was still at 3 so I ran the Stenner again. During the four hours of the party I added 120 ounces of 6% and at the end of the party the FC was at 3.5ppm.

That is alot of pee..........

5d8481f5.jpg
 
gboulton said:
JamesW said:
Kids provide a lot of oxidizable products that can have an adverse effect on water quality. Things such as urine, suntan lotion, dead skin, hair etc. will cloud the water until the chlorine and filter have enough time to clear the water. Having kids shower before entering the pool and providing a convenient bathroom can help reduce the contaminant load.
Click to expand...

Not just kids. Adults bring suntan lotion, dead skin, hair, etc into the pool just the same.

"Ah-ha!" I hear you say. But adults don't pee in the pool!

Want to bet?

A new survey by the Water Quality & Health Council indicates that 1-in-5 adults admits to urinating in public pools.
Click to expand...

http://www.wsmv.com/story/18678229/surv ... es-in-pool
Click to expand...



If one in five adults admits this - you know at least twice that many really do.
I wish that stuff from the movies that turns the water pink when sombody pees was really available!
 
texasdad,
We too just had a pool party today. 20 kids ranging in age from 14 to 5. The water was sparkling before they got in. After everyone left, water is now cloudy and I can just barely see the main drain 7ft deep.
FC 8 (last night it was 11)
CC 0
pH 7.2
TA 90
CYA 40

With these numbers, I was planning on shocking the pool so it would get a jump on the "oxidizable products".

Is that a good idea? (We have a sand filter, using Zeosand.)

Thanks for your input.
Mariane
 
mariane said:
FC 8 (last night it was 11)
CC 0
pH 7.2
TA 90
CYA 40

With these numbers, I was planning on shocking the pool so it would get a jump on the "oxidizable products".

Is that a good idea? (We have a sand filter, using Zeosand.)
Click to expand...
Bumping up the FC to about 10 to 15 ppm would probably help.
 
mariane said:
texasdad,
We too just had a pool party today. 20 kids ranging in age from 14 to 5. The water was sparkling before they got in. After everyone left, water is now cloudy and I can just barely see the main drain 7ft deep.
FC 8 (last night it was 11)
CC 0
pH 7.2
TA 90
CYA 40

With these numbers, I was planning on shocking the pool so it would get a jump on the "oxidizable products".

Is that a good idea? (We have a sand filter, using Zeosand.)

Thanks for your input.
Mariane
Click to expand...

I haven't ever shocked after a party - and have never had an algae outbreak. I think the thing that helped mine the most running the filter and polaris (or sweep if no polaris) for extra time before the party and keeping the chlorine a little higher then normal. I checked mine during the party and added because it was disappearing quickly.
We had a large crowd in our pool every day last week. A Birthday Party on for my daughter on Saturday, a Church party on Sunday, and then Monday through Friday our pool was used for swim lessons - our daughters got free lessons since it was our pool that was used. But there were about 40 different kids in and out at different times all week...... Used up lots of chlorine but all went well.

The pool always clears up back to normal within an hour of everybody getting out.
 
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