First full test with TF-Pro - water blue but slightly cloudy

[warwick599]

Followup to my first post as a new pool owner over the weekend. Pool company opened pool last Thursday and dumped in chlorine and algicide (water was fairly clear to begin with but a fair amount of dirt/sediment on the bottom. I've vacuumed/brushed everything so the walls and bottom are clean but the water is still a bit cloudy. I can see the bottom, just not crystal clear. I'll run an OCLT tonight/tomorrow morning; but here are the results as of this morning. Anything else I should try or am I just being impatient? Still waiting for my comfort level/experience to grow so I can get to the "trouble-free" feelings, appreciate you all!

FC- 8
CC- 0.5
CH- 125
PH- 7.2(ish)
TA- 40
CYA- negligible (filled tube with my back to the sun and could still see the dot)

 

[pjt]

TA- 40

Are you continuing to add drops until there's no additional color change? This is usually ~3 more drops after the initial color change.

CYA- negligible

Add enough CYA to achieve 30-40. What's your CYA target for the summer months?

 

[warwick599]

Are you continuing to add drops until there's no additional color change? This is usually ~3 more drops after the initial color change.


Add enough CYA to achieve 30-40. What's your CYA target for the summer months?

I was using the included stir plate and at the 4th drop it fully changed and stayed to a light red. Unsure what my target CYA would be, previous owners used the trichlor pucks in an in-line auto-chlorinator. I wasn't planning on using those based on my initial readings on here and was going to stick to liquid chlorine, but open to suggestions. Any other thoughts on why the water is still slightly cloudy (beyond me doing the OCLT tonight/tomorrow morning)?

 

[PoolStored]

I was using the included stir plate and at the 4th drop it fully changed and stayed to a light red.

Continue to add drops until the color does not change again. Subtract that last drop. Do the test again that way before adding any chemicals for TA.

Unsure what my target CYA would be, previous owners used the trichlor pucks in an in-line auto-chlorinator. I wasn't planning on using those based on my initial readings on here and was going to stick to liquid chlorine, but open to suggestions.

You need CYA or your FC will be gone in a FLASH. Add 30ppm of CYA for now. That will get you through SLAM if needed. Recommended CYA is 30-60 for liquid chlorine pool.

What Are My Ideal Pool Levels?

Use our tool to find ideal chemical levels for any swimming pool. Check TFP recommended levels on pH, free chlorine, cyanuric acid, and more.

www.troublefreepool.com

Any other thoughts on why the water is still slightly cloudy (beyond me doing the OCLT tonight/tomorrow morning)?

Likely algae. Do the OCLT. If you fail, you SLAM. Link-->SLAM Process

 

[warwick599]

Continue to add drops until the color does not change again. Subtract that last drop. Do the test again that way before adding any chemicals for TA.


You need CYA or your FC will be gone in a FLASH. Add 30ppm of CYA for now. That will get you through SLAM if needed. Recommended CYA is 30-60 for liquid chlorine pool.

What Are My Ideal Pool Levels?

Use our tool to find ideal chemical levels for any swimming pool. Check TFP recommended levels on pH, free chlorine, cyanuric acid, and more.

www.troublefreepool.com

Likely algae. Do the OCLT. If you fail, you SLAM. Link-->SLAM Process

Thank you for all that! I have to travel for work Wednesday-Thursday this week; would I be better off starting the SLAM when I get back on Friday? If so, what should I add between now and then, stabilizer and more chlorine?

 

[PoolStored]

Add the stabilizer, 30ppm. Put it in a sock in front of a return, carrot on a stick style. After 30 minutes start squeezing, should dissolve pretty quick.

Once the sock is in the pool, raise your FC to slam level for CYA of 30. Keep it there until you leave (every couple hours or at least 3-4 times a day). Leave with SLAM level FC in the pool.

If you can get someone to add 5ppm of liquid chlorine per day while you are gone, that will slow algae growth while you are gone.

 

[warwick599]

Sorry for the dumb question. Using the Pool Math app, it looks like I need to add 60oz of stabilizer, that makes sense. But when you say have someone add 5ppm of liquid chlorine per day, does that mean add enough to raise FC 5ppm? In the app that looks like 80oz (going from 5 to 10 FC as an example), so someone would need to add 80oz each day I'm gone?

 

[PoolStored]

But when you say have someone add 5ppm of liquid chlorine per day, does that mean add enough to raise FC 5ppm? In the app that looks like 80oz (going from 5 to 10 FC as an example), so someone would need to add 80oz each day I'm gone?

Yes, yes.

 

[PoolStored]

But when you say have someone add 5ppm of liquid chlorine per day, does that mean add enough to raise FC 5ppm?

This assumes you get the CYA in the pool. If you don't get the CYA in the pool, then have them add 3ppm.