hi! new pool owner here! i am plagued with cloudy water! all levels are spot on except for super high chlorine. i took all the tabs out and am waiting for the level to go down. can i ise a clarifier while im waiting for chlorine to lower?
high chlorine and cloudy water
- Thread starter tarynec
- Start date
i dont know. they told me everything was fine and that ph was perfect. they just said my chlorine was theu the roof
Lesson number one is that pool store testing and advice is almost universally wrong. We need to know chemistry levels to have any hope of helping you.
The only clue is that you are using tablets, and those almost inevitably lead to high CYA which makes it hard to keep enough chlorine in the water to keep algae away.
The only clue is that you are using tablets, and those almost inevitably lead to high CYA which makes it hard to keep enough chlorine in the water to keep algae away.
Their through the roof chlorine level is probably only 5ppm but I'm curious to what those results really are.
tarynec -- a cornerstone of the TFP method is reliable owner-performed testing. I would recommend getting a test kit ordered if you intend to maintain the pool yourself using the TFP approach. Once you have that and can post a full set of results, there are hundreds of people here that will be able to guide you. Without that, you (and we) are just throwing darts and chasing our tails, and spending money and time on chemicals our pools probably do not need. The figures needed: FC, CC, CYA, pH, TA, CH.
As the previous posters have noted, "through the roof" chlorine is subjective. An FC of 15 is "thru the roof" at 10 CYA, but barely enough at a CYA of 100. The fact that it's cloudy is a pretty tell-tale sign of algae... possibly killed off by shock or otherwise. But without the full set of numbers from a reliable test kit, it's hard to say for certain.
Also, if you intend to go forward with the TFP approach, I'd recommend putting your pool specs in your signature so everyone knows your setup. Add pool size, type (vinyl, plaster, fiberglass), above ground vs. in-ground, manually chlorinated vs. salt-water.
Good luck!
As the previous posters have noted, "through the roof" chlorine is subjective. An FC of 15 is "thru the roof" at 10 CYA, but barely enough at a CYA of 100. The fact that it's cloudy is a pretty tell-tale sign of algae... possibly killed off by shock or otherwise. But without the full set of numbers from a reliable test kit, it's hard to say for certain.
Also, if you intend to go forward with the TFP approach, I'd recommend putting your pool specs in your signature so everyone knows your setup. Add pool size, type (vinyl, plaster, fiberglass), above ground vs. in-ground, manually chlorinated vs. salt-water.
Good luck!
Hello, its been a while since Ive posted. I have has so much success with my pool since using this site but now I have a problem. I have had a solid two weeks of rain and shocked the pool yesterday because it was trying to turn a little green on me. Got up this morning to a cloudy pool. Here are my levels.
FC 19
CYA 60
TA 40
Above ground 7600 gallon
Thanks, Brandi
FC 19
CYA 60
TA 40
Above ground 7600 gallon
Thanks, Brandi
- May 3, 2014
- 62,600
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Welcome back!
Are you doing your own testing as recommended in responses from last year? What test kit are you using?
You most likely need to SLAM Process. Read that link and ask questions.
Take care.
Are you doing your own testing as recommended in responses from last year? What test kit are you using?
You most likely need to SLAM Process. Read that link and ask questions.
Take care.
Yes, doing own testing with recommended kit TF-100. I have slammed before...Its been years since I have had to Ive kept it under constant control, but I guess all that rain killed it! LOL. Thank you, I'll SLAM and go from there.
- May 3, 2014
- 62,600
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Your TA is pretty low. Have you tested your pH lately? Your FC needs to be 10 ppm or below to test it. I would suggest letting the FC drop down today and when it gets to 10 ppm test your pH. I am worried it might be really low.
Or, if you do not want to wait, add enough baking soda to raise your TA to 70. That will raise the pH a bit and provide more buffer if it is low.
Take care.
Or, if you do not want to wait, add enough baking soda to raise your TA to 70. That will raise the pH a bit and provide more buffer if it is low.
Take care.
The pH is high!!! Bright bright pink...it was off the chart like 9. Ill double check that number when i get back home. I had to go buy a new waste hose so i can backwash and it not gill up my yard.
- May 3, 2014
- 62,600
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
With a TA of 40 it is very unusual to have a high pH.
Get a good test. Let your FC fall to below 10 ppm.
Get a good test. Let your FC fall to below 10 ppm.
Ok...here’s the deal. Yesterday i changed out the filter valve, got a new pressure guage and had my daughters help me change it out, while doing so, she swapped the hoses and had the return swapped with the pump hose. I knew something wasnt right because i have never had it turn cloudy and me not get it under control within a few hours. Ive changed everything back correctly and vaccuumed out the sand that was pushed into the pool. It will clear up now! (Good grief...i need to double check my older teens before trusting them listening to me)! pH is now at a regular level and i will continue the SLAM process till we are back clear.
I think I am there!!!! Chlorine is holding its own over night and when I tested this morning before the sun came up it was high. This afternoon when I got home I tested again and here are my numbers:
Chlorine is 0
pH is 7.2
TA is 30
Calculator is telling me to add borax and baking soda. Here is my question... which do I add first and should I add directly to the pool or in the skimmer. I have read threads that say both ways are fine but I want to know best method at this point and also what point do I add the bleach tonight? Its clear now but I definatley want to get this right completely again.
Thanks so much for your help.
Chlorine is 0
pH is 7.2
TA is 30
Calculator is telling me to add borax and baking soda. Here is my question... which do I add first and should I add directly to the pool or in the skimmer. I have read threads that say both ways are fine but I want to know best method at this point and also what point do I add the bleach tonight? Its clear now but I definatley want to get this right completely again.
Thanks so much for your help.
Baking soda first. Target 60. If it comes out between some nice even number of boxes, round up or down, it's not critical. You can just pour it in, even if people are in the pool. It's only baking soda -- people brush their teeth with it!
The pH is okay at 7.2 and will likely come up a little with the added TA in a few days.
Bleach should be added to get the FC up to whatever the target is for your CYA level. [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA]