cloudy water
Can anyone help? I have an inground gunite pool and last friday the water turned exptremely cloudy, not green, but a milky white. I made a trip to my local pool supply store and they advised me to flock, then let it sit with filter off for 12 to 48 hours and then vaccum to waste. This I did, however, water did not clear up. I went back and they advised me to do the process all over again. I did, no improvement. Went back again and was told I needed to repeat process. I did,no improvement. Went back again and this time they told me to use two bottles of flock and repeat process. This I did, some improvement, but still cloudy. I can see the bottom of the shallow end, but not the deep end. I have used 6 bottles of flock and have vaccumed to waste three times now, each time lowering my water level extensively and having to re-fill pool. Not only is this costing me a fortune in water, water bills are very high here, but i have spent about $160.00 in chemical in the last 6 days, can anyone advise as to what to do ? If I have to flock and vaccum to waste one more time I will scream. Tks. Memphisbelle Boy, I could have told that story word for word. Been there 2 or 3 times over the years. I have owned a pool for over 10 years. I know exactly how you feel. You need to super shock the pool, using a fresh chemicals, not last years. Use the right amount, or even more since it will be consumed by the organic debris you see as cloudy water and will require more. Then you must run the pump on 'filter' 24 hrs a day for 2 to 3 days. It should be sparking clear on day 3. Maybe longer for a large pool or undersized pump. If not, repeat the process, again being sure to use good shock and enought quantity. Flocking it will never clear cloudy water, even though my pool store tells me the same story you have been getting. Eventually, the filter will remove all the contaminants and clear the water. My pool is a 15 foot round, so you may have to wait even longer than 3 days for the filter to clear the water. Let me describe the conditions that lead to this problem. This problem usually happens to me when my chemicals get weak during storage and I don't realize it. My daily chlorine readings are around 1.3, which I mistakenly assume to be good. I don't realize what has happened until I get a weeks worth of low readings and then the water is cloudy. Two things cause the chorine tablets to go weak. 1. The K-mart brand is not as good as pool store brands and k-mart tablets don't store as long. 2. I use leftover tablets from last year, only to learn the hard way, that they are weak also. I know by now you are frustrated and want an explanation for the problem you have. Trust me when I say, I have been exactly where you are now. Mark quote:Originally posted by Mark Chapman: Boy, I could have told that story word for word. Been there 2 or 3 times over the years. I have owned a pool for over 10 years. I know exactly how you feel. You need to super shock the pool, using a fresh chemicals, not last years. Use the right amount, or even more since it will be consumed by the organic debris you see as cloudy water and will require more. Then you must run the pump on 'filter' 24 hrs a day for 2 to 3 days. It should be sparking clear on day 3. Maybe longer for a large pool or undersized pump. If not, repeat the process, again being sure to use good shock and enought quantity. Flocking it will never clear cloudy water, even though my pool store tells me the same story you have been getting. Eventually, the filter will remove all the contaminants and clear the water. My pool is a 15 foot round, so you may have to wait even longer than 3 days for the filter to clear the water. Let me describe the conditions that lead to this problem. This problem usually happens to me when my chemicals get weak during storage and I don't realize it. My daily chlorine readings are around 1.3, which I mistakenly assume to be good. I don't realize what has happened until I get a weeks worth of low readings and then the water is cloudy. Two things cause the chorine tablets to go weak. 1. The K-mart brand is not as good as pool store brands and k-mart tablets don't store as long. 2. I use leftover tablets from last year, only to learn the hard way, that they are weak also. I know by now you are frustrated and want an explanation for the problem you have. Trust me when I say, I have been exactly where you are now. Mark Mark, Thank you so much for your advice. You know that right before I wrote to DIYS forum, I decided I was fed up and I shocked the hell out of the pool and left the filter running, just what you advised me to do, and it has now bee 2 days and water is already starting to clear up!!!! Sometimes I think that the pool supply store just wants to sell you more chemicals. I was bound and dtermined that I was not going to flock ONE MORE TIME! This seems to be working. I know what you mean by old or cheap chemicals. They do make a difference. Anyway, thanks again for your help. Memphisbelle049 [This message has been edited by Memphisbelle049 (edited July 28, 2000).] quote:Originally posted by Memphisbelle049: Originally posted by Mark Chapman: Boy, I could have told that story word for word. Been there 2 or 3 times over the years. I have owned a pool for over 10 years. I know exactly how you feel. You need to super shock the pool, using a fresh chemicals, not last years. Use the right amount, or even more since it will be consumed by the organic debris you see as cloudy water and will require more. Then you must run the pump on 'filter' 24 hrs a day for 2 to 3 days. It should be sparking clear on day 3. Maybe longer for a large pool or undersized pump. If not, repeat the process, again being sure to use good shock and enought quantity. Flocking it will never clear cloudy water, even though my pool store tells me the same story you have been getting. Eventually, the filter will remove all the contaminants and clear the water. My pool is a 15 foot round, so you may have to wait even longer than 3 days for the filter to clear the water. Let me describe the conditions that lead to this problem. This problem usually happens to me when my chemicals get weak during storage and I don't realize it. My daily chlorine readings are around 1.3, which I mistakenly assume to be good. I don't realize what has happened until I get a weeks worth of low readings and then the water is cloudy. Two things cause the chorine tablets to go weak. 1. The K-mart brand is not as good as pool store brands and k-mart tablets don't store as long. 2. I use leftover tablets from last year, only to learn the hard way, that they are weak also. I know by now you are frustrated and want an explanation for the problem you have. Trust me when I say, I have been exactly where you are now. Mark Mark, Thank you so much for your advice. You know that right before I wrote to DIYS forum, I decided I was fed up and I shocked the hell out of the pool and left the filter running, just what you advised me to do, and it has now bee 2 days and water is already starting to clear up!!!! Sometimes I think that the pool supply store just wants to sell you more chemicals. I was bound and dtermined that I was not going to flock ONE MORE TIME! This seems to be working. I know what you mean by old or cheap chemicals. They do make a difference. Anyway, thanks again for your help. Memphisbelle049 [This message has been edited by Memphisbelle049 (edited July 28, 2000).] Mark, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!! Pool is crystal clear after super shocking. However, I can;t seem to get my PH up, and all this summer have been having a problem getting my free chlorine reading up. I notice that you also live in Kansas City, I'm in Grandview, any problem with your levels because of all the rain we have had this season? I work in Grandview, small world, huh? Ph levels drop weekly, and you will be adding it week by week as long as the pool is open. That is normal. I have heard the everyone's Total Alkalinity if off this year which affects other chemicals. I do recall what TA does, but one thing you can do is take a jar of pool water to a pool store, and they will test it for you to learn if you have a unacceptable deficency of some chemical. I remember when I opened my pool, my TA was off, but not extremely off so I ignored it. Your welcome for the advice on the cloudly water. I wish someone would have helped me before I spent $60 in flock, etc. Mark quote:Originally posted by Mark Chapman: I work in Grandview, small world, huh? Ph levels drop weekly, and you will be adding it week by week as long as the pool is open. That is normal. I have heard the everyone's Total Alkalinity if off this year which affects other chemicals. I do recall what TA does, but one thing you can do is take a jar of pool water to a pool store, and they will test it for you to learn if you have a unacceptable deficency of some chemical. I remember when I opened my pool, my TA was off, but not extremely off so I ignored it. Your welcome for the advice on the cloudly water. I wish someone would have helped me before I spent $60 in flock, etc. Mark Mark, Amen on the $60.00 for flock! I wish I had found you before I spent $100.00 on flock. Have had this pool for 7 years and alway add my PH rise, however, no matter how much I use this year, still can't get ph up. At the beginning of the year when I opened pool my Alkalinity was so high it was off the chart. Used 12 gallons of Muratic acid before I got Alkalinity down, which in turn lowered PH. Still trying to get it back up. You don't happen to work for a Pool store in Grandview do you? I bartend at Senor Pepper's in Raymore on 58, come out and see me sometime. Memphisbelle049 My pool did the same a couple of years ago after I changed about a 100 tiles and regrouted the bottom. I tried the super shock way but gave up after a week and drained it and refilled. No problems since. The biggest difference was noted a year later when I switched from sand to DE. I'd wouldn't have it any other way. We live on Guam - the pool is open all year. Jim
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