Pool Shock & Floc Not Working
pH=6.8 Alkalinity=40ppm Hardness =190ppm Cyanuric Acid=30ppm Sand filter I have a 30' x 52" above ground pool. The water was green at start of this year. I brushed walls and floor and added 12 pounds of shock & 1qt. of algaecide and let pump run for 12hrs. Then added 2qt. floc and let pump run (in recirculate) for 4hrs, turned off and let set. Waited up to 72hrs and water looked cloudy with hint of a green tint. Then found live algae on floor so I brushed real good and added another 10-12lbs. of shock and let run for 12 hrs then added floc again. It has now been 24hrs and this is where I am at. Water looks really cloudy whitish-blue color. Every thing I've done was per a local pool place (Crystal Pools, Jenks, ok) Any advice? Thank you Jerry Thanks for the question Jerry Your 30 X 52 above ground pool would hold approx. 21,200 gallons of water, so we'll start from there. First, I would suggest you read these two posts that I recently answered about this very issue: Can Super Floc Remove Pool Algae? Pool Opening..Used Algaecide And Floc...Now The Pool Is White And Cloudy... First is the algaecide. An algaecide is used for preventative maintenance only, it's never used to clear up an existing algae bloom or green pool water. When you keep your chlorine level between 1.5 - 3.5ppm, there's really no reason to use an algaecide. If you do decide to get one, be sure it's a PolyQuat 60. This contains no metals and is safe for vinyl pools. It can be used as temporary insurance while you're doing a shock, but this is about it. Next is the floc. On this website, and most pool forums, will tell you that floccing a pool, while it may have it's benefits, will more than likely not help. My general rule for pool care is to not use a product that isn't necessary. If you use products that aren't required, you're wasting more time and money, and run the risk of negative side effects. While floc may not have big side effects, it does cost time and money. Floc can't take care of live algae. All of the algae needs to be dead before you try to use floc. Your must kill all of the algae first, then use a floc. Your pool is probably cloudy for two reasons: *Your algae is dying or is already dead *You used a floc And due to the nature of sand filters, it will take longer to clear a pool that has used a floc. Your CYA is good. For maintenance, it should be between 30 - 50ppm. Try to shock in the evening and retest your chlorine level in the morning. If you still have a good shock, this means the CYA is working and the chlorine has consumed all the algae. If the chlorine has disappeared and/or your pool is still greenish/cloudy, you may need to manually dose your pool to keep the chlorine about the 10ppm mark. Sometimes it will seem to take massive dosing of chlorine to get rid of the pool algae. Your pool will be cloudy for a while as the filter clears everything out. To bring your chlorine level up, you can shock with Dichlor. This has the stabilizer in it already, but it can get away from you if you're not careful with it. For every 10ppm of chlorine with Dichlor, it will raise your CYA level 9ppm. Here are the links to raise your alkalinity and pH levels: Swimming Pool Chemistry Pool Alkalinity Total Alkalinity Swimming Pool pH Levels Pool pH Be sure you're backwashing once per day. I have cleared hundreds of green pools and have never used a pool floc. You're doing right in chlorinating your pool, brushing, filtering, testing, work, and patience. This is really the only true method to getting your pool back into shape. It may take a few days to a week to get your pool crystal clear once again. The answer is not in a magic bottle. The best thing to do is to not get suckered into buying all kinds of products that you don't need. Hope this helps and let me know how it turns out for you. Robert |
