u/hedgerocks

If this isn't allowed please don't block me. But does anyone have a good discord or telegram group for women of a certain age.

I opened my pool two weeks agonand I’m trying to get it clear by May 15. Looking for advice on whether I’m on the right track or if I should do something different.

Pool details:

• 15' × 40' pool with a deep end
• Sand filter
• Estimated somewhere around 30,000–40,000 gallons
• Water has been milky/cloudy, not really green
• can not see the bottom at all

Here’s the timeline:

After opening, the pool was very cloudy and green. I balanced the water and at one point the pH was good and chlorine was in the ideal range, but the water stayed milky.

I vacuumed and added powdered shock. Later I added more shock but the pool still stayed very cloudy.

Because the sand filter didn’t seem to be clearing the fine particles, I tried adding DE to the sand filter to help it catch smaller stuff. The next morning it was still very cloudy and chlorine had dropped low.

I also ended up changing/replacing the pool pump, then let the pool filter for about 5 hours.

After that, I added flocculant. The directions said to add it, run on recirculate for a couple hours, then shut the pump off. The dose was 8 oz per 10,000 gallons, and I added about 30 oz.

Unfortunately, it rained heavily after I added the floc — basically rain for the next day or so. After about 48 hours, the pool still looked terrible/cloudy and I still couldn’t see the bottom. It didn’t seem like the floc really settled everything into a clear layer on the floor.

At that point I decided to vacuum to waste. I vacuumed as best I could, and now the pool is refilling.

Current status:

• Pool is refilling after vacuuming to waste
• pH is 7.4
• Chlorine is very low
• Water is still cloudy
• Sand filter is running

My current thought is:

1. Finish refilling
2. Bring chlorine back up / shock again
3. Run filter 24/7
4. Backwash as needed
5. Maybe add a small amount of DE after backwashing
6. Vacuum to waste again if more sediment settles

Does that sound right? Or should I be doing something else at this point?

Main questions:

• Did the rain probably ruin the floc process?
• Should I avoid adding more floc right now?
• With pH at 7.4 and chlorine very low, should I shock again tonight?
• Is this now mostly a chlorine + filtration + patience situation?
• Any tips for clearing a sand-filter pool that’s this milky?

Thanks — I’m trying not to keep throwing random chemicals at it, but I need this thing clear soon.