cloudy water after ascorbic acid treatment

[fhorta]

•Problem: blueish cloudy water
FC: test kit indicates in the 3.0 rangefree chlorine level
•TC: total chlorine level
•pH: 7.2-7.4
•TA: total alkalinity level
•CH:
•CYA:
•My pool: 20,000 gal inground plaster
•Pool chemicals: soda ash for ph and chrolbrite for chlorine
•My pump & filter: stay rite filter and pump.
•Other info

i had rust stains at bottom of pool. was told to let chlorine level drop. chlrine dropped to 1.0 and i added 2 pounds ascorbic acid. then followed with metal free treatment. ran pump for 24 hrs. was told not to add chlorine for 3 days. now i'm not sure if rust stains are gone since i can't really see bottom of pool due to cloudiness. i added double the amount of choline i usually put in to bring chlorine back up. ph was about 6.9 to 7.1. added soda ash to bring up to 7.2 -7.4. does this sound like a superfloc treatment solution?? or would some one have different sgestions considering my situation. thanks for any help i can get.

[rfs]

same here, still cloudy after 2 days

[chem geek]

You normally add PolyQuat 60 initially which will help to lower the chlorine level and will help to prevent algae growth when the chlorine gets to zero after adding the ascorbic acid. The cloudiness is probably algae growth though it could be the metal sequestrant assuming you added that (they can make the water cloudy at first but that dissipates with circulation after a few days). Raising the chlorine to shock levels will kill it, but you must raise the chlorine slowly to prevent staining and should keep the pH low so lower the pH first and then add chlorine. Read the Pool School for more info.

[Tim B]

Same situation - used acidic acid powder to get of stains, let Chlorine get to 0, added ph up and started salt generator again and now have had cloudy water for 3 days. Not sure if its algae- been adding algaecide all along and Aldo clarifiers-,summers too short - help!

Ph- 7.4
Alk- 140. Which is a bit high
Chlor- about .5 Was told to ease into the Chl and not super Chlorinate.

[chem geek]

Lower your pH to 7.2 or lower (but not below 7.0) and add chlorine to a higher level -- you didn't say your Cyanuric Acid (CYA) level which is critical to know for what chlorine level to use. Your 0.5 ppm FC is way, way too low. You don't have to ease into it that slowly, especially if you lower the pH first. Stains occur from the pH rising. The reason not to get the chlorine too high is to prevent breaking down the metal sequestrant too quickly, but it will break down and require maintenance doses. If you way overdosed the metal sequestrant, then that can also cause cloudiness.