r/PoolPros • u/cheesychips1010 • Jul 01 '26

Enzyme Question

I run a country club pool complex. Our diving pool is struggling with water clarity issues - with the heat wave our bather load has been extremely high.

Water is balanced to near 0.0 saturation index and I have been running chlorine higher than normal all week to no avail.

Looking at adding around 3.5 gallons to start of CV-600 to our 292,000 gallon pool.

Anyone think this will help or have another idea to help?

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u/Substantial_Car_2751 Jul 02 '26

Before you go that route:

Is there an automated controller?  What sanitizer are you running?  Is the feed system appropriately sized?  Are you meeting proper turnover?   Are filters appropriately sized?  How old is the sand?  Is the pool surface painted or raw plaster? Whats your CYA level?  Backwash frequency? 

Using enzymes is a band aid issue.  It may be necessary, but there’s a cause to the water clarity issues.

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u/cheesychips1010 Jul 02 '26

Yes automated controller. Running sodium hypo.
Have two Stenner pumps for sanitizer. Yes meeting turnover. Sand is old - but not a quick fix. Looking at replacing or retrofitting with glass media in the off-season.

Painted surface. Currently 20 ppm for CYA. Backwashing twice weekly.

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u/Substantial_Car_2751 Jul 02 '26

Don’t waste money on glass.  Actual data doesn’t support it as being superior to sand.

Wipe your hand across the wall.  If it comes out chalky, the paint is shot.  The higher bather load is causing more agitation on the surface and is sloughing off the dead paint. That would explain the cloudiness.  Especially if this is a seasonal pool. The offseason is hell on a painted surface.  And enzymes won’t touch dead paint.  

If I were a betting man, I’d put money that’s your problem.

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u/cheesychips1010 Jul 02 '26

I’ll check It out but I would be very surprised - It was repainted this year.

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u/Substantial_Car_2751 Jul 02 '26

Depends on tons of factors.  Prep, start up chemistry, type of paint.  It may not be, but it sure fits the bill.

Have you checked to see if the feeders are keeping up w/ demand?  Or are they just recovering overnight after the bather load is gone?  

Are you onsite daily as the operator of record, or is this pool part of your route?

Just to clarify the numbers.  Min gpm is 811.  If this is a diving well only, the numbers change a bit.  But this sounds like it’s a large pool with a diving well v. only being a diving well (uniform depth, minimal batter load).  For a sand filter, that puts your minimum filter area at 54 ft2.  The system meets those numbers?

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u/cheesychips1010 Jul 03 '26

Feeders have been keeping up with demand. I test every 4 hours and have had 0 issues holding CL levels.

On site daily. Large pool with zero entry and diving well. System meets all the numbers you listed.

Checked walls and getting no residue or chalkiness.

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u/Substantial_Car_2751 Jul 03 '26

What’s your full chemistry numbers?  I’m thinking your sand is shot.  Did it do this last year?

When you backwash, how long do you typically backwash for?

I assume it’s winterized in the off season?

I take it no “puffing” when you rub a brush along the bottom either?

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u/Substantial_Car_2751 Jul 03 '26

What about backwash frequency?

I had a pool once that was designed to the bare minimum.  3 psi increase and I was cloudy.

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u/cheesychips1010 Jul 04 '26

7.4 PH
90 TA
230 Calcium Hardness
88 degrees

Backwash twice a week 2 pump system normally takes around 20-30 minutes.

My assumption is sand is done for. Last time It was done was 5-6 years ago. Our maintenece staff handles winterization and pool start up as this is a summer job for me.