New Here...Have Green Clear Water

[mrscoach]

Hi, I am having a problem with green water in my pool. Here is what I can tell you...

1. I have a 14,000 gal pool
2. I use chlorine tabs
3. I have well water but fill my pool with our "soft water" from our home. (pH 7.4)
4. The water is green but clear, not cloudy, I can see the bottom of the pool floor
5. Shocked pool for first time 4 days ago, with Super Shock
6. Added 1/2 box of Borax today.
7. Last test results- 1 hour ago...Chlorine 1.5 and pH level 7.6
8. Filter has been running 24/7 and my husband back washes morning and evening.

PLEASE HELP if you can!

Last year I found Ben's site and used Borax to raise my pH and never had another problem the rest of the swim season. I have never encountered green water before.

Thank you so much

[Spensar]

If you are using chlorine tabs, you are likely driving your stabilizer level up, referred to as CYA. You should check the CYA level and the folks here will be able to give you better direction. You can bring a sample to the pool store and have them test it - but don't buy anything. If they recommend stuff, say thanks or you have some at home, and exit.

To start, even if your CYA is zero, the chlorine level needs to be much higher, and kept high to kill the green. Borax, backwashing, etc. won't do squat unless there is enough chlorine to do the job. Liquid chlorine has no CYA, either bleach or pool chlorine, the only difference is the chlorine % in each. About 3 96 ounce jugs of 6% bleach should bring your chlorine up to around 10+ ppm. I would do this right away, and get some CYA numbers and post them up here.

The mods and regulars know this best, but I just want to highlite that you need the chlorine levels way up to zap the green.

[drband]

Hi, I am having a problem with green water in my pool. Here is what I can tell you...

1. I have a 14,000 gal pool
2. I use chlorine tabs
3. I have well water but fill my pool with our "soft water" from our home. (pH 7.4)
4. The water is green but clear, not cloudy, I can see the bottom of the pool floor
5. Shocked pool for first time 4 days ago, with Super Shock
6. Added 1/2 box of Borax today.
7. Last test results- 1 hour ago...Chlorine 1.5 and pH level 7.6
8. Filter has been running 24/7 and my husband back washes morning and evening.

PLEASE HELP if you can!

Last year I found Ben's site and used Borax to raise my pH and never had another problem the rest of the swim season. I have never encountered green water before.

Thank you so much

If you'll post a full set of numbers, the forum folks will gladly walk you through the process. We do need to know...

FC
CC
TC
pH
TA
CYA
CH only if plaster
volume of water
vinyl or plaster

Good luck.
(If you don't have a good test kit... you will need one... it will save you money in the long run!)\

[Watermom]

Green but clear isn't usually an algae problem but more often a metals issue. Some questions for you:
-- Are you topping off the pool from your well?
-- Filling from your "soft water" may still be introducing metals into the water?
-- Have you had the water tested for metals?
-- Have you always filled in the same manner in previous years but never had the green clear water issue?

And, lastly, tell us more about the chlorine tabs. Spefically the name of them and ingredients. Some trichlor tabs have copper in them. You NEVER want to use this type.

[mrscoach]

Well, I went to the pool store and of course, they were sold out of the "good kits". They are getting more this afternoon, then I will be able to get proper numbers, but I can answer some of them already.

1. I have been using Poolife 3" Cleaning Tablets Stabilized Chlorinator- Ingredients: Trichlore- s-Triazinetrione 99%, other ingredients 1% (Big white tub with orange lid)

2. I use a hose that is hooked up to the water softener to keep the pool full

3. I have never had green water before, sometimes brown, after the slide water is turned all all day, which is well water.

4. I have never had the Copper tested, but last year my test results were: Hardness 100, Iron 0, Manganese No.

It is a fiberglass in ground pool, made of fiberglass.

[mrscoach]

Ok...Here are my numbers:

FC= .5
TC= 2
CC=1.5
Br=1.5
Sant. Level 7.5
pH 7.4
TA 100
CH 170
CYA 50

[Watermom]

FC + CC = TC, so there is a problem with your chlorine numbers. Maybe try those tests again. Also, if this is a chlorine pool, then you don't have any bromine. (The testers can also be used for bromine pools, and that is why those markings are also on there.)

I'm not sure what you mean by Sant. Level 7.5 ???

PH, TA, CH and CYA are all fine. With a cya level of 50ppm, you need to keep your cl between 3-6 all the time and shock level will be 15ppm.

With cya of 50 and basically no chlorine, you have the perfect conditions for algae to start but typically if there is algae, your water won't be clear and green but more likely murky or cloudy and green (or just cloudy if the algae bloom is just starting.) Clear and green usually does mean metals. But, at any rate, if you do have metals you can deal with that after you get the water balanced. If there are metals present, you may get some staining, but you can clear those up after the water is sanitized.

You need to shock the pool up to about 15 and try and hold it at that level as consistently as you can. Test at least twice (and 3x is better) and each time, add enough bleach to take your cl level back up to 15. Run your pump 24/7 while working to clear the pool. The best times to test and add bleach are early morning and in the evening when the sun is off the pool. If you can do it one or two more times during the day, all the better! When you get to the point where you are losing no more than 1ppm of cl overnight from sundown to sunup, then you can let the cl level drift back down and then keep it between 3-6 all the time.

In a 14,000 gallon pool, each quart of 6% bleach will raise the cl by 1ppm.

Do NOT use any more of the chlorine pucks. They are stabilized which means they have cya in them and you do not want any more cya in your pool. Stick with bleach or liquid chlorine.

[mrscoach]

Ok, I took the chlorine pucks out! Thank you for that advice.

I'm not sure why my numbers are possibly incorrect, am I understanding this wrong? My FC was .5 and my CC was 1.5. Those together equal 2.0, which was my TC reading. I hate to sound so stupid, I just want to make sure that I'm doing this correctly. UGH!

I see now that I didn't need to do Bromine. Please ignore that reading.

I added 3 gallons of bleach tonight

I tested my cl...it appears my test only goes to 5. However, the color was at 5. I will test again in the morning and then add bleach accordingly.

Thank you for your help.

[CarlD]

I'm bothered by the FC of .5 and the CC of 1.5--which means there's definitely something growing in your water if you are running the test correctly.

If you keep getting an FC of .5 and a CC of 1.5 then you should shock your pool's FC up to 15 ppm and keep it there for a couple of days. If you are not running the test wrong then you DO have an algae bloom and you need to kill it, now. Shocking it this way will show if you are running the test wrong or DID have a problem.

If, in fact, you have a metal problem, you can deal with that after you are certain you don't have an algae problem--which means at a minimum CC must be 0.

If, after that, your pool is still green and clear, we can investigate metals in the water.


To summarize:
1) Let's start by ASSUMING you ran the FC and CC test correctly.

2) Then you need to shock your pool to 15 and keep it there.

3) When (if) CC now drops to zero you had something growing.

4) If your pool is STILL green we then check for metal.

[Watermom]

OOPS. I misread your chlorine testing numbers. Sorry about that. (Guess my eyes weren't working too well at 12:36 last night!) But, at any rate, the CC of 1.5 is a concern and all the other advice I wrote still stands.

[CarlD]

I guess I was up TOO early and missed part of Lisa's post. But we are now in synch and agree you need to start by shocking your pool.

[mrscoach]

Last night my FC was 5, this morning 0.

So, more bleach, and I tested it and it was back up to 5.

Does anyone know if I can purchase just the test tubes that have the reading for chlorine to 15. Mine only goes to 5. Or even a picture of what color 15 looks like would be helpful.

I will add more bleach tonight and then test, and retest in the morning.

[peekaboo]

You NEED to get a good drop based test (Taylor k2006 is a fav here) or get water tested at pool place....but DONT BUY ANYTHING FROM THEM.Also shocking to 5 ppm is doing nothing more than casting you more money than need be.Load up on Liquid chlorine or bleach and shock to 15ppm as previously stated and keep it there by testing daily several times a day and adding chlorine as necessary to keep it at 20 ppm.You always be behind the algae by shocking to 5 ppm instaed of in front of it.

[mrscoach]

I tried to order the Taylor 2006 kit on here to no avail. Says it is out of stock. So, I bought the 2005 Taylor kit instead from my local pool store. I live in Oregon, and we only have like 2 good swim months to enjoy a pool, so I can't wait until the middle of July to order a kit. I am going in there tomorrow to ask for a test tube that goes higher, he asked me yesterday if I wanted one that goes higher than 5, not knowing, I said no. He told me that usually only "commercial" pool people have them. I chucked and took my Taylor 2005. So, If I cannot get a chart that shows the color for cl 15, I will just keep putting bleach in until it is scarlet red I guess. I really want to avoid taking my water in there, but I will if I have to. Thanks for all the help on here.

Also, wondering if you can use the same BBB method on a hotub?

[Watermom]

I have never seen a kit with a tube that goes to 15. Have you used your kit yet? If not, I'd consider taking it back and finding the K-2006. A MUCH better kit and way more user friendly. Maybe try a different place to order it. Take a look at this thread.

http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=10006

Can't help with the hot tub question. But, I *think* in a hot tub, you need to use bromine because of the extremely high water temps.

[mrscoach]

Thank you Watermom. You have been so gracious to me!

Unfortunately I have used my kit, but I did look at your link, and mine is exactly the same. I have posted a picture of mine as well.

My pool guy did say that he would put one together for me, as he was out of the pre-made ones. Possibly he gave me the exact kit I need. Who knows! sigh :(

I found the chlorine calculator, and that has helped in knowing exactly how much bleach I need to put into the pool. I am alittle nervous about putting too much in there.

Also, I have added a photo of the pool this afternoon. My pool surface is pebble beach, so it will never look like all your blue pools, but it usually is sparkling. I know that it will be again sometime soon!

Sorry, couldnt get the pics to upload. But, thank you so much for all the help. Just put 4 1/2 96oz jugs in the pool!

Good night.

[CarlD]

OK,
It's easy to convert your K-2005 to a K-2006--but you have hunt up the K-1515-A or -C which is the FAS-DPD Chlorine test as a stand-alone single-test kit. Using that, instead of the DPD chlorine test in the K-2005, you'll have the same tests as the K-2006. The K-1515-A is about $26 from Taylor itself and the -C (which has more reagents) is quite a bit more--but is available at Amatoind.com for about $40. Considering the K-2006 is only about $48 from Amato Ind., it doesn't seem like much of a bargain.

Unfortunately, with the DPD kit, I don't believe you can dilute the sample the way you can with the OTO test to double, triple or quadruple the range of the scale on the test cell.

[mrscoach]

I have my K1515 kit coming tomorrow to add to my K 2005.

But meanwhile, I did do the "shot glass method", and I am above 20 ppm for cl. And my pool is getting better. Will add more bleach tonight and then test, then test in the morning to see if I lost any.

I also, brushed the sides really well this morning.

I feel like there is a sparkling pool at the end of this tunnel.

Thank you all for your help!

[Watermom]

You're on the right track! Sparkling pool just around the corner!

[mrscoach]

Just a quick update...

My pool has NEVER looked so nice. Thank you so much for all your advice. My kids think that I am an absolute genius. :)

I have been telling everyone I know about the BBB method. Keep up the great work!

[aylad]

Thanks for the update--isn't it great when all your hard work pays off? Enjoy your pool....

Happy swimming!
Janet