Pool Still green after 20 gals of bleach...1st time post.

[Steve V]

We opened over 10,000 gal above ground pool last week in April. Any how this is our 2nd year with the house and pool. 1st year was great. Opened clear and used all summer with very little issues. One small algae prob that went away over nite with algaecide. Wife did all chemicals with test strips.

Closed pool and did not lower water level. Added nothing extra. Used cover that did not want anything underneath to prop it up. Here where the problems begin..:) should've found this forum 1st and closed it the right way.Hose busted sometime over the winter and water went down to skimmer level. Fixed hose this spring opened pool...GREEN,...crap in it everywhere. Skimmed the bottom to rid leaves etc that went in when the cover came off.Tried pool store chemicals for 2 weeks got frustrated and broke. Found this forum and have been lurking since.

Trying the BBB method have added about 20 gals of bleach. I have got most of the trash off the bottom. Alky is good ph a little low..added borax...still a little low. Sunday nite added 5 gals of bleach. Still was at 10ppm on the stick in am. Also 16oz of stablizer,1 bag of shock and ph up. Monday nite added another 10 gals and have 12 ready for tonite.
Pool is a little better I could see bottom last nite before I brushed it and the sides.

I have a real test kit in route....the one the site recommends.

Tonite I am gonna try to vaccum on waste. Add some more bleach...8-10 gals or so. Test in am and add more before I go to work. I am guessing I will have to keep the cholrine high for 3-5 days to kill all the green stuff. Should I get a product called sink for the debris so I can vaccum it out?

Thanks for any and all adivse. It's getting hot in VA,wife is 6 mons pregnant with out 1st and we want to hang out in the pool.

[Watermom]

I hope i catch you before you add 8-10 gallons of bleach to your pool! That is WAY too much for a 10K pool. 8 gallons will take your chlorine up to 48ppm which can damage your liner. In a 10K pool, each quart of 6% bleach will add 1.5ppm of chlorine.

Any idea what your CYA (stabilizer) reading is? How about your pH level? What did you use for chlorine last season?

Do not use anything other than bleach right now and Borax if your pH is below 7.0. You cannot get an accurate pH reading when your chlorine is high, by the way. For now, until we know some actual testing numbers, just take your chlorine up to 12. Test as many times per day as you can, and each time add enough bleach to get back to 12. Run the pump 24/7 while you are trying to clear it up and clean your filter as needed. What type of filter do you have?

Repost with requested info and keep us posted how it is going. Hopefully you'll get your test kit soon! Welcome to the forum!

[PoolDoc]

Hi Steve;

As Watermom said, 48 ppm at one time is too much for a liner pool . . . but when you've got the green sludge, the total chlorine demand (before you're all cleaned up) can exceed 200ppm! So, by all means, vacuum and clean out all the sludge you can.

Don't add any more CYA, till the sludge and green is gone. Do test CYA as soon as you can -- that will tell you what your normal and maximum chlorine levels need to be.

Do add chlorine in the evening, when it can fight algae without being affected by sunlight.

Do NOT add any 'goop' - floc, clarifier, algaecides, enzymes, phosphate removers, etc.. They will only slow down the process, and in many cases they are NOT compatible with high levels of chlorine, but will INCREASE the amount of chlorine it takes for cleanup.

If your filter needs service or repair, get it done ASAP -- you can't clean up your pool with chemicals alone.

Ben

[Steve V]

Opps...this is going to be an expensive lesson for sure.

It's a sand filter and I backwash regularly.

PH is around 7.

We used 3in tablets last year. I did nothing when I closed it up last year...idoit.

vaccumed tonite,lots of gunk kept clogging the skimmer baskets. I got a lot out though. Water is a lighter green and murkey.

I will not add any more bleach.

Wifey is taking a sample to the pool store after work tommorrow.

[Watermom]

Don't let the pH drop below 7.0. Post readings tomorrow.

[madwil]

Where in VA are you? I'm in Gloucester, work in Yorktown...
and it did get hot (suddenly/finally)- spent last weekend outside (deck/pool work) started on a tan; yesterday burned up as was working outside about 1/2 day
I'm not used to 90 yet!!!!

[Steve V]

Little update. The wife did not make it to the pool store yesterday. And my test kit is not here yet. I did check water with test strips and both the chlorines are pegged. Alk was good PH a little low so added 1/2 box borax into the skimmer after a backwash. Very little debris in pool on surface or in water. Filter used get restricted in a few hours,ran allday yetserday and all lastnite with no probs.

Can almost see the bottom. Water is 84 degrees and we are ready to get in it. :(

Hopefully today will bring my kit and we'll see what pool says about water sample for stablizer.

[Steve V]

Madwil...In surry county,work in Williamsburg.

[madwil]

Cool- my pool was 86 yesterday evening; got home from work with a cold beer and a swim!
Good luck on your pool clearing up for Memorial Weekend!; I'll be using the big salt water pool to our east this weekend! camping at FT Story, going to the beach...

[Steve V]

Wife went to pool store. They could not figure out what was wrong with our water other than our phospates are extremely high,no other recs on pool chemicals. Asked her what color and she said it was green,they said we don't know what to tell you other than add phosphate balls in the skimmer. She bought 2 at $10.00 and I told her No we are not using them....shes know more chemistry than me and is mad at me now :). Pool store said do not use bleach it will hurt your liner. :)

Anyway pool is still a mid to light green,not slimy or smelly does smell like chlorine. Total chlor off the chart,free chlorine pegged,alky ,ph ,cal all ok ph actually came up to middle of color chart after borax yesterday evening.

Our real test kit is still not here....dang it!!! maybe tommorrow.

[Steve V]

Ok kit is in test results from the wifes test

FC 39.5ppm
combine 1.5 ppm
ph 7.2
alk 125ppm
cya>100ppm

guess the cya is the issue pool is green still

Drain and refill time?

[Watermom]

If it was my pool, I would. But, do NOT totally drain your pool.

[Steve V]

Well I am on well water and I have a deep well that is only 20yrs old. I imagine there's plenty of water left in that well. I am going to vaccum it in the am to waste and then leave the vaccum in the pool sucking from the bottom and drain a good bit off. I have not decided how much but not anymore than 1/2 is my guess. probaly take a sunday and monday to refill.

[CarlD]

Wells used to be rated at gallons per minute, with 20+ as the max rating. I don't know if that's still true. Of course, the well gets ground water deep down.

Carl

[Steve V]

Vaccumed,I can see the bottom with sun over it. Not much debris there anymore. I did stir up a bunch of fine crap in the water that settled.

I have a new delema. I can get the pump to prime on the vaccum hose now that the water level is below the skimmer and outlet jet. How can I drain more water off. I don't think 4 inches of my 4 ft pool will impact my CYA at all I wanted to drain about 2 feet off to start.

[PoolDoc]

With an AG pool, usually you can just use your vacuum hose to siphon it out. If you tape the hose down, with the end in your pool adjusted to the level you want, it will break the siphon when it reaches that level.

Ben

[Steve V]

Got the garden hose sophoning now. Gonna try vac hose with shop vac on it!!;)

[PoolDoc]

Uhh, no, don't do that. Shop vacs aren't made for sucking water out of pools.

Do you have just a plain pool vacuum hose (for hand vacuuming the pool)? Use that.

Ben

[CarlD]

What Ben said!

Carl

[Steve V]

Should've been more specific. I used the shop vac to start the sophion on the larger diameter pool hose. Worked quite well.

Pool is now drained with only 12-15 inches left. I turned on the hose lastnite. This am it is about 1/2 full so between today and Monday I should be able to get it filled up.

I need some replied to my thread about my sand filter in that section please. :)

Thanks for the help we are gaining on it.

[Steve V]

She's full and filtering over nite I will do the Taylor kit in am. The strips showed fc and tc still at top of the chart tonite. Cloudy water but I can see the bottom.

[Steve V]

Monday numbers

FC 14
cc .5
TC 14.5
ph 7.0
alk 125
CYA 50-60

by the best guess I need to run 5-10 ppm
I need to shock 20 ppm
using cya table 60-90 to be safe.
Do I raise it to shock table now to lower cc?Water is cloudy with light green tint. Filtered over nite and have no intentions to turn off.

[aylad]

Yes, because of the greenish tint--I would raise it to shock value now and keep it there until the pool clears, and until you can measure chlorine at sundown and again at sunup without losing any chlorine,.

Janet

[Steve V]

Sundown 21ppm Sun up 16ppm added more bleach. Cya was 50 last nite...hope that's good enough. :)

[madwil]

50 is fine for CYA- and you don't need to test it again for awhile; save the reagents!
just keep it up with the chlorine, and watch your pH to ensure it stays 7.0-7.8 range; slightly high is ok at your chlorine levels, as the chlorine makes it read high...

[Steve V]

Will do. I will test ph and chlorine tonite and go from there. Also gonna try to vaccum the bottom for fine silt debris. Chlorine was 14 about 10am monday,added 1 gal bleach and it read 21 last nite...looks like it lost hardly any in sun. Lost some overnite though.

[Steve V]

Tues PM 22ppm
Wed AM 21 ppm
That difference could be my readings. I added no bleach before I left for work.
Vaccumed last niite and it looks really good. No real debris in pool water almost clear. Gonna put stairs in it tonite. Maybe by the weekend it will be ready.
PH was 7.2 so I added a little borax to raise it.

[madwil]

What's your CC? that number should be <.5, and you should be done shocking!
Your pH will probably slowly rise as the water aerates- 7.2 is fine, as long as it doesn't drop.
I add about 3 cups acid every 2-3 weeks in mine, to keep pH below 7.8...

[Steve V]

CC was <.5. I am doing the 10 ml test cause it uses so much regant. I will do 25ml when Cholrine levels drop to normal to fine tune.

[PoolDoc]

Hi Steve;

I'm gonna 'pull rank here and close this thread to EVERYONE except me, Chem_Geek, Waste or Waterbear.

It's taken me 15 minutes to chart out all that's gone on with your pool, and work out what might be going on. Mostly, I think you've done what was needed, but you're getting see-sawed around a bit. (History table below)

So, here's what I think, based on what I've read and pieced together.

#1 - Your initial CYA was > 150, since you've drained more than 2/3 and still have ~50 ppm. Draining was a good thing.

#2 - You are fairly clear -- but some of the lack of clarity may be well water. Do you know what's in your well water? Most wells have some minerals / metals.

#3 - You should ignore CC levels of 1 ppm or less when your chlorine is > 15ppm, and stable. You report no change (22 => 21 ) overnight . . . so your chlorine is stable.
(There is some bleed over into CC readings, as chlorine gets high -- don't know why, but I've seen it repeatedly. Pools in full sun with stable chlorine levels do NOT have significant CC levels . . . no matter what the test shows UNLESS you've added something really strange to the pool.)

#4 - Your pool is greenish, but high in chlorine and clearing up. I'd recommend going ahead and swimming. Just tell your wife to wear that old 2-piece or bikini she want to replace anyhow -- she'll be fine, but 20 ppm FC w/ 50 ppm CYA will be hard on Lycra swim suits.
(You may like the results, however -- I have some fond memories of swimsuits my wife had that had lost some of their 'substance'! Might not want the neighbors over though. ;-)

#5 - You should feel the sides of your pool. If there is no slick/slimy feel . . . the green color is NOT algae, rather your algae is gone, except maybe for cracks and crannies.

#6 - Green clear pools can be a result of some peculiar iron conditions, but will clear up in a few days (maybe a week) if you just keep your pH in range and keep chlorinating.

#7 - At this point, I think trying to 'fix' anything with your water, as opposed to simply being patient and staying on course would be a mistake.

#8 - Haven't looked at your filter thread, but if there's anything wrong with the filter's function, fix it! Pools do NOT stay clear from chlorine alone!

Enjoy your pool!

Ben



10K pool, 2nd year of use
+ opened green with leaves & sludge
+ 2 weeks of being pool-stored
+ used 3" tablets
+ sand filter, regularly backwashed

05-21
+ 20 gal bleach

05-22 - Sunday
+ 5 gal bleach + 1# CYA + 1# 'shock'

05-23 - Monday
+ 10 gal bleach
+ some improved clarity; brushed

05-24 - Tuesday
+ pH 7

05-26 - Thursday
+ added 1/2 box borax
+ chlorine high (test strips)
+ phosphates "extremely high" (per pool store)

05-27 - Friday
+ FC 40, CC 1.5
+ ph 7.2
+ CYA > 100ppm

05-28
+ drained 2/3 or more

05-29
+ FC 15; CC 0.5
+ pH 7
+ CYA 50

06-01
+ PM FC 22; AM 21

[Steve V]

Thanks Ben! getting more sand today and some DE...pool is open....wife is 6 mons prego so no neighbors over. :) This forum has been a life saver. Thanks again.

[Steve V]

Got the stairs in. Ch was 14 and cc almost no pink in test. Will get in it this weekend for sure. Added more sand and some DE tonite. Green is almost gone. Not cloudy at all.

[madwil]

sounds good! Your wife will appreciate the hard work!

[Steve V]

Just want to thank pool forum again. Pool is clear,me and the dog had a blast Sunday nite playing in it. The wife has not been it yet but she will soon.

[Watermom]

Great! Have fun!