green water

[mrszaff]

Hi, I opened the pool 2 days ago, it was perfectly clear, I added 4 gallons of 6 percent bleach and ran the filter, the next day it was bright green.
I back washed and added 8 more gallons. today it is still green but you can see the bottom, so I had it tested but Leslies told me the shock level was too high to do a reading. ?? and not to add anything until it comes down. It has been raining as well.
I vacuumed and back washed again. just now. should I let it be or add more bleach until it clears?
I will look for my taylor kit and will post numbers tomorrow.
Thanks!

[Watermom]

Is it green and cloudy or green and clear? What is the source of your fill water. If you shock a clear pool and it turns green, it leads us to believe it could be a metals issue.

[mrszaff]

green and clear I think. when i back washed it a lot of green came out. we had a metal issue a few years ago, so maybe I should put some metal free in it? i didn't have to put much water in it this year, 16 x 32 vinyl in ground, city water

[PoolDoc]

Not metal free - it's useless and incompatible with chlorine, if you have the 'new' citric acid metal free.

+ Run your filter CONTINUOUSLY; clean as needed; tell us what color the dirt or backwash is.
+ Don't run your chlorine higher than needed right now.
+ Get a local OTO kit (HTH 6 way at some Walmarts is a GREAT deal, and compatible with the Taylor K2006) and tell us what you have.
+ Locate your eyeballs so that water is NOT directed against a pool surface.
+ Notice and report the color of any sediment that appears on the bottom.
+ Keep your pH ABOVE 6.8 but BELOW 7.4
+ Get the K-2006 ASAP.

*IF* it is metals, a liquid product like Metal Magnet can help prevent staining . . . temporarily. But, it's not really compatible with chlorine levels above 5.0

[mrszaff]

The pool is not green today but the liner is brown so I put a vitiman c tablet in to test a spot and it cleared. Just bought 2 lbs of concentrated ascorbic acid and sprinkled it around and the liner is beautiful wherever it landed. I am hoping it will get everywhere by running the filter all night. We went through this a few summers ago. I'm so mad its back!

[PoolDoc]

Ok.

You've got the iron BACK in your pool water, but you do NOT have it OUT of your pool. Also, ascorbic acid and chlorine are incompatible. Go TONIGHT and get some polyquat (www.poolsolutions.com/polyquat.html) and use it -- it's fairly compatible with BOTH ascorbic acid and chlorine.

Then, you need to find a LIQUID metal stain and scale product -- Metal Magnet or the Jacks Magic Purple, Blue or Pink Stuff all have the ingredient you want, HEDP. Once you have some, use it.

THEN, you can safely begin re-chlorinating your pool without immediate danger of re-depositing all the stains.

Next, you'll need a K-2006 test kit (see test kit page in my signature) AND you need to read through this thread:

http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?15092
to get an idea of what your options are.

[mrszaff]

Thank You so much! I just tried to get a reading but the FC must be extremely high, the water turns red not pink and I gave up after 100 drops, I will try again later on today.

The water is still clear BUT the stains are still visible wherever I couldn't reach with the ascorbic acid, will this eventually clear up I am ready to go buy more as I am under pressure to make it look good by Sunday for a party.

I am ordering more for the future from amazon thank you for your link! THe metal free was put in the pool without my knowledge :) this morning , when my husband saw the stains still in the pool today, Its not the citric acid new one, Ive used it before. Hope it doesnt make it worse.

SO moving forward...
Today I will get Polyquot and add it, Is this to prevent algae growth when the cl drops?
I will look for liquid metal stain as well for immdiate use

I am ordering the kemtek from amazon and ascorbic acid and culator after reading your link.
To get the pool looking better until all this arrives, I guess I will just add the ascorbic acid again, hoping it will eventually get to the center of the deep end, I do not anticipate any swimmers since the water is so cold.
but I need it to look less offensive by sunday....
Am I on the right track now?

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

[PoolDoc]

Whoa! If your chlorine level is high, do NOT use the polyquat. It's not compatible with chlorine that high! If you've already purchased it fine; keep it for a future need.

Also, don't put phosphonate in (HEDP); again it's not compatible with very high levels of chlorine.

Please post your POOL info -- surface type, gallons , pump/filter make/model, etc. -- in your signature (link in my blue signature block) AND please report a complete K-2006 test set. I particularly need to know what your CYA level is. (You don't have to repeat tests you've done recently -- just tell me what your current levels are)

Do be SURE to keep your pump running -- high chlorine will break down whatever you've used to lift the metals, but if it can break down in the filter, then the metals will end up there, and you can remove some from your pool when you clean the filter.

As far as I know, the CuLator *is* compatible with high chlorine, but I'll call this AM and ask.

However, NONE of these things will arrive in time for this weekend. If you have access to local citric acid -- I'm not clear on what you have been using; if you post EXACT product and brand name, and approximate product age, I should be able to tell -- and IF the citric acid lifts the stains, then with your very high chlorine, you can add it, put the metals in the water, let the chlorine break it down and *hopefully* it will be filtered out

BTW, if you are not doing so, with HIGH chlorine, be sure to use the SMALL sample size on the K-2006. If you fill to the 10ml line, each drop is 0.5 ppm chlorine, rather than 0.2

[mrszaff]

hi, filter is sand 1999 jacuzzi 7-POS DV BASIC ASSY
Pool is vinyl 16x32 inground rectangular approx 19000 gallons I think
Leslie's store brand Stain remover,step 5 enhancer, which is concentrated ascorbic acid 2 lb container purchase yesterday, natural chemistry metal free 33.9 oz also purchased this week
see link
http://www.lesliespool.com/Home/Pool-Chemicals/Stain-Removers/14101.html
http://www.lesliespool.com/Home/Pool-Chemicals/Stain-Removers/14834.html

I will run a test now and post results

FC 25
CC .5
Ph 7.2
cya 100
TA 50

[PoolDoc]

hm-mh. :(

Retest that CYA, using a 50:50 pool water / tap water sample, and then multiplying by 2.

[mrszaff]

ok, before I multiply it's not quite at 50 so about 52which makes it 104 after I mult by 2
I know that's high.... :(

[PoolDoc]

OK.

It will be sort of expensive, but if get the pool cleaned up is the priority do this:

1. Buy whichever granular product cleared the stains fastest and was cheapest. (Your chlorine is going to break them down anyhow!)

2. Apply it as best you can, directly to the stains. One possible way would be to take a 2 gallon freezer bag, put 1/2 pound of stain remover in it, add 2 cups of water, and then a medium wash cloth. Saturate the wash cloth in the concentrated slurry, and then close the bag, after forcing the air out. Get into the pool with the bag, and open it NEXT to a stained area, and wipe the area down. That way, you may be able to use the bag to avoid a lot of the mixing and dilution with pool water that would otherwise occur. You probably want to wear gloves to avoid concentrated exposure to the acid.

3. As before, make sure your pump and filter are working well. What will happens is that the metal + the citric or ascorbic acid will go into the pool water, and encounter the chlorine. This will break down the organic acid, releasing the metal -- which will hopefully then end up on the filter BEFORE it can stain the pool again.

4. Don't let folks submerge their heads or get their eyes in this water for 24 hours afterwards, if you use citric acid. It initially forms some irritating products with chlorine.

5. Don't worry about your chlorine level, till it gets near 7 or 8. At that point, you'll need to begin adding chlorine again. Do brush any areas of algae BEFORE starting all this.

[mrszaff]

should I worry about my cya or ph etc, yet?

cant get in the pool to to do this because the staining is at the bottom of the deep end, so ill just try to throw it in there better i guess..or buy vit c tabs and throw those
thanks again for helping!
Ill keep you posted

[PoolDoc]

or buy vit c tabs and throw those

Sams Club has some great big bottles of Vit. C tabs that are pretty inexpensive. Tabs wouldn't dissolve as quickly as the granular, so that might work. I'd be interested to know if it does -- other people might want to try it.

[mrszaff]

It's working, thanks!

[mrszaff]

OK, the pool looks great and we were able to use it this weekend.I just took a reading and my chlorine is zero! So I want to add bleach without turnng the liner brown again from a metal reaction. How much should I add at a time? what #am I loking to reach?

here are my other numbers: Ph 7 Alk 20 cya 90

[PoolDoc]

Add 1/2 gallon at a time -- on your pool that will be about 1.5 ppm. If you have 0.0 chlorine, and CYA = 90, try to get at least (3) 1/2 gallon doses in tonight. Add them via the skimmer, and wait 30 minutes between doses.

By the way, if / when you add acid to the pool, do NOT add it via the skimmer! Doing so will take metals OFF the filter and put them BACK into the pool!

[mrszaff]

I added 2 gallons of 6percent bleach , should I add baking soda?

we had a lot of rain the past few days and it got cold the pool is now cloudy and turning green but I want to avoid metal...
also, I haven't added and borax or baking soda yet
fc 3.2
cc .5,
ph 7.1
alk 30
cya 100

[Watermom]

You need to add Borax and you can also add baking soda.

Remember, when it rains, your pool still needs chlorine. We see this many times each season where somebody posts that it was rainy and the pool turned green. Rain does not turn pools green. Rather, people don't check on their pools when it rains and then chlorine gets low and algae gets started.

[mrszaff]

how much baking soda and borax?

[Watermom]

I'd do a half a box of borax at a time. After a couple of hours, retest and redose until you get it where you want it. Probably between 7.4-7.6 although anywhere between 7.2-7.8 is ok.

Regarding alk, it is going to take quite a bit of baking soda (like probably 15 or 16 lbs.) but you certainly don't want to put in that much at once. You can actually buy a big bag of baking soda at Walmart and also at Sam's Club, I think. I'd probably do a couple lbs. at a time. Take a few days to get it all in there. You add Borax and baking soda slowly through the skimmer while the pump is running. It is ok to add a dose of one right after the other with no problem.

[mrszaff]

thank you I will keep you posted!!!

[mrszaff]

thanks watermom... I was away for the weekend when I read your posts so last night i got back after being away for 2 days, the pool looks like a swamp, can't see bottom.I feared that it would take a truckload of bleach so I added 2 lbs of Leslie's Power Powder Plus its a chlorinated shock,(active ingredient is 65-70% Calcium Hypochlorite) and borax and baking soda
my numbers are now(after 24 hours) ...
fc 22
cc 0
ph 7.2
alk 100
Pool is still green and cant see bottom but it looks a bit lighter green.
should i stick with powder or switch to bleach? filter has been on nonstp for days, tried vacuuming and backwashing too
shoulld i shut it off overnight?

[Watermom]

Remind me so I don't have to hunt through this long thread, what is your calcium hardness reading and CYA reading?

[mrszaff]

cya is 80 , calcium 50
I just did it now

[Watermom]

Go ahead and use the cal-hypo since your CH reading is low.

[mrszaff]

how much more can i put in? I have added 3 ils total in 24 hours so far and still green :(
they are in 1lb bags