Chem log, to see....

[Charlie_R]

...if I'm doing it right.

Test results this AM with HTH 6-way:

Chlorine .75
pH 7.6
TA 260
TH 250

Notes: added 1/4c bleach after test.

Test results this evening:
Chlorine 3
pH 7.5
TA 240
TH 250

Notes: added 1/2c bleach 1 hour before testing, added CYA 1/4c at a time at 30 min intervals. Aerating water for 8 hours per day. Not going to test for CYA until I have infused at least 1/2 of the 4 lb container, as the kit only has enough material for 2 tests. If someone can point me to where I would be able to find just the reagent for the CYA test, it would make it a bit easier on this pool newbie.

I'm not sure I should add any muriatic to the pool while I'm trying to get the CYA in, since that will also lower the pH, albeit slowly.

I will be ordering the K-2006 in the next couple of weeks, so will have better info on what is going on in the water then.

I don't know what happened to my thread in the new guy section, as I can't access that any more. I'd really like to answer a couple of questions that others have asked in that thread.

[aylad]

So far it looks like you're on track. You can get CYA reagent online through several places-- I've gotten it through Taylortechnologies.com and spspool-spas.com. You might be able to order it through Amazon, but I'm not sure.

[Charlie_R]

Got this from my email, from the starter area thread, snipped to answer questions.


With less water and poor filtration, things can go south in a hurry.

Agreed. I've already seen what the lower volume of water can do.


You seem to be heading in the right direction (and you're in the right place to learn) as far as maintenance and chemistry but I haven't seen yet where you've ordered the K-2006 aylad recommended. My opinion: it is the single most important start-up chemical for a new pool.

Again, I agree on all points. See my first post here about the K-2006.


I've never see a through-the-wall skimmer for soft side pools and can't imagine how it would work.

I have abandoned that idea, as the tension on the sidewall of the pool is rather high. I doubt that the bolt holes would hold against that tension, even with a lot of reinforcement.


As far as additional returns: I wouldn't want to cut the pool and the one should be OK for a 15' pool.

My thoughts on this are that the corrugated tubing that comes with the pool presents very high resistance to water movement. I do plan on replacing this with flexible PVC piping for next year. This alone will most likely take care of the low flow problem.


....I supppose putting it in a hole could work, I just don't see why. You'd need to modify the ladder. Does your pool have the rope that goes around the bottom of the legs to hold them upright?

I understand about the ladder mods. That would be a minor problem, as the legs would also have to be shortened as well. Yes there is a rope. I have already noticed that any movement of the water allows the legs to "walk" and I am constantly having to reset them back into place, even with the rope as tight as I dare make it.


There are pump / filter choices in the Intex world (all cost more than a K-2006), sand and cartridge. Ben has made some recommendations for filter cartridge upgrades that you may want ot consider in the Construction, Equipment, Operations, Seasonal Care (P)Intex-type Pool Setup & Operations section of the forum. There's probably a lot of stuff in there you want to read anyway.

Good luck and have fun!

Yes, I am reading some every day in that section, along with many other places here, to the point of information overload at times. I'm the kind of person that (pardon the pun) "dives in head first" when presented with a new challenge. I seem to be at my happiest when I'm learning new things.

@Aylad -- This thread should answer your additional post in that thread as well.

The reagent question -- Found it on amazon, for a good price. I'll order some when I order the K-2006.

Charlie

[Charlie_R]

Update for today's readings:

Using the HTH 6-way, I get Chlorine holding fairly steady all day at 1.5~2 about halfway between the two shades, with only 1 dose of bleach this morning. Added another dose after testing this evening. pH is slowly dropping from the addition of the CYA, I expected a much faster drop here, reading this morning was 7.4, tonight's was 7.2., But then I am still aerating for ~12 hours a day. Wife doesn't want me to run the pump at night. However, the TA and TH are both slowly dropping.

To verify I am interpreting the tests properly, here is what I'm seeing. At 22 trops of titrating solution, the color just starts to change. at 23 drops the color has changed completely, at 24 drops, the color deepens. no further change at 25 drops. Would this be called 230 or 240? I'm inclined to think 230, since the addition of one more drop only deepens the color. Both the TA and TH showed at this level.

Since I lost only a small amount of chlorine to sunlight today, I took a chance and did a CYA test. I'm guessing ~20, since the dot disappeared right at the point of overflowing. I have added 2 lbs out of a 4 lb container of the CYA, and will continue until it's gone.

I think I for sure need the K-2006 kit, but unfortunately that will have to wait till next payday before being ordered.

Interesting to me is water so clear that you can identify what the black spot on the bottom of the pool is, whether it's a dead fly, spider or piece of a leaf, through almost 4' of water.

Charlie

[Watermom]

I'd call it 230 but a 10ppm difference on that test is insignificant, especially when it is that high.

I'm not sure if anybody has talked to you about lowering your alk in a different thread. Please read the following:
Lowering Alkalinity Step-by-Step (http://poolsolutions.com/gd/lowering-swimming-pool-alkalinity-step-by-step.html)

Using Muriatic Acid Safely (http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?13111-Using-Muriatic-Acid-to-Safely-Lower-Your-Pool-s-pH.html)

By the way, CYA doesn't really have much effect on pH.

[Charlie_R]

Thanks, Watermom!

I was unsure of the strength of the CYA on the acid scale, so I'll go ahead with the muriatic to lower the pH, and continue to aerate until the TA and TH come down.

Charlie

[Charlie_R]

Here are a couple of pics of what I was using to circulate/aerate the water, and what I'm using now:

http://i1094.photobucket.com/albums/i459/bcgeorge/pool%20pics/th_P1010835.jpg (http://s1094.photobucket.com/albums/i459/bcgeorge/pool%20pics/?action=view&current=P1010835.jpg)

I don't know if copper would leach from the fittings or not, but from what I've read here, it may not be something I want in my pool.

So, I made this with a replacement cap:

http://i1094.photobucket.com/albums/i459/bcgeorge/pool%20pics/th_P1010836.jpg (http://s1094.photobucket.com/albums/i459/bcgeorge/pool%20pics/?action=view&current=P1010836.jpg)

[Watermom]

Very clever! Thanks for sharing that pic! (And, you're right. You do NOT want copper in your pool.)

[BigDave]

My thoughts on this are that the corrugated tubing that comes with the pool presents very high resistance to water movement. I do plan on replacing this with flexible PVC piping for next year. This alone will most likely take care of the low flow problem.I used 1-1/4" 1/4" wall reinforced tubing because I found the intex tubes fragile. It's smooth on the inside.

[Charlie_R]

Thank you!

Results from this evening's tests:

Chlorine...................3 added 1/4 c bleach
pH..........................7.2 holding steady
TA..........................firm 210
TH..........................240 probable testing error?
CYA.........................70-80 depends on who was looking at the black dot.

By these results, I should be running chlorine about 5-7? or should that be higher?

Can't wait to be able to order the good kit.......

Daughter wants to put a "preventative" dose of HTH Algae Guard in the pool, I'm having trouble convincing her that it is not only not needed, but definitely unwanted. She's thinking that we are supposed to need that crap all the time, since the former owner seemed to always need it.

I can't thank you guys here enough for showing how uncomplicated pool chemistry can be, if you really want to learn instead of blindly following pool chem sales experts. They really are experts, at removing money from your wallet!

Thanks ALL!

Charlie

[Watermom]

I was trying to figure out why your CYA result was so much higher than your last test so I re-scanned this thread. I missed it before where you said you were going to continue using all of your 4 lb.container of CYA. You don't want to do that. It will make your CYA level too high. Don't add any more. Your CYA is already a little high. To compensate for it, you'll need to keep your chlorine between 5-10 ALL the time. (If you haven't already done so, please read the Best Guess Chlorine Chart in my signature below.)

Do NOT let your daughter add that algaecide. It will most likely cause your pool to become a foamy mess. That is a pretty common side effect of a lot of the algaecides. The best algaecide is just to maintain proper chlorine levels.

[Charlie_R]

Thanks! I quit adding the CYA, Saturday morning was the last I put in, when I noticed that I didn't lose but about 1ppm chlorine overnight. still have about 1/4 bottle. I expect it will slowly come down with the addition of make-up water, and rainfall. Yes, I'll be using the best guess charts for chlorination. Thanks for the heads up.

As for the algaecide, I'm getting rid of the bottle tomorrow morning before she gets up in the morning. That and several other HTH bottles, like the clarifier that did anything but last year, when the pool was in the neighbor's yard. We were trying to help with the maintenance then, but the owner's sister wouldn't believe anyone but the salesman at a semi local pool store. Kept telling her to buy all sorts of junk without ever having had a sample to test on. Can you say replace filter carts every hour for 4 days, and still have white gunk floating in the water?

This is the reason I started searching for more info, and found you folks. Sure am glad I did! I surely didn't want to make the same mistakes they did last year! I'll probably make enough of my own!

Charlie

[Charlie_R]

Question for the more knowledgeable folks here.

I've put in about a gallon and a half of muriatic acid over the past several days, and can't seem to keep the pH down to 7.2 or below, yet the TA doesn't seem to be dropping that much yet. TA appears to want to hover for a while at the high levels, even with the spray rig I made. I realize the instructions said it will take a while, but shouldn't I have been seeing a more pronounced drop already? I'll test again tonight, and see where it is.

[BigDave]

I looked over the thread and it seems that your TA has dropped from 250 to 210. That's almost 20%, sounds prettty good to me:). The pH goes up because you are aerating (and have plenty of TA). The pH drops when you add acid (kinda the definition). TA also drops when you add acid. If you want to see it: aerate 'till your pH is about 8.0, measure TA, add acid to drop pH to about 7.0, let it mix for a couple hours, measure TA.

[Charlie_R]

Thanks, BigDave.

I guess I just got a little impatient this afternoon, after having added yet another 1/4c of acid. This evening's test of TA did actually show a drop to 180, but still in the error range from the last test. May be a "can't see the forest for the trees" type of blindness. Thanks for the reminder of where I had come from. Maybe I should have started a spreadsheet to record all my test results?

Now if I could just figure out how to get the calcium down....Or am I OK with that at 250? Not sure what the saturation point would be where I would start to see scale on the ladder etc. I do note that there is some scale on the ladder legs at the waterline, from previous years use. I don't think it is from this fill.

Charlie

[BigDave]

Your pH rise will slow down as the TA gets lower and, I presume, you'll stop aerating when you get to your TA goal which will also slow pH rise (it's why your aerating). Remember, you're in the process of reducing TA - adding acid as often as you are is not a permanent state.

Calcium Hardness at 250 shouldn't be a problem, just avoid chlorinating with cal-hypo.

[Charlie_R]

Thanks for the info on the CH.

Yes, I would quit aerating when I reach the goal of TA=100. However, my wife likes the sound of gentle splashing from return, so I'll probably need to keep an eye on this level, and adjust as needed with baking soda.

Cal-hypo pucks available now, have a line in the ingredients "other chemicals, 4%" with no explanation as to what they are, so using them is a no-go for me. I want to know exactly what I'm putting in my pool!

[Charlie_R]

Is there a Pool Owners Anonymous? I was told today that I'm obsessed with the pool, and Wife may be right. I can't get near that thing without picking up the leaf net and working out some of the tree leaves and other organics from the water. Is this normal behavior from new pool owners? or am I "a little touched in the head"?

[BigDave]

Tetched? Whatever could you mean?
Perfectly normal; you're learning something new that means something to you, you're invested. Don't let the haters bring you down. If you feel you're obsessed then backup but if you're just practicing your new hobby - Stand Proud.

[Charlie_R]

Had to add a couple of inches of make-up water today. Took a half gallon bottle of muriatic to bring the pH back down to just below 7.2. Dropped the water temperature from a comfortable ( to these arthritic joints ) 90F to 82F.....Water felt downright COLD this afternoon!

This evening's test of the TA shows the trend downward continuing, 160ppm even with the influx of new water. Interesting to me is that at 240, it took 10 or more drops of the titration solution to give the flash of color when you are about halfway to the full change in color. Now I see that on the very first drop.

And, BigDave -- I'm still obsessed. I cant stand to see a leaf drop into my pool! Cold as that water felt, I stayed in it to get "just a little more" of the days debris out of the pool.

Am I right about leaves and bugs etc. using part of the chlorine?

Charlie

[Watermom]

Any time you have organic stuff in the water, you will use a little more chlorine. But, obsessive Charlie, a bug and a leaf won't matter! ;)

[BigDave]

I still say Proud! not obsessed. And watermom, what if that bug were moving?

[Watermom]

Oh, I didn't say that I would like that bug. I certainly would NOT! But, I meant as far as chlorine consumption goes, a bug wouldn't matter.

[Charlie_R]

Yes, I AM proud! In years past with this pool, it would have already been drained and refilled, in just the first month due to yucky water.

[Charlie_R]

I have another question about my pool chemistry.

At what concentration would calcium try to precipitate out? I ask because lately I have been seeing little white flakes in the pool, and on close examination they appear to be the consistency of wet flour but just a tiny bit of grit to them. Not very many of these flakes, and nothing like this is showing on the filter.

Before it is asked, no, I haven't been able to order the K-2006 kit yet. Lack of $$ is the only reason. So I'm still using the HTH 6 way.

Another oddity happened in the last couple of days. I've been trying to keep the chlorine level up between 5 & 8, but lost a LOT of it overnight between monday and tuesday. Was down to 3, so I dosed the pool with a gallon of 6%, in several doses tuesday. Seems to be holding now. There was no slimyness to anywhere on the liner prior to this, but that doesn't mean I wasn't about to get an algae bloom. Something used up the chlorine though. No clue why it would drop like that overnight, And without the FAS-DPD, I don't know what the CC level was.

Last night test results:

cl 6
pH 7.3
TA 110

Water remains clear, and no eye or skin irritation.

[aylad]

I haven't been able to isolate a particular range that would precipitate calcium--it is different for different pools, and part of it is also a function of the pH and TA levels. Plaster/concrete pools have to keep a calcium level between 200-400 to keep the calcium from being leached out of the pool surface, but there have been folks with vinyl pools on this forum that have had calcium precip at any range between 250 and 400, depending on their other water parameters.

The 6-way kit measures total hardness, not calcium hardness, but do you know what your calcium hardness level is, by any chance?

As far as the chlorine loss goes, you never know--might have had a critter swimming in the pool overnight, an influx of pollen or other airborne stuff, or a bit of algae that was just trying to get bigger, who knows? The great thing is that you were on top of it, stopped it before it became a problem, and now can continue to enjoy your pool. Ain't it great ;)

Janet

[Charlie_R]

I have a link to the .pdf from our local water company, a detailed water quality report. Thanks to this forum, I would not have known to look for it!

http://www.amwater.com/files/MO_2010519_CCR.pdf

And the typical water report, showing the CaCO3 (calcium carbonate?) levels:

http://www.amwater.com/files/MO_2010519_TWQ.pdf

This is where I got my info about the fill water. Rather nice, I must say, saves me from having to do several bucket tests.

[Charlie_R]

I now know for sure what ate all the chlorine in my pool.

Listening to the pump, I heard air in it. Based on the construction of these intex single units, that meant that my filter was getting clogged. Took it out, and replaced with another.

Looking at the filter I removed, it had a definite green look to it. I can only assume that this indicates the start of an algae bloom, even though the water is still clear.

I am currently ramping up the chlorine levels today, but I'm unsure of how high I need to go. I'm thinking based on the best guess chart, I'll need at least a 15-20 level. How close am I? CYA level is holding between 70 and 80.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++


Just got in from brushing the pool. For sure, it was the beginnings of an algae bloom. Floor feels a whole lot different after brushing than before. I'll keep the chlorine levels high for the next couple of days, with daily brushing.

Anything else I should be doing while this is going on?

[Charlie_R]

How blind can one person be?

Even with reading multiple threads describing the "dusty bottom" or "mustard" algae, I still thought that the dust and dirt collecting in the small wrinkles on the bottom of our pool was just that. Dirt.

We've had this from day one, and I didn't think anything of it until today. When I looked at the pool early this morning, there wasn't very much of this "dirt" in the pool. It has visibly increased in just a few hours, even with a high level of chlorine in the pool. Dilution method with the OTO shows a TC of ~20, yet this stuff seems to still be growing.

Should I bring the chlorine level up even more?

I have no choice now but to order the K-2006 kit ASAP. To any other members that are following this thread.......Please don't make this same mistake, buy the kit as soon as you possibly can! This guesswork on chlorine levels alone makes the kit very much worth having. What I can tell from this experience is that knowing only the TC is definitely NOT enough. We really do need to know the CC level in order to properly adjust the dosage levels.

[Watermom]

Good advice, Charlie! You do need to know the CC readings. Glad you are going to order the good kit.

[Charlie_R]

Thank you Watermom.

Obviously, I wasn't doing as well as I thought.

Next question -- What do I do about the "swamp water" smell? Water is still very clear, but when stirred as in brushing the pool or actually in it, any agitation of it brings up that odor.

Markedly less growth of the algae overnight, and through this morning, so MAYBE (but I doubt) I'm at least pulling even with it, if not gaining a little ground here.

And yet another question:

Can algae spores live through a winter, dried out? I ask this to check a theory of mine. We didn't clean the ladder or any of the rest of the equipment before using it this year, so I'm thinking that is where this stuff hibernated, just waiting for us to give it a new home.

[Charlie_R]

Update:

Swamp water smell has finally given way to a "bleachy" smell when stirring the water. Dilution method shows a drop overnight, from ~20 to ~16.

Pool floor shows no new growth overnight, will continue to try to hold ~20 chl for the next few days.

Am ordering the K-2006 this morning, as soon as the bank opens (got to have money in the online use account).

[Charlie_R]

KIt ordered. Should be here 27th to 30th July.

[aylad]

"Bleachy" smell means the chlorine is actively engaging in a battle with the algae--it means you're making progress! :)

Janet

[Charlie_R]

Thanks. That's kinda what I thought was going on. Only thing is, I had to go up to 25ppm (dilution test method) to achieve that change. still has that odor at 20, but trying to hold somewhere between.

Is there any reason why my CYA would rise WITHOUT using anything but bleach and MA? I would have thought that having to add a total so far of 5" of make-up water would have lowered it a bit. But mine seems to have gone from 70 to 100. Not that this is a bad thing overall, just means that I have to keep a minimum of 10ppm chl (best guess chart).

[aylad]

Stabilizer shouldn't be going up unless you're adding it--there's usually no stabilizer in fill water, so I don't know where it would be coming from. The only guess I have would be from testing. the CYA test is very subjective, and if the lighting conditions aren't the same each time you test, the results can be very inconsistent. For example, if the light is dim, you're going to see the dot disappear quicker than you will if you're testing outside in bright sunlight. The key there is to just try to keep your testing conditions consistent from one time to the next.

[Charlie_R]

Ok, thanks for that. It may just be the differences in available light.

Next question: I've read in another thread here that bleach and LC deteriorate over time. Does high heat tend to accelerate this? I don't have a temperature controlled environment to keep my bleach in (no A/C in the house), so I keep it by the pool in a shaded area.

I suspect that currently I am "teasing" the algae, as I am still having a very small amount of regrowth overnight, and still losing 5 -15ppm overnight (dang it all, NEED those CC readings!!). Assumption is that the 100+ weather is destroying the bleach before I can get it into the pool. By late afternoon even with dosing the pool multiple times during the day, the water goes from having the chloramine smell back to swamp water odor by sundown. Not sure what is happening here.

Using the dilution method until my kit arrives on friday, I'm trying to keep the chl at 20 - 25ppm, but I fear that the loss of effectiveness of the bleach is slowing the clean-up process considerably. Also, the water is beginning to take on a slight "salty" taste.

Correction: just came in from the pool, and the overnight regrowth HAS diminished greatly over the original appearance several days ago. Only a small amount in the wrinkles of the floor, compared to every wrinkle having been filed with the algae dust. But then, I dosed VERY heavy last night at sundown, FC level unknown. This mornings reading is between 15 - 18ppm.

[Watermom]

Unless you are hitting it hard enough with bleach, then you are right, you are probably just "teasing" the algae. As Ben likes to say, if you aren't winning against algae, then you are losing. There is no such thing as just keeping algae stable. Keep hammering it with the large doses to get past this.

Regarding the strength of bleach being diminished by heat, yes, it does. Do you have a basement or garage that is a little cooler? My house is air conditioned but I still keep my bleach in a utility room in the basement on the concrete floor.

If you are interested, you can test the strength of the bleach (when you get your kit) to see how potent it actually is when you use it. Maybe test it when you buy it and then test it again after it sits outside in the shade before you use it to see how much it is degrading. The procedure (written by CarlD awhile back) is below:

Put ten liters of tap water ( That's 5 soda-bottles full) in a 5 gallon bucket.

Test that water for chlorine using the FAS-DPD test to get a chlorine baseline (you may have some).

Then I take a 1 ml eyedropper full of the LC or bleach I'm testing and put it in the bucket and mix it up.

(1 ml in 10 liters of water is the same as putting 1 gallon of LC in a 10,000 gallon pool -- it's 1/10,000th. )

I then measure the bucket with the FAS-DPD test just like pool water. Of course, subtract any chlorine you measured in the tap water.

I use a glass eyedropper so it will hold up. Pharmacies sell them.

[Charlie_R]

Thanks!

Suspicions pretty much confirmed then. I'll double the dose, and see where I'm at Friday night.

Will do on the bucket test, when kit arrives.

Hopefully, by then I'll be on the "let it ramp down" stage.

[Charlie_R]

K-2006 came in today. Immediately went out to try out the FAS-DPD test. Showing FC=35, CC=0. Still have what looks like a brown algae accumulating in the wrinkles on the bottom of the pool. Not sure what that is at this point. Will be letting the chl ramp itself back down to 10, while keeping an eye open for any growth of the brown fuzzy stuff.

Here's a picture of what I've been trying to eliminate:

http://i1094.photobucket.com/albums/i459/bcgeorge/pool%20pics/th_P1010871.jpg (http://s1094.photobucket.com/albums/i459/bcgeorge/pool%20pics/?action=view&current=P1010871.jpg)

This stuff disappears as soon as it's disturbed, but with careful use of the vacuum hose without the head and connected directly to the filter inlet, it is filtered out. Problem is, it seems to regrow overnight, to about this same level.

I'll get a full set of readings posted tonight.

[Watermom]

I bet it is just dirt. My pool does the same thing. (I don't have wrinkles in the bottom of my pool floor but there are slight indention lines where the pad beneath the liner is taped together.) When you vacuum, no matter how slow you go, some of it gets disturbed into suspension in the water. Then, overnight when the water quiets down, the dirt settles back out on the floor. It is no big deal because as soon as people are in the pool, it gets mixed in again and you can't see it. It is not possible to have an outdoor pool with absolutely no dust/dirt in it.

[Charlie_R]

Just came in from a dip in the pool followed by the evening tests.

Results:

FC.......32.5 using 10mL sample.
CC........0.0
TA.........60
CH.......180
CYA.......70

Note on the TA: test solution didn't turn from blue to red, went yellow. Don't know what that is supposed to mean, but there it is.

I'll run the filter overnight tonight, and check the FC/CC in the morning.

When I see that brown stuff on the filter, it kinda resembles a series of filaments, but that could be nothing more than dirt clinging to hairs and (low quality pleatco/intex) filter fuzz.

Note to anyone sitting on the fence about the K-2006: BUY IT! As all the moderators have already stated, it is well worth the $$ spent. NO guesswork on "How much of that chlorine level is FC and how much CC"?

Thank you all for your advice and help for this pool newbie! To parrot what several others have said, This forum and the people in it are a wonderful, helpful community of people.

[Charlie_R]

A quick question:

A few posts back, I noted that the TA test turned yellow instead of red, using the 2 drops of R-0009. My question is -- Is this chemical a chlorine neutralizer? I just did another test, and instead of the 2 drops I put in 3. This time, the color DID change to red. Now the follow-up question: Does this affect the outcome of the test?

[Charlie_R]

Ok, I must have goofed a bit last night and this morning.

Last test yesterday evening showed (10mL sample) FC 9.5, CC 0

This morning, pool was a bit cloudy, (10mL sample) FC 6.5, CC .5, and I observed a small water boatman swimming around. Brought FC up to 10.5.

Current readings, (25mL sample) FC 7.2, CC 0 water still slightly cloudy, with lots of leaves floating around and on the bottom.

Another thing I'm seeing, is my TA keeps climbing back up to the 140 - 160 range. I know, this is not normally a problem in this type of pool, however, from what I've been reading here, things seem to work better if I try to keep it <100. So brought pH down to 7.2, and aerating again.

Re the slight cloudy, possible algae trying to get started? Or as noted earlier with the occasional white flakes, could it be the CH trying to precipitate out?

[Charlie_R]

Oops.....

In going over my activities for the last several days, I think I might have inadvertently contaminated my pool with metals. I have been doing a lot of metalworking over the weekend, and may not have been as thorough as I thought at getting the steel dust out of my hair and beard. Would this cause a white cloudiness in the pool? Along with a bit of a chlorine demand? As noted in my last post, FC never dropped below best guess chart for 70 - 90 CYA.

[Charlie_R]

Twice now, I've lost 4 - 5ppm FC overnight, with NO as in 0.0 CC remaining in the water. However, each morning I've had to remove a huge amount of leaves from both the surface and what sank to the bottom. Enough leaves to have covered the surface an inch thick. Have brought FC to shock level, in case I have another algae bloom trying to start.

Could it be the breakdown of the leaves that is taking the FC?

DW ordered a pool cover set (winter and leaf covers), arrived yesterday, with hidden damage to the leaf cover. We are working with the store on a replacement for the damaged goods. When DW talked to the store, they said they would ship a replacement out ASAP, but still needed to talk to us about it. Took pics of the damage, appears to be caused by an inattentive worker in the packaging dept of the manufacturer, which they tried (unsuccefully) to hide.

Note on the previous slight cloudiness -- Have had some major construction going on upwind of us for the past several weeks, and everything seems to be getting a thin layer of concrete dust from them cutting the expansion joints into the parking lot. Since running the filter 24/7 for two days after the cloudiness, water cleared up. However, the loss of FC still remains.

[Watermom]

Organic matter in a pool will definitely increase the chlorine usage but I wouldn't think it would cause a 4-5ppm chlorine drop overnight.

[Charlie_R]

So I am probably right in bringing the pool to basic shock level then.

Thanks!

[Charlie_R]

Ok, confirmed algae attempting to get a foothold in the pool. What I'd like to know is why the CC never showed more than .5ppm. Only clues I had were the odd lightly cloudy, and slightly elevated CC, with only those two overnight losses of around 4 FC. Water is now at shock level, and will be held there for the next two days.

Question for PoolDoc: In your experience has there ever been a relationship between low or high pH and the ability for algae to start even with FC being held within nominal levels of the best guess chart?

CYA is 70 - 90, so FC being held between 6 - 10. Do I need to keep it a bit higher range, like 8 - 12?

Also, could a mod change my pool chart data to show my having the K-2006?

[Charlie_R]

Obviously, I am not doing something right.

After the first bout of algae, I thought that I had a clean pool. Such is not the case. For the last week, I have had to keep it at shock (20ppm) levels, but am still losing 4-6ppm overnight.

Looks like I'll have to take it up to around 50ppm, while the pool is too cold (68-74F) to swim in. I'm evidently dealing with chlorine resistant type of algae.

What I'm finding strange about this is that even on the 25mL sample, I get 0.0 CC. So what else could be happening here?

I'm thinking that part of the problem lies in the not so great circulation in this pool. I have a bit of PVC pipe on the return, giving me a circular flow of the water. I'm wondering if that isn't leaving the center of the pool without adequate circulation. I might try a 45 instead of a 90 where the return enters the pool, to bring the flow more towards the center, while maintaining the circular part. PoolDoc is right, these Intex round pools do have a serious flow problem from the factory. I'm attempting to remedy that with mine.