Yellow Water

[jrotull]

Here is my long story...... My pool water is like a yellow-colored solution -- it actually looks like lemon-lime gatorade! About a week ago my water temperature hit 90 degrees for several straight days, and in the past, I always had minor algae problems when the water was this warm, so I added some algaecide as preventive maintenance. I think this caused my problem!! For general sanitizing etc. I use Chlor-Free. I've been using it without any problems for the past 7 years, other than the occasional green algae as noted above. I have read elsewhere that Chlor-Free's makers made false statements about what it does, but I have had good luck with it for years.

Anyway, about 3 days after I used the algaecide, I noticed a greenish tint in the pool so I added a 2nd dose. The next day, the water was a medium green color. I thought I had an algae bloom, so I added some more algaecide, along with some clarifier, and hoped my vacuum would suck up whatever dropped to the bottom and restore my clear water. Well, the water stayed green and even looked brownish after running my Aquabug vacuum overnight, so the next day I took a water sample to the local pool store. After their check, they said I needed PH Minus because I had an 8.7 reading. So I added Dry Acid and brought the PH down. The water changed from medium green to a lighter yellow color. Also during this several day period, I backwashed and replaced my diatomaceous earth twice. The DE looked like a creamy brown color and some came out in soft chunks. And my filter pressure was increasing much faster than normal after each backwashing from these chunks clogging it up.

Then after another trip to the pool store with another sample, I was advised to add a half-gallon of non-chlorine Baquicil Algaecide. (*Could my problem have been originally caused by using regular algaecide? I never knew there was such a thing as non-chlorine algaecide for use with products such as Chlor-Free, Baquicil, etc.) Well, this actually made my yellow colored water a little lighter, it was a plus. And my filter is running better now and not losing pressure. Today I added some clarifier hoping that would help, but tomorrow I'm afraid I will still have yellow water, unless I'm really lucky.

I personally swam in the pool today and there is NO algae anywhere and NO particles on the bottom or suspended in the water. And it feels just fine (no bottom scum, etc.) and has no smell. The water is simply a YELLOW-COLORED SOLUTION. And bubbles are staying on top for several minutes before breaking up after any kind of agitation. I think that's from so many chemicals dumped into it over the past week. Needless to say, I'm baffled. But interesting enough......the pool store employee also said my Chlor-Free might be "locked" by the other chemicals. Is this possible?? It almost makes sense. All my numbers like PH, etc. test mid-range while my Chlor-Free is at the high end. He also advised my Calcium level tested OK but didn't have tests for other metals like Magnesium. I had added a double dose just before my first algaecide treatment last week, so maybe it is indeed "locked" in. Maybe that's why my water is staying bubbly also??? HELP.....PLEASE

Does anyone have any ideas??? Thanks in advance!!! GT

Above-ground 24' Round
Approx. 12K Gallons

[waterbear]

get your water tested for metals.

[duraleigh]

I'm pretty sure I read a post by Ben that said a greenish tint is not indicative of metals. I have no experience in this area but I'm almost positive I read that post within the last 10 days. Brown for iron and deep blue green for copper and whitish scale for calcium.

Also, wouldn't metals precipitate out onto a surface rather than stay suspended in the water? Some clarification on this subject would certainly be helpful to me.

1. Is a greenish tint to the water indicative of metals?

2. When metals precipitate, do they discolor the water, attach to surfaces, or both?

[jrotull]

Thanks for the info guys. I plan to get my water tested for Metals. To reiterate my water color, it appears to be yellow, not green. It looks like lemon-lime soda or gatorade. There are absolutely no visible particles floating around either, on the bottom, on the sides, on the ladder, etc. It's simply a crystal clear "yellow liquid". Is this STRANGE or do you still think I have excess metals? Thanks again in advance.....

[duraleigh]

jrotull,

Sorry I sorta' changed the subject of your post. Metals aside for a moment, we need current test results for Cl (FC and CC), pH, Alk, and CYA to make an intelligent assesment of your pool water. Without those results, we're all just making guesses...sometimes good ones and sometimes not.

I would suggest posting those along with any metal testing you do.

[ladybug_3777]

1. Is a greenish tint to the water indicative of metals?


From my personal experience, a greenish tint IS indicative of copper.

Yellow.. I don't know about that one

[waterbear]

When metal ions in the water are oxidized (by shocking) they will form colored compounds in the water. This is what colors the water. When they precipitatate out of the water they form stains. Pools that are stained often don't test positive for metals since the metals are no longer in the water.
A full set of tests results, including metals, will let us know what is happening in your pool, including the possiblity of staining if metals are present.
Green water ususally indicates copper
Yellow to brown water ususally indicates iron
Purple water usually indicates manganese.

[mbar]

I am thinking that something you used may have had some chlorine in it, and gave you a little of the lime-ade coloring you get when you put chlorine in a baquacil or non chlorine pool. As the chlorine goes away, the color probably will too. Just a thought.

[waterbear]

It was my understanding that E-Z Pool/Chlor-Free is not biguinide but some sort of propiretary mixture (I would guess sodium percarbonate as the main ingredient since it's level can be tested with DPD) that is supposed to eliminate the need for chorine. I don;'t believe it is EPA approved.
http://www.americasbestpoolsupply.com/view_prod.cfm/DepartmentID/2/CategoryID/171/ProductID/5307/ProdCount/2/StartRow/1/PageNumber/1
http://www.ordinis.com/chemistry/e-z_pool.htm
http://www.rogerspools.com/chemical.htm
There is also an ionizer called Chlor-free.
http://www.chlorfreeglobal.com/how_works.php
http://www.chlorfreeglobal.com/product.php
In either case I would have the water tested for metals. I would also recommend switching to chlorine.

[mbar]

Wow, I didn't know what it was! Sounds like it is a mineral based product - which could lead to stains. Thanks waterbear!

[waterbear]

I'm pretty sure I read a post by Ben that said a greenish tint is not indicative of metals. I have no experience in this area but I'm almost positive I read that post within the last 10 days. Brown for iron and deep blue green for copper and whitish scale for calcium.

Also, wouldn't metals precipitate out onto a surface rather than stay suspended in the water? Some clarification on this subject would certainly be helpful to me.
If conditons are right for precipitaton they will 'stain out' (high pH, high carbonate alkalinity, etc.) If not they stay in solution.
1. Is a greenish tint to the water indicative of metals?
Metal ions in solution can take different oxidative states. Some of these oxidative states can cause color in the water
2. When metals precipitate, do they discolor the water, attach to surfaces, or both?
When the metals precipitate out as stain they will no longer color the water since they are no longer in the water. They appear as stain.
Hope this helps.