could this come from the sand in our steps?
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could this come from the sand in our steps?
"Snotty white stuff" is probably what gets called "water mold"; it doesn't come from sand, but the bacteria could be growing there. It typically takes fairly aggressive treatment to eradicate . . . and is a FANTASTIC opportunity for you to get "pool-stored", ie, sold a BUNCH of expensive stuff that may, or may not help.
To fix it, we need to go in 4 steps:
1. Stop it from getting worse.
2. Find out about your pool (Pool Chart & test kit)
3. Work out a plan.
4. Follow the plan.
Ok, here we go.
1. Assuming you have a chlorinated pool, and do NOT have a bunch of copper in your water, do all this:
+ Add 1 gallon of PLAIN 6% (check the %) household bleach PER 10,000 gallons of pool water to your pool EVERY evening, starting this evening
+ If it's not already, start running your pump 24/7.
+ Adjust your pH to between 7 and 8, if it's not already there.
2. Fill out the Pool Chart; get a test kit (links & info below) and give us test results on your pool AND your fill water.Pool Chart Entry Form3. We'll work out the plan, after we have the info from #2.
4. Then, stick to the plan . . . and do NOT buy or add any pool store goop!
Ben
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+ Get a cheap OTO (yellow drops) / phenol test kit, or if available at YOUR Walmart (check availability), get the HTH 6-way DROPS test kit, which is compatible with the Taylor K2006. Test the pool as soon and you can, and post the results. If you get the 6-way kit, ALSO test the water you FILL the pool with, especially if it's a well, and post THOSE results as well. (The HTH is the best available kit you're likely to find locally, but it's not the K-2006. It can only provide rough measurements chlorine levels above 5 ppm, and it measures "TOTAL" hardness, rather than "CALCIUM" hardness, which is not ideal.)
+ Having a good test kit makes pool care easier for EVERYONE, but is an ESSENTIAL tool for pools with problems. A good test kit means a kit that can test chlorine from 0 - 25 ppm, pH, alkalinity, calcium hardness, and stabilizer with reasonable accuracy. Test strips (AKA 'guess-strips' ) do NOT meet this standard. Some pool store testing is accurate; most is not. The ONLY way you'll know whether your pool store is accurate or bogus, is by testing accurately your own self. On the other hand, pool store 'computer' dosing recommendations are NEVER trustworthy -- ignore them. They are designed to sell more chemicals than you need, and WILL cause many pool problems.
+ We recommend the Taylor K-2006 test kit, which meets the requirements above, for many reasons. The HTH 6-way drops kit is a great starter kit, and is compatible with the K2006 (it's made by Taylor). There are a few alternatives; for example Lamotte makes an FAS-DPD kit that's OK -- but it costs 3x as much. But, we're not aware of any test that is better, and since we are all familiar with the K-2006 (and can help you with it) we recommend it exclusively ( Test kit info page )
One caution for the 2012 season: Amazon does not stock the kits directly. So when buying at Amazon, Amato is our current preferred seller. However, they often don't list enough stock to last the whole day, so try order mid-morning. You should expect a delivered cost under $60 for the K2006A and under $95 for the K2006C. If you can't find that, wait a day.
+ Here are links to the kits we recommend (you can check local availability on the HTH kit, using the Walmart link):HTH 6-Way Test Kit @ Walmart
Taylor K2006A (3/4 oz bottles) @ Amazon
Taylor K2006C (2 oz bottles) @ Amazon
I have the test kit from walmart but i will order the other one tomorrow. thanks for the info. i did power wash my cartridge today and soaked it in clorox, plus shocked the pool. my PH levels are very low so will get that as well.We have had our pool for 20 years and this is the first time we have encountered this .The reason i asked about the sand was that is the only difference in what i do every year.We put new steps in the pool and weighed them down with sand.So i will get back to you once I've done the steps you have suggested.
Pahurley,
Had the same problem for about a month. Spent a good amount of money at the pool store and still came back. The Pool Forum folks and the BBB method is what worked. Follow Pool Doc's directions to the letter and your pool will look better than it ever has. Sometimes I just sit and marvel at how crystal clear using only bleach and borax make my pool. Haven't been back to the pool store since I got my Taylor test kit.
Thanks again guys!!!
I'm sorry; that pretty much destroys cartridges. You need a new one. Get your EXACT filter make / model, and I'll try to help you find a Wilbur or Unicel replacement. Pleatco is pretty low quality. (Great marketing program, though!)Quote:
Originally Posted by pahurley
Use borax, to raise your pH:
+ We routinely recommend the use of 20 Mule Team borax INSTEAD of soda ash, for several reasons. It's cheaper than pH Plus (soda ash labeled for pools) but more importantly, it does not raise your alkalinity much, and does not combine with calcium to cloud your pool. The way to add is it is to pour it into your skimmer SLOWLY, while the pump is running. (How slowly? Slowly enough that it doesn't make a big pile in the bottom.)
Borax also can help control algae, but you have to add a LOT. It ends up costing around $50 per 10,000 gallons of pool water, for borax and muriatic acid, if you buy your borax at Walmart and your muriatic acid at Lowes. Soda ash is now frequently available at Walmart in the detergent section, at prices MUCH cheaper than the pool prices for the same chemical. If you ALSO need to raise your alkalinity, you can buy that instead. But if your alkalintiy is high enough, and you only need to raise your pH, it's better to use borax:[INDENT]20 Mule Team Borax @ Walmart