Alum, borax, etc.

It's like any other pool tool. It might be right, it might not be.

The last two summers I massively chlorinated, I floculated, I brush everything to the dep end to rot or whatever. This year I removed the whatevers.

Alum has its place. And its cheapest at taxidermy supply houses.

Sodium percarbonate is another way to clear a badly fouled pool. It makes everything float so it is easy to scoop out and oxidized the sustpended stuff to clear the water. It does raise pH so hyou need to add acid with it to keep the pH in line.

This IS a topic that we need to explore.

The routine we've suggested -- massive chlorine; massive cleaning -- has the virtue of always working, but the disadvantage of being difficult and expensive.

However, the other methods -- as best I can tell -- are not refined enough to produce consistent results. How can we improve that?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by PoolDoc

What's wrong is broadcasting advice that EVERY body do likewise, unless you can also provide them with a working lucky charm that guarantees they get the results you do.

---

Never meant as advice that everyone should partake of. Maybe I just presume incorrectly that people can look at a posting and figure out if it is meant for them or not. Lesseeee......"vacuum to discharge"......oh, wait I don't have a vacuum, maybe I shouldn't do this.

I do understand, I think, that as moderator you can catch a lot of flack for someone who does stupid things based on something you said. But then, that's life, you can't fix stupid. We've already devolved into the idiocracy, in my curmudgeonly opinion. :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by paulvzo

I do understand, I think, that as moderator you can catch a lot of flack for someone who does stupid things based on something you said. But then, that's life, you can't fix stupid. We've already devolved into the idiocracy, in my curmudgeonly opinion.

---

There are a number of pool forums that will accept what you said -- and much worse -- without moderator challenge. Some of those forums are actually better places for someone who wants to explore possibilities or duke it out over specific approaches.

But, when I returned to the forum in 2010, I pretty much decided that the PoolForum would focus on basic, functional and generally reliable advice for people who needed help. This inherently means excluding some tinkerers and people who have some ideas they want to try out. I allow that here, but not -- if I catch it -- out in the forum at large.

It's actually my goal to have fewer, but better posts. 90% of PoolForum's users never register, they just lurk, and it's always in MY mind, how a given thread will read to them. I think, the better I do my job, higher the 'lurker' percentage will be!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by PoolDoc

But, when I returned to the forum in 2010, I pretty much decided that the PoolForum would focus on basic, functional and generally reliable advice for people who needed help. This inherently means excluding some tinkerers and people who have some ideas they want to try out. I allow that here, but not -- if I catch it -- out in the forum at large.

It's actually my goal to have fewer, but better posts. 90% of PoolForum's users never register, they just lurk, and it's always in MY mind, how a given thread will read to them. I think, the better I do my job, higher the 'lurker' percentage will be!

---

Sounds like a good, logical plan Ben. Thanks for the insight.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by waterbear

Sodium percarbonate is another way to clear a badly fouled pool. It makes everything float so it is easy to scoop out and oxidized the sustpended stuff to clear the water. It does raise pH so hyou need to add acid with it to keep the pH in line.

---

That's an interesting one. Percarbonate is the principle ingredient in color safe bleaches. (The other principle ingredient is another old pool friend, sodium carbonate.) I remember seeing it at a chemicals store I've used for photo chems: http://www.chemistrystore.com/search...+to+Search.y=0

It sure would be a lot easier to scoop off the top than the bottom, like with alum!

Any info on dosages, downsides?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by paulvzo

That's an interesting one. Percarbonate is the principle ingredient in color safe bleaches. (The other principle ingredient is another old pool friend, sodium carbonate.) I remember seeing it at a chemicals store I've used for photo chems: http://www.chemistrystore.com/search...+to+Search.y=0

It sure would be a lot easier to scoop off the top than the bottom, like with alum!

Any info on dosages, downsides?

---

It's actually the main ingredient in oxyclean (at least the original one) and when dissolved in water forms sodium carbonate and hydrogen peroxoide.l Most oxygen bleaches are also persulfates and perborates, however.

To use sodium percarbonate on a badly fouled pool (in other words, a swamp with lots of stuff on the bottom!) broadcast 10 lbs per 100O gallons with pump OFF. Immediately broadcast 3/4 lbs dry acid per 1000 gallons to keep pH in line (since the pump is off using muriatic acid is trickly as it won't disperse thoughout the water. As debris floats to the top skim it out. When debris floating to top stops run pump for 24 to 48 hours, clean filter, and vacuum if needed. If pool is not clear repeat process. Because of the amount of percarbonate and dry acid needed this is not a cheap process but is it a fast process compared to trying to clear the pool with just chlorine. Percarbonate can also be used to convert a biguanide pool to chlorine at a rate of about 5 lbs per 10 k gallons ( or 1/2 lb per 1000 gallons) and the dry acid si not needed but pH will need to be adjusted afterward when the chloirne is added once the biguanide is fully oxidized and the filter medium changed out.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by waterbear

To use sodium percarbonate on a badly fouled pool (in other words, a swamp with lots of stuff on the bottom!)

---

If you do this, next spring, I'd be grateful if you'd do pictures and record doses and results.

I've done something similar in the distant past, but we don't have enough info to know exactly when and how to recommend it.

My pool stays open year round and never turns green and I am not working on other people's pools these days.