Green Glow.

[AGPoolNewbie]

I set up my Intex 32'x16'52" Rectangular AG pool about a week ago. I filled it with the our tap water, which probably comes from some well somewhere. Anyway, being the novice that I am I followed other people's advice and shocked the water. Unbeknownst to me, that's a no no when its full of Iron. But we all have to learn through experience. Now the water is very bright fluorescent green (blue liner) and I'm on my second bottle of Metal Free waiting for it to clear up. I'll bring another sample back to the local Leslie's pool store for testing at that point.

Please feel free to tell me if I'm heading in the wrong direction.

This is my first post and I'm filling out the Pool Chart now.

[aylad]

Welcome--sorry it's under these circumstances

Drop your chlorine to the 2-4 ppm range, drop your pH to the 7.0-7.4 range, and then the Metal Free should start clearing it up. You can either keep adding the Metal Magnet throughout the life if your pool (doesn't remove metals, just keeps them in suspension so they don't stain anything--but chlorine breaks it down slowly so you have to add more periodically) or try to remove the metals by running them over a high chlorine source (like a trichlor puck in the skimmer) right before it hits the filter, so the stuff falls out on the filter and you can wash it away when cleaning the filter.

There's also a product called a Culator that several folks in your situation are using, but we're not sure whether it works well or not. It goes in the skimmer and is designed to trap the metals that are suspended...jury is still out on how well it works, but initial indications are favorable.

Can you call your water department and request an analysis so you can see exactly what is in the water? It would make this problem easier to deal with....

Also, take a look at this thread from another poster from another season who had a similar situation to yours... http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthr...ll!&highlight=
Might offer you some ideas....

[AGPoolNewbie]

I went by and picked up the HTH 6-way test kit from Wal-Mart on the way home from work. Thanks for the reply, by the way.

So, after running through the most important tests, I'm getting the following readings:

pH: 7.8 (working to bring it down using hth pH Minus)
CYA: 35-40 ppm
TC: 3-6 ppm
Alkalinity: 140 ppm
Salinity: 3070 ppm (Using AquaChek Pool & Spa Test Strips)

The water does look a little less "green" today. Its always been clear, just colored green. You mentioned the Culator metal removing bags. When I first discovered that I had metals in my water, the pool store sold me the Culator bag. From the reviews I've read, it works, but it takes 3 weeks or more to even begin to show a difference. But I do have one of those bags in the skimmer and it seems to be collecting iron, because it is becoming rust colored. Or maybe I'm just gullible. I don't have a test for iron, so in a few days I'll take some more water to the pool store for another test. You mentioned the filter pulling the metal out after its hit with a chlorine puck in the skimmer basket. Will a sand filter be able to pull the metal out in this way?

I'll work on getting the water department to give me a report.

The thread you posted is very familiar. The bugs and everything. I've received a quick lesson in chemistry and biology. The backswimmer and boatmen bugs are fascinating... and disgusting.

Thanks for the very informative website and reply.

[aylad]

In re-reading my post, I can see where it might suggest that you use both a trichlor puck AND the culator in the skimmer. I did not mean to do this. (Sometimes my mind works faster than my fingers, and I was in a hurry this afternoon when I typed this.) What I meant was that you can either use the metal sequestrant and try to run the water past a trichlor puck to drop the metal out on the filter, OR you can try the culator and let it trap the metals--not both.

Sorry for the confusion...

Janet

[AGPoolNewbie]

I've been reading some of the threads regarding the Culator bags. And I have seen where anyone has seen the bags change color. I added my Culator bag last Saturday, making today a week. My metals were Copper = 0 and Iron 0.6.ppm. And like I've said earlier I ignorantly shocked the pool before handling the metals. Anyway, The following day (last Sunday) after reading reviews about The Culator and hearing that it takes a month or so to work, I began using Metal Free. I added one bottle of Metal Free. By Wednesday there was no change so I added a second. I also noticed at this time, that the Culator bag was turning Yellow or a little rusty. I picked up a second bottle of Metal Free and added that on Wednesday. On Thursday I began bringing my pH down some from 8.0 to now 7.5 using the hth pH Minus.
On Friday there was a noticeable difference in how dark the green is, but its still a little darker than Green Tea. Should I keep throwing sequesterants like Metal Free at it until the water is totally clear. And keep it clear that way while (hopefully) the Culator is pulling the iron out?

This morning my readings (Using the hth 6-way) were as follows:
TC: 5-10 ppm
pH: 7.5
CYA ~40 ppm
Alk: 140 ppm
TH: 40 ppm

I'll add some pictures of the Culator bag if others are curious to see.

Thanks,
Chris

[AGPoolNewbie]

Here are some photos of my pool water's progression. Also there are a couple pics of the Stained Culator Bag.

Water:
----- First Pic on 6/17/12



----- Second Pic on 6/23/12





Culator ----- After 1 1/2 Week



I've decided to go ahead and just dump 2 more bottles of Metal Free into the pool today. I've gotta get this water clear or blue.

[PoolDoc]

I hope I didn't scare you, but I texted you from the PoolForum Google Voice number -- you don't want to put Metal Free in. It's just citric acid, which can be used to lift stains, but it's no more chlorine compatible than ascorbic acid (Vit. C) and not as good at lifting stains.

What you are looking for is HEDP -- a phosphonate sequestrant that IS more or less chlorine compatible. The problem is, you do not have to list the ingredients in liquid sequestrants, so you're limited to the ones that do list ingredients or put them in MSDS sheets.

Here are options from Amazon:

Jacks Magic The Pink Stuff 1qt (60% HEDP) @ Amazon
20% KemTek HEDP @ Amazon

Other products you might find locally include:

Haviland Stain & Scale Magic (30% solution?)
Jack's Magic Blue Stuff (20% solution)
Jack's Magic Purple Stuff (20% solution)
Jack's Magic Pink Stuff (60% solution)
ProTeam Metal Magic (30% solution)
RamChem Ram Metal Hold ((60% solution?)

Those are all that I can positively ID as HEDP, at this time.

Many other products are being used, including citric acid, EDTA, sodium hexametaphosphate, and so forth, so you need to be careful NOT to buy products unless you can get your hands on an MSDS that IDs the product as HEDP.

[AGPoolNewbie]

I'm actually making the 30 minute drive to the closest pool store to get water iron levels tested again. Do they sell any of these substances at Leslie's. Your post said "Here are options:".

Thanks for texting, because I may not have checked the forum before getting to the store.

[PoolDoc]

Pool store metal tests don't mean much. You can do a better test by putting 3 gallons of pool water in each of 2 buckets, and adding a cup of bleach to one, and a 'glug' of muriatic acid to the other. Keep up with which is which. If it's iron, the acid will clear the iron. If it's algae, it may or may not kill the algae. Again, if it's iron, the bleach will tend to make it drop as orange powder. Adding a tablespoon of borax or washing soda makes that even more likely. But if it's algae, bleach will kill it, and let it settle to the bottom as brown or tan -- NOT orange -- powder.

Let them stand -- covered -- for 24 hours, before evaluating.

With a vinyl pool, a 3rd way to rule out algae is to feel the sides: with algae, they will be slick. With iron, they will not. (But, it IS possible to have both at the same time!)

I'd recommend doing the following:

1. Lower your pH to near 7.0
2. Run your filter 24/7.
3. Vacuum & brush the bottom.
4. Do the tests.
5. If it IS iron, get some HEDP & do the metals bucket test on your FILL water.
6. If you can, get some polyquat algicide -- it will help kill algae, and filter out BOTH algae and iron.

BTW, the Culator does NOT look like it's 'working', because the color is all on the OUTSIDE of the bag -- but that may well be because your iron is already in an insoluble form. Lowering the pH and adding HEDP will tend to make the iron soluble again.

[PoolDoc]

my apologies; I upgraded your membership, but didn't move your thread. And, then, I went out of town.

Thread moved; access restored!