Lime Green Water now -- Metals?

[PoolDoc]

Please tell me which steps you had completed prior to the color change.

What don't you understand about the bleach? I hadn't been completely clear about adding the bleach, 1 gallon at a time, on 5 minute intervals. Is that what you meant?

But, I'm not at all sure what you are asking about the muriatic.

As far as how long? The only answer is, I don't know. This sort of water treatment is NOT something we have down to a science, especially when we don't control all the variables of treatment and equipment at your pool.

In your case, you've added -- at your local store's direction -- a witch's brew of chemicals, and I have no idea what they all are, or how they will interact. That's one reason we try to encourage people to use as few chemicals as possible: so we'll have some hope of predicting what will happen. When there are as many different things in your water as you have . . . any prediction is a mere guess.

[bcdavenp]

The only thing that has been done when the water changed from green to blue -- was blind vacuuming to waste, turning up the chlorinator, and putting the CuLator packet in the skimmer. I turned off the in-line chlorinator last night per your direction. I'm ordering the polyquat today. I posted a list of all the chemicals I have on hand. I also gave you readings for PH, chlorine, and alkaline as of 6-7 pm last night. I'm stopping on the way home to pick up the bleach. Do I need to raise PH? it was only 6.8. can I use soda ash to do that? or do I need to find the borax? Would a floc or clarifier help with the cloudy water?

[bcdavenp]

Update -- Pool is still VERY cloudy - but water is still blue. I can barely see third step in deep end.

Only thing done since last night was my husband did some more blind vacuuming to waste - and we added some water to the pool. No chemicals have been added. Chlorinator is still off. Readings as of 7 pm -- PH 6.8 Chlorine 2-4 Alkaline 80 -- I broke down and bought the polyquat at the pool store, after verifying it was 60% and matched chemical names to your web page.
I need to get this pool clear -- I'm very tempted to use the Clarifier I have on hand -- but I will wait for you to respond.

I hesitate to add the bleach - with the chlorine still at 2-4. I will put the cup of polyquat in tomorrow morning.

[PoolDoc]

You can use the clarifier with reasonable safety (that is, little risk that it will make things worse) so long as you do NOT exceed the label doses. It may, or may not, help. But if you don't overdose, it probably won't hurt. If you DO overdose, it can make things MUCH worse!

However, polyquat is itself a very effective clarifier. You may want to give it a day.

Do raise the pH, but only enough to be just barely above the lowest level on your kit. And, yes, you can use soda ash. However, if you do, add it in small doses to the skimmer.

[bcdavenp]

Yipppeee!! I can now see the bottom of the pool on the shallow end. I just added another cup of Polyquat to the skimmer and another dose of clarifier in the deep end. This is moving in the right direction.... Please advise if I need to use the bleach when the chlorine level is stable at 2-4?

[aylad]

You can use the bleach to keep your chlorine between 2-4 ppm. Each gallon of 6% bleach you add to 30K gallon pool will raise your FC by 2 ppm, so you can use that as a guide to figure out how much to add, based on your test results...

Janet

[bcdavenp]

YES!! I was able to get in my pool today for the first time this season!! I can see the bottom - even at the deep end -- still a little cloudy - but clear enough to get in.

When I check chems - PH 6.8 Chlor 1-2 Alk 60. I added 5 lbs of soda ash, and about 15 minutes later I added a gallon of bleach. I also gave it another dose of clarifier. I will put another does of polyquat in tomorrow morning.

Question -- at what point can I go back to using my chlorine tabs in the inline chlorinator? Also, I do have staining around the bottom edge of pool - so I know I will have to use some form of a stain lifter, then some metal-free to sequester the metal. When do I do that? I think I'm going to live with the stain for a little while, so we can enjoy the water. THANKS for the tip on the polyquat -- I really think that worked.

Very Thankful!
Beth

[PoolDoc]

Question -- at what point can I go back to using my chlorine tabs in the inline chlorinator? Also, I do have staining around the bottom edge of pool - so I know I will have to use some form of a stain lifter, then some metal-free to sequester the metal. When do I do that?

You gotta get one of these test kits, test your CYA, and tell us what you've got. The Walmart kit is a subset of the K2006, but it includes the CYA test.

HTH 6-Way Test Kit @ Walmart
Taylor K2006A (3/4 oz bottles) @ Amazon
Taylor K2006C (2 oz bottles) @ Amazon

It would be best if you could get the K2006 from Amazon. If you do, you can ALSO get some HEDP, which is the only chlorine compatible effective sequestrant. Using SMALL doses of that will help prevent further staining, and will possible lift some of your stains. The effect is temporary (weeks, not months) so it's not a permanent solution. But some of the metal well come out on your filter.

Do NOT use the Metal Free products -- all of the ones I have checked have relatively ineffective ingredients. Some can cause problems with your pool water.

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

If you want to begin actually REMOVING metal (probably iron) from your pool water,
the CuLator product is a special patented plastic material, contained in a bag that goes into the skimmer, that can slowly take metals OUT of your pool water. We think it works, and have some evidence that it does, but not proof yet. (Not likely to be available locally.)

1 ppm Culator @ Amazon
1.5 ppm Culator sold by Amazon, shipped from Periodic
4 ppm Culator sold by Amazon, shipped from Periodic
Poolmaster 16242 Poolmaster Skimmer Basket Liner @ Amazon (to protect CuLator from being damaged by scum)