Lime Green Water now -- Metals?

[PoolDoc]

Your membership has been upgraded.

Regarding the CuLator, one thing we have found is that they seem to work, but SLOWLY. Actually, given their mode of action, they can't act quickly. So . . . putting a CuLator bag in for a day will have little effect. A month is a more reasonable period. That's why we've been recommending using them only under a skimmer sock, so they don't get fouled by pool goo. I'll put links below.

Also, the metal HAS to be in soluble form (ie, before staining) for the CuLator to work. So you have to lift the stains (maybe with Vitamin C, ascorbic acid; suspend the metals with HEDP and THEN use the CuLator for a month. Don't bother with the Culator now. Instead do these things:

1. Get a K2006 testkit ASAP, and tell us what your water levels are. (info page link in my signature)
2. Run your filter 24/7
3. Remove all tabs from your feeder and the skimmer.
4. Dose each EVENING with 3 gallons of PLAIN 6% household bleach, added one gallon at a time via the skimmer, each gallon spaced at least 5 minutes apart.
5. Get some polyquat (info page) ASAP and add 1 cup via the skimmer each MORNING.
6. Stay the heck away from that store unless you need parts; do NOT get zeosand!
7. While vacuuming, try to see whether picked up dirt is blowing through the filter, and back into the pool. If it's not, vacuum as much as you can, so long as there's something to pick up. By the way, you need a WHEELED vac head to remove floc; brush vacuums tend to stir it up.

like this one: Poolmaster 27200 Flexible Metal Handle Vacuum @ Amazon

8. Get a cheap OTO/phenol red drops kit from Walmart, so you can at least tell us the pH and chlorine levels.

[bcdavenp]

ok - Pool is now blue -- but still VERY cloudy. Can only BARELY see the third step in the shallow end. Can not see the bottom of the pool. Chlorine 2-4 PH 6.8 Alk 80 I have turned the Chlorinator off. I have not had the chance to get the Polyquat -- it was too expensive at the pool store. I will order online, and have it shipped. I do not understand about the bleach and muratic acid. Please explain. How long will the process take to clear up the water?

[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