Lime Green Water now -- Metals?

[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

[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