Pool Water Turned Green After Adding Shock

[Charlie_R]

He was asking about the diluted as suggested by Ben, on the CYA test. His normal test is >100.

From PoolDoc's post above:

Distilled water + CYA test:

1. Get a 1 gallon jug of distilled -- not bottled, not spring, not natural, but DISTILLED -- water.
2. Collect a sample of pool water.
3. Pour 2/3 of a cup of DISTILLED water into a CLEAN container.
4. Pour 1/3 of POOL water into the same container; mix.
5. Collect your 14 ml of CYA test sample from the MIX in #4
6. Add 14 ml of melamine (R0013) reagent to the test bottle. Mix
7. Wait 15 seconds; mix again.
8. Wait 45 seconds; then test.
9. Multiply results x 3

As I understand it, Ben did a typo in the instructions. Should be 7mL diluted pool water, then R-0013 to 14mL mark, mix, let stand 30sec, etc. Then yes, multiply what you see on the side of the tube by 3.

[tdoss]

You don't multiply by 3 on the CYA test. You read the number on the side of the tube when you get to the point where you can no longer see the black dot. 100 is the limitation on the test. Did the dot disappear at 100 or could you still see it?

Use the 7ml sample of pool water and then add 7ml of R0013.

I did that and the dot disappeared before it got to the 100 line...as I described earlier in the thread.

I'm looking for clarification on the distilled water + CYA test that pooldoc describes above.

[tdoss]

He was asking about the diluted as suggested by Ben, on the CYA test. His normal test is >100.

From PoolDoc's post above:


As I understand it, Ben did a typo in the instructions. Should be 7mL diluted pool water, then R-0013 to 14mL mark, mix, let stand 30sec, etc. Then yes, multiply what you see on the side of the tube by 3.

Ah...this makes sense...I believe he's trying to dilute the mixture so that I can get some sort of a reading on the tube from 100 to 30...then I'd multiply that result by 3 to get my real number which I presume will be somewhere around 130-150.

I'll use the 7ml distilled + sample mixture plus 7ml of R0013 to get to 14ml and will multiply the result by 3 and will report back.

Also, all week...I've filled the floating tablet things with bleach tablets and let them float.

I added another six (6) 96oz jugs of that bleach I'm using. It's L.A.'s Totally Awesome Bleach. It says it contains Sodium Hypochlorite but does not tell the percentage. I buy it at the .99 cent store. I've emailed the company to inquire about the percentage. Once it's all gone...I'll switch to Wal-Mart or somewhere that carries bleach with the percentage listed on the bottle/label.

I did a couple quick tests just now and this is where I'm at:

22ppm FC
.5 - 1ppm CC

Is that CC correct? I've been adding this bleach all week and the FC is rising as expected but I'm unfamiliar with CC and it appears to be lowering or almost non-existent.

[PoolDoc]

I don't have a K2006 here -- is the sample bottle 7 ml + 7 ml, instead of 14 ml + 14 ml? If so, it's indeed a typo.

But the point is you dilute POOL water 1:2 with DISTILLED water, mix that, and test the mix, as if it was pool water.

THEN, after testing, you multiply the test result by 3.

I hope this is clear.

Two other points:

1. The CYA test is NOT a drop count test; you simply add sample till the dot disappears, and then read the result on the side of the container.
2. Other dilutions are possible. If you dilute 1:1 (half pool water, half distilled) you multiply by 2; if you dilute 1:3 (1/4 pool water; 3/4 distilled, you multiply by 4.

[Charlie_R]

K2006 is indeed 7mL + 7mL.

[tdoss]

I don't have a K2006 here -- is the sample bottle 7 ml + 7 ml, instead of 14 ml + 14 ml? If so, it's indeed a typo.

But the point is you dilute POOL water 1:2 with DISTILLED water, mix that, and test the mix, as if it was pool water.

THEN, after testing, you multiply the test result by 3.

I hope this is clear.

Two other points:

1. The CYA test is NOT a drop count test; you simply add sample till the dot disappears, and then read the result on the side of the container.
2. Other dilutions are possible. If you dilute 1:1 (half pool water, half distilled) you multiply by 2; if you dilute 1:3 (1/4 pool water; 3/4 distilled, you multiply by 4.

It makes perfect sense now. You're diluting it so I can get the reading somewhere on my test tube between 30 and 100 because mine is somewhere beyond 100. I like it...very smart fix. I'll do that and report back.

Sidenote: I replied to the email but never heard back...is there any way I qualify for an upgrade so I can reply without waiting for someone to approve?

[tdoss]

OK...this is where I'm at:

22ppm FC
.5 - 1ppm CC
7.2 PH

145-150 CYA (the test described above by pooldoc gave me a result that just passed the 50 line, going towards 40...so multiplying by 3...I'm very close to 150).

My pool is still incredibly green. I've never seen it like this. It doesn't appear to be sticking to the walls much but the water is so incredibly green that I can't see the bottom and I just can't tell if it's getting any better yet. I'm sure at some point...it will tip over a certain peak and all the green will be destroyed.

What should I focus on now with all of the numbers I've provided?

[PoolDoc]

Wow. This is the 2nd case like this, running right now. The first case didn't get good results till the chlorine levels exceeded 40 ppm, but they had lower CYA levels than you.

PLUS, you've got a concrete pool, so we don't need to worry about making a liner fade. OK, each gallon of 6% household bleach will add about 4.5 ppm to your pool (PF9 x 0.5lbs/Chlorine gas equiv per gallon of 6% bleach).

So, tomorrow evening (or tonight, if you can) add 11 gallons of plain 6% bleach (~50 ppm). If that doesn't have an effect, follow the next evening with 16 gallons. I wouldn't bother with K2006 chlorine testing -- you use up your FAS drops. Just test with OTO -- you should be dark orange after 30 seconds with OTO, AFTER you've added your doses. You might even get brownish, after the 2nd dose.

BUT . . . you need to KILL your algae, not wrestle with it!

And . . . if you are not already doing so, run your pump 24/7.

[tdoss]

Wow. This is the 2nd case like this, running right now. The first case didn't get good results till the chlorine levels exceeded 40 ppm, but they had lower CYA levels than you.

PLUS, you've got a concrete pool, so we don't need to worry about making a liner fade. OK, each gallon of 6% household bleach will add about 4.5 ppm to your pool (PF9 x 0.5lbs/Chlorine gas equiv per gallon of 6% bleach).

So, tomorrow evening (or tonight, if you can) add 11 gallons of plain 6% bleach (~50 ppm). If that doesn't have an effect, follow the next evening with 16 gallons. I wouldn't bother with K2006 chlorine testing -- you use up your FAS drops. Just test with OTO -- you should be dark orange after 30 seconds with OTO, AFTER you've added your doses. You might even get brownish, after the 2nd dose.

BUT . . . you need to KILL your algae, not wrestle with it!

And . . . if you are not already doing so, run your pump 24/7.

Sounds like a plan. I added 14 jugs of this bleach that I have (96oz each) in order to be equivalent to 11 gallons.

I'll test with OTO tomorrow sometime. Last test with it showed it to be a deep yellow so I'm sure it'll be orange tomorrow.

The filter is running 24/7 for last couple days and will continue.

I appreciate all your efforts in trying to get me squared away. This pool has my wife very depressed right now and getting it back to crystal clear will go a long way towards our household's happiness. Like they always say, "A happy wife equals a happy life."

[tdoss]

SUCCESS!!!

Well, at least a successful change in it's color. The pool has gone from a deep, dark green to a blue-green. It's not clear yet, but we're obviously on our way in the right direction.

I tested with my super kit and my old OTO kit just because I really want this pool to get back to balance.

Here are my results:

33.5 FC
1 CC
PH is 7.0-7.1 (I haven't put in any more Muriatic acid since the other day..I'm surprised to see this number go down from yesterday...should I add something to bump it up to 7.2?)

I also did the OTO test and found the deep yellow from yesterday has become a dark orange/almost red.

So...should I continue to put in bleach tonight or let it settle a bit?

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Pretty soon, I believe we'll have this problem solved...when that happens, at what point is it OK for us to get in the pool?

I've added so much bleach this week that I'd be afraid for anyone to enter the pool.