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Thread: My Green Pool Saga - Help!

  1. #1
    Pamsel is offline Registered+ Thread Analyst Pamsel 0
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    Default My Green Pool Saga - Help!

    Hello, I am new here and am one of those people who hates my pool right now. I have a totally green, cloudy pool and nothing I do seems to fix it. Here is my history with the pool this spring. I opened the pool (14,500 gal in-ground) mid-April. It was dark brown, as it is every year we open it. (We bought this house with a pool and have been trying to learn by trial and error the past 4 summers how to take care of it.)

    I started out by sweeping the entire pool to get debris off the bottom. I did this twice, even though I couldn't see the bottom at all, but I believe I got most of the debris. Then I put in 2 qts of Stain Ban (per my pool supply store instructions), waited 24 hrs and added 15 gal of liquid chlorine. Next day I put in 1 qt of Algicide. Over the next 10 days the water cleared up fairly well - I could see the bottom. Then we had an unexpected death in the family and had to go out of state for a week. We left the filter running, but when we got home, the pool had turned green. The next week we had rain constantly and since that time, the pool has stayed green. About 2 weeks ago, I again shocked the pool with another 15 gal of liquid chlorine. The water cleared up but there was visible dark green algae on the sides and bottom of the pool. I was vacuuming to waste and was able to get most of it off, but it seemed to keep returning.

    I talked to the "pool expert" at the pool supply store and asked him if I should brush all that visible algae off the sides and bottom of the pool in order to get rid of it. He told me not to, but that it would break up on its own once I killed it. He told me to put 1 qt of 3-month algicide, wait 24-48 hrs, then shock with 3 lbs of lithium shock. I put in 1 qt of the algicide, waited 36 hrs and saw no difference, so added a second quart of algicide, waited another 36 hrs, then put in the 3 lbs of lithium shock. The only change has been that the water turned from clear to cloudy green.

    When I tried to get back in touch with him last Saturday, no one answered the phone at the store. I spoke to another pool supply store who told me that I absolutely had to brush all that visible algae off the pool. I should do that, then let it settle with filter off for a short time, then vacuum, then put in 5# of "Super Soluble" which is Sodium dichloro-s-triazinetrione dihydrate. I was told to use this rather than liquid chlorine because my PH was high - 8.4 and that this would balance both the PH and the chlorine level, without me having to add acid first and then chlorine. So, I brushed the whole pool down, shut off the filter to let it settle. It never settled, but instead turned the whole pool completely dark green and completely cloudy. I can no longer see the bottom of the pool. So, I decided to go ahead and shock it with the 5# Super Soluble last night and this morning woke up to see that it has not changed at all! Still completely dark green and completely cloudy. If I could, I would drain the thing and fill it in with dirt today!

    I only have test strips to use right now. Here are my readings:

    Total Chlorine - 1ppm range
    Free Chlorine - 1 ppm range
    PH - 8.4 (did not come down at all as I was told it would)
    Alk - 240
    Hardness - Ok range (250-500)

    I found this site today out of desperation and I've been reading about using plain Clorox, baking soda, etc and about other test readings that I don't even know what they are. (CLY or something like that, I think.) I really have no idea where to go from here. I have spent over $300 on this pool already this spring and it is no better than when I started 6 weeks ago.

    Can someone please tell me what I need to do, right now, step by step? Right now, there is so much chemical in the water I don't even know where to begin to work with this mess. I am at a loss, discouraged and disgusted with all the wasted money. Thank you so much for any help!

    P.S. When I take my water to the pool supply store to have it tested, all they do it stick the same test strip in it that I have at home. They don't tell me anything more than I already knew.
    Last edited by Pamsel; 05-29-2006 at 01:03 PM.

  2. #2
    Sherra is offline Lifetime Member Weir Watcher Sherra 0
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    Default Re: My Green Pool Saga - Help!

    We need to know what your CYA is. If you don't have a CYA test in your drop based test kit (strips are crap...don't use them), then take a sample to the pool store and have them test it. Then, go to the grocery store/Sam's Club/Wal-Mart/Costco/K-Mart/you get the point, and buy about 10 gallons of PLAIN 6% bleach (could be called "ultra" bleach)...name brand, generic, doesn't matter, as long as it doesn't have any "scents" added to it. Depending on your CYA level, bring your chlorine level up to the "shock" level in Ben's Best Guess Chart using the calculations from the BleachCalc. Test your Chlorine level AT LEAST twice a day (sundown and in the morning), 3 times is ideal and add enough bleach after each test to bring your level back up to "shock" level. (Shocking is an action, not a product.) When your chlorine level stays stable from evening until morning, then everything in your pool should be dead. During this whole process your filter should be running 24/7. Within a couple of days your pool should be cleared up.

    You need to get your pH down also...now! Go buy some muratic acid (home improvement stores have this sometimes in the paint section, sometimes in the pool supply section). Add 1 or 2 cups, wait a couple of hours, retest, then add another 1 or 2 cups until your pH gets down to within normal range. Your ALK is really high, that needs to come down too! Follow the directions in this thread to lower your ALK... http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=191

    If I've forgotten something important the moderators/"elders" of the board will correct me I'm sure.
    Sherra
    Kershaw County South Carolina
    18x34 IG 2' radius rectangle vinyl liner (approx 27,500 gal) 1 1/2" pipes installed March 2006
    (previous AG pool owner)

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    Pamsel is offline Registered+ Thread Analyst Pamsel 0
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    Default Re: My Green Pool Saga - Help!

    Sherra, thank you so much for your reply. Can you please tell me what CYA is? I don't have it on the test strip. I will go get a drop kit today and the acid and chlorox.
    BTW, When I take my water to the pool supply store to have it tested, all they do it stick the same test strip in it that I have at home. They don't tell me anything more than I already knew.
    Last edited by Pamsel; 05-29-2006 at 01:22 PM.

  4. #4
    Sherra is offline Lifetime Member Weir Watcher Sherra 0
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    Default Re: My Green Pool Saga - Help!

    CYA is cyanuric acid/stabilizer/conditioner. 99% of the "pucks" or "sticks" you get now a days have CYA in them (if the ingredient starts with "trichlor", then they've got CYA added to them). TOO much CYA can become a very serious pain in the you-know-what when it comes to keeping your pool sparkling clean. You do need SOME CYA in your pool though to keep the chlorine from getting "eatten up" by the sun during the day. If your pool store uses the strips, fire the pool store...find another one. You need to look for a drop based test kit that tests for the following:

    FC - Free Chlorine
    CC - Combined Chlorine
    It's best to have both the drop based kit (OTO) and the (DPD-FAS) powder test - the DPD-FAS tests will test up to about 50 PPM for chlorine, which is what you'll need to test accurately for your "shock" levels.
    TA - Total Alkalinity
    CA - Calcium Hardness
    pH - pH (phenol red drop based test)
    CYA - Cyanuric Acid/Stabilizer

    If your pool store doesn't carry the kits that test all that, sometimes Wal-Mart will carry tests that test all those things, if you've got an ACE Hardware around sometimes they will carry them also. Other than the test kit Ben sells on the Poolsolutions web site (sister site to this forum), the next best is the Taylor K2006.
    Sherra
    Kershaw County South Carolina
    18x34 IG 2' radius rectangle vinyl liner (approx 27,500 gal) 1 1/2" pipes installed March 2006
    (previous AG pool owner)

  5. #5
    Pamsel is offline Registered+ Thread Analyst Pamsel 0
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    Default Re: My Green Pool Saga - Help!

    Another thing, in reading the link on lowering Alkalinity, he speaks of aerating the pool as a part of the process. What do I do if I don't have an aerator of any kind and it's not ready to put 10 year old boys in yet? Will the process not work if I don't aerate?

  6. #6
    aylad's Avatar
    aylad is offline SuperMod Emeritus Burfle Ringer aylad 4 stars aylad 4 stars aylad 4 stars aylad 4 stars aylad 4 stars aylad 4 stars
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    Default Re: My Green Pool Saga - Help!

    The aeration is what allows the carbon dioxide to be off-gassed, so it is an important part of the process. You can get a cheapie fountain in the pool section at almost any store that would work fine. You also can achieve a similar effect by aiming your return eyes toward the surface of the water so that it creates a ripple from your return jets.

    Before you shock your pool, we really need to know if there is any metal content (copper/iron?) in your water, and what type of finish you have. Otherwise, Sherra's got you on the right track.

    Janet

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    Pamsel is offline Registered+ Thread Analyst Pamsel 0
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    Default Re: My Green Pool Saga - Help!

    Hi Janet,

    It is a vinyl lined pool.

    How do I know if I have copper, etc? The water in our area has a lot of iron in it - it has been a problem in the past, as in when we add water it comes from the hose into the pool yellow/brown and turns the entire pool a greenish yellow. It has been helped a lot by adding water via putting the hose in the skimmer and having it go through the filter first. It would be a good guess that we have metal content in the pool, especially since I have added water several times with the garden hose, due to vacuuming to waste and lowering the water level.

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    aylad's Avatar
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    Default Re: My Green Pool Saga - Help!

    The iron content is what I was getting at. My understanding is that you need to put a metal sequestering agent into the pool before you shock it, to keep it from staining. Also, adding water via the skimmer does help too. Search through the forums for posts by mbar--she's our resident metals/staining expert around here, and she may be able to help you get it cleared up without staining your pool.

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    Pamsel is offline Registered+ Thread Analyst Pamsel 0
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    Default Re: My Green Pool Saga - Help!

    I think that may be why the pool store told me to use "Stain Ban" first thing in the spring. I do have some of that on hand, if needed. I will try to find mbar - Thank you!

  10. #10
    aylad's Avatar
    aylad is offline SuperMod Emeritus Burfle Ringer aylad 4 stars aylad 4 stars aylad 4 stars aylad 4 stars aylad 4 stars aylad 4 stars
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    Default Re: My Green Pool Saga - Help!

    I sent her a pm asking her to take a look at your post....
    In the meantime, work on your alk problem, and I'd keep my Cl level at least 3-5 until marie tells you what to do from there.
    Janet

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