Baking soda turned my pool green

[BigStein]

My ph was low (a constant problem), reading below the minimum 7.0 on my Taylor test kit, so I added a box of Borax. This created a little cloudiness in the pool which quickly went away. Having read that this can happen if TA is low I tested for that and showed that it was extremely low at 10. I then decided to raise the TA before trying to raise the ph any higher (it was still at the minimum reading the day after adding the Borax). I used the bleach calculator and it showed that I would need to add 21 pounds of baking soda to get my TA in line. This was confirmed by the numbers on the box of Arm and Hammer.

So, stupidly I now see, I put in all the baking soda at once. My pool has quickly turned a cloudy green color. Anyone know what is going on here?

Not sure if it matter but my CYA is 50 and my chlorine is right around 5.

Looking for any thoughts on why this happened and what I should do to remedy the situation. Thanks a lot.

[mbar]

I think the water just got saturated with adding it all at once . What is your calcium level? If it is high, it could be carbonates falling out of the water. If it doesn't clear up after a few hours add some acid to take the alk and ph back down. Make sure you do just a little at a time and wait 2 hours in between tests. Then you can start to raise them again slowly testing in between additions. You should always do this when adding baking soda or borax.

[BigStein]

Thanks for the resonse, your scenario is pretty much what I was hoping to hear. Testing now indicates my TA is at 100, which is where I wanted it so I am hoping that everything will settle down by morning. My ph remains low at this point, but my understanding is that baking soda will not bring the ph up a lot so I was expecting that and will deal with it after I get the water clear again. I am hoping that I won't have to add any acid to bring things down but will do so in the morning if things have not cleared up.

[Watermom]

You definitely need to get your ph at least above 7.0. Readings below 7.0 are acidic and can damage your pool.

[BigStein]

I know, and I want to raise it as soon as possible. However, if this green is not cleared up by tomorrow it seems as if I will have to lower it first. I am aware that I should have added the baking soda more slowly but am an impatient person and just could not imagine my water responding like this.

Do you think it still makes sense to bring TA and ph down if the water remains cloudy and green (even if the TA is reading 100 as it does now and the ph remains low)?

[mbar]

If your alkalinity only went up to 100, and your ph is low, then I'm not sure that is what turned the water cloudy and green. Do you know what your calcium is? Has the water cleared up at all? I would get the ph above 7, just add borax one cup at a time, testing after 2 hours. In the future you can use Arm and Hammer's washing soda - it will raise both alkalinity and ph at the same time. But for now just use the borax. Post a full set of numbers tomorrow, and we may be able to see what is going on. Sometimes if you have iron or copper in your water, and the ph and alkalinity go up it can react with the chlorine and turn the water green. In this case you would need to add a sequestering agent.

[BigStein]

Just tested this morning (the water is still green and cloudy but perhaps a shade lighter). TA was still 100 and ph was still low off the scale (below 7). I did add a cup of Borax. Chlrine was fine at 5 and my kit indicated no calcium hardness (the sample did not turn red after adding the agent so didn't bother to add the other drops to make it turn blue. Should I?). I have no way to test for copper or iron so will take a water sample to the pool store as soon as they open.

Forgot to mention last night that the baking soda does seem to have left a soapy film on top of the water. Not sure if that matters or not.

[BigStein]

Just a quick update and then I am off to the pool store. I did add a cup of Borax before I posted this morning. I just re-tested my ph and it is still low but the greenish color appears to be clearing somewhat and the film on top of the water seems to be leaving as well. I am off to get the water tested for metals now.

[mbar]

Did you add an algacide? Sometimes algacides can cause foaming, some also add copper.. Have you had any trouble with minerals in your water before? It sounds like you may have a little bit of metals that the change in chemicals is reacting to. It may just disappear as the chlorine breaks it down. You probably don't have any calcium in the water, which you don't need with a vinyl liner pool. Keep us informed

[BigStein]

First off, mbar, thanks for staying involved here. I really appreciate it.

Just back from the pool store and all their readings are in line with mineas far as chloring and cya and TA (although they wanted me to take the TA much higher than the 95 they have it at, as they recommend 125-150, but I am not touching that for now). The metal test did return a significant amount of copper, though, 2.5ppm (didn't ask them, but would you guess that is enough to turn hair green? I can't think it is since we have been swimming all summer with no problems and the copper must have been there all along), which they said it very high (I honestly have no idea). So they sold me some Pool Magnet Plus (7 quarts) and a few other things to take care of the copper.

Reading some of the other threads in the metals section I am somewhat confused (not a new state for me these days). It sounds like you cannot actually remove metals from the water but with this stuff they sold me you also use this stuff called Sparkle Up, which seems to claim that it will remove the metals through the filtering system (run for 24 hours after putting this stuff in and then backwash). So, really, I have no idea if this is true or not, but will be pleased to at least get the green gone and do whatever I need to in terms of maintanence does to keep it gone.

Of course, I have to get the chlorine down to 1 or less in order to add the stuff, so won't be able to do so until later today or tonight.

On the good side, I am continuing to bring the ph up and that seems to be helping with this cloudy green stuff too.

As for calcium, is that the same as total hardness? If so I got a reading of 65.

I will let you know how things look after I add the Pool Magnet stuff.

Again, thanks for all the help.

Oops, almost forgot to mention that they wanted to sell me pounds and pounds of stuff to raise TA and ph but I told them I was all set with that. I told the girl this all started when I added the baking soda and she said she had never heard of putting that in the pool.