My 6-year old is dying to swim and I've got green water even with high FC levels

[BigDave]

Thanks PoolDoc I'd missed that there was no CYA.
Do you have an guess regarding the flaky green material in the pipes and other surfaces?

@rox29160: did you get the new carts yet?

[PoolDoc]

Do you have an guess regarding the flaky green material in the pipes and other surfaces?

I'm afraid it's copper -- the color (= Statue of Liberty) she described is one of the copper salts.

[rox29160]

OK, I've got several stupid questions....Please excuse my ignorance. I plan to try and find some dichlor locally tonight or tomorrow morning.

1. Pooldoc stated not to use Trichlo. I know it is not the same as dichlor, hence the name, but I thought both were acceptable means to add FC and CYA, as long as you need CYA. I actually bought a floater and some tabs with 99.0%-Trichloro-s-triazinetrione & 1%other ingredients with 90% available chlorine last weekend. I have not used any of it yet thank goodness and can hopefully return it. I was planning to use it to boost my CYA after getting the green knocked out of my water. My question is...What is the difference in dichlor and trichlor?

2. If it is copper, is there something that will make it drop out so I can vacuum it or dissolve back into the water so it is not visible?

3. Why would copper just show up this year since it is the original pool water from 3 years ago? I have never drained the pool. I have added water over time though. Would algae make it all of a sudden appear? Or the SWCG? I have used the SWCG in all of the 3 previous seasons and had clear water last fall when closing the pool.

4. I have powdered cyanuric acid stabilizer on hand too. Can I use it to raise the CYA until I get the dichlor or will it just get filtered out?

[BigDave]

A) The only stupid question is the one that isn't asked.

1) I think PoolDoc's reason is that dichlor dissolves quickly and is the quickest way to get CYA in the water, Trichlor will also add CYA but at a slower rate.
2) I'm hopeful that a lot of it has stuck to the cloud in your water and the new cartridges may help remove it. There are other methods to remove metals, none of them are fast. Refill is quickest - are you sure you can't?
3) It didn't just show up this year. Your ladder was coated in it from last year. The copper dookickey in the Krystal Clear was actively adding it to your pool.
4) You can put it in a sock and hang the sock in the pool, prefereably in from of a return, Squeeze the sock every now and again to help it dissolve.

-5- If anything I've written conflicts with or is contradicted by PoolDoc, - What he says goes.

[rox29160]

30 May 2014

Again, I appreciate all of the help I am receiving.

1. I guess I need to wait on input from Pool Doc on whether to use or not use the Trichlor that I already have since he said specifically not to use it. I have never seen anything related to pools in any lowes or home depot around here, but I am going to check tomorrow. Pooldoc didn't mention buying it at a poolstore so I am assuming they don't usually carry it. I have 2 that are within about 30 minutes that I may call. I just hate to wait for shipping from Amazon if the stabilizer will help. It sounds as if I can add the cyanuric acid and at least be trying to raise it some while waiting.

2. The cartridge caught a good bit last night, but next to nothing during the day today. I may have mentioned we had a pretty bad storm last night so it could have been partly from stuff being clown into the pool. Fingers are still crossed though. I don't guess a refill is totally out, but my well is not a really high yielding well so I would rather not. I was scared I was going to run it dry last time I filled it.

3. I understand that it has always been in there. I meant more along the lines of why did it just all of a sudden turn my water green.

4. I will get this process started tonight. The sock method is how I have always tried raising the CYA in previous years.

5. Understood! I know he definitely knows his stuff.

[BigDave]

Trichlor will work to raise CYA and chlorine. It will also lower pH.

Like PoolDoc said, do be careful buying dichlor at Lowes or Home Depot. Many(most) retailers are selling adulterated dichlor many formulations containing copper. Sam's Club Pool Brand dichlor is OK (last checked). PoolDoc's Amazon links are also the good stuff. For about twice the price per pound, the Leslie's near me sells 99% dichlor (good stuff). I can't say if it's the same near you. Many pool stores sell the diluted / corrupted material.

If you do venture into a pool store, do not let them sell you anything other than 99% dichlor (56% available chlorine or better). They will try.

How much trichlor do you have on hand? How much stabilizer?

[rox29160]

31 May 2014

I have 6 1/2 pounds of stabilizer, powdered or granular. I have 4 pounds of 1" tabs of the trichlor. I added about 1/2 pound of stabilizer using the sock method last night and put 8 tabs in to float around. This morning the tabs are still in there and don't appear to have dissolved at all. The stabilizer is pretty well dissolved. FC using the OTO test is high (dark red).

On another note, I started the bucket test for metals last night. 15 hours into it and no change of color of either the fill water or the pool water and nothing in the bottom of either bucket. The fill water is clear. The pool water never appeared as green in the white bucket, but definitely has a light brownish green tint that is still visible.

The Unicel filter did not pick up any thing to speak of again overnight. (only a few bugs and very little brown stuff at all)