Newbie - Stain removal via ascorbic acid

[herb396]

So here's my update:
I added two quarts of muriatic acid last night, filter is on 24/7. As of this morning the pool went from crystal clear to now cloudy white (can't see the bottom). And my current readings are:

FAC: 0
TAC: 0
pH: 7.2
Alk: 110

In hind-sight prior after a full 24 hrs. of my initial 5 lbs. of the ascorbic acid, the over all stain was reduced by about 50%...meaning not as dark. I'm wondering if I should have just did another ascorbic acid treatment?

[Watermom]

You need to get some chlorine in there or its gonna be cloudy AND green!

[herb396]

I've added 182 oz of bleach over the last 24 hours but still showing 0 on my chlorine. I also put in some a little polyquat 60.

Right now I wanna get balanced and clear ,,,then I think I'll do another 5 lbs. of the ascorbic acid treatment.

What a tangled circle this all is.

[Watermom]

Please go back and re-read Ben's post above and follow his directions carefully. He knows what he is talking about and by following his advice to the letter, you'll have the best chance at getting this problem taken care of successfully.

Per Ben's directions above, you need to be chlorinating with trichlor pucks which will help the iron to fall out into your filter. If the ones you bought are the dual-action ones with copper, don't use them. Go and buy some plain trichlor pucks. (Bleach will add chlorine but will not cause the iron to fall out into your filter.)

Good luck and keep us posted how it is progressing.

[aylad]

The ascorbic acid and polyquat both eat chlorine, which is why you're having a tough time keeping a chlorine residual. When you asked about putting bleach into the pool to bump up chlorine, you can certainly do so, if you're trying to chlorinate the pool. However, one of the things Ben is trying to accomplish by having you put the trichlor puck into the skimmer is to create a high dose of chlorine that the water has to pass through on its way to the filter, which causes the metals to fall out and be trapped on the filter. Bleach won't work for this purpose, because the dose goes straight through the filter and back out to the pool.

Janet

[herb396]

Janet,,thanks for the insight (makes perfect sense). I pick up the correct trichlor pucks and I'll follow the rest of Bens direction.

I just became paranoid when the water turned so cloudy after the muriatic acid application...(was that suppose to happen?). (when might I expect it to clear up?)

[aylad]

I just became paranoid when the water turned so cloudy after the muriatic acid application...(was that suppose to happen?). (when might I expect it to clear up?)

It's understandable to panic when the water doesn something unexpected, but as long as you don't just start throwing chems "at" the pool trying to fix it, most everything can be fixed. Honestly, I don't know why the pool became so cloudy after the acid application, but I'm wondering if you don't have an algae bloom wanting to start--cloudy water is often the first sign.

As far as clearing it, keep the pump/filter running, cleaning the filter as your pressure indicates. Also persist in adding bleach (or the trichlor puck) until you have some chlorine registering in the water. If the cloudy/white is due to something precipitating out of the water, the filter should get it. If it's algae, you'll either keep it in check for awhile longer with the chlorine, or if not, then a bloom will be evident within a few days (although with polyquat and a residual chlorine level, that shouldn't happen. Have there been any times when the chlorine has been 0 for any length of time?).

Pooldoc should be back around the forum by tomorrow, and I'm sure will take a look at this thread. In the meantime, filter, filter, filter, get the trichlor puck into the skimmer, and continue to follow his advice in the other thread. Now is when a really big dose of POPP comes in handy (pool owner patience and persistence).

Janet

[herb396]

Janet,,thanks again. I began lowering my Chlorine beginning of last week and Thursday was the 1st day it was at zero. Saturday was when I did my first ascorbic acid treatment. I began adding bleach back yesterday. So it was at zero from say Wednesday evening to Saturday. Prior to all this the water had a very heavy dose of hTh algaecide (so much that you could still smell it in the water) (don't ask,,but that's a whole other story)....again the muriatic acid was added Saturday evening and it was cloudy early the next morning

I have a few questions from Ben's directions:

My current conditions as of noon today are:

Tot Chlorine .5
PH 7.1
Tot Alkalinity 130
Adj. Total Alk 122
Copper .2

And to date I have added: two quarts of muriatic acid on Saturday evening, and slowly added about 130 oz of bleach over a 24 hr prior.

1) when do I apply the Metal Free?,,,after a few days of holding these levels or now?
2) how soon after applying the Metal Free do I start using the trichlor pucks?

[aylad]

Go ahead and use the metal free--remember to deduct any metal sequestrant you may have already used from the doseage that Ben prescribed. After you add the metal free, then go ahead and start using the trichlor. The trichlor will provide chlorine for the pool, and will continue to drop your pH--so test for it before you add any more acid. If you are still using bleach, stop using it at this point because you're using the trichlor pucks for chlorination. Pouring bleach into a skimmer that has trichlor in it is a VERY bad and dangerous idea.

Janet

[herb396]

Thank you Janet