Where'd the CYA go?

[usmarinemike]

OK. That's pretty much what I've begun doing. If the FC gets below the top level of the OTO test I use poolcalculator to figure out how much to take it back up to shock with the BGC. I have a giant bucket of 73% cal-hypo that I've been using to keep the level up that I bought before I became disgusted with the pool store. It was a long time coming, and she looked me straight in the face and told me that sodium bicarbonate and sodium hydrogen carbonate were not the same thing. She also told me that I couldn't test things myself. I had to use her machine. Our relationship was over even before I found your site.

I agree on the sand filter. I knew I was in trouble when I saw that the pump was rated at 70gpm, and the max rating for my filter was around 55. It says it right on the side in big numbers. Who comes up with this crap? Could this be the reason that although my water is green, it's not swampy and I can see all the way through it? My algae is just really fine?

[PoolDoc]

Who comes up with this crap?

The same sort of people that sell Lipitor instead of generic statins that work better for 1/4 the cost. I'm guessing you can think of a few similar examples that made it through the US Navy or Marine Corps supply chain. Deception, deliberate product ignorance, and outright lying are fundamental qualities of marketing in US society. The only thing unique about what's happening in the pool industry, is that I know enough about pools and pool chemicals to recognize most of it. With medical products or consumer goods, I can only recognize a little bit of it.

Could this be the reason that although my water is green, it's not swampy and I can see all the way through it? My algae is just really fine?

If it was green WITHOUT algae, it would probably be iron at low pH. But, green with algae on the sides, is probably still algae. If you've got a white five gallon bucket, you can test and see:

1. Fill a CLEAN white 5 gallon bucket to pool water, to within 6" of the top.
2. Add 1/2 cup of baking soda, and mix.
3. Add 2 cups of 6% bleach, and mix.
4. Cover and wait 24 hours
5. If you have brown or khaki sediment, it was algae. Red-brown or orange sediment, it was iron. Something else - tell us about it.

[usmarinemike]

Just curious -- nothing to do with pools -- are you at Lejeune?

Actually at MCAS Cherry Point.

The only thing unique about what's happening in the pool industry, is that I know enough about pools and pool chemicals to recognize most of it. With medical products or consumer goods, I can only recognize a little bit of it.

I will never pretend to know as much as I perceive that you know about pools and pool chemicals, but a blue collar upbringing and a degree in Physics made me instantly distrustful of what the pool stores have been trying to lay down on me.

If it was green WITHOUT algae, it would probably be iron at low pH. But, green with algae on the sides, is probably still algae. If you've got a white five gallon bucket, you can test and see:

1. Fill a CLEAN white 5 gallon bucket to pool water, to within 6" of the top.
2. Add 1/2 cup of baking soda, and mix.
3. Add 2 cups of 6% bleach, and mix.
4. Cover and wait 24 hours
5. If you have brown or khaki sediment, it was algae. Red-brown or orange sediment, it was iron. Something else - tell us about it.

My pH right now is about 7.4. I've actually thought about maybe having an alkalinity combination that is somehow causing iron to precipitate out of solution. But, eh, I'm not adding baking soda until I can test TA myself. I also caved and added something called metalfree about 12 days ago. It didn't do much that I could tell so I decided to keep working on the sanitizer levels and come back to the metal idea later if I need to. I have my water up superchlorinated right now so I'm going to do the bucket thing and just add baking soda and see what happens.

[PoolDoc]

I also caved and added something called metalfree about 12 days ago.

Arg-gh! We need to know EXACT brand and product name of what you added. Depending on what it was, the bucket test may not work now.

[usmarinemike]

Arg-gh! We need to know EXACT brand and product name of what you added. Depending on what it was, the bucket test may not work now.

Natural Chemistry Metal Free. The whole liter. Pool additives without the contents on the bottle make me want to Hulk smash something. Can you enlighten me on these metal fixers/removers/deactivators? I didn't find a big discussion on them in Pool Solutions and I haven't dived into the deeper reaches of the forum yet.

[PoolDoc]

OK, I was hoping it was that product -- the current version (it changed mystery ingredients a couple of years ago, from EDTA to citric acid, with no notice) is not a problem, because once you had a chlorine level in the pool for 24 hours, it was gone. So, it should no longer be present, and should not have (or will not) interfere with the bucket test.

[usmarinemike]

Bucket test not complete yet.
Filter set to recirculate.
Pool is noticeably less green today. I even want to take my 2 year old swimming.
Lots of white junk in drifts on the bottom. Had this before but always thought it was leftover cal-hypo that didn't dissolve. There's more than ever today even though I was very careful about distributing the cal-hypo last night. I have been brushing it off the bottom, but I'm beginning to think this stuff is my culprit. Does that dog hunt? How is the Cl pushing the Fe out of solution?

If this is metal I want to vacuum it out. Heck, I'll vacuum it out even if it's not. Problem is, I could lose my progress if I vacuum to filter and it blows through, and I might lose my progress (or maybe make it worse) by vacuuming to waste and needing to refill with the water hose. So short of doing a rain dance I don't know what to do.