Sparkling Clear Green Pool ACK!

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T

Taylor1584

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May 13, 2011
346
NW Arkansas
Pool Size
12000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
SWG Type
Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
this morning I checked the ph and chlorine, 8.0 and 2, so I added the needed chemical to get to 4 and 7.6. Pool was clear and sparkling, I brushed, nothing to see. I have been monitoring my salt frequently as it was low in the spring. I am in Houston, every time I get the salt back up, we get torrential downpours, my pool overflows, and dilutes everything, and I start over. Rinse and repeat at least 4 times. I try to keep the chlorine around 4-6 and the ph steady at 7.6.

After I added the acid and chlorine I waited a bit and went out to add a bag of salt. I know I need to add 2 but I like to add 1 and then check the levels at least a day later as I have overshot before. When I went out to add the salt the pool is a sparkling clear lime green. I have white plaster so it is usually sparkling clear sky blue.

What to do? I did add the bag of salt, the salt generator is on super chlorinate for now. I have about 1/2 gal of bleach, getting more later today. This has never happened before. I am the only one using the pool. I have had one guest in the water in the last 2 months. My thought is to bring chlorine to shock, pool math says 12, while turning chlorinator off.

Both the acid and chlorine jugs I have been using from over the last month. Barely anything in the skimmers.

Any thoughts of what I should do?

Christine

FC 5
PH 7.6
TA 60
CH 300
CYA 30 have added multiple socks over the past 3 months, so much rain has diluted and overflowed
SALT 2600
BORATE 0
TEMP 92
CSI -0.19
 
I can't find the directions to add a photo. I used my iPhone and the pictures are now on my laptop, which is what I am using to post. Sorry to be so dim witted.
 
It appears you have iron in your pool water. Houston area water has iron in it.

Get some polyfill - like used in pillows. Put it in your skimmer. When it turns brown, rinse it out and put it back in the skimmer.
 

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We have very hard water. It tints the plaster and the Polaris looks like it's been dipped in tea. I have a huge tank with Filox to filter out the iron and very high manganese for the water softener, but that does not supply the pool. There have been no changes in the last 10 years to this pool. when the pool looks bad I do ascorbic acid treatment. Last done in March 2021. All has been fine. Water is/has always been clear. I uderstand the poly route, but because of the continual rain have decided not to go that route. It's just the sides of the pool that look a bit tea stained but the water has never been affected. Wouldn't something have to have happened to cause a reaction to change the color so quickly when it has never done this before. Same water source, same chemicals, etc.
 
Adding chlorine can oxidize the iron. Lowering the pH can sometimes reverse it, but typically it stains the surfaces.
 
Texas Splash said:
By the way, the chlorine and acid you were using was fine. I used that stuff many times as well. Have you noticed any staining or discoloration on teh pool itself? On the steps or robot perhaps?
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Over time I get a little tea colored staining on the Polaris, just retired it with new robot, and a bit on the walls, Usually do an ascorbic acid treatment at the beginning of the season, did that this March. I haven't used any new chemicals, I don't fertilize the lawn or anything really. It was fine this morning, checked chlorine and Ph, corrected that, waited, and went out to add a bag of salt, and lime pool.
 
mknauss said:
Adding chlorine can oxidize the iron. Lowering the pH can sometimes reverse it, but typically it stains the surfaces.
Click to expand...
I added about 10 oz of muriatic acid and about 15 oz of chlorine and waited. an hour later green. Yay I tend to get some slight iron staining on the old Polaris, the returns plastic get tea stained, and the sides a bit. Ascorbic acid treatment takes care of that. I did that in March.

We have had so much rain, I probably have gotten my salt to where it is supposed to be about 3 times and the next week it rains and it goes down to 24-2600 and I have to add more salt. I buy the same salt for years from HD.
 
Well, you confirmed iron with the discoloration and previous treatments. Along with keeping the pH a little lower, you should also give attention to the CYA. As a salt pool we already know your CYA should be much higher. That should also help to buffer the chlorine a bit and might help reduce the iron reaction.
 
Actually after all the recent rain, I was going to bring the salt and the cya both back up. I had gathered the CYA and sock, went to get the salt from the garage, went around to the pool, and surprise. I previously gotten the CYA up to 50 and was prepared to add more and then it was all diluted and the overflow from my pool just went on for 2 days. I had over 12 inches over a couple days, it did not stop. I am going to drop the PH a bit, I did add a bag of salt, start bringing up the CYA, and keep the chlorine at 5, full sun all day long, not trees.
 
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I wanted to let you know that the pool is now back to its regular sparkling turquoise. I added nothing to the pool, just ran the pump and salt generator as normal. So who knows what happened. I was using the same bleach and acid bottles I have been using for the past month. I don't use any fertilizers and I am the only one using the pool. I had had quite a bit of rain in the preceding days followed by extreme heat and the pool had overflowed diluting the CYA and the Salt. The heat caused alot of evaporation so water was added. It's a puzzle. I appreciate all the advice
 
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