Toxic Waste Pool

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T

thatguy

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Jun 17, 2012
1
Hello, This is my first post to this forum. I have been using bleach for the last 3 years after finding this web site and haven't seen any algae in all this time, so I know that this system works. However, most everyone else I know that has a pool still uses trichlor as their main source of free chlorine. I just tested my son in laws pool as we are watching the dogs while they are out of town and I figured we would swim in it tomorrow. I use taylor chemicals for all my testing. I took a sample and went home to test it. The results have shocked me( no pun intended). I had to retest my own pool to make sure that there was nothing wrong with my test chemicals. FC .5 ppm, TA untestable as the 5 drops of indicator that is supposed to turn the water green actually turns red immediately, without adding any sulfuric acid. PH test is so low off scale it is also unreadable. the color is a pale yellow. CYA is 60. The pool is inground vinyl lined, However the water is clear as a bell. I will NOT be swimming in it tomorrow. None of this makes much sense, am I going crazy. Has anyone seen these kind of test numbers.
 
Hello thatguy, and Welcome to TFP :wave:,

Wow, just wow, on the test results. I'm surprised they're not having all kinds of skin, eye, itching, burning issues etc.

I've seen some pretty funky numbers, actually had some of mine own at one time, until TFP set me straight.

I agree swimming in that pool, with those levels, wouldn't be my idea of fun either. (Nor would I want my family in there until the levels are straightened out).

It sounds like it could be time to have a chat with your son in law about the severity of the levels in the pool, and how important it is to Maintain adequate numbers to not only prevent algae, equip damage, but also have a safe swimming environment level wise that isn't possibly also allowing bacteria to grow in there. Tell him about the TFP method, and send him our direction, and well be glad to help you, help him, to get it figured out.

You'd be surprised the amount of people who just don't know what they need to do to adequately maintain/sanitize their pool. They just blindly add this or that and as long as the pool looks clear then the pool is fine. But a clear pool does Not always mean a clean pool. I know this because that use to be ME, but not any more.
He may not be having problems Yet, but I can almost bet that day is fast approaching.

So yeah, please do send him our way if possible so we can help him, help his pool, and until then you might want to put up a No Swimming sign.

Again welcome to TFP, and Have a Wonderful Night. :)
 
the PH and TA have crashed and you have an acidic pool... it is from using Trichlor as it drops both... it is speeding the process of eating any metal parts the water touches and is probably not safe to swim in.. they are probably complaining of itchy skin, burning eye's...

baking soda and pool math are you best friends right now...
 
The low FC could be from transporting the water sample. You don't want to leave a water sample lying around for more than 30 min or so as the FC starts to drop.

As for TA, I'm not surprised by the results because he is using trichlor which is very acidic and will lower TA substantially in a vinyl lined pool. If he's using trichlor he should also be testing TA and adding baking soda as needed.

With 0 TA his pH could be as low as 4.5 maybe even lower than that. If he has heater on that pool then acidic water is going to corrode the heck out of the heat-exchanger. I would definitely NOT swim in that pool or else you'll be in for a good case of stinging eyes.


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JoyfulNoise hit the nail on the head about the TA and the pH. With 0 TA, the test solition turns red immediately which means the pH is about 4.5
The pucks are the culprit for sure.

I would suggest to get the FC up first, and then bring up the TA and the pH as quicly as is reasonable
 
poolnoob.ca said:
some soda ash would be good wouldnt it, to raise both pH and TA?
Click to expand...

I would use borax to raise the pH and baking soda to bring up the TA. Soda ash (sodium carbonate) would work as well but I'd prefer to control the levels independently. And it's typically easier and less expensive to find borax/baking soda as opposed to soda ash. The pool stores do sell soda ash but at a huge markup.


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This is why we always say that just because water is clear that does not mean the pool water is safe or in good shape. In this case, the pool's pH has crashed from Trichlor's acidity exhausting the TA. Low pH will corrode metal and degrade the vinyl liner. Eyes could sting if opened underwater for too long.
 

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duraleigh said:
Adjust at your own risk.....no good deed goes unpunished.[emoji14]ale:[emoji14]ale:
Click to expand...
I agree. Let him know what you found but don't mess with anything. If the acidic water has done any damage then you are going to get blamed for that damage by meddling with his perfectly clear pool...

From my HTC One via Tapatalk
 
Personally speaking, I would not touch his pool without his express permission and in full agreement with him about the treatment. I'm a big believer in "you don't touch another man's pool. "


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