Best way to lower TA in a 4 day Pebble tec pool

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citlali

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Jul 17, 2010
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Fredericksburg, VA
Sky Bluefrom Pebble Tech. How can the water be green?

I got my pool redone with Pebble Tech Sky Blue and the water looks green. The sample of Sky Blue that I got had blue and black on white backgrownd, it did not have brown specks and the PT website sample does not have brown specks.

As I write this, my pool still has about 2 inches to be totaly filled. I added the sequestering agent and will add 1 gallon of muriatic acid in about an hour. I hope my pool will start looking blue.

Does anyone have any ideas about my green water? :(
 
Re: Sky Bluefrom Pebble Tech. How can the water be green?

When our pool was newly filled we had the same issue, and the pool builder told us it was due to copper in the water that would filter out . . and he was right. Two days later the pool was the turquoise blue we expected. And just three weeks ago we changed half the water to reduce cya and the same green colored water occurred after the fill; two days later we woke up to no more green once again. I've seen others on this and other forums with the same issue and all have reported back that their water went to blue too.

I'm willing to promise you that your pool will soon be the beautiful blue you wanted :wink:

Best,
Jan
 
Threads Merged for consistency. Please do not double-post.

The recomendation for my new pebble tec pool is to lower alkalinity between 80-110. and PH 7.4-7.6.

Today I have TA 120, PH 7.4. FC 1

I installed a Sky Blue pebble tec, and from the very first load of water, there was a green hue. I posted a post in Under Construction, and a reply said to wait 48 hours for my pool to turn blue. Well it has been 80 hours and my pool has an even deeper green hue. I do not suspect algie because the water is very clear, and the pool has been brushed 3-4 times daily. I suspect there are too many brown and red pebbles with the blue pebbles giving the green tint to my water.
Any thoughts or comments. I am about to call my installer. I was very clear about not wanting green water. That was one of the reasons we selectd one of the most expensive colors.
 
A complete set of test results and equipment list will help. Generally, adding Muriatic acid will lower pH and Alk levels.

Test for the following:

Alk, pH, Free Chlorine, Combined Chlorine or Total Chlorine, Calcium Hardness, Stabilzer (CYA) and Iron.

Check out Pool School in the upper right, use the pool calculator for how much of what to add for the most used pool chemicals and a DPD-FAS capable test kit.

If the pool has a natural shade of green because of the finish, there isn't much we can do.

Scott
 
There are a few causes to the green - one likelyhood from your discription, since the "first load" had a green hue - is metals. Did the installer add metal sequesterant?

You should not need to adjust your TA at all right now, 120 is not that bad anyway.
What chemicals have been added to the pool so far?
How is chlorine being added to the pool?
 
As per istructions:

1) add 64 oz of sequa-sol

2) add 3 pucks to skimer

3) keep ph 7.0-7.2 and TA below 70 for the first 72 hours.

4) Brush 2 -4 times daily for the first 7 days.


I added 2 gal over 2 days of muriatic acid.

Today I added 3 more pucks( total of 6) to skimmer and one bag of shock pre-diluted as per installer instructions. He said that I need to bring the clorine up slowly. This afternoon I will add one more shock and then I will get the water tested at store.

I am using my TF-100 test kit.
 
There is no reason to adjust the TA to 70 right now. Monitor the PH and use acid to keep it in the recommended range.

He is correct on bringing the FC up slowly, and using tabs is a good option. (make sure you are filtering 24/7 if you are leaving them in the skimmer. IF you are not planning to run it 24/7 then you need a floater or inline chlorinator.

Tabs are acidic and leaving them in the skimmer with the filter off, the water there becomes highly acidic and it's not a good idea at all, can make your skimmer parts brittle and break and can ruin pump seals.

Since the tablets are acidic they should help keep the PH and TA in check while adding FC and CYA to your water.

If the water still looks green, I would add an additional dose of the Sequa-sol.

Also, before replacing tabs next time, do an overnight FC loss test to make sure the FC is holding and the green isn't coming from something organic. But there can't be tabs adding chlorine while you are doing the test.
Overnight FC Loss Test

"one more shock" - is this a bagged product? What kind of granular shock is it?
 

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The TF-100 - use the FAS-DPD chlorine test - I linked to the instructions in my post.

If you do the test tonight, take the tabs out. You can't take a sample to the pool store - the test must be done first thing in the morning before the sun hits the pool.

If the 4-1 pool shock is Dichlor - you are adding CYA to the water and you should be tracking this. Take note of how much you are adding so you can use the pool calculator to determine your CYA level. Can you tell me the "active ingredient" on the package?
 
Hi again,
Using the Pool Calculator's "Effects of Adding Chemicals" section - 1 lb of Dichlor will raise your CYA level by 2.2. So track how much CYA you are adding with each bag. You will need to purchase stabilizer/CYA separately to bring the level up to at least 30ppm - the tablets won't raise it fast enough.
 
citlali said:
I suspect there are too many brown and red pebbles with the blue pebbles giving the green tint to my water.
Click to expand...

Just to reassure and clarify - Reds and browns in the background would never give off a green hue in the water. This just isn't how light works. The reddish stones actually absorb light in the green/yellow/blue spectrums and do not re-transmit them - that's why they look red :) .

The manufacturer would put red/brown stones in the pebble to darken the quality of the blue look.

Unless there are yellow or light green stones in your pebble (in large quantity) do not despair. It's the water and that can be cleaned up.
 
lightingguy said:
citlali said:
I suspect there are too many brown and red pebbles with the blue pebbles giving the green tint to my water.
Click to expand...

Just to reassure and clarify - Reds and browns in the background would never give off a green hue in the water. This just isn't how light works. The reddish stones actually absorb light in the green/yellow/blue spectrums and do not re-transmit them - that's why they look red :) .

The manufacturer would put red/brown stones in the pebble to darken the quality of the blue look.

Unless there are yellow or light green stones in your pebble (in large quantity) do not despair. It's the water and that can be cleaned up.
Click to expand...

Actually, red and brown stones DO make the water appear green :shock: :shock:

You kind of have to go back to third grade when they had us mix blue with red/yellow and we made green. You take water which is clear, and a sky which is blue. Then you you let the blue sky interact with the bottom color of the pool and you get the water color. Here's a good example; Sandy Beach or Desert Gold P-Tec/P-Sheen are beautiful colors, but when you put them in the pool and the sun comes out you get a beautiful Emerald green pool! Very pretty if that is what you want, but if you freak out at the slightest hint of algae (like I do!) then these colors are not for you!

Here's a picture of a pool I built a while back with Desert Gold P-Sheen. It is an absolutely beautiful pool, but too green for me!
 

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simicrintz said:
lightingguy said:
citlali said:
I suspect there are too many brown and red pebbles with the blue pebbles giving the green tint to my water.
Click to expand...

Just to reassure and clarify - Reds and browns in the background would never give off a green hue in the water. This just isn't how light works. The reddish stones actually absorb light in the green/yellow/blue spectrums and do not re-transmit them - that's why they look red :) .

The manufacturer would put red/brown stones in the pebble to darken the quality of the blue look.

Unless there are yellow or light green stones in your pebble (in large quantity) do not despair. It's the water and that can be cleaned up.
Click to expand...

Actually, red and brown stones DO make the water appear green :shock: :shock:

You kind of have to go back to third grade when they had us mix blue with red/yellow and we made green. You take water which is clear, and a sky which is blue. Then you you let the blue sky interact with the bottom color of the pool and you get the water color. Here's a good example; Sandy Beach or Desert Gold P-Tec/P-Sheen are beautiful colors, but when you put them in the pool and the sun comes out you get a beautiful Emerald green pool! Very pretty if that is what you want, but if you freak out at the slightest hint of algae (like I do!) then these colors are not for you!

Here's a picture of a pool I built a while back with Desert Gold P-Sheen. It is an absolutely beautiful pool, but too green for me!
Click to expand...

Brother...you are dead on accurate here. I can't believe how many customers want a sandy bottom "blue" pool. And as you have shown, they do not exist.
Sometimes I have to acutally drive customers over to these green tinted pools to show them. And so far, all of them have said "oh that's not what I want."
Funny how most pool builders around here do not mention how a beige stone will tint the water green.
 

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