When I had a green pool, it took me close to a month to get it all cleared out. It seems like a losing battle as I felt the same way. But in the end it all worked out.
Preparing pool for season
- Thread starter lattedah
- Start date
Here take a look at this post. It will show how my water looked when I started and when I finished.
http://www.troublefreepool.com/my-journey-from-green-to-crystal-clear-t20117.html
http://www.troublefreepool.com/my-journey-from-green-to-crystal-clear-t20117.html
thank you for the pictures. Mine isn't the bright green anymore ,its more the faded light green so I guess that's progress even if it has stayed the same color a couple days now. I will resolve to just be more patient and aim for that sparkly clean water !
Since I last posted , maintained shock level , brushed the pool several times a day , had not passed the overnight test and the CC was still at 1. The weather has warmed up from high 60s to the high 80s..have had several storms. On the 6th , I sprained my ankle and my husband took over water testing . On the 11th , we lost power overnight due to a storm. On the 12th , hubby informed me the pool liner was bleached out around the bottom edge and in an area in front of the pool return but the water now had areas of blue ..until he brushed the pool then the water appeared greenish and a greenish yellow over the bleached out areas.
This evening, I managed to check the pool out..still a greenish tint to the water but fairly clear. Still get brownish dust when I brushed the pool. and after testing the water , I can understand why the liner bleached out.
FC is over 50 !! I did not bother with the rest of the testing after the FC result..
these are the results from my last test on the 6th
FC 20
CC 1
PH 8.2
TA 220
CYA 50
do I need to drain some of the water to get rid of some of the FC..or will it burn off in a reasonable amount of time ?
also..when testing for FC when you add the R-0870 powder..does it make a difference how much of a scoop is added ?
This evening, I managed to check the pool out..still a greenish tint to the water but fairly clear. Still get brownish dust when I brushed the pool. and after testing the water , I can understand why the liner bleached out.
FC is over 50 !! I did not bother with the rest of the testing after the FC result..
these are the results from my last test on the 6th
FC 20
CC 1
PH 8.2
TA 220
CYA 50
do I need to drain some of the water to get rid of some of the FC..or will it burn off in a reasonable amount of time ?
also..when testing for FC when you add the R-0870 powder..does it make a difference how much of a scoop is added ?
FC will come down fairly quickly, probably by tomorrow evening it will only be a little above shock level.
When doing the FC test you should add two level tiny scoops or one heaping tiny scoop. If the sample turns pink for an instant and then goes brown or clear you should add more. It is most common to need more when the FC level is very high. If you add to little the FC level will read lower than it actually is.
When doing the FC test you should add two level tiny scoops or one heaping tiny scoop. If the sample turns pink for an instant and then goes brown or clear you should add more. It is most common to need more when the FC level is very high. If you add to little the FC level will read lower than it actually is.
thank you for the replies.
any chance I could get a rough idea on how much bleach I will be using daily for regular maintenance. pool gets full sun most the day..normal swim load is 3 to 5 swimmers 4 days a week. I know this is an impossible question , but am curious what the bleach useage is for the average user with similar conditions as mine
:?:
any chance I could get a rough idea on how much bleach I will be using daily for regular maintenance. pool gets full sun most the day..normal swim load is 3 to 5 swimmers 4 days a week. I know this is an impossible question , but am curious what the bleach useage is for the average user with similar conditions as mine
:?:
Maintaining the shock process.. FC fell to 30 today, water was clearer this morning with more areas of blue, but that only lasts till I brush the pool then its back to the lite greenish brown look.
I always make sure to brush the ladder down when I brush the pool, but was curious today on how well I was hitting the bottom and back area of the ladder so I took the ladder out . I was surprised to find several areas of bright green algae in the deep grooves on the back of the ladder. Will clean the ladder and leave it out of the pool till I get the water cleared up.
My family is wondering why this process is taking so long compared to getting chemicals from the pool store and having clean water in a couple days. I tried to explain the BBB method was a smarter way to maintain the pool versus dumping a concoction of chemicals in at once.
But their patience is wearing thin with my attempts with the BBB method to tackle this algae issue. Would anyone have a better explanation as to why the BBB method takes longer to deal with algae issues versus the pool stores chemical dump ? TIA !
I always make sure to brush the ladder down when I brush the pool, but was curious today on how well I was hitting the bottom and back area of the ladder so I took the ladder out . I was surprised to find several areas of bright green algae in the deep grooves on the back of the ladder. Will clean the ladder and leave it out of the pool till I get the water cleared up.
My family is wondering why this process is taking so long compared to getting chemicals from the pool store and having clean water in a couple days. I tried to explain the BBB method was a smarter way to maintain the pool versus dumping a concoction of chemicals in at once.
But their patience is wearing thin with my attempts with the BBB method to tackle this algae issue. Would anyone have a better explanation as to why the BBB method takes longer to deal with algae issues versus the pool stores chemical dump ? TIA !
Are you running the pump 24/7?
Have you maintained shock level the entire time you've been shocking?
How often are you having to backwash the filter?
You've been at this about two weeks now. That's not unheard of. Also I noticed that there may have been times when the FC has been allowed to slip below shock level. When that happens, it sets you back a lot. Taking the ladder out was a good idea and you should clean it thouroughly with bleach before putting it back in. Make sure you get all the nooks and crannys.
I missed it earlier but after going back and rereading, I saw where you stated at the bottom of one of your posts, that you used well water to refill the pool. Does your well water have metals in it? Specifically Iron? Your mention of brown dust made me go back and look.
Have you maintained shock level the entire time you've been shocking?
How often are you having to backwash the filter?
You've been at this about two weeks now. That's not unheard of. Also I noticed that there may have been times when the FC has been allowed to slip below shock level. When that happens, it sets you back a lot. Taking the ladder out was a good idea and you should clean it thouroughly with bleach before putting it back in. Make sure you get all the nooks and crannys.
I missed it earlier but after going back and rereading, I saw where you stated at the bottom of one of your posts, that you used well water to refill the pool. Does your well water have metals in it? Specifically Iron? Your mention of brown dust made me go back and look.
The more that you are able to keep at shock level the quicker it will go. Most people work during the week daytime, so it is hard to keep it at shock level during the day. So as stated above not keeping at shock level on a continuning basis will make it take longer. When you are able to test, I recommend testing at the min 4 times a day, but the more the better. When I had to work, I was only able to test twice a day at the min. On the weekends I would test at least 4 times a day. So the more you can test and keep at shock level the quicker it will go.
Putting chemicals and dumping stuff from the pool store may be quicker to fix, but quicker to fail. It also adds other stuff you may not need into your water. So basically the pool store is like a bandaid, it will work for a little while, but eventually the bandaid will fail you.
Putting chemicals and dumping stuff from the pool store may be quicker to fix, but quicker to fail. It also adds other stuff you may not need into your water. So basically the pool store is like a bandaid, it will work for a little while, but eventually the bandaid will fail you.
Scrub it down, and when you get near the end of the process, put the ladder and any thing else that may have algae on it in the pool and let it soak so you kill any residual.lattedah said:
Well another day in the BBB method versus impatient family.
Today four things have become apparent..
1. ALWAYS test the water immediately before adding chemicals
2. Never assume someone hasn't added chemicals to the pool without your knowledge since you last tested
3. My husband cannot be anywhere near the pool unless to swim
4. Am fairly certain I am no longer fighting algae but dealing with a metal issue
long story short.. water was somewhat clearer this morning, still greenish/yellowish tint in most areas. FC was at 30 this morning. (down from 50 )
I brushed the pool down 3 times before noon, then left to run errands ..buy more bleach. DH came home with 2lbs of shock blue plus courtesy of a co-worker..added to pool then left for son's ballgame. I came home a couple hours later..went to brush down the pool noticed the pool looked remarkable clearer and bluer then this morning..poured in a large bottle of bleach to keep the FC at 20 ( assuming I lost most of the FC during the day , brushed down the pool , left to catch the second ballgame. Went to brush down the pool for the evening and the water is now greenish/yellow again. Tested the water right away and discovered the FC above 50..CYA is still at 50..I didn't do the other tests because the FC was so high. I was fussing at myself for testing wrong this morning or something to cause the FC to be so high now and thats when I learned about the 2 lbs of shock..
soo... am totally discouraged by the green/yellow water again.. and somewhat confused about the improvement I saw after DH added that shock..isn't shock just chlorine and wouldn't that of turned the water greenish/yellow to ?
am ready to drain the pool, take the well water to be tested for metals and start over again... any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
please try not to laugh to much at our bumbling attempts..the lessons have been learned, listed on an index card and posted on the frig..
Today four things have become apparent..
1. ALWAYS test the water immediately before adding chemicals
2. Never assume someone hasn't added chemicals to the pool without your knowledge since you last tested
3. My husband cannot be anywhere near the pool unless to swim
4. Am fairly certain I am no longer fighting algae but dealing with a metal issue
long story short.. water was somewhat clearer this morning, still greenish/yellowish tint in most areas. FC was at 30 this morning. (down from 50 )
I brushed the pool down 3 times before noon, then left to run errands ..buy more bleach. DH came home with 2lbs of shock blue plus courtesy of a co-worker..added to pool then left for son's ballgame. I came home a couple hours later..went to brush down the pool noticed the pool looked remarkable clearer and bluer then this morning..poured in a large bottle of bleach to keep the FC at 20 ( assuming I lost most of the FC during the day , brushed down the pool , left to catch the second ballgame. Went to brush down the pool for the evening and the water is now greenish/yellow again. Tested the water right away and discovered the FC above 50..CYA is still at 50..I didn't do the other tests because the FC was so high. I was fussing at myself for testing wrong this morning or something to cause the FC to be so high now and thats when I learned about the 2 lbs of shock..
soo... am totally discouraged by the green/yellow water again.. and somewhat confused about the improvement I saw after DH added that shock..isn't shock just chlorine and wouldn't that of turned the water greenish/yellow to ?
am ready to drain the pool, take the well water to be tested for metals and start over again... any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
please try not to laugh to much at our bumbling attempts..the lessons have been learned, listed on an index card and posted on the frig..
to answer previous questions.
I have been able to brush the pool down at least every 2 hours most days... The backwashing was about 4 times a day.. now am backwashing twice a day. There really hasn't been an obvious discoloration of the water when I backwashed.. slightly tinged greenish/brown..a little cloudy. Nothing compared to the discoloration I saw last year , when I had the algae problem that lead me here.
I backwash, then rinse then back to filter. Last year , the pressure read a steady 30. this year after the pool refill the pressure was about 22..its now back to 30 .. have no idea if that is important info.
safe to say this week the FC has not dropped below 20.
I did notice the ladder has a brownish haze to the parts that were in the water. I thought it might be from the sock with stabilizer I had tied to the ladder.. maybe its iron ?
I have been able to brush the pool down at least every 2 hours most days... The backwashing was about 4 times a day.. now am backwashing twice a day. There really hasn't been an obvious discoloration of the water when I backwashed.. slightly tinged greenish/brown..a little cloudy. Nothing compared to the discoloration I saw last year , when I had the algae problem that lead me here.
I backwash, then rinse then back to filter. Last year , the pressure read a steady 30. this year after the pool refill the pressure was about 22..its now back to 30 .. have no idea if that is important info.
safe to say this week the FC has not dropped below 20.
I did notice the ladder has a brownish haze to the parts that were in the water. I thought it might be from the sock with stabilizer I had tied to the ladder.. maybe its iron ?
Just take a sample of the water to the local pool store and have them test it for metals. They can usually test it for iron and copper. Be sure they can test for iron. If you have the option, I'd take it to more than one place. You can use sequestrant if you do have iron or you can drain and refill.
good morning..
the water is a little bluer this morning, still areas that are greenish/yellow..but the water is clear enough to see the bottom of the pool. There were fewer areas of brownish dust when I brushed the pool
test results this morning. I ran each test 3 times just to make sure I was testing accurately.
FC 50+ ( I imagine the FC is off the chart. When I first added the powder there was a slight turn to pink and then the water was mostly clear. After adding 3 drops of the R-0871 , the water would turn pink . Somewhere around the 50th drop the water started turning yellow and despite over 100 drops the water still had a yellowish tint to it )
CC...could not get an accurate read..water stayed yellowish
PH 7.5
TA 160
CYA just below 50
I was surprised to see the PH and TA drop from yesterday's reading..
this morning , I can smell chlorine ..this is the CC or the over abundance of chlorine ?
With my CYA of 50, my shock level is 20 ? And its safe to swim below a FC of 20 ? or do I need to restrict swimming until the FC is around 10 ?
the water is a little bluer this morning, still areas that are greenish/yellow..but the water is clear enough to see the bottom of the pool. There were fewer areas of brownish dust when I brushed the pool
test results this morning. I ran each test 3 times just to make sure I was testing accurately.
FC 50+ ( I imagine the FC is off the chart. When I first added the powder there was a slight turn to pink and then the water was mostly clear. After adding 3 drops of the R-0871 , the water would turn pink . Somewhere around the 50th drop the water started turning yellow and despite over 100 drops the water still had a yellowish tint to it )
CC...could not get an accurate read..water stayed yellowish
PH 7.5
TA 160
CYA just below 50
I was surprised to see the PH and TA drop from yesterday's reading..
this morning , I can smell chlorine ..this is the CC or the over abundance of chlorine ?
With my CYA of 50, my shock level is 20 ? And its safe to swim below a FC of 20 ? or do I need to restrict swimming until the FC is around 10 ?
You need to add more than 1 scoop of R-0870 if the water only turns pink for a few seconds. You start by adding 2 scoops and see if the sample stays pink. If it does then start adding the drops of R-0871. If it doesn't, then add a little bit more R-0870. You'll get accurate results by doing that.
Make sure you're swirling well while testing.
ETA~~ It's safe to swim at anything below shock level for your CYA.
Make sure you're swirling well while testing.
ETA~~ It's safe to swim at anything below shock level for your CYA.
test results this afternoon
FC 52
CC 1
PH 7.2
TA 160
CYA 50
the water looks much clearer this afternoon , I can see the entire side panel and the bottom has more blue areas. The only areas that look green/yellow tend to be over the areas where the liner is bleached out. The shade of green/yellow is significantly lighter then yesterday
Pool caluclator suggest adding borax to raise the PH.. should I add the borax today or what till tomorrow for the FC to drop some more ?
Dave,
thanks again for your patience and knowledge...saved the pool from becoming a new patio area..
FC 52
CC 1
PH 7.2
TA 160
CYA 50
the water looks much clearer this afternoon , I can see the entire side panel and the bottom has more blue areas. The only areas that look green/yellow tend to be over the areas where the liner is bleached out. The shade of green/yellow is significantly lighter then yesterday
Pool caluclator suggest adding borax to raise the PH.. should I add the borax today or what till tomorrow for the FC to drop some more ?
Dave,
thanks again for your patience and knowledge...saved the pool from becoming a new patio area..