Clear Emerald Green H2O

[kdb]

Help! Have crystal clear water... aside from the fact that it's completely green. Passed OCLT for four days, so presuming we're not talking algae at this point. Guessed it would be minerals, so added a sequestrant (MetalFree). The pool store tested when I brought in a sample, but they said no copper (although, how reliable they are is questionable, I suppose). Cleaned the cartridge filter after 24 hrs. of running on high, but it's barely off-white. And nothing is disturbed off the bottom at all when I brush. Pump has been running 24/7, it seems, for weeks now.

Am fighting a losing battle. When I topped off at the beginning of the season, I think I may have had the line on bypass and filled 4-5" w/ straight well water by mistake instead of softened house water. But at this point, I don't know what to do. Any thoughts on the following:

1) Should I bother getting my own metal test kit?
2) Added one bottle (1L) of MetalFree. Instructions said one bottle per 20,000 gal. Person in the store said I'd see some results in 24 hrs. Do I just need to wait longer? Add more?
3) Would it make sense to build my own nuclear reactor for all the energy I'm burning running my pump?

Thanks so much for any help anyone can provide. Here are the latest numbers:

FC: 9.5, TC: 10, Ph: 7.2, TA: 55, CYA: <30
(Had kept Cl up at 12 for an eternity before letting drop slowly after passing OCLT.)

 

[Bama Rambler]

Welcome to TFP.

You most surely have copper in the water. The tests don't always show it.

Metal Free isn't one of the sequestrants we recommend. And it really doesn't work well at higher FC levels.
The ones based on phosphonic acid or it's derivitives are the good ones. Jack's make several good one's. Here's the Pool School article on metals in your water.

Since you didn't see a change my guess is that you haven't added enough. Get a good sequestrant and add enough to turn the water clear and you'll be fine.

Have you used an algaecide in your water?
Do you have an ionizer of some type?

 

[kdb]

Thanks so much for the quick reply!

Nope, neither an algeacide or ionizer. Mostly just BBB-ing to keep the algae under control. Seemed to do the trick after we pulled off the cover... except for my bonehead move of probably using the wrong water.

Will certainly take a peek at the article and order some Jacks instead of what they have locally.

Fingers crossed!

 

[Bama Rambler]

Can you post a pic of the water? I'd like to see it. :-D

 

[kdb]

Have two pics, but I didn't post them originally because the only angle I can take them doesn't really do it justice. Too much reflection from the trees in the background. When you look at it live, you can see the bottom clearly. But that just doesn't come out in the photos.

In any event, here they both are. The first was from yesterday when it was bright and sunny. Today is pouring rain, so there's a lighting change, too. It does seem like today's water is actually a little clearer after the MetalFree, but that could be just my wishful thinking.

 

[Bama Rambler]

It probably is a little clearer because it would have helped a little even if it didn't clear it completely.

 

[kdb]

Ordered Jack's Pink Stuff (no place sells it locally). Will post again after to see how things go!

Thanks.

 

[kdb]

okay. here goes!

got the Pink Stuff in the mail yesterday. says 1 qt. per 10,000 gal. but to double for trouble stains. since we're not dealing w/ stains, and I didn't know whether we qualified for "trouble" at this point, I put in two qt. for our 17,000. let's see what happens.

keeping FC right around 3.5 - 4.0 now. sun and 99 F temps have kicked in, but OCLT still fine.

 

[kdb]

BTW... checked the cartridge filter this a.m. Barely off-white, so I didn't presume metals were being removed from the water. Does sequestering put the metals back into solution or saturate them out to be filtered? Was guessing the former (since you have to add more for maintenance), but I wasn't sure.

 

[duraleigh]

Does sequestering put the metals back into solution or saturate them out to be filtered?

It puts them back into solution, unfortunately waiting to precipitate back out if you don't keep sequestrant adequate.

I know you didn't ask, but those pics look like you have more than just metal precip going on. I believe you either have some algae left over or have a filtration issue that is not allowing you to clear out the junk in your pool.

Since the sequestrant (apparently) made that color change, you likely have metals as well but I think your issue is twofold.

Also, with the sequestrant, the color change is usually fairly quick and yours doesn't appear to be.

 

[crokett]

What are your pH and CH levels? I have talked to Jack's a couple times - I have iron in my water. Their advice is ph 7.2-7.4 and CH of 200. Until last year I never bothered with CH, as it was a vinyl seasonal pool but after I brought that up to 200 I had less problems and it took less sequestrant to treat my pool. This year with the permanent pool I brought the CH up before adding the Jack's. I am using half the amount of last year, but that could also be a change in the water year to year.

 

[kdb]

Here's the latest. Not exactly 24 hrs. from when I first put it in, but looking much better. Not crystal, but getting much closer.

Was also wondering how much the photos are being distorted by the reflection of all the green tree leaves overhead... : )

Re: potential algae... Not sure based on the test numbers. Overnight, this morning we were FC: 3.75 and CC: 0.25. The filter is usually really good. We always were pulling color, whether green or brown, depending on what was in the pool (i.e., algae vs. dirt). Checked the CH (usually don't since we're a vinyl liner, too), and it was way down at 20. Depending on how things clear up in the next 24, maybe I'll add to bring that up, too.

 

[kdb]

Oops. Sorry... Hit submit before remembering to include pH.

7.2

 

[crokett]

Based on jack's advice and my own experience I would bring it up. You also need a sequest test kit. I ordered Jack's kit from Amazon today, that way I can figure out a schedule for my pool rather than just guess.