Green water continues, new filter installed and chemicals OK

[jblizzle]

Re: Green water continues, new filter installed and chemical

How often are you checking and adjusting the FC? Once a day is not enough ... especially if it was getting all the way down to below 2ppm.

You need to keep it up around 12ppm as often as possible.

 

[JohnT]

Re: Green water continues, new filter installed and chemical

If the algae is green, you have not added enough chlorine or maintained it continuously. The algae will turn grey within just a few days of constant high chlorine. I opened to a black pool this spring and it was grey writhing 12 hours of 15ppm chlorine.

 

[Jimmi328]

Re: Green water continues, new filter installed and chemical

Hello All,

I think I goofed reading the CYA test. I didn’t realize that the hard-to-read numbers were on the inside corner of the comparator tube (test kit K-2006) and that the numbers run from the bottom to top. When I again did the CYA test and read the correct numbers, the little black dot faded out well before it hit the first mark of “100”. I’m guessing I only dispensed about 6 to 7 ml’s from the bottle. Meanwhile, I try to keep the FC level around 10 to 15 PPM but typically it’s at 4 to 5 PPM.

So, should I drain water and refill? What’s the best way to correct this? I don’t want to add more chlorine until I know what I should do.

 

[Richard320]

Re: Green water continues, new filter installed and chemical

Hello All,

I think I goofed reading the CYA test. I didn’t realize that the hard-to-read numbers were on the inside corner of the comparator tube (test kit K-2006) and that the numbers run from the bottom to top. When I again did the CYA test and read the correct numbers, the little black dot faded out well before it hit the first mark of “100”. I’m guessing I only dispensed about 6 to 7 ml’s from the bottle. Meanwhile, I try to keep the FC level around 10 to 15 PPM but typically it’s at 4 to 5 PPM.

So, should I drain water and refill? What’s the best way to correct this? I don’t want to add more chlorine until I know what I should do.

First, you need to figure out how much to drain. You'll need some CYA number to do that. Here's what it says in the Extended testing directions.

.
If your CYA level is 90 or higher, repeat the test adjusting the procedure as follows:
Fill the mixing bottle to the lower mark with pool water.
Continue filling the mixing bottle to the upper mark with tap water.
Shake briefly to mix.
Pour off half of the contents of the mixing bottle, so it is again filled to the lower mark.
Continue the test normally from step 3, but multiply the final result by two.

Notes
If you are not confident in your reading, you can pour the solution from the view tube back into the mixing bottle and then try filling the view tube again. You can repeat this portion of the test over and over again for several minutes without affecting the test results.


The precision of the test, when done correctly, is around plus or minus 15 for levels up to 90 and plus or minus 30 for levels between 100 and 200. Novices often have problems reading the test correctly, and tend to get higher than actual readings.

 

[jblizzle]

Re: Green water continues, new filter installed and chemical

Sounds like your CYA is way above 100, so the best first step would be replacing a lot of water to get the CYA manageable.

Posted from my Droid with Tapatalk ... sorry if my response is short

 

[Jimmi328]

Re: Green water continues, new filter installed and chemical

Is there a method to test the filtration quality of my filter such as some kind of dye or particles to see if the cartridge is intact? I did purchase a Hayward C-17502 and inspected the cartridge which looks fine but I would like to test it.

 

[JasonLion]

Re: Green water continues, new filter installed and chemical

There isn't any simple test for a filter, though there are some slightly more involved tests. One sign of filter problems is clouds of debris coming out of the return when you are vacuuming up debris. Another approach is to attach a stocking to a return jet and see if it collects any debris.

 

[Jimmi328]

Re: Green water continues, new filter installed and chemical

When I vacuumed two weeks ago, I saw green water coming back through the return pipe, but this was during my aggressive treatment of greenish blackish water. I’m assuming there was so much dead algae on the bottom that the filter couldn’t capture it all. Now the water is bluish but still can’t see bottom. On the surface I see a lot of tiny dead ants and a film or layer of something that’s hard to describe.

 

[imwarren]

Re: Green water continues, new filter installed and chemical

Don't worry about the filter until you kill the algea. A filter does nothing to kill anything I would trust your judgement that it is fine. Lower your cya, keep fc at shock level adding chlorine as often as possible hourly is best until you meet the 3 ctitera for finishing shockprocess in pool school (read it at least dailyfor a week)

 

[Jimmi328]

Re: Green water continues, new filter installed and chemical

I'm aware the filter doesn’t kill the algae, just collects the dead algae (or supposed to). I used up my CYA testing material and waiting on a refill to arrive. The FC has consistently been between 7 to 15 PPM for two weeks.

I just did a little experiment. I poured a small amount of coffee grounds into the skimmer and in about 20 seconds the grounds came right back out the return line. Perhaps this is not advised but I’m unsure about this cartridge.

 

[jblizzle]

Re: Green water continues, new filter installed and chemical

Certainly sounds like you should take the filter apart and check the cartridge and internals. You should obviously not see something the size of coffee passing through.

 

[Jimmi328]

Re: Green water continues, new filter installed and chemical

I received my replacement cartridge from Hayward and this replacement appears to be working properly; that is, no particles come out the return pipe when I vacuum the bottom. It’s been installed and running about 12 hours per day for three days now. The water is a somewhat bluish color and cloudy; I still can’t see bottom.

I wasn’t sure if I was reading my CYA level correctly. I was getting 140 PPM using that hard-to-see comparator tube. I drained the water until the skimmer couldn’t siphon anymore, refilled the pool, tested; and again got about 140 PPM. I took a sample to the pool store and the manager said I have 50 PPM. He wants to sell me even more chemicals that don’t seem to do anything.

My current number are:
pH = 7.4
TC = 5
CYA = 5
TA = 130

I’ve been pouring in large quantities of chlorine for the past few weeks and still can’t seem to get favorable results, although, my pool has improved but I would not want to go in the water. At this point I’m at a loss of how to proceed. I’ve been considering draining the pool completely and refilling but then I would have a hefty water bill in addition to the cost of re-adding the chemicals. I didn’t think a 10,000 gallon pool would be such a maintenance albatross and financial burden.

Any thoughts – ideas?

Thank you,
Jim

 

[Jimmi328]

Re: Green water continues, new filter installed and chemical

Is there any way to unclog the bottom drain with water in the pool? Is this something a pro should do or can a rookie like me do this? My pool/pump/filter does not have the option to regulate between skimmer and bottom drain.

When I swim down and place my hands over it, I feel no suction what so ever. I have read that the skimmer does most of the cleaning; however, I think the bottom drain can be useful for clearing the dead algae sitting on the bottom. When I run a brush on the bottom while standing on the edge, I see white clouds billow up from the bottom. I used “Pool First Aide”, a clarifier, ran the filter for 24 hours, then vacuumed the bottom. This helped a little, but not much. I also made sure the chlorine level was low for this product to be most effective.

Thank you all.

 

[jblizzle]

Re: Green water continues, new filter installed and chemical

You are not supposed to feel flow through the bottom drain. Is you floor plumbed to the skimmer and then from the skimmer to the pump? Do you have a float diverter under the skimmer basket?

 

[Jimmi328]

Re: Green water continues, new filter installed and chemical

Hello Jason,
This is an existing pool from when I bought the house a year and half ago; so I don’t know if the floor is plumb to the skimmer. Seems to me it would have to be but I don’t know how to figure out. I Googled a “float diverter” but still unsure what this is. I can say there is nothing between the skimmer basket and suction pipe beneath it.

 

[jblizzle]

Re: Green water continues, new filter installed and chemical

Do you only have 1 pipe to the pump? Do you have 2 open holes in the bottom of the skimmer? If so, then you need a diverter to force some flow to the floor otherwise you will not get any.

There are a few styles (space ship it Twinkie) with pictures in the encyclopedia article in Pool School.

 

[Jimmi328]

Re: Green water continues, new filter installed and chemical

Yes, beneath the skimmer basket are two holes but only one has suction. I think I understand now; so there must be a device that can be installed in the skimmer to regulate flow. I could probable fabricate a U-shaped pipe to engage the bottom drain then just remove it to engage the skimmer.

Thank you Jason.

 

[jblizzle]

Re: Green water continues, new filter installed and chemical

This is the typical diverter. There is a flap on the bottom that you close to get more suction from the floor:

Or this is the other design, but seems to not be as common:

There should be a groove on the bottom of the skimmer for an o-ring ... either round or oval.