Help with opening pool

[slroten]

I added bleach all winter and kept my pump on. Over the last month, more bleach, vacuuming, and using "boost" function on SWG pump.

Brownish-greenish residue keeps appearing on floor. Water is blue and clear when splashed. When I vacuum or sweep residue water turns green in area of vacuuming.

Water tests tonight
TA-130
Ph- 8.2
FC- 15
Cya - 45
CC - 0
TC - 15
ClBr- dark Orange..... Darker than any color on test kit

I'm thinking I need to raise CYA levels and lower PH, FC, and TC levels. Not sure what order to do things in. I'm also assuming I have some type algae and will need to shock pool.

Please give me guidance.

 

[duraleigh]

When FC is above 10 ppm, your pH will read somewhat falsely high so I suspect your pH is a bit lower than that. However, It would be a REALLY good idea to let your pH come down to 10 ppm or so and get an accurate reading.

Leave your CYA alone.

"Brownish-greenish" sure sounds like algae and is indicative of your chlorine having been much lower for a period of time.

I would shock the pool (read how in Pool School) right after I verified my pH level. Lower your pH to 7.4 if the next test indicates pH is 7.8 or above.

 

[slroten]

I brought my PH down to 7.2 with muriatic acid.
FC was sitting at 3.5
CC 1.0
TC 4.5
TA 130
CYA 35

Added my bleach. Waited an hour and a half, now I am sitting at:

FC = 27.5 (oops, I used the mustard algae Shock targets)
CC = 1.0 (first drop went to an almost clear (very light pink in places), but 2nd drop made test completely clear)
TC = 28.5

I've brushed the floor and walls twice since my first test around 9:45pm.
I only see a little residue on floor in the middle of the pool now. Water has turned to a cloudy blue/green from a light blue.

What now? Stay up all night keeping FC in shock levels, since I still have 1.0 CC, or go to sleep and start early in the morning with a FC test to see how much I loose overnight?

 

[Butterfly]

What now? Stay up all night keeping FC in shock levels, since I still have 1.0 CC, or go to sleep and start early in the morning with a FC test to see how much I loose overnight?

Shawn, which one did you do?

 

[slroten]

I stayed up the majority of the night checking FC.

It had dropped down to 25 at 3am.

At 1030am

FC 20
CC .5

Water looks great but more sediment on the floor in places. Not even cloudy anymore.

Not anywhere like before, but still there. Going to raise level back to 24 FC and try to keep there all day. I'm going to vaccuum and then sweep.

 

[slroten]

close up of sediment on the pool floor. It starts along the seams and corners but then spreads.

 

[slroten]

1PM
FC-24
CC-0

While vaccumming I realized my floor wasn't as clean as I thought. I vaccummed and then I swept. Lots of dead bugs floating to top, leads me to believe some of the sediment is just dirt. Green fog here and there, but most fogs were a light grey.

 

[duraleigh]

While vaccumming I realized my floor wasn't as clean as I thought.

No kidding. Get all that sediment out of your pool and into your filter, then backwash. Vacuum to waste if you have no need to preseerve water.

 

[slroten]

Shocking for almost 24hrs now (945pm start time last night).
CYA 30
6/7 745pm FC-3, CC-1
added 427 oz Bleach 8.25%
6/7 1130pm FC-27.5, CC-1
6/8 330am FC-25, CC-1
6/8 1000am FC-20, CC-1
added 121oz Bleach 8.25%
vaccuumed, brushed floor & walls, backwashed Filter
6/8 1pm FC-24, CC-0
6/8 3pm FC-20, CC-0
added 121oz Bleach 8.25%
6/8 645pm FC-25, CC-0
added 2cups of DE to skimmer
brushed floor
6/8 745pm FC-22, CC-0
added 96oz. Bleach 8.25%

When I brush the sediment comes up, can see where I brushed on floor, and the water becomes cloudy. I'm going to watch FC level to about midnight, adding Bleach to keep FC between 22-25. In the morning I am going to vaccuum to the filter. Been using a self contained vaccuum, but I don't think it is working well, just stirring up the sediment, like the brushing does.

I don't have a problem vaccuuming to waste and replacing water, but how bad will it mess up my water balance? Pool is large so I imagine I will drop several inches of water while vaccuuming.

If any of the experts see anything wrong with my course of action, please let me know. I'm thinking my floor sediment has alot to do with the crappy skimmer and inlet that comes with Intex pools. Not enough water movement. I will be using the vaccuum that came with the Intex pool also.

 

[slroten]

I went out a minute ago to check my pump PSI and shined my flashlight down the inside of my pool wall. I noticed what I thought were bubbles, from the water line going down about 12-15inches. I took a closer look and it appears to be small black bubbles. They brush off easy and move when touched. Didn't have a feel to them. When touched bubbles came up to the water line. Darker and thicker in some places than others. Were not there last night.

Is this some type of chemical reaction with an organic or something else? Did a search and saw where someone posted about something similar back in 2008. No one knew then what they were and the post didn't say what happened with it all. Some person suggested they were frog eggs. That person posted pics, but I couldn't get them to pull up (I get the RED X). I'll try and take a pic for all to see.

 

[slroten]

Ok, here are the pics. Maybe just bubbles, but they sure look black to me.

Again, they brush off when touched, and bubbles come to the water line. They only go down about 15inches from the water line. I have been brushing the walls, but not up to the water line.

 

[slroten]

One last pic of the bubbles.

 

[slroten]

I also noticed that my floor sediment is starting to collect again tonight. I used the "boost" mode on my SWG for three days straight last week.

The manual said something about having to vacuum up residue from the process. Is it possible that is what some of this sediment is?

It always starts collecting in the floor liner seams, creases, and corners.

 

[crek31]

You mentioned using a self-contained vacuum. Not sure what you have, but when i used an aquabroom, i caught a lot more of the fine sediment if i lined the filter bag with a knee high.

 

[slroten]

Thanks crek31! I actually thought about that earlier this evening too.

 

[slroten]

At 9:45pm last night, FC 24, CC-0. At 11am today, FC 24, CC-0. We had a few hours of rain this morning, without sun, so I guess my FC held up to the late morning testing. This means I passed the overnight chlorine loss test!!!!

Water is clear, but still need to vacuum the bottom. Think I will continue with shocking until I get the pool totatlly cleaned.

 

[Butterfly]

Nice work