How do I fix this?? Foam Ice Bergs plus Green

[boon4376]

Ok, please don't scold me for getting where I am, I know I should know better than to just open my pool and dump chemicals in it before testing...



... but I need to know is how to fix this chemical toilet I've created.

To start, when I opened, I was looking at black / brown poop water. I've gotten almost all of the leaves out of it and have whale brushed the whole interior. Have had to backwash twice having the DE filter get COMPLETELY clogged to the point of zero circulation both times. All day today it's only up about 5 PSI from original.

Here are my stats

• FC: 15ppm
• CC: 1ppm

(I may have gone WAYY overboard adding 10lbs of cal hypo + a couple lbs of di-chlor thinking the green was algae...) :tongue: Luckily I came here before adding another 5lbs.

• PH: Just under 7.0 - probably 6.8 but my test kit doesnt go lower than 7
• TA: 40
• CH: IDK - my test kit R-0011L turned to 1/2 jelly

What I did before taking these numbers

• 10lbs of calhypo over the course of 2 days
• 2lbs of dichlor over the last 12 hours
• Wayyy too much Dimethyl benzly ammonium chloride - probably 1/4 gallon to 1/3 gallon 1/2 last night, 1/2 this morning. - about 1 year old and what I'm thinking is causing the green + foam?? :taped:

(I thought green = still tons of alive algae that for some reason was not dieing so I kept adding algaecide and chlorine)

What I have done since taking these numbers
Added 2 boxes of Borax and about 1 lbs of baking soda to try and raise the PH and TA

 

[JamesW]

The foam is probably from the algaecide. What is your cyanuric acid level?

I think that if you go to full shock level and wait for the green to turn grey or bluish grey and then begin filtering, it will eventually clear.

Alternatively, you could floc and vac to waste before filtering to get the worst of it before filtering. However, that is more complicated.

Definitely don't add any more algaecide.

 

[Richard320]

Wow. Just Wow. My first thought is to drain it and start anew. Are you on a well, or under any kind of water rationing? Did you add Borax, or Boraxo hand soap?

 

[boon4376]

20 mule team borax. There's no water rationing here, but draining and filling would probably cost me $200 in water so I'd like to avoid it if possible... my liner and pool is about 15 years old and I've read a lot of horror stories about draining old pools causing more structural problems, or ruining the liner.

 

[Casey]

boon4376... I have to ask... Why wouldn't you just come back and read pool school to clear your pool? I mean... we're open 24/7.

 

[boon4376]

Is there a section in pool school for what to do if you're pool is turning into foam from adding too much algaecide?

 

[JamesW]

Draining with a 15 year old liner would almost definitely require a liner replacement.

You could do a partial drain and refill to get a lot of the contamination out. Just leave at least12 inches in the shallow end.

I think that the Slam process will work for you. Just be patient and follow the process.

 

[Richard320]

20 mule team borax. There's no water rationing here, but draining and filling would probably cost me $200 in water so I'd like to avoid it if possible... my liner and pool is about 15 years old and I've read a lot of horror stories about draining old pools causing more structural problems, or ruining the liner.

You'll likely spend more than $200 on bleach to clear that. And nobody knows how high your CH or CYA are, so you might have no choice anyway! Leave a foot or so in the shallow end, refill, let it mix, and go from there.

My

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

The foam is the combination of algaecide and cal-hypo. Follow the SLAM process. Start over. Pretend you didn't add those 2 products. The foam will go away eventually.
Stick with the recommended chemicals. Bleach (sodium hypochlorite), Borax, Baking Soda... (and other items found in Pool School, as needed).

 

[Patrick_B]

I think for 200, I would clear it out, and start anew. I wouldn't want to swim in all that, no expose my friends and family to it either.

 

[JamesW]

If it were a new liner, you could use a liner vac to hold the set and completely drain and refill. With a 15 year old liner, that's not a realistic possibility. A full drain and refill would have the cost of a new liner plus costs related to replacing the liner, water, chemicals etc.

Also, if there is a high water table, it gets more complicated and expensive.

 

[chem geek]

To start, when I opened, I was looking at black / brown poop water.

Just curious how it got to this point. Was the water fine when you closed? What temperature was the water when you closed? What temperature was it when you opened (or what is it now if it hasn't changed much)?

If you want to help prevent the pool from turning green (or worse) over the winter and you can't dose with chlorine due to the pool being winterized, then you want to close as late as possible and open as early as possible, preferably when the water is at 50ºF or below. Algae can grow in cold water and even in freezing temperature, but it's very, very slow and usually wouldn't end up in much green let alone black/brown pool water.