Newbies pool going cloudy / green

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suprafast

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Sep 14, 2014
8
Chiangmai, Thailand
Hi guys, sorry if this is going to be a bit long, but there is a lot of info.

So I moved into a new place 6 weeks ago and it's my job to take care of the pool. It's a 62,000 liter in ground chlorine pool with a sand filter. I live in Thailand, so it's very warm here all year around. Air temp generally 30-35 degrees C (85-95F) and for a couple months of the year it's even hotter.
I went down to the pool shop (with no knowledge on what I needed) and they suggested I get a chlorine / PH tester, some acid, soda ash and chlorine. The chlorine is in powder form. I have since found out that this pool has a system where you add tablets into a cylinder thing near the pump. I plan to use the chlorine powder until it's finished then switch to the tablets - Is this OK?

Everything appeared to be going good until the last week or two. First I started noticed a green algae substance growing on the grout in between tiles. It would only grow on the sides and was greenest near the bottom of the pool. I started to clean this simply by brushing it off without much of a problem. I noticed when brushing the tiles that the grout also comes off like a fine white powder - is this normal? The white power settles on the bottom and I can vacuum it up.

Then yesterday I noticed the pool getting a little bit cloudy / green. Also I noticed that the return jets pressure seemed weak. So I went and had a look at the pool pump. I turned off the pump and unscrewed the lid on the pool pump basket and water started pouring out, like really flowing out! I waited for about 30 secs but the flow didn't slow down. At this point I quickly took out the basket which had a decent amount of **** in it, cleaned it and put it back in and screwed the lid shut. I had looked at clips on you tube of cleaning pool pumps and never did I see water pouring out like this. Any thoughts what happened?

I then turned the pump back on. Instantly a cloudy sandy substance was being returned into the pool. I assume this is because I didn't do a rinse first?
On the plus side the return jets seem to be stronger now.

So since I've just flushed a bunch of sand back into my pool it looks even worse - See attachment

I looked online at what I should be doing that I hadn't been doing and 1 thing was backwashing. I did my first backwash and rinse today.

I have attached a photo of my chlorine and PH levels. Do they look ok?

Looking for ideas on how to get in back to crystal clear again.
 
Welcome! You have come to the right place to get and keep your pool clear.

I am going to give you some links to read. They will help you understand your pool and the stuff needed to take care of your pool.

http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/165-getting-started

http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/123-abc-of-pool-water-chemistry


You will also need a GOOD test kit. You are on the right track with the one you have BUT it does not have all the tests you need. Here is a link that shows the GOOD test kits.

http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/124-pool-test-kits-comparison


You are going to need to SLAM your pool. To do the SLAM you will need to have the test kit in hand as well as a large supply of chlorine. Here is the link to SLAMing your pool.

http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/125-slam-shock-level-and-maintain-shockingl

We can/will help you get your pool clear and keep it clear. It can be done with a little front work on your part.

Let us know how else we can help you.

Kim
 
One thing to keep in mind is that circulation issues don't cause an algae outbreak. Poor circulation can exacerbate algae problems and make cleanup more difficult. However, algae is more indicative of a water chemistry problem (not enough chlorine to kill off the growing algae), as you will see when you read the articles linked above.

Your photo of the test kit shows that there is significant chlorine in the water (perhaps somewhere between 5-10 ppm, guessing from the shade of yellow). However, unless you know the level of CYA (stabilizer) in the pool, there is no way of knowing if the level of chlorine is adequate. The CYA levels in your pool may be very high, if it has been chlorinated by using the tablets you mention -- these are probably trichlor tabs, which add CYA along with chlorine. Chlorine is a consumable and must be replenished regularly; CYA, on the other hand, builds up over time. As CYA goes up, the level of chlorine needed to do the job you want it to do in the pool (i.e. killing algae, bacteria, etc.) also goes up.

Please read, and post back with more questions.
 
You need one of the recommended test kits. You can buy a kit at a pool store, but again the pool store kits generally won't cut it. To effectively practice the TFPC methods, the FAS/DPD chlorine test is essential. All these kits contain that test while very few other kits do. The only pool store that "sometimes" stocks a FAS-DPD kit is Leslie's, and you really don't want to look at the price. Don't let a store tell you you don't need it or that something they have is just as good. They are not!!!

Order a TF-100 from TFTestkits.net today and you will have it in a few days. Plus, that kit contains more of the reagents you need to do a SLAM if you order the XL option. If you are a toy guy like me get a Speed Stir and Sample Sizer also. They make testing a breeze.
 
Welcome to the forum :wave:

suprafast said:
Do you think a low Calcium Hardness could be why the grout is coming off when brushing the tiles?
Click to expand...

Yes. If it's that low it will only get worse. You need to get the pH down in the 7.2-7.4 range and raise the calcium up around 300 right away.
 

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kiss4afrog said:
...
Yes. If it's that low it will only get worse. You need to get the pH down in the 7.2-7.4 range and raise the calcium up around 300 right away.
Click to expand...
The pH already looks (from the photo) to be in that range, and I don't think any numbers have been posted, thus far, about calcium hardness level... so do we really know that the suprafast needs to raise CH in the pool?

Maybe even pool store test values would be better than nothing at this point, while the original poster figures out how to get a decent test kit into his/her hands.
 
Thanks guys. Hopefully the shops here have decent testers. If not, I'll order online.

In the mean time I may pay someone to come and test it and go from there. (labour is dirt cheap here, but I do question their professionalism)

Any benefit to putting more chlorine in the pool at this point?

- - - Updated - - -

singingpond said:
The pH already looks (from the photo) to be in that range, and I don't think any numbers have been posted, thus far, about calcium hardness level... so do we really know that the suprafast needs to raise CH in the pool?

Maybe even pool store test values would be better than nothing at this point, while the original poster figures out how to get a decent test kit into his/her hands.
Click to expand...

Yeah I was assuming my PH was ok.

When I moved in here 6 weeks ago it was very low. It took 5kg's of soda ash to get it up to where it is now. I haven't had to adjust the PH since then.
 
suprafast said:
Reading those links you posted. Do you think a low Calcium Hardness could be why the grout is coming off when brushing the tiles?
Click to expand...

If the owner and tester of the pool is asking about low CH causing damage to their grout I'm going to assume they have low CH or have a reason to think they do and low CH can be very damaging to plaster or grout. I suggested IF it's that low (to cause damage) they raise it to the proper level right away. It seems like the smart thing to do if your grout is coming off. I didn't say how much to add since there were no numbers posted and until it's tested there wouldn't be a way to know for sure.

As for the pH, to me the photo looks to have it high. My preference is to be closer to 7.2
 
kiss4afrog said:
If the owner and tester of the pool is asking about low CH causing damage to their grout I'm going to assume they have low CH or have a reason to think they do and low CH can be very damaging to plaster or grout. I suggested IF it's that low (to cause damage) they raise it to the proper level right away. It seems like the smart thing to do if your grout is coming off. I didn't say how much to add since there were no numbers posted and until it's tested there wouldn't be a way to know for sure.

As for the pH, to me the photo looks to have it high. My preference is to be closer to 7.2
Click to expand...
Asking for information, and I don't want to hijack suprafast's thread...

Why is it desirable to move toward lower pH to prevent damage to grout? If I put in lower pH values in PoolMath, the CSI number goes more negative -- I thought that means the water is more likely to damage the plaster as the pH goes down?

It seems to me that by putting in the 5 kg of soda ash, the pool owner has moved in the right direction for better protection of the grout (i.e. raising TA and raising pH).
 
kiss4afrog said:
As for the pH, to me the photo looks to have it high. My preference is to be closer to 7.2
Click to expand...

I have no idea if a lower pH has anything to do with preventing damage to the grout. I mentioned pH as a separate issue because I think it looks high in the picture. Maybe I have poor color perception. :confused: My preference is to be closer to 7.2
 

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