Hi. I just opened my pool this past Wednesday. This'll be the first time it's been opened. I put my Polaris in and came back a few hours later and noticed something was in the bag weighing it down. I opened it and there is this stuff in there that looks like sleet.....or clear rock salt. What is this stuff? So far, I've recovered about three fist sized amounts
Crystal looking granules after pool opening
- Thread starter dubele
- Start date
Did you open the pool, or did someone do it for you? What has been added to the water and do you have a full set of test results.
I had someone open the pool. They added 5 lbs of shock, algaecide, and stain remover.
And I don't have a full set of test results yet......but I did test the ph with my Taylor kit and the pool wants 135 oz or muriatic acid and the calcium hardness is around 550.
I'm going to,guess you just vacuumed up a bunch of his shock. You really need to do a full set of tests. Our methods are based on only adding what the pool needs when it needs it. Depending. On the shock used they just added a bunch of CYA or CH, not sure which. Your CH is already high but without a full set of test results we can't say about the CYA.
sounds like calcium sulfate. A link to an article below will tell you some about it. The author of the article is a member here on TFP. Its rarely encoutered but strangely, you are the 3rd person this year to report something like this.
Usually, calcium sulfate crystals form because of high calcium content in the water and sulfates.
Sulfates can enter the water from using dry acid to bring down pH. Im sure there are other sources too.
Calcium of course is from either adding too much calcium chloride to get the pH up or naturally occuring in your fill water.
http://aquamagazine.com/content/post/The-Mystery-of-the-Pointed-Crystals.aspx
Usually, calcium sulfate crystals form because of high calcium content in the water and sulfates.
Sulfates can enter the water from using dry acid to bring down pH. Im sure there are other sources too.
Calcium of course is from either adding too much calcium chloride to get the pH up or naturally occuring in your fill water.
http://aquamagazine.com/content/post/The-Mystery-of-the-Pointed-Crystals.aspx
Patric_B,
Yes, I only ever use muriatic acid. I but the stuff at Home Depot.
Divin Dave,
I never used dry acid. I read the article. It sounds like calcium sulfate. Sulfates entering my water are maybe from the muriatic acid I get from Home Depot?? It isn't 100% pure muritraic acid and may have an additive. Per the article, "Generally speaking, if an appreciable amount of sulfate finds its way into pool water, it has been introduced as a component of treatment chemicals. These treatment chemicals can include one type of liquid pool acid (sulfamic acid), dry acid (sodium bisulfate), dechlorinators (sodium sulfite and sodium thiosulfate), and even non-chlorine shocks (such as persulfates). That’s what we think happened here."
Zea3,
YES!!!! That's what it looks like!
Yes, I only ever use muriatic acid. I but the stuff at Home Depot.
Divin Dave,
I never used dry acid. I read the article. It sounds like calcium sulfate. Sulfates entering my water are maybe from the muriatic acid I get from Home Depot?? It isn't 100% pure muritraic acid and may have an additive. Per the article, "Generally speaking, if an appreciable amount of sulfate finds its way into pool water, it has been introduced as a component of treatment chemicals. These treatment chemicals can include one type of liquid pool acid (sulfamic acid), dry acid (sodium bisulfate), dechlorinators (sodium sulfite and sodium thiosulfate), and even non-chlorine shocks (such as persulfates). That’s what we think happened here."
Zea3,
YES!!!! That's what it looks like!