Help! Water turning green. I thought we were getting a handle on it. I am estimating my CYA at ~55. I'm waiting on my new testing kit to be delivered as I am out of CYA testing reagent. I was around 30 on Thursday and added 3 pounds CYA on Friday. At noon on Saturday, FC was 5.4 and CC was 0.2, so I turned my SWCG down from 40% to 25% thinking the CYA was taking effect. Not a great deal of swimming between now and then. Today, we noticed slight color change and what appeared to be dirt or green stuff on the walls. When brushing the walls water became more green and cloudy. I just set SWCG to superchlorinate for 10 hours. Is this right move? what else should be done?
Conflicting Readings between Pool Stores and Taylor Test Kit - which do I trust?
- Thread starter jmattdoss4
- Start date
add bleach. The SWG is going to be too slow to catch up if it is already turning green
Not only will the SWG not do that green monster in, putting it on Superchlorinate just adds a lot of wear and tear on it. Bleach is immediate and cheap. Go that route.
What should my target FC # be? I am at 7 this morning. I have vinyl liner and don't know what the max FC # is before risk of damage to liner.
- May 22, 2013
- 2,796
- Pool Size
- 12000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
I'll take a hit on this but go to a pool store and get a reading or go to two and average them and then SLAM. IMHO, it's just my opinion, I'm just thinking out loud, pool store info is better than nothing and it's likely better than just guessing.
If you were at 30 and added and you're comfortable with 55 go with that or use that too in averaging with an outside test or two. CYA is the test the pool stores get wrong the most it seems but you need something to get going with.
If you have bleach on hand you can likely just toss in enough to go to 16/20ppm (CYA 40/50) and then adjust once you have a CYA reading but do it today, do it quickly. The longer you wait the more that green reproduces.
And yes turn the SWG back down to save the little guys life.
If you were at 30 and added and you're comfortable with 55 go with that or use that too in averaging with an outside test or two. CYA is the test the pool stores get wrong the most it seems but you need something to get going with.
If you have bleach on hand you can likely just toss in enough to go to 16/20ppm (CYA 40/50) and then adjust once you have a CYA reading but do it today, do it quickly. The longer you wait the more that green reproduces.
And yes turn the SWG back down to save the little guys life.
Need more help folks. Water still cloudy and greenish mostly in the deep end. We brushed walls, vacuumed, and checked water. We had FC of 4.2 and CC of 0.2 (around 6:30 p.m.), so added 1 lb of shock to the deep end. This morning FC is 9.0 and CC is still 0.2. Water looks decent in shallow end, but still cloudy and greenish in the deep end. Not sure why the difference. Question - we are supposed to be away for a few days and I'm extremely nervous about leaving the pool in this shape and not being able to monitor it. So my thoughts were to get the FC to 10-12 and leave the SWCG at 50% (I think normal = 30-40%). Pump is programmed to run from 6:30 am - 8:30 pm. Also, would covering with solar cover help or hurt? I thought it might help maintain FC levels in my absence, but not sure how it would affect algae. Please help!
Bleach is the answer. Your FC is too low and you are going to wear out your SWCG by pushing it too much. It is probably only going to get a lot worse while you are gone. When the pump is not running the FC will probably get depleted quickly. Can you leave it running 24/7? I don't have a SWG so I don't know if that is even a good idea.
When you get back, SLAM
SLAM is a process, not a one time thing. You need to get your FC up to 24 (based on CYA of 60) and keep it there.
You said you added a pound of shock, so your CYA is continuing to rise. Almost all forms of solid chlorine are about 50% CYA. No more solid chlorine. Bleach or liquid chlorine only.
Get it up,to FC 24 and keep it there. Test as often as you can and add each time to bring it back to 24. You can only stop when three things happen:
Water is clear
CC is .5 or less
You pass an Overnight FC Loss Test (OCLT)
So, test - add bleach - sweep/brush as often - repeat
Every time the FC gets below 24 in you pool stuff has the opportunity to regrow.
Couple of questions:
Can you post a full set of test results?
If you Don't have the CYA reagent what do you anticipate the additional 3 pounds would have taken you to?
Given that you have an algae bloom you need to SLAM you pool - it is a multi day process. When eradicating algae you should be dosing / testing regularly and using liquid bleach - not dumping in a pound of shock (unless you have a very solid understanding of what it is going to do to your chemistry.)
If you are going to be away I would crank the SWG to 100% and put the cover on, be prepared to get a lungful of CCs when you take the cover off. That may keep the green monster at bay. SWG is designed to maintain Cl at a sanitary level, not kill a bloom.
I would recommend reading:
ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry
SLAMing Your Pool
Defeating Algae
Water Balance for SWCGs
Can you post a full set of test results?
If you Don't have the CYA reagent what do you anticipate the additional 3 pounds would have taken you to?
Given that you have an algae bloom you need to SLAM you pool - it is a multi day process. When eradicating algae you should be dosing / testing regularly and using liquid bleach - not dumping in a pound of shock (unless you have a very solid understanding of what it is going to do to your chemistry.)
If you are going to be away I would crank the SWG to 100% and put the cover on, be prepared to get a lungful of CCs when you take the cover off. That may keep the green monster at bay. SWG is designed to maintain Cl at a sanitary level, not kill a bloom.
I would recommend reading:
ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry
SLAMing Your Pool
Defeating Algae
Water Balance for SWCGs
I am nervous about pushing FC to 24 as I have vinyl liner. Is there any risk of damage to vinyl liner at or near 24?
Keep in mind the relationship between FC and CYA. The CYA will determine what volume of the CL is actually active. What is the CYA level you targeted with the 3 lbs?
If your CYA is 0 (we know it is not) then there is a real risk of bleaching the liner. If your CYA level is 100 then 24 isnt nearly enough to do anything to the liner or the algae growing in the pool.
Take a look at the Chlorine CYA Chart as well. It shows what your target zone and shock levels are at varying CYA levels.
Don't just rely on us to tell you what to put in the pool, read the info we post up so you can learn how to maintain your pool.
This is just my long winded way of saying YES 24 is correct - now go learn WHY by reading the posted links so you can calculate the dosing you should be doing and asking us to confirm it.
If your CYA is 0 (we know it is not) then there is a real risk of bleaching the liner. If your CYA level is 100 then 24 isnt nearly enough to do anything to the liner or the algae growing in the pool.
Take a look at the Chlorine CYA Chart as well. It shows what your target zone and shock levels are at varying CYA levels.
Don't just rely on us to tell you what to put in the pool, read the info we post up so you can learn how to maintain your pool.
This is just my long winded way of saying YES 24 is correct - now go learn WHY by reading the posted links so you can calculate the dosing you should be doing and asking us to confirm it.
- May 22, 2013
- 2,796
- Pool Size
- 12000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Easy answer, NO. People do it all the time with the level of CYA you have. With that high a level of CYA you have to or you won't be able to kill the green stuff.
- - - Updated - - -
The water in the deep end is the same as the shallow end you are just looking through twice as much of it so the algae and or other stuff in the pool is twice as thick in the deep end and shows up more.
You need to add a lot of chlorine to kill it and you have to maintain it. That's the "M" in SLAM. You need to stop using the pool store stuff or your CYA will just keep rising. At 60 you might want to think about dumping some water and refilling. You can use a lower FC level with less CYA and to SLAM you'll use less gallons of bleach overall.
Have you done any reading in "Pool School", do you know what we mean when we say "SLAM" ?? The method we suggest and use is not the way a pool store is going to advise you. It's easier and usually less expensive and you get great results.
Ok, test kit finally delivered. Results @ 1:00 p.m.: CYA=60, FC=7.8, CC=0.2, Ph=7.8, TA=150, CH=240.
Plan is to add 48 oz MA to bring down TA and Ph.
Also adding bleach to bring FC up.
Placing solar cover and turning timer off so pump will run 24-7.
Further suggestions, anything incorrect here?
Plan is to add 48 oz MA to bring down TA and Ph.
Also adding bleach to bring FC up.
Placing solar cover and turning timer off so pump will run 24-7.
Further suggestions, anything incorrect here?
I would bring the CL to 24 prior to covering it. Ideally you want it open so the CCs can burn off and you don't get a lung full. Given the situation I think its best to cover it and crank the SWG to 100%. Please be careful NOT to get a lung full when you pull the cover back. Once you are home its time to start the SLAM in earnest, SWG off for that so you can see what your CL loss levels really are. Don't sweat the TA for now - that's a longer process. Target the pH you want to hit (7.2 prior to starting a SLAM.)
Returned from vacation, took cover off pool, water looked better than expected, but there was a significant amount of what appeared to be sand/dirt on the entire floor. We brushed and vacuumed thoroughly. Check of FC Sunday night indicated 14.0, CC=0.2. Concerned about large amount of dirt in pool. Turned chlorinator off. Sunny and hot all day Monday. Check of FC Monday evening indicated 6.0, CC=0.2. Check of FC Tuesday morning indicated 6.0, CC=0.2. (Wife and I disagree as to whether CC=0.0 or 0.2, I am color blind and she is not, so I defer to her on this). Passed the overnight chlorine loss test, so I don't feel like we are dealing with algae problem, but a dirt problem. I wonder if whatever is causing water to be cloudy/dingy is too fine to be caught in the sand filter? I backwashed filter and placed skimmer basket socks on all of the returns overnight. This seemed to help and the socks now appear dirty/dingy. Other test results: Ph=7.4 (I added 70 oz of MA after backwashing last night in an attempt to bring down Ph and TA), Ph came down, but TA still indicates 150.
1) What are thoughts on dirty water?
2) How to bring down high TA?
1) What are thoughts on dirty water?
2) How to bring down high TA?