Emergency!!! OIL SPILL. Need help STAT

[bbrock]

Hi TFP'ers,
I recently have been trying to lower my TA from 100 to 70. In order to aerate, after I lower my pH, is by using my sump pump to throw up the water. I have probably been trying to lower and aerate for ~5 days. I think maybe 4 of those days I have had my sump pump running continuously. However, probably 2 days ago, I realized my GFCI outlet kept tripping. Last night in the skimmer, I found all this grease around the perimeter of the skimmer walls. I got an old shirt and wiped it up. Felt the tile on the pool line, and noticed that it was not "squeaky" like before, but did not think anything of it. Came home today, sump pump was tripped, looked at top of water, and noticed this oil sheen. Thought at first related to sunblock, but realize that we usually seem to swim when the pool is shady and don't overly use sunblock. Investigated and found in the skimmer much grease blobs again. Came to conclusion that the sump pump must have been failing and the motor is perhaps leaking grease.
What I have done thus far
Removed our Maytronics S200
Topped off water some b/c my theory is that I don't want it to drop and then the grease/oil line will be in our Wet Edge Satin Matrix.
Wife has been scrubbing some tiles (slow progress)

Need solutions/plan

1. What's best way to handle this grease/oil spill?
   1. Should I drain pool, hire company to do an acid wash, fill, buy 4 new pool filter cartridges (mine are getting older anyway but still have life)?
   2. Should I buy/make my own oil boon?
      1. Buy a ton of sponges from home depot and throw in pool?
         1. Not sure what pool surface area is but here is some info:
            1. 19,000 gallons, kidney shaped, 33' x 17', 9' deep
   3. How and what do I use to clean the tile line?

My thoughts are to not drain and perform the skim/oil boon technique and then clean tile line. If I clean tile line first, then grease will get right back on tile. Don't drain d/t 2nd line in "What I have done thus far."

Please help STAT. I am not sure if this has ended our swim season prematurely.

Excuse the uploaded pics. I usually have problems uploading photos. I downloaded from Google Photos and then tried to attach, but not sure it worked correct. I usually upload from Flickr.

 

[JJ_Tex]

Dang.. I have heard tennis balls are good at soaking up oily substances like sunscreen if you put them in your pool or skimmers. That is likely after you have scrubbed and done the manual removal, but they may help soak up and remnants.

I have also seen people use polyfill (pillow stuffing) in skimmers to get out certain contaminants. That may also be woth a shot.

Good luck, my guess is that it will be a combo of elbow grease and soap to get it off the tile, something to soak it up in the water, and your filter doing its thing.

 

[Newdude]

Magic erasers really do work wonders. They may on your tile also. Best of luck.

 

[JamesW]

It’s similar to baby oil. It’s a mineral oil. I really wouldn’t overreact to it. Get some oil absorbent mats and soak up as much as possible. Keep cleaning the filters as much as possible.

Maybe use some pool first aid.

Pool First Aidâ„¢ - Natural Chemistry

naturalchemistry.com

I found this from a search. It uses coconut husks or something from coconuts. It might work.

POOL & SPA ABSORBENT | cocomfort

www.cocomfort.com

These products use foam that absorbs oil. Maybe find out what type of foam it is and buy in bulk.

Scumbug & Ultra Mitt - Paradise Industries pool and spa cleaning sponge

Paradise Industries Scumbug & Ultra Mitt offer simple solutions for cleaning and removing pool and spa scum, slime and grime deposits.

www.rola-chem.com

 

[JamesW]

Submersible pumps are sometimes filled with a dielectric mineral oil so that heat is transferred from the motor to the water outside the pump. It should not be a toxic or hazardous material. I suspect that it’s roughly equivalent to baby oil. Maybe contact the pump manufacturer to inquire about the specific oil used.

 

[bbrock]

Thx for the replies and support you all.

I was about to run to Home Depot, but they don't have oil absorbent pads/supplies in stock at my local store.

Saw this:

Bio-Dex Enzyme Oil Out, 1 gal. | Leslie's Pool Supplies

Bio-Dex 14940 Enzyme Oil Out, 1 gal digests and converts oils, grease, and all other type of oil products to carbon dioxide and water.

www.lesliespool.com

Wonder if it could work?

So far, I have strung up a pvc pipe across the shallow side as my oil boon. I was going to go buy a ton of sponges and/or tennis balls and throw in shallow end. But, this may not be the best approach. I like those oil sponges or thingy that goes in the skimmer, but how would I know how many of those I need? That would be a tremendously slow process if it can't absorb or hold much water b/c I would have to constantly be wringing it out.

 

[markayash]

Dang.. I have heard tennis balls are good at soaking up oily substances like sunscreen if you put them in your pool or skimmers. That is likely after you have scrubbed and done the manual removal, but they may help soak up and remnants.

I have also seen people use polyfill (pillow stuffing) in skimmers to get out certain contaminants. That may also be woth a shot.

Good luck, my guess is that it will be a combo of elbow grease and soap to get it off the tile, something to soak it up in the water, and your filter doing its thing.

I have seen oil spills cleaned up with tennis balls in you tube videos..If it's on the internet it has to be true
Seriously might be worth putting 2 or 3 in the skimmers?

 

[JamesW]

The enzyme product might work.

Filter fiber added to the cartridges might help.

 

[bbrock]

What's filter fiber? I'd have to Google that one.

 

[mknauss]

The Filter Fiber Stuff | Jacks Magic

jacksmagic.com

 

[setsailsoon]

If you have trouble finding oil absorbent materials try an auto parts store. Maybe try socks with the granular material in the skimmer basket.

 

[bbrock]

Reading the MSDS on Natural Chemistry Pool First Aid it shows the only listed ingredient is 1,3,5-Triazine-1,3,5-triethanol. My concern is what long term effect will this have on my water? That chemical is another language

 

[JamesW]

Natural Chemistry Pool First Aid it shows the only listed ingredient is 1,3,5-Triazine-1,3,5-triethanol.

I'm not sure what that will do long term.

 

[bbrock]

My fear is like what I read in some of these negative reviews about this Natural Chemistry Pool First Aid. Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Natural Chemistry 3122 2 L Pool First Aid

It'll start foaming up or make my pool a large bubble bath, which would be worse for me. Thoughts?

I could only think of how I put Awe-some in my spa and then it becomes very foamy. That could happen in the pool.

 

[mgtfp]

I don't know how harmful that stuff is, but I wouldn't get too intimidated by the name. Take CYA as an example, which is 1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triol, which means that is has a central triazine ring made out of C and N, and three OH-groups attached to it.

Your stuff has the same central triazine ring, with three ethanol-groups (alcohol) attached to it. Certainly nothing you want to eat, but I'm pretty sure the MSDS of CYA looks similarly intimidating.

 

[setsailsoon]

My fear is like what I read in some of these negative reviews about this Natural Chemistry Pool First Aid. Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Natural Chemistry 3122 2 L Pool First Aid

It'll start foaming up or make my pool a large bubble bath, which would be worse for me. Thoughts?

I could only think of how I put Awe-some in my spa and then it becomes very foamy. That could happen in the pool.

If it was me I'd try physical means first like the mat or absorbent granules you can get at auto parts stores or online. You can also try Polyfil in the skimmer. It seems to remove everything very effectively and it's pretty cheap. Just make sure you watch the pressure on your filter since if could plug up pretty quickly. I would think the majority of the oil could be skimmed to waste or removed by skimming the surface with a mat attached. But it could take a LONG time to get rid of the sheen. It only takes a tiny amount to make a sheen.

Wish there was a better choice.

Chris

 

[tstex]

As noted, call the man. of the pump and ask them what they recommend based on the material that escaped. if they have no recommendations, call the maker of the product and see what their chemists recommend. you are not the first one to experience this.

Next, this is only temporary. I blew a gasket when some painter used an oil base paint to paint some trellises just downwind of my pool, on a VERY WINDY DAY!. They did not put up any plastic or blocks. They left and there was a gray sheen and paint that was starting to stick to my travertine tile line. just cranked on the pump full speed w AC filters torn apart and shoved into the skimmers.

FInally, run all the water you can thru your current cartridge filters, and once the pool is clean, toss them and buy new ones that you needed anyway. Don't put new ones in until the pool is clean...

Relax, this will all be in the rear-view mirror before you know it...we have a hurricane on the way, so I can take on all your worrying..tstex

 

[markayash]

As noted, call the man. of the pump and ask them what they recommend based on the material that escaped. if they have no recommendations, call the maker of the product and see what their chemists recommend. you are not the first one to experience this.

Next, this is only temporary. I blew a gasket when some painter used an oil base paint to paint some trellises just downwind of my pool, on a VERY WINDY DAY!. They did not put up any plastic or blocks. They left and there was a gray sheen and paint that was starting to stick to my travertine tile line. just cranked on the pump full speed w AC filters torn apart and shoved into the skimmers.

FInally, run all the water you can thru your current cartridge filters, and once the pool is clean, toss them and buy new ones that you needed anyway. Don't put new ones in until the pool is clean...

Relax, this will all be in the rear-view mirror before you know it...we have a hurricane on the way, so I can take on all your worrying..tstex

Yes, a lot of the models show it more west toward Houston so be safe!!

 

[bbrock]

thank you all for the replies. I greatly appreciate your assistance during this matter.

thanks TSTex for helping me to keep things in perspective.

through some research, I determine that the superior pump 1/4 hp I purchased in 2014 was the model with oil. It’s stated this:
As for oil used in the pump, all Superior Pumps are filled using nontoxic vegetable oil.

I don’t even think I knew the difference then about the same model that had oil versus one that was oil free. Guess I just looked at the price. To digress, now I know to go with the oil free.

anyhow, how to clean vegetable oil? I’m at Home Depot and going to buy a ton of heavy duty all-purpose sponges. I also have a mass amount of Mr. clean Magic eraser original to use on the tile line.

Leaning to the idea of just tossing these pool cartridge filters and replacing.

put in every tennis ball in my house in the pool last night (Think 14). It drastically helped. My wife stated no sheen. Running the pool pump continuously.

thought about purchasing that bio dex enzyme oil out as a last resort.

 

[bbrock]

For the tile line I was just going to go physical means, elbow grease.

however, to quicken the process, what about something such as a bucket filled with very concentrated borax and using that with the magic eraser? May raise my pH but I’ll deal with that with Trichlor Pucks?

or how about barkeepers friend?
Active ingredients
According to the 2015 material safety data sheet, the ingredients are feldspar, linear sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (DDBSA) and oxalic acid.
Would that be safe for the pool water?

I got to get this sucker clean because I already heard one of my seven-year-old’s state last night before his first day of second grade today, “Awh, I liked swimming.” I can’t have him finish the season on a low.