Greyish Powder at Bottom of Pool

[dakemi]

I'm diagnosing by the symptoms you have reported, cloudy water and grayish "dirt" that puffs away when touched, two things that usually indicate an algae bloom has begun. If left unattended for a day or two you would start to see green algae accumulate. Elevated CC indicate something organic in the water, usually algae but not always, however it is always an indication that you need to complete the slam process.

If you plan to drain and replace water to lower the CH go ahead and do that first, adjust pH to around 7.2, then begin the slam process.

i don't think she has a Tf-100 test kit or a comparable test kit that measures FAS/DPD. I think she goes to the pool store for water analysis. Also, the pool store did not give her a CYA reading. Doesn't she need to know her CYA level and a FAS/DPD test kit to do a SLAM?

 

[Pogueld]

Her pool store did give her a CYA reading. It's the stabilizer reading, which she said she didn't use. This leads me to a question, why don't you a use stabilizer?

I would also recommend reading the ABCs of pool chemistry on the website under pool school.


[emoji176] Lisa P.
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[zea3]

She mentioned earlier in the thread she was going to get the Taylor test kit. Once the kit arrives she can start the slam.

 

[Go_Habs_Go]

Thanks for the reply. I drained about a foot of water this weekend and got my CH down to 360. So still not perfect but a lot better than the 539 I had a few weeks ago. It rained last night so I'll drain off more water this evening when I get home. Once my CH is under 300 I'll start the next steps (PH and SLAM). I'll keep you posted on how it goes...

 

[Go_Habs_Go]

She mentioned earlier in the thread she was going to get the Taylor test kit. Once the kit arrives she can start the slam.

I'm a he not a she but it's all good. As for the kit I'm trying to hook something up with US relatives but it probably won't happen before September.

Also someone mentioned CYA/Stabilizer, no I am not currently using it because I am already struggling with balancing all my other chemicals and I don't want to add another element just yet until I get the pool a bit more under control. I need to understand the entire pool chemistry before introducing another variable. Once I've got my water stabilized for at least 2 weeks then I'll add the CYA. Even if would help to add the CYA now, I can't add yet another element to the puzzle right now.

 

[Pogueld]

Oops! Lol! Stabilizer is really one of the most important elements. It is the science that TFP is built on. It will be hard to maintain your FC without it. It's also not one you have to test on a regular basis. I think you will have better luck if you go ahead and add it - at least to 30 ppm. Once you add it, you don't have to test for it again for at least a month. Your CYA is what determines how much FC you need to maintain your pool to keep algae at bay.

FC is what keeps your pool sanitary.


[emoji176] Lisa P.
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[Texas Splash]

Go_Habs_Go, we certainly want to help your efforts, not add to the confusion. But adding stabilizer will not hurt or effect any other chemicals. Actually (by design) it will help you by saving you from excessive loss of FC (chlorine). If you believe your CYA to be zero because you've never added stabilizer or used tablets/pucks, then you could simply use the Poolmath calculator to confirm how much to add and simply be done with it. For example: The Poolmath calculator states for a 21K pool to add 84 oz (5 lbs 4 oz) of granular stabilizer to go from a CYA of zero to 30. So once you put it in a sock and let is dissolve in your pool near a return jet, you can assume the CYA will build to 30 and forget about it. It doesn't influence anything else you add to the water other than protecting the free chlorine from consumption by the sun. Just a thought.

 

[Pogueld]

Looking back, it's important to know what types of chlorine you've added in the past. You may have some stabilizer/CYA in your pool already.


[emoji176] Lisa P.
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[Donniesmail3353]

Just a thought, but is it possible the clouding and gray sediment if from the CalHypo he uses as primary sanitizer? The first couple of months I had my pool CalHypo was my primary sanitizer. I was using it during our cold months and never had a reason to use it as a "shock". Only used as weekly maintenance sanitizer and the pool store had me keeping FC at 4. But even small dosage like I was using turned the water a little cloudy. Given the gray nature of the CalHypo granules, is it feasible some of what he is seeing could be suspended calcium? I'm throwing this out there as a question to satisfy my own curiosities as well as possibly helping the OP.

 

[Pogueld]

Very good question indeed. I've used cal-hypo and haven't had that, however I haven't used that much sooo, hopefully someone else might chime in.


[emoji176] Lisa P.
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[Donniesmail3353]

Also, to expand a little in my previous post/question, CalHypo doesn't dissolve well at all. I had to put it in a bucket and let it sit for 15 min just to get it partially dissolved. IF he is just throwing it in the pool undissolved, I could picture a gray cloud on the deep end of my pool.


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[Go_Habs_Go]

Just a thought, but is it possible the clouding and gray sediment if from the CalHypo he uses as primary sanitizer? The first couple of months I had my pool CalHypo was my primary sanitizer. I was using it during our cold months and never had a reason to use it as a "shock". Only used as weekly maintenance sanitizer and the pool store had me keeping FC at 4. But even small dosage like I was using turned the water a little cloudy. Given the gray nature of the CalHypo granules, is it feasible some of what he is seeing could be suspended calcium? I'm throwing this out there as a question to satisfy my own curiosities as well as possibly helping the OP.

Eureka! Finally someone thinking my problem might be something other than just algae (it could still be algae but I just get the feeling its related to my high calcium levels more than anything else). What's strange is that the last 2 times I got the extremely cloudy water it happened really suddenly. I added my usual amount of CalHypo granules in the evening as I always do. The next morning my pool was so cloudy I wasn't able to see more than 6 inches into the pool. It then took 2 days for the water to clear (I wouldn't do anything other than run the filter 24/7) and once the water cleared there would be this greyish powder all over the pool floor. I would vacuum it out on drain, re-balance the water as best I could and then the water would be crystal clear for 2 weeks. Then suddenly, boom! I get the cloudy water again with all the grey dust along the bottom of the pool. Really strange.

 

[Go_Habs_Go]

Go_Habs_Go, we certainly want to help your efforts, not add to the confusion. But adding stabilizer will not hurt or effect any other chemicals. Actually (by design) it will help you by saving you from excessive loss of FC (chlorine). If you believe your CYA to be zero because you've never added stabilizer or used tablets/pucks, then you could simply use the Poolmath calculator to confirm how much to add and simply be done with it. For example: The Poolmath calculator states for a 21K pool to add 84 oz (5 lbs 4 oz) of granular stabilizer to go from a CYA of zero to 30. So once you put it in a sock and let is dissolve in your pool near a return jet, you can assume the CYA will build to 30 and forget about it. It doesn't influence anything else you add to the water other than protecting the free chlorine from consumption by the sun. Just a thought.

Looking back, it's important to know what types of chlorine you've added in the past. You may have some stabilizer/CYA in your pool already.


[emoji176] Lisa P.
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Thanks to both of you. I have very little CYA in my pool right now since I've never added any and I've never used pucks, just CalHypo. I will consider getting it, but it just seems like another product to "investigate" (e.g. which brand do I get? Do I just get the one my local store sells? I am in Canada so we have different products than what you have in the US, then I gotta set-up the sock and monitor it, what if I put in too much by accident? etc) I know it should be easy but I feel at my wit's end already with the pool this year.

 

[Pogueld]

As long as it says 100% cyanuric acid, brand doesn't matter; use the most economical brand.

It is up to you, but the FC/CYA relationship is the science behind TFP.


[emoji176] Lisa P.
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[Donniesmail3353]

I was hoping someone that knows more about chemistry would chime in tbh. I don't know that any of what I mentioned to be true or possible, just an observation from my own CalHypo use. Do you dissolve it in water or just throw it in the pool? I ask cause I had a heck of a time trying to pre-dissolve/dilute less than a pound at a time in a five gallon bucket of pool water. In theory if one just dumped a pound or several pounds into the water, I'm thinking it would make a gray cloud until it finally dissolves on its own. But again, I'm hoping there's more knowledgable people on the subject here that will share yay or nay on the theory. I've only owned my pool for 6 months and have been using the TFP methods for 4 months, so I am certainly not a pro on these matters to say the least!


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[rolandv]

I was hoping someone that knows more about chemistry would chime in tbh. I don't know that any of what I mentioned to be true or possible, just an observation from my own CalHypo use. Do you dissolve it in water or just throw it in the pool? I ask cause I had a heck of a time trying to pre-dissolve/dilute less than a pound at a time in a five gallon bucket of pool water. In theory if one just dumped a pound or several pounds into the water, I'm thinking it would make a gray cloud until it finally dissolves on its own. But again, I'm hoping there's more knowledgable people on the subject here that will share yay or nay on the theory. I've only owned my pool for 6 months and have been using the TFP methods for 4 months, so I am certainly not a pro on these matters to say the least!


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Last year I used to swear my Cal Hypo was not dissolving. After adding it, I would see big floating particles and it would seem to rest on the bottom of my pool and I needed to sweep it. Always thought I was crazy because it was supposed to dissolve fabulously according to the marketing on the package.

- - - Updated - - -

Thanks to both of you. I have very little CYA in my pool right now since I've never added any and I've never used pucks, just CalHypo. I will consider getting it, but it just seems like another product to "investigate" (e.g. which brand do I get? Do I just get the one my local store sells? I am in Canada so we have different products than what you have in the US, then I gotta set-up the sock and monitor it, what if I put in too much by accident? etc) I know it should be easy but I feel at my wit's end already with the pool this year.

Look, the bottom line is you need the CYA. Without it you're going to be using way too much chlorine. The sun will just burn off your chlorine very quickly, the CYA is your protection against that. If you don't want to wait for the granules to dissolve in a sock (took a week), you can pay more and buy the liquid which works right away. This is protection for your chlorine so it can work and not simply be evaporated by the sun. It would be very foolish not to add it, and it will be difficult to "maintain your numbers" for a few weeks without it because you will always be adding chlorine.

Go buy a jug or two, or powder, or whatever amount gets you close to 30 ppm for your pool size. Throw it in and forget about it until a week later when you do your first test to see how much you have. It will help you. I have made this mistake last year and this year. CYA is critical.

 

[Go_Habs_Go]

I was hoping someone that knows more about chemistry would chime in tbh. I don't know that any of what I mentioned to be true or possible, just an observation from my own CalHypo use. Do you dissolve it in water or just throw it in the pool?

I pour it directly in the skimmer. This way whatever particles don't immediately dissolve will get into the filter sand and dissolve there before entering the pool. I try to avoid putting it directly in the pool because I don't want to bleach my liner.

In theory if one just dumped a pound or several pounds into the water, I'm thinking it would make a gray cloud until it finally dissolves on its own. But again, I'm hoping there's more knowledgable people on the subject here that will share yay or nay on the theory. I've only owned my pool for 6 months and have been using the TFP methods for 4 months, so I am certainly not a pro on these matters to say the least!

I understand what you're saying but the cloudy water I am getting doesn't happen all the time (e.g. I add CalHypo every day, same amount, in the evening). For 2 weeks the water is clear. Then one day it gets super cloudy. 2-3 days later and water is perfectly clear again. If it got cloudy every time I put in the CalHypo then that's one thing but why does it only happen once in a while? I can't figure out the trigger for it...

 

[Donniesmail3353]

That's shoots my theory in the foot. If it's not every time you dump in CalHypo, I doubt it's what I questioned. Back to the algae line of thinking


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[Go_Habs_Go]

Yep, I think you are right. I bought some liquid chlorine yesterday and I'm figuring out how much to add (working on my PoolMath!). Also considering the CYA but another reason I'm hesitating to add it is because I don't have an accurate way to measure my CYA (other than my local pool store) until I get my test kit (which won't be for a while). Anyhoo...thanks to all for the help, I'll keep you updated on my progress or lack of it.

 

[Pogueld]

If you've never added CYA and you don't use pucks, you can assume a CYA of 0.


[emoji176] Lisa P.
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