Hi there!
Yes, new to the forum. Hoping this is proper way/ place to post, please inform/ forgive mistakes. Yes, I've been trying to work with local Leslie's and other pool store, but neither of them are helping, been sold a bunch of stuff that hasn't worked out well, so I know I have to commit here and learn everything, myself! But I am behind, trying to catch up, info overload, and I have a tough situation I need to solve ASAP. I do not have the Taylor test kit, will order. Testing noted here is by leslies unless otherwise noted. I do like their printouts- very clear for history!!
Story:
1. Over winter, chunk of plaster cracked off top step, after a year?? of having hairline crack that I kept trying to get my pool guy (builder who replastered my pool in 2014) to fix. Drained pool to 1/2, added algicide, waited. 6/2 they chipped it out clean and replastered patch. Had a tanker truck refill pool ($300-). Shocked with 4 gal liquid chlorine. 1st time I've ever seen pool water turn green after shocking!! Research: metals in water.
2. 6/4 water test. Water green after shocking. FAC 5, TC 5, CH 200, CYA 30, TA 100, ph 7.4, showed no copper or iron, TDS 500, Phos 200.
They had Metalfree, used that, was able to clear it.
Added: Nat Chem phosfree & poolperfect. (for phosphates, was going to bring TC to 0) Water turned very clear, couldn't even see surface, pool looked empty (was full.)
3. Plaster patch was white, showing that my 4-yr old plaster was NOT (yellowish?). My pool guy (builder who replastered my pool 2014) recommended Natural Chem's Stain Free (citric acid) to remove staining.
4. I brought the chlorine levels to 0 (burn off.) Ordered and sprinkled in 1/2 bottle (1.75 lb,) StainFree mostly around the steps and on the spa seat/ steps (6/13.) Let sit overnight. Morning: better. Brushed a bit and added other 1/2 bottle. Next morning: like new plaster on the steps, I couldn't believe it. Though there was still faint ring around. BUT. The water was cloudy, milky blue. Could not see the 3rd step. I don't know if this was calcium scale releasing into the water or what, I read someone else one here observing this too. Filtration was doing nothing- no difference after 24 hrs. Particles seemed to be superfine.
5. 6/14, pm, water test. Water blue & milky. FC 0, TC 0, CH 190, CYA 15, TA 70, ph 7.2, showed no copper or iron, TDS 500, phos 0.
TA 70, They advised adding 5 lb Alk up. Ugh, I know, but I did it. Also advised to start bringing chlorine up. Stainfree had advised bring it up slowly too.
Added: 1/2 gal liquid chlorine 4pm & 4 oz ultrabrite clarifier. I know.... & floater tabs with stabilizer.
6. 6/15. Water turned green & cloudy overnight. Water test: FC 2, TC 2, CH 220, CYA 10, TA 140, ph 7.4, showed no copper or iron (in reaction?). TDS 600, phos 0
Added: bottle metal free. Turned from green to blue cloudy.
They advised adding muriatic acid (16 oz.) but I was leery of overdoing again. I had a few oz of muriatic acid, I put that in.
7. 6/16 water test. Water blue and cloudy. FC .5, TC 2, CH 260, CYA 0, TA 120, ph 7.4, showed no copper or iron, TDS 600, Phos 100.
Filter had been running continuously and was making no difference, I've never seen that before. Particles seemed to be too small.
Leslies advised I had a chlorine block and non-chlorine shock would break it up. Now I know that it was probably just the Citric acid eating the chlorine. But I followed advice. Turned green.
8. 6/17 water test. Water green and cloudy after non-chlorine shock (oxygenating: fresh n clear.) FC .5, TC .5, CH 240, CYA 0, TA 180, ph 7.6, showed no copper or iron, TDS 700, Phos 100.
Gave me a bottle of metal free, no charge. Turned water back to blue and cloudy.
Advised I call "more expert" branch, who said either drain and fill or use a stronger metal sequestrant that they don't carry. Research: other local pool shop carries jacks magic line.
9. Also called Natural Chem help line, had no confidence that young woman knew the chemistry or was listening to what I was observing (metal bonds breaking and forming repeatedly? etc)
DID advise I find a pulp-based filter aid for my cartridge filters. Neither of my local pool shop recommends adding to cartridge filters?? Inconsistent reviews online, so not sure. My filters would be $200+ to replace if ruined....?
She also advised to bring up chlorine slowly. I was pretty sure it'd turn green if I added chlorine.
10. 6/18. Went to other pool shop looking for Jacks magic sequestrant. They told me they no longer carry, wouldn't say why! Water test (no printouts, so all numbers are "ish" and verbally given) FC .5, ph 7.8, TA 200, CH 300. Water blue and milky.
Advised: add ph "down," slowly, run filter continuously. Had turned it off overnight, looked to me like that was ineffective, particles were too small.
I brought ph down over 2 days. Possibly some restaining of plaster, not sure. Water cleared slightly, but I didn't brush it during that time either. Ran vacuum: nothing in filter, made no difference.
11. 6/20. Water test. Verbal- ph and Alk 7.4? 120? ish. Ok though I could add bit more ph down. TA 0, CYA 0
Advised: Add their own, (30$ for 16 tabs) chlorine tabs to skimmer. Ok, fine.
I pulled out a dead rodent from the skimmer and knew TA was 0, so I added 1/2 bottle liquid chlorine.
Turned greenish cloudy immediately.
FINALLY, QUESTIONS:
How to proceed?
12. Thinking I have too much in the water, milk particles are too small and too much metal?? Might have to bite the bullet and drain and fill. Need to stop fussing & stressing, at this rate there will be no pool season, and kids are getting out of school! Too bad, this water is WARM, it's been hot (for us, at least!)
13. It's been 1 week & 1 day since I did Nat Chem Stain Free. Water is greenish. There's been some restaining with the ph bounce and all the breaking and forming metal bonds (green-blue, green- blue...guessing?) Should I redo the citric acid??
14. But water is greenish already. ?
15. Metal sequestrant first if I try? Or even if I don't!? Don't want to restain. Leslies has SeaKlear metal … I think it's the stain remover vs the preventer. I read on here others have used, with success?? I think I saw Chemgeek say it was HEDP which is the recommended sequestrant??? I can't find manuf info.
16. Other option being ordering & waiting longer with green pool ...Jacks magic (which one?) or proteam metal magic which seems to get more consistent positive reviews??
17. Have also read somewhere people having success with NC 1st aid clearing pool cloudiness?
18. If I can get to the point where I CAN get the milk filtered out and the metals to stay in solution just fine, maybe I'll wait til fall to lower by 1/2.... and swim now!! That'd be best scenario I think at this point. Rain & Snow will help refill to ready point for Spring.
19. Refilling.... $300 for 1/2 fill, $600 for 12k gal. Supposedly there's a source that's reputed to be metal free. Can't fill with my well water, would take months. And probably some metal. Do 1/2 or full if I have to go that route??
20. OR...… I read somewhere superchlorinate…. that might clear the milk, don't know, but how could that get the metals out? Does that work- people have success in similar situation to mine??? Matter is neither created nor destroyed, would have to go somewhere, not sure my cartridges can filter out....??
THANKS FOR ANY HELP OFFERED!!
Kerry
Yes, new to the forum. Hoping this is proper way/ place to post, please inform/ forgive mistakes. Yes, I've been trying to work with local Leslie's and other pool store, but neither of them are helping, been sold a bunch of stuff that hasn't worked out well, so I know I have to commit here and learn everything, myself! But I am behind, trying to catch up, info overload, and I have a tough situation I need to solve ASAP. I do not have the Taylor test kit, will order. Testing noted here is by leslies unless otherwise noted. I do like their printouts- very clear for history!!
Story:
1. Over winter, chunk of plaster cracked off top step, after a year?? of having hairline crack that I kept trying to get my pool guy (builder who replastered my pool in 2014) to fix. Drained pool to 1/2, added algicide, waited. 6/2 they chipped it out clean and replastered patch. Had a tanker truck refill pool ($300-). Shocked with 4 gal liquid chlorine. 1st time I've ever seen pool water turn green after shocking!! Research: metals in water.
2. 6/4 water test. Water green after shocking. FAC 5, TC 5, CH 200, CYA 30, TA 100, ph 7.4, showed no copper or iron, TDS 500, Phos 200.
They had Metalfree, used that, was able to clear it.
Added: Nat Chem phosfree & poolperfect. (for phosphates, was going to bring TC to 0) Water turned very clear, couldn't even see surface, pool looked empty (was full.)
3. Plaster patch was white, showing that my 4-yr old plaster was NOT (yellowish?). My pool guy (builder who replastered my pool 2014) recommended Natural Chem's Stain Free (citric acid) to remove staining.
4. I brought the chlorine levels to 0 (burn off.) Ordered and sprinkled in 1/2 bottle (1.75 lb,) StainFree mostly around the steps and on the spa seat/ steps (6/13.) Let sit overnight. Morning: better. Brushed a bit and added other 1/2 bottle. Next morning: like new plaster on the steps, I couldn't believe it. Though there was still faint ring around. BUT. The water was cloudy, milky blue. Could not see the 3rd step. I don't know if this was calcium scale releasing into the water or what, I read someone else one here observing this too. Filtration was doing nothing- no difference after 24 hrs. Particles seemed to be superfine.
5. 6/14, pm, water test. Water blue & milky. FC 0, TC 0, CH 190, CYA 15, TA 70, ph 7.2, showed no copper or iron, TDS 500, phos 0.
TA 70, They advised adding 5 lb Alk up. Ugh, I know, but I did it. Also advised to start bringing chlorine up. Stainfree had advised bring it up slowly too.
Added: 1/2 gal liquid chlorine 4pm & 4 oz ultrabrite clarifier. I know.... & floater tabs with stabilizer.
6. 6/15. Water turned green & cloudy overnight. Water test: FC 2, TC 2, CH 220, CYA 10, TA 140, ph 7.4, showed no copper or iron (in reaction?). TDS 600, phos 0
Added: bottle metal free. Turned from green to blue cloudy.
They advised adding muriatic acid (16 oz.) but I was leery of overdoing again. I had a few oz of muriatic acid, I put that in.
7. 6/16 water test. Water blue and cloudy. FC .5, TC 2, CH 260, CYA 0, TA 120, ph 7.4, showed no copper or iron, TDS 600, Phos 100.
Filter had been running continuously and was making no difference, I've never seen that before. Particles seemed to be too small.
Leslies advised I had a chlorine block and non-chlorine shock would break it up. Now I know that it was probably just the Citric acid eating the chlorine. But I followed advice. Turned green.
8. 6/17 water test. Water green and cloudy after non-chlorine shock (oxygenating: fresh n clear.) FC .5, TC .5, CH 240, CYA 0, TA 180, ph 7.6, showed no copper or iron, TDS 700, Phos 100.
Gave me a bottle of metal free, no charge. Turned water back to blue and cloudy.
Advised I call "more expert" branch, who said either drain and fill or use a stronger metal sequestrant that they don't carry. Research: other local pool shop carries jacks magic line.
9. Also called Natural Chem help line, had no confidence that young woman knew the chemistry or was listening to what I was observing (metal bonds breaking and forming repeatedly? etc)
DID advise I find a pulp-based filter aid for my cartridge filters. Neither of my local pool shop recommends adding to cartridge filters?? Inconsistent reviews online, so not sure. My filters would be $200+ to replace if ruined....?
She also advised to bring up chlorine slowly. I was pretty sure it'd turn green if I added chlorine.
10. 6/18. Went to other pool shop looking for Jacks magic sequestrant. They told me they no longer carry, wouldn't say why! Water test (no printouts, so all numbers are "ish" and verbally given) FC .5, ph 7.8, TA 200, CH 300. Water blue and milky.
Advised: add ph "down," slowly, run filter continuously. Had turned it off overnight, looked to me like that was ineffective, particles were too small.
I brought ph down over 2 days. Possibly some restaining of plaster, not sure. Water cleared slightly, but I didn't brush it during that time either. Ran vacuum: nothing in filter, made no difference.
11. 6/20. Water test. Verbal- ph and Alk 7.4? 120? ish. Ok though I could add bit more ph down. TA 0, CYA 0
Advised: Add their own, (30$ for 16 tabs) chlorine tabs to skimmer. Ok, fine.
I pulled out a dead rodent from the skimmer and knew TA was 0, so I added 1/2 bottle liquid chlorine.
Turned greenish cloudy immediately.
FINALLY, QUESTIONS:
How to proceed?
12. Thinking I have too much in the water, milk particles are too small and too much metal?? Might have to bite the bullet and drain and fill. Need to stop fussing & stressing, at this rate there will be no pool season, and kids are getting out of school! Too bad, this water is WARM, it's been hot (for us, at least!)
13. It's been 1 week & 1 day since I did Nat Chem Stain Free. Water is greenish. There's been some restaining with the ph bounce and all the breaking and forming metal bonds (green-blue, green- blue...guessing?) Should I redo the citric acid??
14. But water is greenish already. ?
15. Metal sequestrant first if I try? Or even if I don't!? Don't want to restain. Leslies has SeaKlear metal … I think it's the stain remover vs the preventer. I read on here others have used, with success?? I think I saw Chemgeek say it was HEDP which is the recommended sequestrant??? I can't find manuf info.
16. Other option being ordering & waiting longer with green pool ...Jacks magic (which one?) or proteam metal magic which seems to get more consistent positive reviews??
17. Have also read somewhere people having success with NC 1st aid clearing pool cloudiness?
18. If I can get to the point where I CAN get the milk filtered out and the metals to stay in solution just fine, maybe I'll wait til fall to lower by 1/2.... and swim now!! That'd be best scenario I think at this point. Rain & Snow will help refill to ready point for Spring.
19. Refilling.... $300 for 1/2 fill, $600 for 12k gal. Supposedly there's a source that's reputed to be metal free. Can't fill with my well water, would take months. And probably some metal. Do 1/2 or full if I have to go that route??
20. OR...… I read somewhere superchlorinate…. that might clear the milk, don't know, but how could that get the metals out? Does that work- people have success in similar situation to mine??? Matter is neither created nor destroyed, would have to go somewhere, not sure my cartridges can filter out....??
THANKS FOR ANY HELP OFFERED!!
Kerry
