From blue to green in hours

[DerekBooth]

Hello,

First time posting. And I should mention up front that I'm colorblind. Enough that I have a difficult time reading water test results, but not so bad that I can't tell that my pool liner has gone from being a lovely blue to the ugly green you see in the attached pictures.

So, how did this happen?

On Friday, I had my water sample tested by Leslie's. My pool was very murky from having not been covered or maintained over the winter months. I did clean a significant amount of leaves from the pool. Leslie's told me that there were metals (copper) and high phosphate levels in the pool. The cure as prescribed by Leslie's was a full bottle of Metal Free and No Phos. I dumped both bottles in the pool, making sure to follow their instructions. After 24 hours, I backwashed. After 48 hours, I returned to Leslie's for another test. This was yesterday - Monday. I was very happy to hear that no copper was detected. Test results came back as follows:

Free Chlorine 0
Total Chlorine 0
pH 7.2
Total alkalinity 60
Calcium Hardness 120
Cyanuric Acid 0
Iron 0
Copper 0
Phosphates 100
TDS 400

This time Leslie's prescribed 10 pounds of Alkalinity Up, followed by 2 pounds of Power Powder Plus Shock and finally 8 ounces of Ultra Bright clarifier. I increased alkalinity Monday afternoon at 5pm and shocked at 9pm. I allowed the pump to circulate overnight. The water was looking very blue when I woke up today. The deep end was only slightly hazy. Somewhere between clear and cloudy, but definitely on the clearer side of that spectrum. So I added the clarifier around 8am and went upstairs to my office. By lunch, the clarity of the water had not changed, but the color of my liner had considerably. I don't think the pictures I've taken quite do it justice, but believe me when I say that it's not blue.

What was my mistake?
How do I correct it?
How do I avoid it in the future most importantly?

Also, if anyone can recommend a good solution for a colorblind guy who still needs to read water test results - please do!

 

[RMcGirr83]

Free Chlorine 0

Is your problem. You don't have any chlorine in the pool?

 

[Texas Splash]

DB, welcome to TFP! Honestly, your worst enemy right now is the pool store. Their inconsistent testing, unneeded and over priced products, and poor advice have you running in circles. First order of business is to stop going there.

I understand the vision challenges, we have others here as well. But you still need your own TF-100 (link below) or Taylor K-2006C. For many tests, it's the final color shades change that makes the difference. Some tests only need to be done one a week or once a month at which time you could have a helper check the numbers. But you must test at home.

Forget all those pool store products too. See the links in my signature. One thing for sure, you nee chlorine. See our FC/CYA Levels to compare CYA to FC and how they should be balanced together.

Also review our ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry. But honestly Derek, the TF-100 is the way to go. Take control now. You CAN do it.

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum!
You need to follow the SLAM Process. To do that, you need a proper test kit, see Test Kits Compared. I suggest the TF100. A proper test kit is needed to get the accurate water chemistry results needed to follow the TFP protocols.
While you are waiting on your test kit, add 5 ppm FC worth of liquid chlorine / plain bleach to your pool each evening with the pump running. This will replenish the FC lost each day to the sun and also inhibit any algae in the water from growing further.
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry.

 

[DerekBooth]

That was prior to shocking. I added 2 lbs of shock. My test strips now show chlorine at about 1 as of 7pm.

 

[DerekBooth]

Is your problem. You don't have any chlorine in the pool?

That was prior to shocking. I added 2 lbs of shock. My test strips now show chlorine at about 1 as of 7pm.

 

[ajw22]

What was my mistake?

You went to a Pool Store and relied on their recommendations. As we say, you have been Pool Stored!

How do I correct it?

Take control of your pool testing and learn the ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry

How do I avoid it in the future most importantly?

Follow Troublefree Pool Care Methods.

Also, if anyone can recommend a good solution for a colorblind guy who still needs to read water test results - please do!

All of the TF-100 Test Kits tests except for pH do not require color matching. They just require seeing a change in color which you should be able to see with a bit of training.

Get a pH meter such as pH Meter and calibration fluids to help you with pH. There are more sophisticated pH meters then that simple one. See PH Meters

Do you have someone at home or a friend who can help you understand what you see in the test kit color changes?

Once you get your test kit then we will help you through the SLAM Process to clear the algae.

 

[Brett S]

Also, if anyone can recommend a good solution for a colorblind guy who still needs to read water test results - please do!

As far as reading the tests go, I suspect that even with your color blindness you may still be OK. For example, with the TFP recommended test kit you need to see the following:

Chlorine test - watch for the water to turn from pink to clear. Even if the water doesn’t look pink to you then I would think you would still be able to tell when it turns from colored to clear.

pH test - this one might be a little tougher as you need to compare the shade of the test sample to a standard. This will be varying shades of pinkish orange. But the good news here is that there are electronic pH testers with digital readouts that are reliable and not too expensive

TA - You’re looking for a color change on this one, from green to red. If you have trouble with green and red this might be a problem, but the color change is pretty sudden, so you might still be able to see a shade change, even if you can’t see the actual colors.

CH - Again, this one is a color change, but this time, red to blue. And again, like the one above, it’s a pretty sudden change, so you might still be able to see it happen. Additionally TA and CH don’t change frequently, so these tests shouldn’t need to be done too often.

CYA - This one doesn’t rely on color at all. You look through a foggy liquid to see at what point the black dot on the bottom of the test vial disappears.

If you have a friend who can see colors you might want to run through the tests once or twice with them just to confirm that you can see when the change happens, but again it’s not so much that you need to see specific colors, but rather you’re looking for the time when it makes a drastic change.

 

[JamesW]

It might be iron. If it won't brush off, try some vitamin C on a spot.

 

[DerekBooth]

DB, welcome to TFP! Honestly, your worst enemy right now is the pool store. Their inconsistent testing, unneeded and over priced products, and poor advice have you running in circles. First order of business is to stop going there.

I understand the vision challenges, we have others here as well. But you still need your own TF-100 (link below) or Taylor K-2006C. For many tests, it's the final color shades change that makes the difference. Some tests only need to be done one a week or once a month at which time you could have a helper check the numbers. But you must test at home.

Forget all those pool store products too. See the links in my signature. One thing for sure, you nee chlorine. See our FC/CYA Levels to compare CYA to FC and how they should be balanced together.

Also review our ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry. But honestly Derek, the TF-100 is the way to go. Take control now. You CAN do it.

Welcome to the forum!
You need to follow the SLAM Process. To do that, you need a proper test kit, see Test Kits Compared. I suggest the TF100. A proper test kit is needed to get the accurate water chemistry results needed to follow the TFP protocols.
While you are waiting on your test kit, add 5 ppm FC worth of liquid chlorine / plain bleach to your pool each evening with the pump running. This will replenish the FC lost each day to the sun and also inhibit any algae in the water from growing further.
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry.

You went to a Pool Store and relied on their recommendations. As we say, you have been Pool Stored!



Take control of your pool testing and learn the ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry



Follow Troublefree Pool Care Methods.



All of the TF-100 Test Kits tests except for pH do not require color matching. They just require seeing a change in color which you should be able to see with a bit of training.

Get a pH meter such as pH Meter and calibration fluids to help you with pH. There are more sophisticated pH meters then that simple one. See PH Meters

Do you have someone at home or a friend who can help you understand what you see in the test kit color changes?

Once you get your test kit then we will help you through the SLAM Process to clear the algae.

Got it. Get test kits, read read read, and save time money and headache by coming to this forum and not the pool stores. And in the meantime, dump a couple gallons of lavender scented bleach in the pool ?

 

[ajw22]

And in the meantime, dump a couple gallons of lavender scented bleach in the pool ?

I hope you are joking. Use only pure bleach with no additives, fragrances, polymers, splashless, etc.

Read Liquid Chlorine - Further Reading

 

[mknauss]

dump a couple gallons of

It will smell pretty, with a nice foam!

 

[DerekBooth]

I hope you are joking. Use only pure bleach with no additives, fragrances, polymers, splashless, etc.

Read Liquid Chlorine - Further Reading

Yes just joking. But thanks for looking out!

 

[gonfishin]

My son-in-law is color blind as well. What I've learned from him is with help, he can understand the levels of grey he sees can be translated to colors the rest of us see. This year he wants to learn how to do the pool water testing and when some of the physical distancing is relaxed, we'll work on it. I suspect pH will be the ugliest test, but a pH meter and calibration will likely take care of things.

 

[Texas Splash]

Yes just joking. But thanks for looking out!

Get's to be info-overload sometimes. We may seem like a bunch of piranhas, but we really don't bite and we mean well. Give us some time. We'll grow on you.

 

[DerekBooth]

Get's to be info-overload sometimes. We may seem like a bunch of piranhas, but we really don't bite and we mean well. Give us some time. We'll grow on you.

just like algae!

This thread has been super helpful and I thank everyone. I learn best when I take notes and even better when I apply my learnings, but in the meantime, I compiled the attached word doc as a sort of quick reference sheet for myself. I understand what I need to do next: have a drink.

 

[DerekBooth]

Update

I ordered the K-2006C Test Kit. It was delivered today.

I'll update the thread with my results here in a bit.

 

[DerekBooth]

I've tested this much so far:

• pH 7.0
• Alkalinity 50
• CH not present (the sample didn't turn red, it turned blue, so I didn't continue with the test)
• CYA is maybe at 100. The black dot was hardly visible well before the sample reached the 100 mark, but it could possibly be lower than 100)

I didn't complete the chlorine test because I wasn't sure if I should be testing for 0.2 or 0.5

What's next? Should I be testing for metals?

 

[ajw22]

Use a 10ML sample to test for FC at 0.5/drop.

Follow step 8 in CYA - Cyanuric Acid Test - Trouble Free Pool

If your CYA level is 90 or higher, repeat the test adjusting the procedure as follows:

1. Fill the mixing bottle to the lower mark with pool water.
2. Continue filling the mixing bottle to the upper mark with tap water.
3. Shake briefly to mix.
4. Pour off half of the contents of the mixing bottle, so it is again filled to the lower mark.
5. Continue the test normally from step 2, but multiply the final result by two.

 

[Brett S]

I didn't complete the chlorine test because I wasn't sure if I should be testing for 0.2 or 0.5

Just a quick note that the results will be the same either way, but if you follow the 0.2 directions you will use more reagent, but get a more precise result. Using the 0.5 directions you use less reagent, but your result is a little less precise.

For example, say your FC level is 5.

For 0.2 you would take a 25mm sample of water, use two scoops of powder, and then use 25 drops of reagent. 25 times 0.2 = 5ppm of free chlorine.
For 0.5 you would take a 10mm sample of water, use one scoop of powder, and then use 10 drops of reagent. 10 times 0.5 = 5ppm of free chlorine.

Typically it’s not necessary to get down to 0.2ppm precision to manage your pool, so you can manage your pool using the 0.5 option and use less reagent.