Brand new pool - water turned green after shocking

[PoolBoyNH]

So a couple of things:

- I don't think metals are particles that can be attracted and bound together by clarifiers or flocculants.

- The product you posted is a clarifier, not a flocculant. They're different - clarifiers are meant to make small particles in the water clump together so they can be filtered out. Flocculants make giant gobs of gooey stuff that settle to the bottom of your pool, which need to be vacuumed to waste to avoid gunking up filters. (Regular use of clarifiers can also cause filter issues, for what it's worth.)

- If it is iron, then Polyfill is the best way to get rid of it. You can either have it in the skimmer and rinse it out regularly or build your own filter with a bucket and a pump. There are threads around for that if you're interested - I'm sure someone can find them.

- An alternate option is to add a chemical called a sequestrant. The problem with that is that it's just a temporary fix - it needs to be added regularly as it will break down and release the metal from solution to cause the color change again.

Poly is already turning brown

 

[IceShadow]

Poly is already turning brown

That’s iron. You can rinse it out and reuse it, I think.

 

[Deb04]

Just want to welcome a fellow Granite Stater to TFP.

 

[Mdragger88]

That’s iron. You can rinse it out and reuse it, I think.

Yes u can -
Also now that u know what you’re working with u can set up a bucket filter & if u have a submersible pump u can have 2 buckets of polyfill going. Wrangle in those steps - you’re gonna need em’!

 

[Mdragger88]

Polyfill Bucket method

If you’ve got iron in your fill water, use Polyfill to remove it

EDIT: Found out this method only works if your iron is oxidized already, meaning it’s got a dull or bright green tint to the water, or a nasty brown tint. If you know you have iron in your fill water, but it isn’t oxidized yet, bring your pool to shock level and it’ll turn the telltale green...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[PoolBoyNH]

Pool is looking a lot better this morning. Did another test and my levels look pretty good i think. A little confused on CYA. I want that? And need to add something to get it? But if I get too much the only way to remove is draining water?
Hoping another 24 hours with poly will have this thing cleared up for the weekend.

Before and after photos + latest test results.

 

[Mdragger88]

Yes - u want cya - without it even low levels of chlorine can be quite harsh & the sun will consume your chlorine faster than your swg can produce it which puts u at risk for algae.
In the end you need around 70ppm cya during peak season since u have a swg but for now shoot for 40ppm then test in a day or so & add more. Follow the FC/CYA Levels when chlorinating.
Use PoolMath to calculate amounts.
As u stated you don’t want to overshoot & have to drain/ replace water. Especially as this is a new pool & your estimated volume may not be exact.
You want to use granular cya/stabilizer/conditioner & add it via the sock method.
Place stabilizer in a sock , pantyhose, or skimmer sock etc.
tie a knot in it & hang it in front of a return jet (not touching the pool wall). Squeeze the sock every now & then to help it dissolve. This gets the cya directly into the pool water instead of it sitting in your filter media like other methods.

Recommended Pool Chemicals

Which should I buy? TFP's recommended pool chemicals are cheap, easy, and won't unbalance your pool water.

www.troublefreepool.com

Water Balance for SWGs

Saltwater pools are becoming more and more popular. We discuss How salt generators work and water balance tips for SWGs to run them.

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[IceShadow]

I personally would keep my FC levels elevated until I could filter out enough iron to make it blue as you'd be satisfied with. When the FC drops again the iron would go back into solution and then you wouldn't be able to get rid of it. Keeping the iron levels low will help avoid future staining when adding chlorine, etc.

 

[PoolBoyNH]

I personally would keep my FC levels elevated until I could filter out enough iron to make it blue as you'd be satisfied with. When the FC drops again the iron would go back into solution and then you wouldn't be able to get rid of it. Keeping the iron levels low will help avoid future staining when adding chlorine, etc.

Interesting thought. So even though it looks better this morning I potentially havent really changed anything and its just my FC dropping from yesterday. That would be depressing.

 

[IceShadow]

Interesting thought. So even though it looks better this morning I potentially havent really changed anything and its just my FC dropping from yesterday. That would be depressing.

It could be. Only way to be sure is to raise the FC level again and see if it goes green. If it does, you could hold the elevated FC and keep the polyfill filtering going, both in the skimmer and (if you have a submersible pump) with a bucket rig like shown upthread. I wouldn't go above SLAM level for your CYA on the FC/CYA Levels to ensure you're not damaging pool surfaces or equipment.

 

[PoolBoyNH]

Alright just got back from the pool place and they did their own water test. Actually test 0 for iron or copper. They think its manganese and gave me a metal remover. I think i will be happy if it is that instead of iron

 

[IceShadow]

Your pool, your call. I would be more inclined to trust the empirical evidence of the brown in the polyfill pointing to iron over whatever test they used, and to remove it using known methods instead of pool store potions. Just my recommendation, though.

 

[PoolBoyNH]

Your pool, your call. I would be more inclined to trust the empirical evidence of the brown in the polyfill pointing to iron over whatever test they used, and to remove it using known methods instead of pool store potions. Just my recommendation, though.

Are the pool tests generally inaccurate? This is my first experience with them. It seemed like a pretty robust test not like a little at home test strip. Attached are the results

 

[IceShadow]

The number of times we've had people using pool stores to guide them, going nowhere, and then getting their own quality drop-based kit like the Taylor K-2006c or TF-100, is pretty high. Some pool stores have good testing equipment, calibrate it, and train their staff to use it well. Others don't bother with calibration or training, because people still buy stuff anyway. No way to tell which your pool store is, so it's hard to be certain.

Test strips are pretty bunk too for a lot of different reasons. A quality test kit is so important if you want to take control of your pool water.

 

[PoolBoyNH]

The number of times we've had people using pool stores to guide them, going nowhere, and then getting their own quality drop-based kit like the Taylor K-2006c or TF-100, is pretty high. Some pool stores have good testing equipment, calibrate it, and train their staff to use it well. Others don't bother with calibration or training, because people still buy stuff anyway. No way to tell which your pool store is, so it's hard to be certain.

Test strips are pretty bunk too for a lot of different reasons. A quality test kit is so important if you want to take control of your pool water.

I do have the taylor kit but it doesn’t tell me anything about iron. Their results for everything else are pretty aligned with what i showed on the taylor kit

 

[duraleigh]

They think its manganese and gave me a metal remover. I think i will be happy if it is that instead of iron

You have iron in your pool. Pool store tests are worth exactly what you pay for them.

You can manage your pool successfully but only if you stay out of the pool store and pay attention to the thousands and thousands of pool owners who have preceded you in addressing this issue.

 

[Deb04]

Oh dear. People who work at Pool stores do say the funniest things. I love my PB and they've been great. But one time they told me that my chlorine was too high and the way to fix it was to turn off my SWG and add powdered shock. Hahahahahahahahaha.

 

[PoolBoyNH]

The metal out seems to have worked. All clear this morning.

 

[SoDel]

For the benefit of the OP (and me), is there any type of hose end filter or other contraption that can remove metals and other contaminants from supply water when topping up water level? I‘ve seen a hose end device used on some youtube videos but always figured it was snake oil.

 

[IceShadow]

For the benefit of the OP (and me), is there any type of hose end filter or other contraption that can remove metals and other contaminants from supply water when topping up water level? I‘ve seen a hose end device used on some youtube videos but always figured it was snake oil.

The issue is that nothing can filter out metals that are in solution. If the water looks clear when added, and you can’t see any tint, then nothing can filter it. If it shows up when you are elevating the FC level, it’s falling out of solution into suspension, at which point it could be mechanically filtered out, but that usually isn’t the case with tap water.