New Pool Owner, New to Pool Maintenance

[Matta Pool]

New to the whole pool scene and maintenance - 9K gal Gunite Pool combo with attached Jacuzzi w/ Spill Over, Waterfall feature and bubblers - Color of Gunite (Plaster) is Midnight Blue and I am having a heck of a time keeping the plaster looking like the midnight blue - Looks to me like there is a white-ish layer of oxidation to it. The Pool is about 5 weeks that we have been using it, and when I take the samples to Leslies, I constantly chasing the pool balance.

FC - 0.71 ( Just below the 1-4 ppm range)
TC - .99 (Within .2 of FAC)
PH - 8.1 ( .1 of the high side of 8 for PH)
ALK - 83
Calcium Hardness - 423 ( Slightly out of the 400 )
Cyanuric Acid - 93
Iron - 0
Copper - .4 ppm ( Range of 0-.2 ppm)
Phosphates - 516 (High - 0-100 ppm range)
TDS - 1400

It seems like I am adding Muratic Acid quite a bit, and Alkalinity up weekly and No Phos as well.

We also have the PURE UV Ozone Generator and the ball is usually in the middle of the range tube (2.5 out of 5 lines) - The chlorine is an auto feeder using Clorox 3" Pucks and I have it on setting 1 out of 5.

I am super OCD and loved the color of the plaster and I have our Dolphin S200 and I also sweep daily and it seems like it is not clearing up. The pool builder sent his guy over while I was at work and he poured Acid ( Don't know what type, as my wife was in her home office working and didn't see him pouring it in) and it seemed to clear up and turned back to the Midnight Blue after a couple of days.

Anyone experience these types of issues? It's diving me insane....

I forgot to mention we are in New Braunfels, Texas and the heat wave has started over the last week and a half in triple digits...

 

[dfwnoob]

Hi Matta Pool. Welcome to TFP. I recommend you peruse the following section as you'll find that the TFP method is a tried-and-true scientifically sound process that differs greatly from what is preached by pool stores:

ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry

There are several items things every pool owner should know about swimming pool water. We share details on the basics of Pool Water Chemistry.

www.troublefreepool.com

Pool Care Basics Archives

Your one-stop shop for all things TFP to include: ABCs of Water Chemistry, Recommended Chemicals/Levels, Test Kits, Troubleshooting, and much more!

www.troublefreepool.com

I'll let others chime in on the plaster, as construction isn't exactly my forte. However, I do to want to chime in on other matters. We generally do not offer recommendations based upon pool store testing, as it's notoriously inaccurate and will lead to chasing (wrong) numbers rather than enjoying your pool.. but your FC is dangerously low, especially if your CYA is actually anywhere near the 90s. You really need to get that chemistry under control.

FC - 0.71 ( Just below the 1-4 ppm range)

Your proper free chlorine number is a function of the FC/CYA ratio, not any other number. Even 4 would be way too low for your level of CYA (again, assuming the pool store testing is correct).

Copper - .4 ppm ( Range of 0-.2 ppm)

You should not have any copper in your water. Copper causes staining, along with green hair if it gets bad enough. You aren't adding any products with "blue" in the name, are you?

Phosphates - 516 (High - 0-100 ppm range)
TDS - 1400

... and Alkalinity up weekly and No Phos as well.

Phophates and TDS are irrelevant. There's no need to control for phosphates when your FC number is sufficient to prevent algae growth. No need in wasting your money being concerned with them. Alkalinity Up is nothing more than baking soda.

We definitely recommend staying far far away from the pool store, but you will need your own test kit. You can pick up either the Taylor K-2006-C from Amazon or the TFTestKits TF-100/TF Pro from TFTestKits.net.

 

[Flying Tivo]

Welcome to TFP!
Get ready to Drain/refill
Stop going to the poolstore, they just want your money.
Dont add anything else, but liquid chlorine. Stop the TABS
Get your Test Kits Compared add the speedstir.

Draining - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Matta Pool]

Hi Matta Pool. Welcome to TFP. I recommend you peruse the following section as you'll find that the TFP method is a tried-and-true scientifically sound process that differs greatly from what is preached by pool stores:

ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry

There are several items things every pool owner should know about swimming pool water. We share details on the basics of Pool Water Chemistry.

www.troublefreepool.com

Pool Care Basics Archives

Your one-stop shop for all things TFP to include: ABCs of Water Chemistry, Recommended Chemicals/Levels, Test Kits, Troubleshooting, and much more!

www.troublefreepool.com

I'll let others chime in on the plaster, as construction isn't exactly my forte. However, I do to want to chime in on other matters. We generally do not offer recommendations based upon pool store testing, as it's notoriously inaccurate and will lead to chasing (wrong) numbers rather than enjoying your pool.. but your FC is dangerously low, especially if your CYA is actually anywhere near the 90s. You really need to get that chemistry under control.



Your proper free chlorine number is a function of the FC/CYA ratio, not any other number. Even 4 would be way too low for your level of CYA (again, assuming the pool store testing is correct).



You should not have any copper in your water. Copper causes staining, along with green hair if it gets bad enough. You aren't adding any products with "blue" in the name, are you?



Phophates and TDS are irrelevant. There's no need to control for phosphates when your FC number is sufficient to prevent algae growth. No need in wasting your money being concerned with them. Alkalinity Up is nothing more than baking soda.

We definitely recommend staying far far away from the pool store, but you will need your own test kit. You can pick up either the Taylor K-2006-C from Amazon or the TFTestKits TF-100/TF Pro from TFTestKits.net.

Angel Here (Matta Pool)

I apologize for the pool store reference....

I will have to pick up a test kit very soon and I will look at the Taylor Kit for sure. The week before my FC was where it should be but when I informed them of the scaling, they did something and that was the result of the testing that was done.

So, with that said, I did open up the filter last night and was surprised as to how much crud ( For Better words ) was in side of the filters. It did have an algae smell to it and also had a lot of sand on and muck in the filters. I spent the better part of 3.5 hours cleaning each of the 4 filters and put it back together about 9:30pm last night. We will be running the pool for 12 hours and then I will also re-open up the filters and clean them again on Sunday.

I have turned up the Chlorintor and also turned up the UV Ozone generator to the middle as I read online about.

We will have the water tested and once I get the kit, I will start doing my own testing and post the results. I'll have to figure out what I can do to keep it stabilized.

 

[MITBeta]

If the pool store test is believable, continuing to use the chlorinator is making your problem worse by continuing to add stabilizer and reducing the effectiveness of the little chlorine you have in the pool. The best thing to do right now while you wait for your test kit is to take the tabs out of the chlorinator, source some liquid chlorine (you don't want to use any kind of granular shock because they add either calcium or stabilizer, and you have enough or two much of both), and dose 5ppm per day. You can use PoolMath to figure out how much that is for the chlorine strength and pool size.

 

[MITBeta]

It seems like I am adding Muratic Acid quite a bit, and Alkalinity up weekly

This is classic pool $tore merry-go-round stuff. Muriatic acid lowers pH and TA. Alkalinity up (which is over-priced baking soda) raises TA, which drags pH back up.

 

[Matta Pool]

If the pool store test is believable, continuing to use the chlorinator is making your problem worse by continuing to add stabilizer and reducing the effectiveness of the little chlorine you have in the pool. The best thing to do right now while you wait for your test kit is to take the tabs out of the chlorinator, source some liquid chlorine (you don't want to use any kind of granular shock because they add either calcium or stabilizer, and you have enough or two much of both), and dose 5ppm per day. You can use PoolMath to figure out how much that is for the chlorine strength and pool size.

I will be taking a water sample later today to see what has changed with the water chemistry. I don't believe everything they say, I usually like to do as much research as I can. I did use a test strip last night and I did have high PH 8.4 - FC was 1 - TA 120 & Stabilizer was at 100

I am using Clorox 3" Pucks, and that clorinator is the only thing that I have. I am also running the PURE UV Ozone gererator which I was told helps keep the pool clean and also reduces the amount of chlorine that I have to use. It is set on 1 and was running it at 1/2 for about a week.

Hopefully now that the filters are clean they will do a better job.

 

[MITBeta]

will be taking a water sample later today to see what has changed with the water chemistry. I don't believe everything they say, I usually like to do as much research as I can. I did use a test strip last night

Neither of these testing methods are reliable. Please get yourself a quality test kit. Test Kits Compared

I am using Clorox 3" Pucks, and that clorinator is the only thing that I have.

Liquid chlorine should be easy to source.

I am also running the PURE UV Ozone gererator which I was told helps keep the pool clean and also reduces the amount of chlorine that I have to use.

Unfortunately, you will find that this is not true.

Ozone Systems - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Hopefully now that the filters are clean they will do a better job.

You can hope, but I'm afraid you never had a filtration problem. You have a chemistry problem instead. Your filter is doing exactly what it's supposed to, but the chemistry isn't holding up its end of the bargain.

The good news in all of this is that you have come to the right place. There are literally thousands of people here willing to help. But the first step is a good test kit.