I ask here in the deep end but please move this if it's still the wrong place to ask this direct chemical collection & assay question.
This isn't a question about pool cleaners other than how to collect in my hand a sample of dust to directly chemically assay, as dust.
Likewise, this isn't a question about testing & balancing water so much as it is a question of identifying the dust in and of itself, as dust.
Nor is this a question about pumps, filtering and plumbing so much as they would work if I wasn't running this test on purpose to obtain the dust, as dust.
I'm not just getting started as I know where and why the dust is most likely coming from so that's not what my question is about.
And it's an old in-ground non-saltwater gunite and plaster pool, so it's not the temporary plaster dust you see just after construction.
If the direct collection and direct chemical assay does turn out to be dead algae, only then would it belong in the algae section, but white is a strange color for algae (tan maybe).
Having thought hard, I couldn't find any other sub forum to ask this in other than everything else or the coffee bar maybe?
So if this is being asked in the wrong place, please move it to the right place to ask how to physically collect & directly assay any given fine pool dust.
Thinking ahead, most replies I'm sure will helpfully ask about the pool chemistry but that's NOT what this question is asking about at all.
I know the pool chemistry always points to the most likely chemical composition of the dust, whether algae, pollen or calcium precipitate.
And in this case, the pool chemistry leans toward calcium saturation (of course), but I am not asking about chemistry so much as about
And/or do you have experience running a direct chemical assay on that dried powdered dust that you collected?
I know the typical questions will ask if I have algae (I don't see any) and if I have the chlorine level high enough over the stabilizer (I do) and if the calcium saturation indicators are within the balanced zone and whether or not I recently added diverse chemicals that would cause an immediate chain reaction clouding (I didn't) and whether or not the water is clear (it is) and whether or not the temperature cooled recently (it didn't), and probably a dozen more questions about water chemistry (mostly about balance) or pool equipment (mostly about the cleaning system).
I know the typical way to identify the dust is the answer to those questions (almost all of which lean toward calcium precipitate) but it still "could" be algae dust (probably not though) and it definitely could be pollen (as I have too many pollinating bees all around the pool as I'm surrounded by close neighbors with pretty plants that's for sure). And there are farms nearby where they sometimes generate clouds of dust that you can taste in your teeth.
With all that as the lead in to the collection, drying and assay question, the question itself is rather simple.
This isn't a question about pool cleaners other than how to collect in my hand a sample of dust to directly chemically assay, as dust.
Likewise, this isn't a question about testing & balancing water so much as it is a question of identifying the dust in and of itself, as dust.
Nor is this a question about pumps, filtering and plumbing so much as they would work if I wasn't running this test on purpose to obtain the dust, as dust.
I'm not just getting started as I know where and why the dust is most likely coming from so that's not what my question is about.
And it's an old in-ground non-saltwater gunite and plaster pool, so it's not the temporary plaster dust you see just after construction.
If the direct collection and direct chemical assay does turn out to be dead algae, only then would it belong in the algae section, but white is a strange color for algae (tan maybe).
Having thought hard, I couldn't find any other sub forum to ask this in other than everything else or the coffee bar maybe?
So if this is being asked in the wrong place, please move it to the right place to ask how to physically collect & directly assay any given fine pool dust.
Thinking ahead, most replies I'm sure will helpfully ask about the pool chemistry but that's NOT what this question is asking about at all.
I know the pool chemistry always points to the most likely chemical composition of the dust, whether algae, pollen or calcium precipitate.
And in this case, the pool chemistry leans toward calcium saturation (of course), but I am not asking about chemistry so much as about
- Collection of the fine dust
- Direct assay of the collected fine dust
And/or do you have experience running a direct chemical assay on that dried powdered dust that you collected?
I know the typical questions will ask if I have algae (I don't see any) and if I have the chlorine level high enough over the stabilizer (I do) and if the calcium saturation indicators are within the balanced zone and whether or not I recently added diverse chemicals that would cause an immediate chain reaction clouding (I didn't) and whether or not the water is clear (it is) and whether or not the temperature cooled recently (it didn't), and probably a dozen more questions about water chemistry (mostly about balance) or pool equipment (mostly about the cleaning system).
I know the typical way to identify the dust is the answer to those questions (almost all of which lean toward calcium precipitate) but it still "could" be algae dust (probably not though) and it definitely could be pollen (as I have too many pollinating bees all around the pool as I'm surrounded by close neighbors with pretty plants that's for sure). And there are farms nearby where they sometimes generate clouds of dust that you can taste in your teeth.
With all that as the lead in to the collection, drying and assay question, the question itself is rather simple.
- Do you have experience collecting a fine dust at the bottom of the pool and then drying sufficient quantities?
- Do you have experience directly running a chemical assay on the dried dust?
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