First Pool, First Post - Fine silt/dirt/algae? streaking on bottom

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D

Dpep617

0
Aug 6, 2015
9
Dedham/MA
Hi TFP!!

First I want to say this site has been a tremendous resource as I am a new pool owner (moved to new house with existing pool) and had to open a pool that had been closed for some time. I now have a crystal clear pool!

However, for a few weeks now what appears to be a super-fine "dust" that settles only on the bottom and angled walls of the pool (not on the vertical walls). Seems to vary from a medium to dark brown. Does not stain, and doesn't seem to appear until the pump is run at which point it settles in streaks, along seams or imperfections in the liner. Pool is absolutely crystal clear with no greenish color, etc. All chemistry is spot on. If it is just very, very lightly disturbed it seems to dissipate/disappear. I vacuum the pool, but in a few hours the material is back. But...if I vacuum the pool and then leave the filter off...no material. I have removed the "finger" grids form the filter, and washed twice now. I have added new DE each time and there is a new gasket on the filter. Very frustrated as I spent so much time getting the pool in swimming condition only to have this very unsightly issue appear. I have searched the web and on this site and it appears some people have had a similar issue. However, I have not seen the issue only appearing when the pump runs. Any thoughts or comments would be great. Thanks!


 
Hi, welcome to TFP! Do you happen to have any trees near the pool? Particularly trees that bloom and drop stuff constantly? I ask because I regularly fight debris from a neighbors crepe myrtle that is taller than my house and drops very fine debris constantly! When the pump is running it pushes it all into the liner seams and low points and drives me nuts! It looks like little piles of dirt and is gritty to the touch.
 
All chemistry is spot on.
Click to expand...
It's dead algae. Your numbers may be good now but they haven't been in the past. Algae has been allowed into the pool and, while you get some of it with the chlorine (that's what settles to the floor that you can see) the rest of it continues to live and the cycle continues every day. read "SLAM" in the "How To" section up in Pool School and then SLAM your pool. We'll help.
 
So I read the SLAM process, but just for further clarification...my pool water is extremely clear and I have no visible "live" algae on the liner. The SLAM process looks like if you have a serious (visible) algae issue. You can have live algae in a pool with no visible signs?

Thanks
 
Just to be sure, You could bring your FC to SLAM level, then remove all sources of new chlorination and try the OCLT.
http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/136-perform-the-overnight-fc-chlorine-loss-test-oclt
If your FC drops more than 1ppm and your CC is above .5, then you more than likely have organics in your ppol and you need to SLAM.
Do you know your CYA level?
Just be patient and follow the directions. Everyone here will help you.
Good Luck!
 
aboykin2269 said:
Just to be sure, You could bring your FC to SLAM level, then remove all sources of new chlorination and try the OCLT.
http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/136-perform-the-overnight-fc-chlorine-loss-test-oclt
If your FC drops more than 1ppm and your CC is above .5, then you more than likely have organics in your ppol and you need to SLAM.
Do you know your CYA level?
Just be patient and follow the directions. Everyone here will help you.
Good Luck!
Click to expand...
That's a super-duper important question.

What test kit do you have?

Can you post a full set of test results so we can get a "feel" for the pool?

Dom
 

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Test Results Below
FC= 7.5
PH= 7.4
CYA= 60
CH= 175 (I know this is low, working on getting up so I can SLAM)
TA= 120

I have also included some photos to show what the pool looks like after I vacuum (and don't run the pump/filter), and the after photos (after the pump/filter has been running for about 4-6 hours.
Before.jpg
 

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Interesting pics...............Try something for me.....use your turkey baster to suck some of that stuff up. Squirt it out onto a paper towel in good light to see what it looks like. What color is it? What does it feel like?

Let us know what you see.

I would also love to see your whole pool. What I can see looks neat!

Kim
 
I will try and capture some, however when you disturb the material, it vanishes...here are a few more photos. My CH was very low, must have misread the initial test. Once it gets to "normal" I will shock. I did put some Algae killer in today to see if that would help in the interim. Here are some more photos, pre algae liquid. I will get some full pool pics in the AM. Thanks!
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I know what you mean about it being hard to catch. That is why I said to use a turkey baster. It can catch it as your release the bulb. It might look like it is not in there but once you squirt it out onto the paper towel you should be able to see it as it is caught in the paper towel.

This helped me know mine was dirt instead of algae.

Kim
 
OK sorry for the delay, here is the update;

1) I grabbed a baster and went diving (neighbors must have found it comical diving around the pool with a mask and a turkey baster). I was able to suck up some of the material and have included 2 photos below. The material appeared to be incased in some film when I sucked it up. When I put it into a container on the surface I no longer had the film, but some debris settled on the bottom. Looks like a mix of dirt/sand/very fine "other" particles. I had the water sit for a few days and could not get the same "material" that this debris was suspended in at the pool bottom.

2) I SLAMed the pool right after my diving excursion

3) left for a few days on a vacation, pool pump/filter off (we don't have a timer yet)

4) Came back yesterday (4 days gone), water clear / bottom debris clear but my FC has gone to pretty much ZERO!! In addition I now have these strange grey stains on the bottom of the pool I cannot get out with my brush!!


So frustrated by all of this, I think I need to convert to an auto feed for the chlorine or go to a salt water pool. As always thanks for your time in looking at my issues TFP!!

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I'll be interested in the responses as I have the same issue.

All levels are great in pool. FC is consistent and hasn't changed down or up in weeks. Testing shows no CC.

My fine dirt settles also in area's where the flow isn't great. I've chalked it up to just that, fine dirt. With the yard only a few feet off the pool, pine trees nearby, and the kids running all around in yard and into pool fine material seems to accumulate that the filter can't filter out. Just haven't had time to manually vacuum it all out.
 
That sure does look like dirt................If you have more show up let a paper towel filter it out so you can see if there is any green coloring in it.

Try putting a chlorine puck on the gray spot for about 10 mins and see what that does.

If you want you can add DE to your sand filter to help it filter out smaller stuff. Here is a link for it. Just make sure you can be there to "babysit" the filter when you do it to see how much DE your filter likes.

Pool School - Add DE to a Sand Filter

LOL at the neighbors! I am SO glad my neighbors cannot see most of the things I do! They would be calling the people with the white coats for sure!

Kim
 
The stuff I am able to capture and put into the container ends up settling as dirt/plant debris, however it is suspended in "material" when it is in the pool. I have no water flow in my container which is why I don't think I can replicate the condition outside of the pool. As stated before, if I don't run my pump in the pool, I get no streaks.


I tried something else over the past few days. I took a skimmer sock and zip tied it around my return jet. After two days I removed it and it was clean, this means two things 1) the particles are smaller than the sock can filter, or 2) the issue is not with my filter.


Thanks for your suggestion on the DE in the Sand Filter, however I have a DE filter, not sand.

I did get my FC level back up to normal, and my other levels are stable/normalized. The staining has lightened now that the chlorine level is up, and when I put a puck on it, it got really light. Thoughts on what this means?
 
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