10k Gal AGP SWG+Sand Filter Was Great/Algae/???

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T

Toolpunk

Member
Jun 18, 2019
5
Pahrump, NV
Ok. Last year we set up for the first time at the beginning of summer.

Filled the pool with an in line water filter
Added recommended first time salt amount
Added recommended hard water treatment
Added recommended PH UP
Shocked the pool with Blue+Algae
Ran on boost for a while before first swim

Through summer we shocked once a week, ran boost for a bit before a swim and otherwise let the water cycle for 8 hours a day @ 4x2. Everything went swell all summer...

This year we opened the pool late spring since our temp went up into the 90s.

Topped off the pool with an in line water filter
Added recommended salt for salt loss
Added recommended PH UP
Shocked the pool with Blue+Algae x2
Ran on boost for a while before first swim

Swam for a couple weeks and then the Storms Started on us and this is where everything went crazy. I got sick with something awful and was in and out of doctors offices for a couple weeks. During this time the family members that normally are my back up pool players were on vacation. When I finally had the strength to peek at the pool it was in FULL BLOOM..... GREEN.

I hit it with a Shock x3 and a day later nothing. My Low Salt starts screaming so I added a couple bags and it seemed to quite down. I triple shock it again and this time it turns light green. I double shock it and it finally turns grey.... I double shock it again and it finally turns blue with a greyish white cloud.

Now my Low Salt is screaming again. I added another 2 bags and then another 2 bags and it's still screaming. Before I get to a point where I've added too much salt because this seems like a super rediculous amount of salt... I pick up some salt test strips with numbers. I test at 4 points of the pool and get this, they all read only 1200ppm...?

It took me 3 cases (6lbs each) of shock to kill the algae. When we started, before the algae, I added 6 bags (40lbs each) of salt. At this point, after the algae is killed, I am up to 12 bags total but only @ 1200ppm. I added another 4 bags and the test strips are still reading 1200ppm. The water is blue and lightly white cloudy.

I have no idea why I am adding sooo much salt and the level isn't increasing, the pump won't switch to Working let alone Boost and just keeps screaming Low Salt. I don't know where to go from here to get back to Clear Blue Waters....
 
Hi there Toolpunk, welcome to TFP.... we're glad to help ya. I hope you're feeling better now. ?

My first answer to your "why" question is- "Guess Strips!".... you're using test strips to test your pool water. Big mistake as they're notoriously wrong.

You're also adding a mess of potions we don't endorse. Some are possibly adding to your problems actually.

I would suggest the fastest route to fixing this soup is to first order a good test kit- Either the Taylor K-2006C (and that C portion is important to comparing kits) or the TF-100. I'm partial to the TF-100 myself, and with problems I'd go with the XL version. Both available on Amazon or the faster shipping is direct from www.tftestkits.net . You also need the K1766 Salt Test kit since you say you have salt.

This test kit of course does cost more than those "guess strips" but consider it an investment in taking care of your pool. Not just the water, but the pool surface and equipment. Bad chemistry can be quite harmful to those things also.

Until you get your test kit I would suggest adding one gallon of plain, un-scented, non-thickened, NON-Clorox brand house hold bleach....or better yet the 10% liquid chlorine you can get from the pool section of Wallyworld. In your area you may also have access to high quality liquid chlorine at hardware, pool or other shops. So one gallon a day and brush that pool like crazy! And run your pump 24/7, monitoring your filter pressure.

When you get the test kit run an entire set and tell us:
FC
CC
pH
TA
CH
CYA
Salt

Then we'll know what we're actually dealing with.

Can you do this??

Also please start reading the basics- ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry
SLAM Process
PoolMath

Feel free to ask any more questions that pop up.

Please, can you make up a signature line with details about your pool, its size and composition, what equipment you have for it and anything else that will help us answer you. Thanks! You can find it under "Settings" on the left side.

Maddie :flower:
 
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Dumped in 1 gal of the 10% Bleach you suggested yesterday and the day before.

Today I received my Taylor K-2006C and went to testing.

FC - Kit said to add 2 scoops of the DPD Powder R-0870 and that the water should turn Red. My water turned Nothing. I watched a video and the guys water turned deep but bright red. I added another 18 scoops and the water barely turned light cloudy pink.

CC - Did not go here since I did not get a proper FC result.

pH - 7.6-7.8

TA - Test said to add until it turned red, @ 20 Drops (200ppm) it turned Bright Pink, @ 30 Drops (300ppm) it was closer to bright red.

CH - Test said it will turn red before adding next solution to turn blue. PURPLE, is what I got instead of red and adding the next solution, it just stayed purple. I read if your end result is purple to try THIS and I did so and from start to finish it was still Purple.

CYA - 80

Salt - waiting for the solution to arrive
 
Your test water should turn pink to red with one scoop, of powder which is all I use. If it fails to turn colour at one scoop I run for the 10%. No colour after one scoop tells you no FC or very little.
CYA = 80 now you have a base number to work off there for a minimum FC level.
FC = 0 major cause for concern, raise with bleach asap
PH = within norms
TA = fix FC then worry about it
CH = if your cell is scaling fix it, with a vinyl pool I rarely worry about CH, but I have a nice source of fill water. If you feel the need to clean your salt cell use vinegar, works like MA just take a bit longer is less harsh then MA.
 
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Lou has given you good advice- get some chlorine in that water stat!

When I do my TA test it first turns dull red, then pink, then BARBIE PINK! Then the next drop doesn't change that Barbie pink anymore so I know I'm done and I do not count that last drop.

Don't sweat the calcium test if you've not added any. Intex (liner) pools don't need calcium.

Your CYA is okay for a SWG pool. Just don't add any salt based on the device's reading of "low" or "high" salt, get your test kit and then determine what it is.

Keep using liquid chlorine daily until you know what the salt is and can balance that water up. You've added so much in the past I hate to think its messing with any tests?

Maddie :flower:
 
I suspect your CH is sky high. When was the last time this pool was drained / exchanged to fresh water?
What is your fill water TA and CH? Test it with your kit.
 
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Fill water is TA: 260, CH: 200

Ok so I learned several things recently and one being that the pool isn't doing full cycles when the vacuum is hooked up and running... Bad reading lead to over dosing the chlorine. Here is the new numbers.

FC: 12.4
CC: .6
PH: 8
TA: 220
CH: Still purple right away... Just to see what happens I kept adding drops and at 60 it went from purple to clear... Not sure what that means but it was a reaction.
CYA: 80

Water went from a cloudy blue to a tanish/green looks similar to lake water but not like the green at first... Seems like I'll never get this figured out but what do you suggest next? When I backwash it looks like a putrid brown but clears quickly.
 
You have iron in your water. And the iron is messing with your CH test.

Do you have known iron issues with your tap water?
 

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