Pristine blue help

[Mommyjnny]

We had a 16 x 28 above ground pool installed a few months ago and were talked into getting pristine blue. Every 2 weeks we have been going for water testing and by then it's usually cloudy. For the first week or so it's crystal clear after putting the chemicals in. We usually have to put in pristine clear, blue, a bag of shock, some muriatic acid and a brite stick. I am reading how pristine blue isn't so great. I did notice that my swimsuit had a green tinge and my blonde daughters hair is greenish.
is pristine blue more expensive than the chlorine route?
We keep going back to the pool store for testing since I don't want to mess up the pool.
Draining the pool and starting over isn't an option.

 

[JohnT]

Welcome to TFP!

Draining and starting over is really by far your best option. The copper from the Pristine Blue is what is causing the green hair and swimsuit. You may start seeing black or blue stains on your liner as it deposits there. You can use a regular dose of a phosphonic acid sequestrant to help control the copper, but it won't get rid of it.

Pristine Blue is not a sanitizer, and a pool still requires exactly the same amount of chlorine as if you weren't using it. There is no benefit to Pristine Blue and plenty of negatives.

 

[Holydoc]

Mommyjnny,

I am new to this board, so I will not pretend to be an expert. However when we recently got our pool, we were considering Pristine Blue as an alternative to chlorine. Being an Analyst and as been pointed out on this board a bit OCD, I did thorough research on Pristine Blue. To make a long story short, we decided to return our free Pristine Blue kit that came with the pool and went the chlorine route. Pristine Blue is using copper as a pesticide to kill off the algae in your pool. The copper is the reason for your daughters green hair. But the main reason we did not go with Pristine Blue was its parent company "Earth Science Laboratories" upping the dosage of Pristine Blue in order to entice its users to purchase more with no concern of the safety of the product. the EPA actually caught them and filed a "Stop Use & Sale Order" causing them to recall all their packaging and redistribute with the original EPA approved dosage of chemical. I am not going to say whether Pristine Blue is good or bad. I just wanted you to be aware why I went the opposite direction. Here is a link to the actual EPA order:

https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-01/documents/earthsciencelaboratoriesinc-ssuro.pdf

 

[Kiss4aFrog]

Welcome to TFP Mommyjnny


(both of them)
IMHO I'd drain as much as you can to get rid of the Pristine Blue.

Going with liquid bleach and the other basic chemicals we (TFP) use is much cheaper than going the pool store route. Since I changed over I'm much happier with the look and feel of my water and there's no chance of damage to swimsuits or peoples hair. No more algacide and no sudden greening of my pool either as I experienced using the pool store shock and testing. This way I know the water is sanitary and there is no chlorine smell or burning when kept at the recommended levels.
The big initial expense is getting a good test kit and then taking the time and having the patience to learn to use it. Lots of "how to" videos and then there's us (TFP) to walk you through it too.
I recommend getting the TF100. TFTestkits.net Here is a link to some of the videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/tf100testkit?feature=results_main
I'd also recommend getting the magnetic stirrer. It's so much easier letting it stir while you're trying to count drops and watch for color changes.

 

[Mommyjnny]

Welcome to TFP!

Draining and starting over is really by far your best option. The copper from the Pristine Blue is what is causing the green hair and swimsuit. You may start seeing black or blue stains on your liner as it deposits there. You can use a regular dose of a phosphonic acid sequestrant to help control the copper, but it won't get rid of it.

Pristine Blue is not a sanitizer, and a pool still requires exactly the same amount of chlorine as if you weren't using it. There is no benefit to Pristine Blue and plenty of negatives.

Is there a way to just transition over to chlorine without draining my pool?

 

[JohnT]

Is there a way to just transition over to chlorine without draining my pool?

Yes, you can just start using chlorine, but that won't fix the staining issues

 

[Mommyjnny]

Yes, you can just start using chlorine, but that won't fix the staining issues

Can I transition over completely just to chlorine? We are due to put blue in this weekend.
There is no staining to the pool or liner, just a little to my suit and my daughters light hair but they said if we use pristine clear that will take care of it. I'd honestly rather transition over completely to chlorine

 

[Donldson]

Welcome to TFP!

Pristine Blue has introduced a significant amount of copper in to your pool, this is what is causing the green staining. There are only two ways to deal with copper, remove it from the pool by draining or use a sequesterant regularly to keep the copper trapped. There is no chemical you can add once and make the copper go away permanently and it doesn't go away over time, it must either be physically removed or sequestered with regular dosage of an appropriate sequesterant. Draining is the fastest and most economical choice.

You also mention in your first post that you take water to the pool store to test due to fear of messing things up. Believe me when I tell you that most people that come here have had their pools messed up due to pool store testing and following through on those recommendations. Generally the testing is not very good (doesn't matter if by computer or strips or drops, they have proven very bad at testing water) and the recommendations are geared towards sales, not efficient pool care. A proper drop based kit is essential to making sure you are basing your decisions on accurate testing.

 

[Kiss4aFrog]

Yup, just stop using the "Blue" and start testing and treating your water with chlorine and the other simple chemicals recommended. It won't cure the problems you're having with clothing and hair color
You're going to need a good test kit. TFTestkits.net We're here to help you.

Edit . . it will go away over time but will take forever. Each time you backwash you're getting a little bit of it out. That's why everyone is going to advise you to do some draining. It's just a much better way to handle it than having to keep adding a sequestrate to lock it up. BUT . . . if you're someplace where there are water restrictions and or water is really expensive using the sequestrante might be the way to go.

Info: CHELATORS SEQUESTRANTS

How many gallons is it ?? I'm guessing around 6,500 gallons. If so you'd use a quart of treatment initially, $15/25 depending on what brand you get and where. Then $5.50/10 bucks of product weeky. That against the effort and cost of dumping and refilling.

 

[Mommyjnny]

Yup, just stop using the "Blue" and start testing and treating your water with chlorine and the other simple chemicals recommended. It won't cure the problems you're having with clothing and hair color
You're going to need a good test kit. TFTestkits.net We're here to help you.

Edit . . it will go away over time but will take forever. Each time you backwash you're getting a little bit of it out. That's why everyone is going to advise you to do some draining. It's just a much better way to handle it than having to keep adding a sequestrate to lock it up. BUT . . . if you're someplace where there are water restrictions and or water is really expensive using the sequestrante might be the way to go.

Info: CHELATORS SEQUESTRANTS

How many gallons is it ?? I'm guessing around 6,500 gallons. If so you'd use a quart of treatment initially, $15/25 depending on what brand you get and where. Then $5.50/10 bucks of product weeky. That against the effort and cost of dumping and refilling.

we are at 10,000 gallons. Give or take a little.
Water restrictions keep us from draining right now since we just had to drain due to installer mistakes with liner.
I would like to transition off the blue but want the kids to continue to be able to use the pool. What is the treatment needed? How much chlorine each week? What is the average cost people are spending? I know we were at about 20 or so every 2 weeks. Is that higher than chlorine? I am so clueless in this.
what is th advanced clear I am putting in biweekly for?

thanks everyone who has responded so far!

 

[Kiss4aFrog]

The big expense is going to be for a good testing kit. You have to bite the bullet and just do it. I recommend the TF100 and that Speedstir is well worth it too especally once you're tired to count drops, watch for color change and have to wiggle the tube to keep it mixed !!

You will need to test and find out the CYA level and then add chlorine pretty much daily to maintain a safe level of FC (chlorine) in relation to the CYA level. Your children should be safe and able to swim from day one.

You should read through "Pool School" and it will tell you about the process. It won't make a lot of sense at first but it slowly sinks in. You're not clueless and you've found us (TFP) and trust me, we were all the same the first few posts when we were new.

It will likely cost less in the long run even when you add in the testing kit as the chlorine is so much less expensive. You'll likely have cleaner more sanitary water too.

 

[Mommyjnny]

The big expense is going to be for a good testing kit. You have to bite the bullet and just do it. I recommend the TF100 and that Speedstir is well worth it too especally once you're tired to count drops, watch for color change and have to wiggle the tube to keep it mixed !!

You will need to test and find out the CYA level and then add chlorine pretty much daily to maintain a safe level of FC (chlorine) in relation to the CYA level. Your children should be safe and able to swim from day one.

You should read through "Pool School" and it will tell you about the process. It won't make a lot of sense at first but it slowly sinks in. You're not clueless and you've found us (TFP) and trust me, we were all the same the first few posts when we were new.

It will likely cost less in the long run even when you add in the testing kit as the chlorine is so much less expensive. You'll likely have cleaner more sanitary water too.

Okay! Thanks so much for your help! I'll order a test kit and then let you know my numbers. Hoping your guys can help me with chlorine and whatever else I need!

so I'm guessing then I won't need to shock after every rain since it gets cloudy? Or put in 20 dollars worth of acid blue and clear in biweekly?!? Just chlorine?

 

[max2k]

Okay! Thanks so much for your help! I'll order a test kit and then let you know my numbers. Hoping your guys can help me with chlorine and whatever else I need!

so I'm guessing then I won't need to shock after every rain since it gets cloudy? Or put in 20 dollars worth of acid blue and clear in biweekly?!? Just chlorine?

After you get things under control based on 10k volume of your pool you'll be adding about 1/4 of 1 gal jug of 8.25% bleach daily on the hottest days of summer when Sun breaks chlorine the most. This demand drops sharply as temperature falls. Given price of chlorine $3.50 / jug (high) you'll be spending about $10 over 2 weeks during hot weather. You can check this using PoolMath after getting familiar with the site.

The point of TFP method is different though: you'll know exactly what is in your water at any given time and you won't have any surprises in terms of algae outbreaks, shocking, staining, etc.

Of course, the pool won't maintain itself and if you let it down for a week during hot months you might get algae problem but then again you'd know what went wrong.

 

[Schadenfreude]

I'm sure you have been putting chlorine in your pool, probably in the form of "shock" or tabs. Solid forms of chlorine come with their own problems.

If I were you I would start adding half a gallon of unscented Clorox (8.25%) bleach every day until your test kit arrives. Unless you have tabs in a floater or an inline chlorinator, you have to add liquid chlorine pretty much every day. And you have to have chlorine to keep your pool safe for swimming.

 

[Mommyjnny]

I'm sure you have been putting chlorine in your pool, probably in the form of "shock" or tabs. Solid forms of chlorine come with their own problems.

If I were you I would start adding half a gallon of unscented Clorox (8.25%) bleach every day until your test kit arrives. Unless you have tabs in a floater or an inline chlorinator, you have to add liquid chlorine pretty much every day. And you have to have chlorine to keep your pool safe for swimming.

Honestly they had us put a brite stick in the filter basket and I took it upon myself to get a floater and put 3 inch tabs in it. I know that still wasn't enough chlorine.
put the half gallon of bleach in this morning. If I were to drain the pool do I need to drain the whole thing or can I do half? I know I need a sequestrant but am not sure the most price efficient way to go as a complete draining would cost quite a bit.
that advanced clear I was putting in with the blue....was that a sequestrant?

 

[robertmee]

Yes, Pristine Clear is a sequestrant...from their own advertising "Pristine Clear® effectively helps in clearing cloudy water caused by fine particles that are too small for the filter to remove. By clumping these particles together, the filter can more easily remove them. And Pristine Clear® is formulated with a neutral pH to work perfectly with your PristineBlue® chlorine free system.

- - - Updated - - -

So, in essence, they're having you add metals and to prevent staining, adding a sequestrant. You're on an endless cycle and slave to the pool store, sorry to say.

- - - Updated - - -

From their FAQ

Will PristineBlue turn my hair green?

Unfortunately, people with blond or chemically treated hair are susceptible to “swimmer’s hair” regardless of what chemicals the pool is treated with. To prevent swimmer’s hair, always use PristineClean as directed. Wetting chemically treated hair with tap water before swimming and shampooing afterward should be standard practice.

- - - Updated - - -

They invented a whole new term "Swimmer's hair" and an out and out lie, that "swimmer's hair" is probable no matter what a pool is treated with. What a crock.

The real truth:

Why Blonde Hair Turns Green in Pool Water and How to Fix it - Except ignore the Metal Free product....It doesn't remove metals, but binds them so they don't react....same as Pristine clear.

 

[Schadenfreude]

They are really billing this as chlorine-free??? Now that is irresponsible.

So, they are selling a product that adds copper and a product that sequesters copper?

 

[domct203]

Yes, Pristine Clear is a sequestrant...from their own advertising "Pristine Clear® effectively helps in clearing cloudy water caused by fine particles that are too small for the filter to remove. By clumping these particles together, the filter can more easily remove them. And Pristine Clear® is formulated with a neutral pH to work perfectly with your PristineBlue® chlorine free system.

That sounds more like a clarifier than a sequestrant.....

Dom

 

[Mommyjnny]

They are really billing this as chlorine-free??? Now that is irresponsible.

So, they are selling a product that adds copper and a product that sequesters copper?

Yeah they said it was better for the kids. Glad I found his forum! wish I found you all sooner though!
what is the different between chelation and sequestrant? Can I empty half the pool and refill? Would that rid of the coppers faster?

 

[robertmee]

That sounds more like a clarifier than a sequestrant.....

Dom

Other than if you read their FAQ they say to use it with Pristine Blue to prevent green hair. A clarifier isn't going to insulate the copper ions from turning hair green. But with all the snake oil salesmanship, who knows what it is.