My apologies in advance as this is going to be a rather long post. I want to include as much detail as possible to give the proper information for a solution.
We got our pool 3 weeks ago (July 5), took 2 days to set up 3 days to fill as we are on a well and didn't want to stress out our pump.
I started with leveling the ph first using baking soda, as this seemed to be the information I was receiving that needed to be done first before anything else. After getting my ph to within level I then added a metal remover as we have well water. 24 hours later I started adding chlorine. Initially we used a tab that included trichlor. (financially at the beginning we were just trying to spend the bare minimum to get it up and running). I have a 3-way test kit (Aqua Chem OTO Test Kit) and strips (Aqua Chem 6-way) that I am currently using. Will invest in the TF-100 for next season. We are strapped now for this season with everything we have purchased so far for this pool.
We have only used the pool maybe 4 times in the past 3 weeks. I started noticing a green tint to the pool but the water was still clear. I thought it could be the metals interacting with the chlorine. My test readings were coming up within range. I took a sample of water to the pool place to see what the problem was. We are trying to use the BBB method as much as possible.
These were the results on 7/19
CYA - 0
TC - 0.8
FC - 0.1
pH - 7.7
TA - 124
CH - 3 (vinyl pool so not worrying about this)
Copper - 0
Iron - .2
At this point I added a stabilizer and hammered with chlorine (liquid KemTek Chlorinating Liquid) and 2 lbs of shock. A week later and there still seemed to be no progress.
I took a picture of the water and another sample to a different pool supply and these were the readings on 7/25
TC - 0.5
FC - 0.4
pH - 7.8
TA - 126
CH - 6
CYA - 20
copper - 0
Iron - 0
Phosphate - 982 (tons of rain)
We live in NC with 100 degree temps and now no rain for a week.
We purchased AquaChek Phosphate Test strips. I have added another stabilizer, still hammering with liquid chlorine and added a phosphate remover. Woke up the next day and the pool was no longer green and actually beautiful blue(YAY), but we now have brown stuff all over the floor of the pool. I added algaecide and am dealing with that making it's way thru the skimmer. We have been vacuuming for 3 days now. We have brown stuff coming out of the return whether vacuuming or not. We took some advice given on this forum and opened up the sand filter and ran water with a hose and loosened the sand until it ran clear. We then started the vacuuming process again and literally every 5 minutes we were having to do a backwash because the brown stuff was going into the pool from the return. We then switched to vacuuming to waste. We let it settle for 2 hours and vacuumed to waste again. We did a backwash and rinse and added a 121 oz of liquid chlorine to process overnight.
Woke up this morning to more brown stuff on the floor of the pool and its still coming out of the return when we turn the pump on.
I am now requesting help. I research everything and am currently at a loss. This forum has been a humongous help so far and I am hoping the experts here can give me some good news. At the rate I'm going pool season will be over and we will have not had the chance to enjoy our pool this year.
I haven't taken my current chemical readings because of battling the brown gunk. We are planning today to remove all of the sand from the filter and continuing to vacuum to waste and just during a recirculating on the pool until all the brown stuff is gone. Then add in new sand and rework the chemicals. I refuse to drain this pool and start over, as I said we are on a well and I don't want to chance over working the pump.
I'm hoping you guys have a better solution. I don't see how it could be the laterals as they are 3 weeks old and this brown stuff didn't start until we cleared up the phosphates. My husband thinks I'm over chlorinating it.
We got our pool 3 weeks ago (July 5), took 2 days to set up 3 days to fill as we are on a well and didn't want to stress out our pump.
I started with leveling the ph first using baking soda, as this seemed to be the information I was receiving that needed to be done first before anything else. After getting my ph to within level I then added a metal remover as we have well water. 24 hours later I started adding chlorine. Initially we used a tab that included trichlor. (financially at the beginning we were just trying to spend the bare minimum to get it up and running). I have a 3-way test kit (Aqua Chem OTO Test Kit) and strips (Aqua Chem 6-way) that I am currently using. Will invest in the TF-100 for next season. We are strapped now for this season with everything we have purchased so far for this pool.
We have only used the pool maybe 4 times in the past 3 weeks. I started noticing a green tint to the pool but the water was still clear. I thought it could be the metals interacting with the chlorine. My test readings were coming up within range. I took a sample of water to the pool place to see what the problem was. We are trying to use the BBB method as much as possible.
These were the results on 7/19
CYA - 0
TC - 0.8
FC - 0.1
pH - 7.7
TA - 124
CH - 3 (vinyl pool so not worrying about this)
Copper - 0
Iron - .2
At this point I added a stabilizer and hammered with chlorine (liquid KemTek Chlorinating Liquid) and 2 lbs of shock. A week later and there still seemed to be no progress.
I took a picture of the water and another sample to a different pool supply and these were the readings on 7/25
TC - 0.5
FC - 0.4
pH - 7.8
TA - 126
CH - 6
CYA - 20
copper - 0
Iron - 0
Phosphate - 982 (tons of rain)
We live in NC with 100 degree temps and now no rain for a week.
We purchased AquaChek Phosphate Test strips. I have added another stabilizer, still hammering with liquid chlorine and added a phosphate remover. Woke up the next day and the pool was no longer green and actually beautiful blue(YAY), but we now have brown stuff all over the floor of the pool. I added algaecide and am dealing with that making it's way thru the skimmer. We have been vacuuming for 3 days now. We have brown stuff coming out of the return whether vacuuming or not. We took some advice given on this forum and opened up the sand filter and ran water with a hose and loosened the sand until it ran clear. We then started the vacuuming process again and literally every 5 minutes we were having to do a backwash because the brown stuff was going into the pool from the return. We then switched to vacuuming to waste. We let it settle for 2 hours and vacuumed to waste again. We did a backwash and rinse and added a 121 oz of liquid chlorine to process overnight.
Woke up this morning to more brown stuff on the floor of the pool and its still coming out of the return when we turn the pump on.
I am now requesting help. I research everything and am currently at a loss. This forum has been a humongous help so far and I am hoping the experts here can give me some good news. At the rate I'm going pool season will be over and we will have not had the chance to enjoy our pool this year.
I haven't taken my current chemical readings because of battling the brown gunk. We are planning today to remove all of the sand from the filter and continuing to vacuum to waste and just during a recirculating on the pool until all the brown stuff is gone. Then add in new sand and rework the chemicals. I refuse to drain this pool and start over, as I said we are on a well and I don't want to chance over working the pump.
I'm hoping you guys have a better solution. I don't see how it could be the laterals as they are 3 weeks old and this brown stuff didn't start until we cleared up the phosphates. My husband thinks I'm over chlorinating it.