We swam on a Saturday night and the water was crystal clear. We woke Sunday morning to a cloudy pool. I notice several clumps of dirt and large rocks in the bottom of the pool. I removed the dirt clumps and the rocks and contacted our pool shop. They told me to vacuum to waste until all dirt was removed could take several days. I did that. Pool was starting to clear. We were leaving for vacation so I put the pool back into cycle ( run the pump 9 hours a day. A week later we came home and the pool was green and I felt more rocks on the bottom of the pool. I assume they threw more dirt in so I shut the pump off over night to let it settle and it didn't. I contacted the pool store and they had me put algaecide in. It did nothing. my water balance is good chlorine high though. hardness 250 tc 10 fc 10 PH 7.2 Ta 120 St 100. I'm not sure what to do next.
Someone threw dirt clumps in our pool
- Thread starter kathygreg
- Start date
We swam on a Saturday night and the water was crystal clear. We woke Sunday morning to a cloudy pool. I notice several clumps of dirt and large rocks in the bottom of the pool. I removed the dirt clumps and the rocks and contacted our pool shop. They told me to vacuum to waste until all dirt was removed could take several days. I did that. Pool was starting to clear. We were leaving for vacation so I put the pool back into cycle ( run the pump 9 hours a day. A week later we came home and the pool was green and I felt more rocks on the bottom of the pool. I assume they threw more dirt in so I shut the pump off over night to let it settle and it didn't. I contacted the pool store and they had me put algaecide in. It did nothing. my water balance is good chlorine high though. hardness 250 tc 10 fc 10 PH 7.2 Ta 120 St 100. I'm not sure what to do next.
How are you testing the water?
Regardless of what started the problem (perhaps it was the dirt that the unknown vandals threw in your pool), if the water is green now, you appear to have an algae problem. If 'St' is stabilizer, it may well be higher than 100, since that is where the standard test maxes out. With high stabilizer, it becomes very hard to eliminate algae once it gets started. Note that your chlorine actually isn't high if your CYA (stabilizer) is at 100 or above. The higher the stabilizer, the higher the chlorine levels you need to maintain for proper sanitation. See here:
Pool School - Chlorine / CYA Chart
So, please let us know where your test numbers come from, and then we can make some suggestions about next steps to try.
Regardless of what started the problem (perhaps it was the dirt that the unknown vandals threw in your pool), if the water is green now, you appear to have an algae problem. If 'St' is stabilizer, it may well be higher than 100, since that is where the standard test maxes out. With high stabilizer, it becomes very hard to eliminate algae once it gets started. Note that your chlorine actually isn't high if your CYA (stabilizer) is at 100 or above. The higher the stabilizer, the higher the chlorine levels you need to maintain for proper sanitation. See here:
Pool School - Chlorine / CYA Chart
So, please let us know where your test numbers come from, and then we can make some suggestions about next steps to try.
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,751
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
That is a horrible thing to think of ... someone throwing something into your pool. Might be time for a good surveillance camera. :cop: In the meantime, you'll want to make sure any testing you do is from your own TF-100 or Taylor K-2006C test kit. With your water changing to green you'll want to be absolutely sure of the FC and CYA levels so they can be balanced properly to perform a TFP "SLAM" link below. Definitely do not add any more algaecide or pool store products as they tend to add copper or other products that have negative side effects. Regular Liquid bleach will be your weapon of choice ... along with that surveillance camera. Nice to have you with us.
Welcome to the forum 
Singingpond has you on the right track. You will need a test kit that contains an FAS-DPD chlorine test as well as a CYA test. There are 2 recommended test kits that fulfill this need, the TF-100 and Taylor k-2006. They both contain the same reagents but the TF-100 contains more reagents. Do you by chance have one of these kits? If you do can you post your CYA level add the volume of your pool in gallons to your signature and we can advise you on how to proceed?
Singingpond has you on the right track. You will need a test kit that contains an FAS-DPD chlorine test as well as a CYA test. There are 2 recommended test kits that fulfill this need, the TF-100 and Taylor k-2006. They both contain the same reagents but the TF-100 contains more reagents. Do you by chance have one of these kits? If you do can you post your CYA level add the volume of your pool in gallons to your signature and we can advise you on how to proceed?
Oh, and a stabilizer (CYA) of 100 is NOT good. In fact it is horrible because that test only goes to 100, it could be way higher.
P.S. sorry about your neighbors.
P.S. sorry about your neighbors.