New Pool Turned Green Overnight

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hawkfive

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Sep 7, 2008
19
Hi,
New member here. Our pool was plastered with River Rok June 8th and filled by June 10th. Pool tech came out on June 11th to do pool school, and added startup chemicals. They gave me 4 weeks supply of chemicals, to be added each Thursday. Yesterday was our first day, and we added the following:

3 bags Blue Water Crystals
1/2 bottle Algaecide
4 chlorine pucks in each of 2 skimmer baskets
2 gallons muriatic acid

We had lots of rain yesterday/last night, and woke up to a green pool - clear, not cloudy, but definitely green. Do not have a test kit yet. We live in central NJ.

Any ideas?
 
Without testing there's no way to know exactly what's going on with your water.

With brand-new plaster the pH will rise very quickly for several weeks, and will tend to rise more than usual for up to a year. Lots of acid is not unusual in the early days of a plaster pool. But you won't know when or how much to add acid if you don't test!
--paulr
 
Get your own test kit... in the long run it will save you. In the short run it might save you too, because new plaster pools really do have serious pH management issues. If you can do your own test every day you'll be able to keep on top of things and not have to keep running out to the pool store.

Around here we really like the Taylor K-2006, also sold by Leslie's as the FAS-DPD Service Kit (but probably not stocked by the store), and the TF100 from tftestkits.net (which is what I have). These kits have all the tests you really need, including the FAS-DPD chlorine test (can't shock properly without it) and the CYA test.
--paulr
 
What is the active ingredient of the algaecide?

What brand are the pucks, and do you have anything that lists the active ingredient?

Some of these products -some brands - they contain copper, and copper can give the water a funny color. I doubt that is what this is, but it's good to rule it out.

I second the advise for your own test kit. It's the best investment you can make to protect your investment. :goodjob:
 
I don't necessarily trust these numbers, but if they are accurate, your PH is too low and so is your TA. I think you maybe overdoing it a bit on the acid additions....with your own test kit you can test and dose accurately and avoid dramatic fluctuations.

Also your CYA is a little high too, for operating an SWG you don't want it above 80.

You really need your own kit to determine if these are accurate.

If this is algae starting, you'll need to shock your pool. That's gonna be kind of hard without your own kit and having CYA at 100.
 
Hi hawkfive,

I suggest you contact your PB about your green water and the test results. Depending on their start-up procedure, you don't want to do anything to mess up your warranty.

Yes, the best investment you can make in your pool is a good test kit. My fav is the TF100 from TFTestKits.net.

See our Start up New Plaster article in Pool School for some info that might help.

Welcome to the forum :wave:
 

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Ok, spoke to the pool service co that my PB contracted with, and read her the test results that we got from a local pool store. She believes we may have overchlorinated, given that it's really not been hot or sunny here this past week. She wants us to add 1/2 of a 25lb bag of alkalinity and see what happens in 3-4 hours. Does this sound right?
 
Overchlorinated? For your CYA of 100, minimum FC is 7, so you are already too low. You really want to target about 12 until you can get the SWG operating. "Overchlorinated" wouldn't affect low ph or TA readings, and it wouldn't make the pool turn green. Doesn't sound right to me.

Do you have the alk up already - otherwise it's the same thing as Baking Soda, only Alk Up costs more. Sure add it, won't hurt, it'll raise the TA up slightly, won't do much for the PH but that should rise on it's own from the plaster curing, and it won't do anything for the green....
 
We had lots of rain yesterday/last night, and woke up to a green pool - clear, not cloudy, but definitely green.
Click to expand...
Lot's of good advice above but please don't overlook what made your pool turn green....lack of chlorine.

You need chlorine in your pool and you need to continually replenish it.......it's the only thing that will fight the algae (that's the green in your pool) and keep your water crystal clear if you maintain it (the chlorine) properly
 
It is difficult to comprehend how/why a pool that has been filled only nine days can have a CYa of 100.

Can you take a water sample to another pool store for testing?

This is the reason we recommend getting your own test kit instead of using the pool store for testing.
Too much wrong info from pool store. :hammer:
 
Good news! Was finally able to reach original tech on his cell. He believed it was metal in the water, and had us add 4 qts of Sequa-sol, a sequestering agent. Woke up this morning to a beautiful blue pool!
 
hawkfive said:
Here are the numbers:
TC - 6.7
FC - 6.7
PH - 6.4
Total Alkalinity - 40
Calcium - 300
Stabilizer - 100
Click to expand...

That PH is definitely too low, so too much acid going in, even for the new plaster.

Anyone know how did the stabilizer got to 100 in a week with tabs?

Edit: Guess I should read the full thread before responding. :) Has been asked already.
 
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