Hello all! Thank you in advance for taking time to read about an issue which I am having. Hopefully someone who had a similar issue will be able to offer some insight.
Background: Last year (2016) at the end of the pool season my heat pump failed. Apparently water got into the system through a breach of some sort most likely due to corrosion of the copper heat exchanger. I don't know how well the previous owners maintained their water. A short while later, the surfaces of the pool got covered by a purple sludge. It's not stained into the vinyl, but is in a very fine type of powdery solid and can be brushed off with a little effort. When brushed it dissipates into the water which turns murky. When my Aquabot cleaner runs, it accumulates the purple sludge in the bag and needs to be cleaned frequently. It also doesn't get it all off the floor and walls.
It's my understanding based upon research that this is most likely the result of Copper Cyanurate (copper released into the pool from the failed heat pump combining with high levels of cyanuric acid (stabilizer)). My CA level is at 134 ppm which is much too high.. I'm working on lowering the levels of CA by draining the pool down a little and then adding more water in. I was advised against lowering the water too much as the liner can shift.
I have a few questions..
1) Is there a better way to lower the CA levels?
2) Will the purple precipitate disappear as the CA levels decrease or do I need to scrub everything down (something which would be very difficult to do as it takes a some effort to remove and then it just goes back in to the water to potentially resettle elsewhere. I don't know if the filter catches this very fine stuff).
3) Is there something which can aid in removing the purple precipitate/sludge such as an additive?
I have just replaced the heat pump with one which has a titanium heat exchanger and I maintain the pool chemistry correctly so this issue will not resurface.
Background: Last year (2016) at the end of the pool season my heat pump failed. Apparently water got into the system through a breach of some sort most likely due to corrosion of the copper heat exchanger. I don't know how well the previous owners maintained their water. A short while later, the surfaces of the pool got covered by a purple sludge. It's not stained into the vinyl, but is in a very fine type of powdery solid and can be brushed off with a little effort. When brushed it dissipates into the water which turns murky. When my Aquabot cleaner runs, it accumulates the purple sludge in the bag and needs to be cleaned frequently. It also doesn't get it all off the floor and walls.
It's my understanding based upon research that this is most likely the result of Copper Cyanurate (copper released into the pool from the failed heat pump combining with high levels of cyanuric acid (stabilizer)). My CA level is at 134 ppm which is much too high.. I'm working on lowering the levels of CA by draining the pool down a little and then adding more water in. I was advised against lowering the water too much as the liner can shift.
I have a few questions..
1) Is there a better way to lower the CA levels?
2) Will the purple precipitate disappear as the CA levels decrease or do I need to scrub everything down (something which would be very difficult to do as it takes a some effort to remove and then it just goes back in to the water to potentially resettle elsewhere. I don't know if the filter catches this very fine stuff).
3) Is there something which can aid in removing the purple precipitate/sludge such as an additive?
I have just replaced the heat pump with one which has a titanium heat exchanger and I maintain the pool chemistry correctly so this issue will not resurface.