Question about damage from copper algaecide

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TomAtlanta

Well-known member
Sep 10, 2011
392
Atlanta Ga
I have been using the BBB method for several years with good results. I first learned about it on this site. Thanks.

Recently I hired a guy to vacuum and brush my pool. I did not make it clear to him that was all I wanted him to do and that I wanted to continue doing the chemicals myself. He added some copper based algaecide. We talked and he knows not to add anything more, but the copper based algaecide is alreday in the water.

What damage will this do and do I need to modify the BBB method in any way going forward? Is it enough of a problem that I need to drain the pool? I really don't want to drain the pool if I don't have to.
 
Now my chlorine tests don't work, and I know there is plenty of chlorine in the water because I just added it.

When I do the daily test, adding the R-0060 to the water, the water is clear, showing there is no chlorine, but I know there is.

When I do the drop test and add the R-0870 powder to the water, it doesn't turn nearly as pink as it used to. It is more of a light purple color. This is the first time I am doing the drop test this year and the
R-0870 powder is over a year old, so maybe that is the problem.

Does copper mess up chlorine tests, or could it be some other chemical he added that he didn't tell me about?
 
I used some newer R-0870 powder and the water tests OK. I guess these chemicals do loose potency over time.
I added more chlorine and the yellow OTO test works.

I do think something he added effected chlorine testing because I had to put in twice as much as usual to get the yellow OTO test to work. Or maybe there is something growing in the pool eating up the chlorine, or maybe more sunlight is having a bigger effect than I thought. CYA is 40.

Any idea about any of this would be appreciated.

Everything seems OK now though. Thanks for your help
 
I know there are chemicals that can appear as a cc but I would have thought that would show up on the Oto test. At least it sounds like everything is working as expected for now.
 
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