Hi. Looking for some expert help...ever since pool opening this year (about 4 weeks ago now), I've been struggling with a green tint to my water. The water is perfectly clear and has no signs of algae that we can see. Have tested the water at the pool store multiple times for their advice (which as been useless so far) and even had a pool company out (they were a little baffled, they re-backwashed and actually opened the whole DE filer and cleaned it all out). The water doesn't look AWFUL, but it also isn't its normal bright blue self that we've had over the last 3 years. I thought maybe it was metals (copper or iron), but according to the most recent pool store tests (I don't know how to test for those), they said each were zero. I can't tell you how many times we've shocked the pool, and also have backwashed probably 3 times. Most recently i added 32oz of Jack's Blue magic (3 days ago) thinking that might done some metals, but that doesn't seem to be having any impact either...AARGH. I'd love any advice or suggestions. Thank you.
Green Tint to Pool Water
- Thread starter Jsion1
- Start date
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,802
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Hello and welcome to TFP! 
My first thought was iron, but since you've tried a couple options with that, I'm thinking it may be water chemistry. But we would need to see a full set of test results. If you haven't been here before, we also do not trust pool store testing, nor do we care for test strips. You'll receive your best advice here at TFP by posting test results from a TF-100 or Taylor K-2006C test kit (link below). That's really the first step for any water advice here - accurate test results. If you can get one of those for yourself, we'll be able to give you some pinpoint advice. In the meantime, feel free to read/bookmark the vital links below in my signature. They'll come-in handy. Nice to have you with us.
My first thought was iron, but since you've tried a couple options with that, I'm thinking it may be water chemistry. But we would need to see a full set of test results. If you haven't been here before, we also do not trust pool store testing, nor do we care for test strips. You'll receive your best advice here at TFP by posting test results from a TF-100 or Taylor K-2006C test kit (link below). That's really the first step for any water advice here - accurate test results. If you can get one of those for yourself, we'll be able to give you some pinpoint advice. In the meantime, feel free to read/bookmark the vital links below in my signature. They'll come-in handy. Nice to have you with us.Thanks for the fast reply; I have been reading some of the links, and I currently only have the Taylor 2005 test kit, but just ordered the 2006 test kit. I lost my CYA test bottle, so I couldn't get that. However, when I was at the pool store this week they told me that my CYA was 0, so I added a bunch of conditioner Thursday and will retest for that when I get my new kit. I will repost with all my numbers in a couple of days when I get the full new kit.
Jsion, very low TA can sometimes cause a green tint. Be sure to post full test results when you get your kit. Please also post a pic if you can.
- May 23, 2015
- 24,417
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
I notice you have a Nature2 Fusion chlorinator. Are you using the mineral sanitizer with it? Also, what color is you plaster? Has the color of the plaster changed at all?
Thanks for the replies. Pretty sure the TA is in good shape, been running in the 80-100 range pretty consistently without much variation. I will indeed post full test results hopefully tomorrow (come on Amazon!!). I am using the Nature2 with a new cartridge this year, is that what you mean JoyfulNoise in terms of the mineral sanitizer? Plaster is white and hasn't changed color as far as I can tell. It's dark and stormy now, so I'll post some pics tomorrow, too.
OK, finally, here are test results:
FC 0.4ppm
CC 1.0ppm
pH 7.4
TA 100
Hardness 450
CYA 50
Thoughts? Water is perfectly clear, but just a light green tint...attaching pics, too.
FC 0.4ppm
CC 1.0ppm
pH 7.4
TA 100
Hardness 450
CYA 50
Thoughts? Water is perfectly clear, but just a light green tint...attaching pics, too.
Does it sort of look like this?
That's the Copper Sulfate from your Nature2 http://www.kellysolutions.com/erenewals/documentsubmit/KellyData%5COK%5Cpesticide%5CMSDS%5C67712%5C67712-1%5C67712-1_Nature2_CF_12_14_2009_2_17_22_PM.pdf
An in other news... Your FC is way too low and your CC is too high, so you may be seeing the beginnings of an algae bloom as well.
So i took the nature2 cartridge out, saw that I couldn't run the system without it, so I decided to cut the nature 2 cartridge off and just leave the plug up top. I had no idea it would somehow affect the pressurization of the whole system, as now I think the pump won't prime and the system won't pressurize. Any stop gap fixes other than getting a brand new nature 2 cartridge as a stop gap until I can get the whole chlorinator/nature 2 unit removed...
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,802
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Yikes. I'm kind of useless on that one myself. Can't visualize what you're dealing with. Any chance these threads might help?
Remove Nature2 cartridge?
Nature2 Express mineral removal
Remove Nature2 cartridge?
Nature2 Express mineral removal
Yes, that was very helpful, thanks; i wish i would've seen them earlier before panicking! I did end up getting the guts removed and reassembled enough so that the pump is running again and the nature2 is essentially removed from the system. Continuing to read the forum, it looks like the OCLT is probably the best next step, right?
OK, did the OCLT test. I had added 2 full gallons of bleach yesterday morning, which pool math said would bring the FC up to 4ppm, and also had the pool running all day (still with chlorine pucks in the chlorinator), so was surprised that my FC was 1.8ppm on my first test last night, and then I retested a second time and got 1.4ppm. Let's average those and call it 1.6ppm (with CC at 1.8). This morning, FC is only 0.6ppm and CC is 2.8ppm. Thoughts? Do I need to SLAM or something else? Pool color seems to be slowly getting more blue with the removal of Nature2...
OK, this will be my first SLAM; the levels page say FC of 20, so do I need to take it to that level or above that level? The math calc says i need almost 8 gallons of 6% bleach (I have 10 on standby to use from a Costco trip yesterday), does that sound right? Can I do the test in the evening tonight, check it later tonight, and then recheck in the morning, or do I need to start in the beginning of the day to be able to monitor it more frequently? Thanks!
Start as soon as possible. The huge consumption comes early, so if you can test and dose (to 20, not above) a time or two before bed, all the better. What you add last will have all night to kill what's left.
So added enough chlorine to get the ppm to 20 according to the calculator; not knowing how long to let the chlorine work around the pool until i measured, i gave it about 30 minutes and shockingly only came up with 7.5 FC. did i not wait long enough or could it have dissipated that quickly by something eating away at it??
just retested in a different spot in the pool and now I got 5.5 FC, could it really be dropping that fast...
If you have algae, yes. Like I said, the early additions get used up really fast. If you're brushing the whole pool like you're supposed to be, you exposing a lot more algae to the bleach.