Foamy Inground Vinyl Pool

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meccanoble

0
Jun 28, 2017
52
Powder Springs/ GA
Hey guys, long time lurker but super newbie. This is first year I'm opening my pool on my own. It started green and now it looks blue but cloudy (cant see the bottom in many areas) and top is foamy. I thought it was dead algae floating and was ready to looking flocking but the more I look at it, I think its just foam. Since opening, I added walmart liquid chlorine (about 6-8 jugs), 3 packs of shock, and recently added baking soda/harness/alkalinity increaser. The foam has been there since I added the chlorine. Not sure what to do next. I seen a youtube video talking about "CLEAR AID" but wanted to get suggestions before I start the dumping train.

Here are specs on pool:

30,000 gallon pool
Inground vinyl
Water last replaced year and a half ago
Planning to measure again today but last details from yesterday are:
Hayward Sand filter, 1.5 hp pump, Aqualogic

PH - 7.5
Chlorine - 3-5 (seems closer to 5)
Bromine - 4-6
hardness 70
Alkalinity 20

My hardness and alkalinity were super low. I added about 7 lbs of baking soda/alkalinity increaser and about 5 lbs of hardness. I have a feeling I'll need more. I'm content with color of pool just wish it was clearer and not so foamy up top.
 
Though vinyl lined pools don't require calcium, it's been noted that calcium does prevent foaming.

I'm not exactly sure, but it looks like maybe because your CH is 70 you're getting the foaming.
I could be wrong but I wonder if the Bromine has anything to do with it.

You could try upping your CH level to 200 and see if the foaming goes away. possible.
It certainly would not harm anything to try.

What I would not do is try any magic potions like that clear aid.
 
We are on day 4 now after opening pool. Here are this mornings readings:

Chlorine: Hard to read but looking like 3-5+
PH: 7.3-7.5
Alkalinity: 30 ppm (only went up 1 drop)
Hardness: 80 ppm

Looks like its back to the store for more baking soda. Any suggestions for cheaper way to increase hardness besides hardness increaser? Could this be my only missing components? I ran these circulate over night instead of filter to help circulate better.
 
If any local hardware stores / home depots in your area sell ice melter like Dow Flake, you can
use that as lower cost calcium increaser. Avoid any kinds that have additives.
It should only contain calcium chloride.
 
Do not add any pool $tore "aids" to your pool! they aren't needed and may add bad stuff.
Baking soda is less than $1 a pound at my local grocery store, no need to go to the pool $tore for it! It is literally the same thing as the orange boxed stuff, calcium bicarbonate.

Do you sanitize with bromine? If not, that number is meaningless. It is just listed on the side of the OTO tester.

What test kit are you using? If you are doing a SLAM, then you need to test with something more accurate than the OTO tester. You should use the FAS/DPD test (powder & drops).

Please post a full set of test results including the name of the test kit you are using. We don't know the whole story without them.

FC
CC
pH
CH
TA
CYA
 
I'm using an hth test kit from walmart. Measures alkalinity, calcium hardness, ph, total chlorine. I am trying to get a CYA read now. I dont think I use bromine. Reposting numbers from this morning again below. I didnt add anything to pool since last night and recirculate and filter have been running since.

Chlorine: Hard to read but looking like 3-5+
PH: 7.3-7.5
Alkalinity: 30 ppm (only went up 1 drop)
Hardness: 80 ppm
 
I just measured CYA and its super low according to my test. I filled to the T and could still see the black dot. I have those 3" tablets and I put 2 in when I reopened pool and added another 2 days ago. Maybe I need to add more?

- - - Updated - - -

appreciate all this feedback. I'm adding baking soda and hardness tonight. I assume I should throw 4 tablets in to increase CYA? I was going to vacuum after pool was clear so I knew what was going on under there.
 

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Looking at some videos, it seems I may just need more shock. I went heavy on the liquid chlorine in the beginning and probably should have went heavy on shock first and then liquid chlorine for future maintenance. Maybe I have lots of total chlorine and not enough active chlorine. No stabilizer.
 
"shock" is typically a bag of dichlor powder. This is chlorine tied with CYA to get to powder form. When added to the water it will sanitize with the side effect of adding CYA, at about 1:1 ratio.

liquid chlorine / bleach is chlorine and water and for the most part doesn't have any other non-essential chemicals with it.

When your CYA is low, it is ok to use the dichlor powder or trichlor tabs. But for routine maintenance and for the SLAM, it is much preferred to use liquid chlorine / bleach to raise your FC level. The issue with using tabs to raise CYA is that they don't dissolve fast enough to be useful for adding FC when you are trying to SLAM. You did nothing wrong by using the liquid chlorine and you should continue to do so. If anything, get some powdered CYA and put it in a sock, hang it in front of your return to add CYA to the water. Use PoolMath (link at top of page) and shoot for 30ppm of CYA. Start by adding 10 ppm at a time so that your don't overshoot and get CYA too high.

The OTO Chlorine Test that comes with that hth test kit tests for "TC - Total Chlorine". It doesn't differentiate active vs total chlorine and it isn't very accurate.

I would also recommend that you get a better test kit like the TF-100 or Taylor 2006C. I prefer the TF-100 because it comes with better sized reagents.

Brush and vacuum now, no need to wait until the water is clear.

Can you fill out your signature with you pool info and equipment type. It will help others help you since they don't need to ask about the pool info. You can use those above as examples.
 
:goodpost:

:wave: Welcome to TFP meccanoble

I hate to ask the obvious but did you get basic liquid bleach ?? You didn't by chance get a bottle or two of splash-less or scented did you ?? They have been know to cause foaming.

.
 
Nope, all chlorine purchased is pool chlorine which has helped me a lot last year but giving me a little trouble this year since I'm opening. Adding hardness and baking soda now. I threw 3 tablets in the skimmer. Hoping this combo helps. Only thing new I did was add Pool Essential shock. I remember even end of last year I never added baking soda because when I was young and dumber, I was adding a lot of tablets and baking soda thinking it cleaned like chlorine and had a high alkalinity and CYA.

I'm mad I paid 22 for this test strip. Its an upgrade from the test strips I used last year but still limited. 80+ for a test kit sounds pricey but for someone not paying a pool person anymore, it seems worth it.

I'll update signature asap!
 
meccanoble said:
80+ for a test kit sounds pricey but for someone not paying a pool person anymore, it seems worth it.
Click to expand...

I battled this same question for several weeks. I actually drug my feet so long my pool turned green on me and I am in the middle of SLAM. First Time SLAM - Page 2

The icing on the cake for me was just a causal visit at my local pool store. I good have easily walked out of there with 250 - 350 dollars in chemicals.

I was also intimated by the testing process. I have done it so much during my slam process I can do it in the morning while the kids are eating breakfast and have my bleach in by the time they are done and we are ready to go to school / work.

- - - Updated - - -

Also...I have been purchasing my bleach from the walmart pool section. its 3.65 a gallon for 10%. They sell it as pool chlorine.
 
*puts SLAM on his list of things to look up so he doesnt feel like an idiot on this forum*. I took a look but need to understand SLAM better. I'm pretty sure my pool was worst than the guy who just moved into a green pool. Sounds like the liquid chlorine did better than I thought.

Yea you a nd others make it sound very worth it. I just took a look at the pool before adding the new chemicals and it has cleared up a little. Prior, on the deep end, I had a return line I could not see and now I can (when foamy water not fully covering it). I guess the 8 pounds I added last night helped a little. I look at the recommended measurements and just that alone should have made my ph sky rocket and alkalinity jump more than 10 ppm but I guess hardness and other factors impacted its ability to be truly effective?

Question:
1) I'll be starting the vacuum process really soon. I will have it setup where it would drop material into skimmer. Does this mean I can keep the sand filter on filter? I was told that it is better to put it on waste so whatever is vacuumed bypasses the sand filter. I imagine thats for those who dont have a skimmer basket inbetween?

2) I have blue shield crystal clear and already added double the dosage recommended to help water get clear. Does overkill = wasted money or harmful to someone/something? Tempted to add more but fighting the urge. Probably best to see what this basking soda does.

- - - Updated - - -

BTW McClifford, that is the same chlorine I use, same place. Last batch had dates of 2017 360 :(. Thats the newest I could find this time.
 
Kiss4aFrog said:
You can skip the "Pool Essentials, shock" in the future as the bleach is a better and cheaper choice. It's also showing 48% as other ingredients. Curious what those are. :confused:
Click to expand...
Baking soda, essentially. It's a trichlor powder and since trichlor is horribly acidic they put something in to make it a bit more pH neutral.
 
If you vacuum to waste the water is going to go out of your pool. It does bypass the filter. If you have a lot of crud on the bottom and can afford to lose the water vacuuming to waste is the way to go. If it's fairly clean than vacuuming with the filter, filtering is the way to go.

Using extra chemicals might be what is causing your foaming. We recommend just using the basics. Mostly just bleach to clear and keep your pool clean.

I can't find any reference to the "blue shield crystal clear". Where do you get it ?? I did find Blue Shield shock treatment at Graingers but that was all.
BLUE SHIELD CHEMICALS Liquid Pool Shock Treatment,1 gal.,PK192 - 5PJD237257 - Grainger
 
meccanoble said:
I threw 3 tablets in the skimmer.
Click to expand...

You should remove those tablets from the skimmer asap.

When the pump is not on a highly acidic concentration of chlorine will occur which
is not only very bad for equipment but EXTREMELY harmful to a vinyl liner pool.

Someone destroyed their liner last year around the skimmer area from putting
tablets in it. It became brittle and cracked in several places outside the skimmer mouth entry
in a short time.
 

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