New & Need HELP!!! Pump down, green water

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Pool-Mom

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Aug 13, 2009
20
Kodak (East), TN
Hello and HELP, from East Tennessee!!

This is the first pool we have owned, so all of this is very new to me. I have an AG, 3000gal, 24ft round,metal frame Intex pool. It came with a Krystal Clear Filter/Pump model 633. And we have an Intex SWG.

For reasons unknown to me, the pump almost quit working last saturday (8/8). By almost, I mean that the water flow was there, but barely. And b/c of the low water flow, the SWG could not function. But, it was less then 90 days since we bought the pool/pump, so Intex sent us a new one, which didn't arrive until yesterday (8/15). And it needed to have a little work done to it (a part was damaged during shipping, which I could switch out on the old pump....which didn't effect its function). So, as of the moment it is still not hooked up. I will do that in the morning (8/17).

So, for the last 8 days, the pump is barely working and NO chlorine is being made. :(

I purchased a box of Aqua Chem Shock Plus, but my husband didn't think it was a good idea to add it b/c the water was not being pumped properly. Then I found TFP! :-D
The water started to turn a cloudy green color. I didn't have any bleach, but I added the Shock Plus, figuring it was better then nothing. I stirred up water with a pool brush.
The next day, the water was still cloudy, but no longer green.

I then purchased three 96oz of bleach. Which my husband would not allow me to add to the water, b/c "bleach has other chemicals in it" :blah: and he knows everything about everything. So all I was able to do was stir the water up each day a time or two, until pump arrived. By yesterday morning the water is green again, only much worse. :grrrr:

I did get a TF-100 test kit (b/c before all I had was the worthless test strips).
Test results yesterday:
FC: 0-.5
CC: 1
TC: 1.5
ph: 7.6-7.7
T/A: 180
CH: 260
CYA: 20
I am going to hook up new pump first thing in the morning,and get the SWG back online also. But WHAT DO I DO TO THE WATER TO GET IT SWIMABLE ASAP?? :?:


Thanks so much,
Pool-Mom :)
I hope I have provided the right amount of info. If there is any info I have left out, please ask, and I will do my best to find out.
 
You can encourage him to read this forum, but if that doesn't work you can buy liquid chlorine from a pool store. It will be labeled for use in pools so that may make him feel better about using it. If you read the labels on the powered pool products they also contain "other chemicals". Is there a specific chemical in bleach he is worried about?
 
Pool-mom,

The key to getting your pool clear is bleach.

You need to get the pump up and running (disregard the SWG for now....turn it on when your water is back crystal clear) and then you need to bring you FC level up to around 15ppm (with bleach) and hold it there with continual additions until the pool is clear.

With your CYA of 20, I would suggest adding the bleach three times daily....most importantly in the evening.

This may take a day or so. Don't be surprised if you get your water to the cloudy stage and then make very slow progess. The intex pumps and filters are pretty small so they clear a pool slowly.

Change your cartridge out frequently. I don't have one but I understand they are meant to be disposable.

Just give your husband a sheet of directions for using bleach.....that'll cure him. You know how we are about reading directions. :shock: :shock:

PS - The only other ingredients in bleach are mostly water and a little salt.
 
Ok, I got the pump up and running! :-D
I entered my numbers into the Pool Calculator, and it suggested a FC of 11ppm. Which required three 96oz bottles of bleach (which is all I had, so that worked...for now). I added the bleach and brushed the pool for a good bit.

I am going to retest water in a couple of hours, just to see where I stand.

It is a cloudy day and probably going to rain a little bit for the next 3-4 days. Don't know if that would affect what I add to water, or when.

As far as adding the bleach 3x a day....do I add the full suggested amount 3 different times a day for a few days? Sorry, just want to be clear. And go get the right amount of bleach obviously.And hold the FC level at 15ppm until...water is crystal clear? B/C as soon as I added the bleach and started brushing, the water went from a merky green to a cloudy blue. Yay?!?

Also, should I be adding something to bring my pH down a little, at the same time as adding the bleach? And is the "pH Down" from Aqua Chem just as good as using muriatic acid?

I did turn on the SWG, with the thought that it would help in clearing up the water and get the FC back on track. Does it not help to have it going? :oops: I will turn it off for now though.

As far as my husband, I have tried to share the info I have found here on TFP, but it falls on def ears. :cry: I will print out some things for him to read though, b/c so far this site is the only up to the minute guidence/support I have, and everone is very helpful! And the solutions have not cost me an arm and a leg (so far..lol), which is very important!

Thanks again for taking the time to read and respond!!

Pool-Mom :)

I will repost with new numbers in a little while.
 
do I add the full suggested amount 3 different times a day for a few days?
Click to expand...
No. Test your FC first. If the test shows 8ppm FC, add enough to get it back to 15ppn (7ppm). If it shows 12ppm, only add 3ppm to get it back to 15ppm.

Leave your pH alone for now. Let's see where it is after your water is crystal clear. The Aqua chem is fine to lower it but you don't need to right now.

It doesn't hurt to run the SWG, but it doesn't help much until your pool is clear. I suggested shutting it off simply to emphasize that bleach is the key ingredient in this pool clearing process....all the rest is somewhat peripheral.

Next time you are out, get some more bleach,........you will need it. 6 big jugs won't hurt you. You can always use it for daily maintenance and save the wear and tear on the SWG.
 
Just tested water (which is cloudy):
FC: 4.5
CC: 1
TC: 5.5
pH: 8.1
T/A: 160
CH: 300
CYA: 10

I'm going to get more bleach. And according to Pool Calculator, I will add another 283oz. of bleach.

How long should I wait in between bleach treatments to re-test and then add more (if needed)??

And should I worry about CYA right now and add the suggested 122oz of stabalizer? or simply focus on FC levels until water is clear?
Thanks again! :)
Pool-Mom
 
Re-check your pH test. There's no reason to have gone from 7.6 to 8.1. If it's really 8.1 bring it down to 7.5.

Either your pool size or your gallons is incorrect. I suspect gallons is wrong but please confirm which one is right.
 
I'm guessing the gallons I entered were wrong. I entered 13000, pool calculator figured it as 13500. Don't know if that makes that big of a difference.
I retested pH last night and this morning; and it has stayed a consistant 8.0-8.1 the last 3 times I've tested. (either I looked at the color chart wrong the first time or something changed?) I am going by the color on the pH test being between 7.8 and 8.2 and then taking the average. Is that correct?

Well, the FC dropped from a 6.5 last night to a 2 this morning. :grrrr:

I just added four 96oz bottles of bleach.

The pump has been running constantly for the last 26 hours. I have kept the skimmer basket cleaned out (which there really isn't much, except a few bugs). But is it ok to leave it running constantly? I usually have it set on a timer before this situation started. I know I should change the disposable filter "frequently" but how soon and how often?

And draining water really isn't an option. If it wasn't so close to the end of the swimming season here, I would consider it. Its just too late to start over.
 

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Oops...I changed my signiture to the correct gallons. :oops:

Well, it apprears that the water is clear. So now I have to get the pH down a little and the CYA up!

Latest Test results:
FC: 3
CC: .5
TC: 3.5
ph: 7.9-8.0
T/A: 170
CH: 270
CYA: 10

I was wonder if anyone has heard of or used Aqua Chems "Pool Salt Booster" or "Pool Salt Plus-Weekly Refresher"? Booster is a liquid one time treatment and the Refresher is a once a week powder to maintain. Refresher contains 32% Sodium Bisulfate and 68% other ingredients. Claims to maintain pH, control scale to prolong cell life, contain water clarifier, and maintains soft feel to water. Can Sodum Bisulfate do all of that? Or should I just stick to dry acid and stabalizer? I just don't want to spend money on products that do what they claim. Was hoping someone had experience with these products.

Any info would be appreciated!!

Pool-Mom :)
 
duraleigh said:
Keep things out of your pool you don't need.....it's a prime tenant of BBB.

You don't need any of those things....you need to test your water and keep chlorine in your pool. :lol:
Click to expand...

Ok, so just keep the chlorine between 3-5, and don't worry about anything else, now that the water is clear?
It's swimable then,correct?

I just thought that the stabilizer would get the CYA up to recommended levels to keep chlorine from being used up. My Pool is ALWAYS in full sun.

Pool-Mom :? :?
 
Pool-Mom said:
Refresher contains 32% Sodium Bisulfate and 68% other ingredients. Claims to maintain pH, control scale to prolong cell life, contain water clarifier, and maintains soft feel to water. Can Sodum Bisulfate do all of that? Or should I just stick to dry acid and stabalizer?
Click to expand...
Dry acid is close-to-pure sodium bisulfate, so this Refresher is dry acid mixed with other stuff. You shouldn't need that other stuff. So, put in enough stabilizer to keep your chlorine stable, use dry acid as needed to lower pH, and maintain your chlorine levels. (duraleigh was oversimplifying a bit. He just meant you don't need the Booster and Refresher stuff.)
--paulr
 
I got stabilizer today from Walmart, by Aqua Chem. Its sort of the consistancey of pool salt. Directions on the bottle said to poor directly into the skimmer. This makes me nervous. Directions here on TFP say to add solid stabilizer to a sock and put sock in the skimmer. Is what I have considered a "solid"?

Pool calculator suggested 126oz. for a CYA of 10.
I got two 48oz. jugs(will have to get another one later). I so far have added one....directly to the skimmer...like bottle said. Is that ok?? :?: Gosh I hope so!

If this isn't correct, Please advise me what to do!! :?

Pool-Mom :|
 
Pool-Mom said:
I got stabilizer today from Walmart, by Aqua Chem. Its sort of the consistancey of pool salt. Directions on the bottle said to poor directly into the skimmer. This makes me nervous. Directions here on TFP say to add solid stabilizer to a sock and put sock in the skimmer. Is what I have considered a "solid"?

Pool calculator suggested 126oz. for a CYA of 10.
I got two 48oz. jugs(will have to get another one later). I so far have added one....directly to the skimmer...like bottle said. Is that ok?? :?: Gosh I hope so!

If this isn't correct, Please advise me what to do!! :?

Pool-Mom :|
Click to expand...

Go easy on the stabilizer & re-check the pool calc.

If your pool is 13,500 gals, 48 oz. of stabilizer will raise you 27ppm

126 oz will put you around 70 ppm which is where you want to be with a swg

Maybe that 10 was a typo?????
 
I may be missing something, but I didn't see a successful FC overnight test. Don't go by the fact that the pool is clear. Run an FC overnight test with your SWG off and make sure it doesn't drop by more than 1 ppm overnight. The instructions are in Pool School.
 
We like to recommend dissolving CYA in a sock because it keeps it in one place while it dissolves. And it takes a long time to dissolve.
It's acidic and you don't want it lying on the pool bottom, so don't broadcast it over the pool surface.
If you pour it in the skimmer, it will collect in the filter, where it will still take a long time to dissolve. If you backwash your filter before it all dissolves, you remove the CYA from the filter and out the backwash pipe and throw it away.

Place it in a sock, and hang it in front of a return, and the rapid water movement helps dissolve it, it stays off the bottom, and won't get flushed out of the pool. Plus, you can monitor it to see when it's all gone. Soon after that, you should see the levels come up.

But don't put all of the calculated amount in at once. Put in half, let it fully dissolve, and check the levels again.
 

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