what is this? help!

[pooln00b411]

New pool owner here! We bought the house (+pool) from my father in law so we have a good history of the pool. I don’t handle the maintenance as my husband grew up maintaining the pool and knows the ins and outs. Quick rundow of what may (or may not) be relevant.
NOT a salt water pool
Plaster said to be in “good shape” as of 2 years ago
Tilea redone 3 years ago
Heated
Roof solar panels
Opened by pool company this year (same pool company as in 20 previous years) - drained, acid washed (minimally), filled
Husband insists on ONLY using Shock to treat pool water (!) per his dad’s recommendation
Trees surrounding pool = crab apple, cottonwood, arborvitae, cedar, flowering crab
Recently bought a pool cleaner and the below is what has been showing up in the basket. Looks like salt. Hard. Doesn’t dissolve in hot water. Pool water is crystal clear.
Google has turned up virtually nothing. Husband thinks it’s a breakdown and needs resurfacing but I’m not so sure. Or rather: hoping that’s not the case considering the cost!
Please help me! Also welcome persuasion of more than just Shock & why

 

[kadavis]

Bottom picture looks like filter sand

 

[Richard320]

Let me post the mantra:

If that pool has been fed a steady diet of dichlor or trichlor "shock" powder, it's probably plaster. Both dichlor and trichlor are acidic. If the pH is way low you're dissolving the plaster.

 

[cfherrman]

Shock is a verb so what have you been adding to the water, if it don't come in a jug that says "liquid clorine" or "bleach" it's bad for your pool

Time to get a test kit, tf100 or Taylor 2006c

 

[eric99gt]

Looks like sand to me. Perhaps have a sand filter for filtration?

 

[jblizzle]

Shock is a verb so what have you been adding to the water, if it don't come in a jug that says "liquid clorine" or "bleach" it's bad for your pool

Time to get a test kit, tf100 or Taylor 2006c

At TFP, I would suggest that shock is not a verb either.

 

[pooln00b411]

Thanks, all!

We don’t have a sand filter.

Shock we use is a gallon of liquid chlorine with the brand name Shock.

Also of note:
pool was resurfaced 10 years ago...

Looks like we don’t have decent test strips (and someone who will remain nameless doesn’t even test the water grrrr) so I picked up what I could find st the hardware store. Will order a better testing kit! in the meantime here are the results:

Hardness (kind of a range since colors fell somewhere exactly between) 100-250
Total chlorine 10
Free chlorine 10
pH 7.8-8.4 (again fell between)
Total alkalinity 240
Cyanuric acid around 0

Any new thoughts on the salt-like debris?

Needless to say...I’m taking over the pool duties! So any pool care threads for beginners you can point me to would be helpful. Thanks again!

- - - Updated - - -

Also the bottom picture shows the debris WET, whereas the pile of debris shows it dry.

 

[cfherrman]

What kind of filter do you have, post a pic if you can.

We don't trust any test results unless their yours from a Taylor kit

 

[JamesW]

The first picture looks like calcium carbonate aggregate from the plaster.

The second picture looks like filter sand.

What filter do you have?

Put some acid on the granules to see if they bubble.

You need a good test kit and you need to maintain the CSI at about -0.3 to 0.3.

You need to know calcium hardness and not total hardness. Test strips won't work properly.

 

[ajw22]

Looks like sand or dirt. Have you had a lot of rain and water runoff into the pool?

You said you recently bought a pool cleaner. If the pool had not been regularly vacuumed then it may be dirt that has been in the bottom of the pool.

If it was coming from your plaster i dont think it would be such big granulaes. If big granuals were coming from the plaster you would see a very rough surface.

Relax about the dirt and get a test kit and get your water in balance.

 

[pooln00b411]

Thank you all!!!

Turns out we do have a sand filter. My father in law was here today and said that’s what it is. The pool set up is janky and looks piece mealed together (from my perspective with HVAC background). Just assumed it was under control since it’s been taken care of this way for so many years.

I’m ordering the test kit you all mentioned.

yes to a lot of water and rain run off btw!

 

[JamesW]

I think that the plaster is dissolving and releasing calcium carbonate aggregate and that the sand filter might have a broken lateral.

 

[pooln00b411]

That doesn’t sound good. I have to say that it looks like a large amount considering f the pool was just drained and cleaned. Perfectly clean pool and just found a ton more in the bot.

 

[JamesW]

The acid wash didn't help the surface at all. Acid washes eat away at the cement that holds the aggregate.

In addition, the CSI needs to be maintained in the correct range.

Minor amounts of sand can be sent back to the pool if you don't rinse after backwashing. Make sure to rinse after backwashing.

If you're getting a lot of sand in the pool, the filter probably has a broken lateral.

 

[pooln00b411]

Thank you, James

I’m trying post photos but it’s saying I’m exceeding my quota.

 

[ajw22]

Thank you, James

I’m trying post photos but it’s saying I’m exceeding my quota.

Support TFP and you get an increased quota - https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/144-CLICK-HERE-to-Become-a-TroubleFreePool-com-Supporter!?tabid=128

They have to pay for the bandwidth pictures use.

 

[pooln00b411]

Still waiting on test kit. Gunk still coming back in the cleaner. Dog ate some of it and would have eaten all of it if she could...