Damage control

[Vickery]

Last night I decided to add a little extra water - level was a bit low - since we were leaving on vacation this morning. And so I forgot to turn the water off. I'm on a well with very high dissolved iron, calcium and magnesium. It drained the softener and put I don't know how much raw water in the pool. I'm doing a salt check as I type. The pool is now a hazy green from the reaction with the chlorine. Chlorine levels have been high, even though I have been cutting back on generation time. I've been running 4 hours a day and still been close to shock levels. Normally after such as this I wait to the next day, vacuum the precipitate to waste, treat for iron then restore. Today we're leaving for a week. Anyone have any suggestions as a plan for damage control ?



Thanks, all.

 

[Vickery]

Things could be worse. Ph of 7.6, TA of 90, chlorine @ 6. Salt @ 3110. Borates and CYA are strip readings and I don't really trust them, say zip for both. My thought now is to just run it normally and try a clean up when I return. Might add some CYA and 20 Mule. Without true baselines I'm in the dark about quantities of either.

Ideas?

 

[wmshay6]

pH is fine- so I wouldn't add Borax. Borax serves to Raise pH and you don't need that.

Cl @ 6 is good- depending on what your CYA level is which you don't specify. What was CYA before you added water. You probably didn't dilute it THAT much. If CYA was OK before, I wouldn't go adding any more now.

I am assuming since you mention salt that you are running a SWCG. Where have you been maintaining as a FC residual prior to this?

I suspect the hazy green is algae and not a reaction with your well water. The metals you mention don't cause green per se. Algae and copper can cause green.

What size pool?

If it were mine, I would shock it with bleach before I leave, run it as normal until I got back, then deal with the mess. But you haven't given enough details for anyone to make a remote diagnosis or recommendation.

Is your pool vinyl? How much water does it hold? Are you running a SWCG? What were your baseline numbers prior to this problem?

Again, I think you have an algae problem- not a metals problem.

 

[bk406]

Again, I think you have an algae problem- not a metals problem.

I disagree. Snark says he has low CYA, and an FC of 6, and has been near shock levels for awhile (BTW, what do you consider shock levels)?

He has a water supply thats known to have iron, and the water turned green when adding water to a pool with an FC of 6. I've seen this happen in my own pool. It's iron.
Get some metal sequesterant that's HEDP based (phosophonic acid). HTH Metal Out from walmart will do. Dose 1 quart per 10,000 gallons.

 

[Vickery]

Per my signature, it's abg, so vinyl, 14K. Intex swg (hence using the swg forum.) Water has been absolutely crystal clear until this morning. Since going with borax & salt I have had no -like NONE - algae issues. I know the borax will raise the ph, I would balance with MA. I'm using a OTO kit, levels have been off the chart - school bus yellow.
Thanks, BK406, that's the direction I was heading. But WallyWorld is a ways away. I hate to pay pool store prices, but I may. Or wait till I get home. If the iron doesn't harm the swg, then that's the route I'll take. Being a contractor business has been off a bit (you might have heard about on the news) so I haven't had enough income for the good kit (as in NO INCOME!) But I might have to spring for one anyway. Fortunately the vacation house is for a labor swap, so at least that doesn't hurt.

 

[Vickery]

I realize why the color change. When the sunlight hit the iron, it began to precipitate. The liner is blue. The iron turns from a murky yellowish to a red as it finishes coming out and drops to the bottom. As it started falling out the blue liner reappeared at the line of settling. Blue & yellow=....green. Now it's time to pack.

 

[Melt In The Sun]

Vac that precipitate to waste, if you can!