Intro and pool problems

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1shotbob

0
Jul 26, 2011
34
Tulsa, OK
I wish I had found this forum before I got started with all this.
My question is this: Where do I go from here?
My predicament: I have a 15' x 3.5 foot Intex-style easy-set pool. It's actually an Easy Pool, but the name is deceiving. I tried to hook up an Intex SWG system to the pool and it seemed to be working fine. Every test at Leslie's Pool said my water was good to go.
A few weeks ago one of the hoses sprung a leak and the pump emptied half of the pool. I replaced the hose, but it wouldn't fit the SWG pump, so I had to bypass it for a week while I manufactured an adaptor. I refilled the pool from the water hose and everything was fine, or so I thought. This past Saturday night we got into the pool and found a white slimy substance all over the pool, floating freely. There was no way to get it out as it seemed to be replicating before our eyes.
I think it might be white water mold, but some descriptions are confusing. My local pool company really wasn't any help.
Since then I have added 3 pounds of shock, some algaecide, and salt. I also have the SWG going for 12 hours at a time.
After I did all that I found this forum.
What is the best next step? Should I stick with the SWG or go to the BBB method? Which will get rid of this stuff the quickest and best way? It's triple digit weather here in OK so I really need my pool.
Am I on the right track or do I need to drop back and punt?
Thanks for any suggestions.

bob
 
You need to do the shocking process: http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/shocking_your_pool
Shocking you pool is a process and not a bag you dump in...do not dump in anymore bags until you read the link.

No need to ditch the SWG,you can use it in conjunction with the BBB method. Though you might want to turn it off and just use chlorine during the shocking process.

Read up on all this at pool school (see link at upper right of page). To help you, we need test results, perferably from a good test kit...see:http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/pool_test_kit_comparison

Also, please put your pool and equipment description in your signature, it helps us help you.
 
Welcome!

Are you doing any water testing? Post any test results, along with how the test was done (ie, tell us what test kit you are using or if you had a pool store do the test). Post whatever you have, but we'd especially need:

FC
CC
CYA
pH

It does sound like you probably need to shock, but no one can say that for sure without some test results.
 
crek31 said:
It does sound like you probably need to shock, but no one can say that for sure without some test results.
Click to expand...

Good point crek31! Since the OP mentioned the extended time without an oxidizer in the pool, shocking seems obvious. As you noted, test results are required for proper shocking.
 
I usually use test strips on a weekly basis and have my local Leslie's Pool do a monthly test. I'm taking a sample in today to see what the results reveal.
Won't the fact that I added chemicals today nullify/taint the results?

bob
 
1shotbob said:
Won't the fact that I added chemicals today nullify/taint the results?
Click to expand...

It may, crek31 listed what you results you most need now right now. If you FC is above 10 then the ph reading may read falsely high. CYA is important to know, since that determines what you shock FC level needs to be.

Pool store results may help in the short term, but you need to get yourself a good test kit! The pool store results may not be accurate, and if you have an algae problem, you will need measurements as often as you can get them. Follow the link I included above!
 
Be warned that most pool stores won't have a good kit, and they'll tell you the kit they have is the same. Trust me that it's not!
You need to make sure you get the one with the FAS-DPD and not just the DPD chlorine test.
 

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OK, I'm back from Leslie's Pool Supply. I got the "Leslie's Complete Poolcare DPD Test Kit". It was the best one they had. Do I need the FAS-DPD kit? I don't see the one I got on their website but it looks similar to the one linked here.

Here are their readings from Leslie's:
FAC - 5
TAC - 5
PH - 7.6
TA - 90
CH - 220
CYA - 30
Salt 2900

I had a guy doing the testing, and during the tests another guy took over. He agreed to all the tests except the FAC/TAC. He did a 'diluted test' and changed the number to 20+ (saying that 20 was as high as the graph showed.
 
Is there a powder in the kit? That would tell us a great deal about the kit they sent you with.

If there is no powder in the kit, but only liquid reagents do NOT use the kit. Apparently they won't let you return it if it's been used, even once.

If there is powder in the kit, you're good to go. I would then ask...

Have you gone and tested your pool per the kit's instructions yet? Your results will be more valid than the store's. It's your pool, you actually care about it. Especially since they couldn't decide if TC and FC was 5... or 20+.
 
I believe that DPD test can only test up to ~5 ppm. That is why the second tester did the dilution. Makes sense that the FC and TC would be quite a bit above 5 ppm since your just added the "shock" product recently?

You really do need a FAS-DPD test to accurately follow the shocking process.

Here is an exerpt from pool school comparing the two tests:

DPD
N, N-diethyl-paraphenylenediamine

Tests both FC and TC. You have to subtract the FC from the TC to get your CC. This test will turn different shades of red when chlorine is present and uses a color comparator that you match up the shade of red with. Many men have problems with this test because they are unable to differentiate the shades of red! This test can bleach out when chlorine levels go above 10 ppm and will turn colorless. This can lead you to believe that there is NO chlorine in your pool when it is actually very high. You can use OTO to verify if chlorine is present since it will not bleach out at high chlorine levels.


FAS-DPD
Ferrous ammonium sulfate-N, N-diethyl-paraphenylenediamine

A titration or drop count test for both FC and CC, to find your TC add your FC and CC readings. Measures chlorine levels up to at least 25 ppm with an accuracy of .2 ppm. This is the test you want! It does not suffer from the bleach out problem that the DPD test has and is very easy to read since the color change is from red to colorless.
Click to expand...
 
It's only Tuesday. TFTestkits ships amazingly fast and is the best deal around. You would be sure to have everything you need likely within a few days if you went that route. I think the last shipment I received was sent on a Friday, and I got it on Tuesday the next week. I really couldn't be further from NC on the west coast here.
 
A measurement I took with the Leslie's kit. It was a diluted test. Leslie's had no DAS-DPD test so this is the best I can do right now. I can order the FAS-DPD test but it will be several days before I can get so I wanted to jump-start this way.

I followed the instructions in the kit and that is the numbers I got. Are those impossible numbers?
 

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