Granular Shock Will Not Dissolve

[Chappy]

I've been successfully using liquid bleach for several years now and my water is looking great. However, recently I dumped in 2 packets of Zappit (1lb each) granular shock. Got it for free at the pool store and was out of liquid one day. Anyway, it's been about 3 weeks now and it will not dissolve. It sinks to the bottom and the water is clear, but if I brush the sides it clouds up the entire pool.

My pump/filter is running for about 8 hours a day, but I can't seem to get this stuff to dissolve. Very strange.

Any ideas out there?

Thanks!!

 

[duraleigh]

However, recently I dumped in 2 packets of Zappit (1lb each) granular shock. Got it for free at the pool store and was out of liquid one day.

Yikes! Freebies almost never go unpunished!!

Brush it NOW until it dissolves or your skimmer/drain sucks it up. Get it off your liner. Stay out of the pool store. You're not getting any help there.

Why did you put it in your pool to begin with?

 

[Chappy]

I didn't think it would be such a bad idea I guess, I'd done it before but it's just strange that it's not dissolving. I might just vacuum it up to get it through the filter.

 

[linen]

However, recently I dumped in 2 packets of Zappit (1lb each) granular shock. Got it for free at the pool store and was out of liquid one day.

Chappy please put the gun down, don't do this, we can work it out....NOOOOOOO

 

[Chappy]

Are you guys messin' with me or what. Did I suffer a momentary lapse of sanity by putting that stuff in there pool? I didn't think it was such a big deal... guess I was wrong, huh?

 

[duraleigh]

Not so bad with a concrete pool (which I missed) but I would still encourage you to suck it up sooner rather than later and get it in the filter.

 

[Chappy]

Right on. Will do. Still... any idea why it wouldn't be dissolving? That's kind of the mystery to me.

 

[chem geek]

Super Zappitâ„¢ Shock Treatment is supposed to be just Cal-Hypo and soluble salts so I don't know why you have a residual that isn't dissolving. If your water is quite a bit over-saturated with calcium carbonate, then it could just be chunks of that which are slow to dissolve, though if that were the case then when you added the product the pool would have likely clouded quite severely.

 

[Bama Rambler]

3 weeks and it hasn't dissolved! I'd vacuum it up and backwash it out! I'd want to be rid of anything that won't dissolve in three weeks.

 

[Beamup]

I'd personally wonder whether it was a bad lot or something, and that's why they gave it away.

 

[Chappy]

Good point. I'll vacuum it up and backwash it out tomorrow and just leave it as one of life's unexplained mysteries..... and stick with the liquid bleach

 

[Chappy]

Quick update.... first attempt at vacuuming didn't go so well.... it just made it all the way through the filter and shot out the jets. I'm trying to vacuum to waste now... not that I want to waste all that water, but I don't see any other way. What is this stuff!!!???

 

[duraleigh]

If it came out of your filter, something is wrong with your filter.

 

[Chappy]

It's a sand filter, about 3 years old. How should I diagnose? Sounds like it's not exactly filtering...

 

[zea3]

You may need to deep clean the sand. Have you had any algae outbreaks with this filter?

 

[Chappy]

Not in a year or so. I've kind of figured out my chemicals (except for recent events) and I've had great water all year. I've had algae in years past (with this filter) though.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Your sand might be channelled - I'd take the top off and give it a looksee.

 

[ivyleager]

Your sand might be channelled - I'd take the top off and give it a looksee.

Wouldn't using the "rinse" or "backwash" setting unchannel the sand?

 

[Chappy]

I have backwashed and rinsed several times until the water is clear. If I could get the top off (Tagelus), what am I looking for and what should I do?

The Dang shock still puffs up as a white powder whenever I brush anything today, even after I tried vacuuming some of it up yesterday

 

[Chappy]

So I removed the top of the filter, stuck a hose down there for about 15 minutes to clean it all out, tried vacuuming again and within a few minutes the white smoke was pouring out of the jets.

Maybe I should try a different approach. Since this stuff dissolves so slowly, should I just keep constantly brushing the pool to keep it circulated - maybe then it will dissolve.

I guess it's better than having algae that won't go away, but it's pretty annoying.