Could This Be The Start Of Something?

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R

RAILhead

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Feb 25, 2012
61
South Texas
The weather has finally cleared up for now, so I was checking out the pool today -- and I noticed something on the covers in the spa floor. I tried to brush it off, but it won't budge. I'm going to get in there tonight (hopefully) and see if I can feel it -- but I have a massive new tattoo that can't get wet, so I'll have to try and contort my body somehow. Chemistry is dead right, and I'm not seeing anything anywhere else. Could it just be a random stain on the equipment? What should I do? FWIW, both cover in the spa floor have this...

Thanks!
Maury

stuff.jpg
 
RAILhead,

1. Always post a pic of any stain issues

2. Chemistry being "dead on" is almost meaningless to us test-driven nerds. We want the full monte! :lol:

(Please don't include a pic of that new tatoo.....the "full monte" was a figure of speech for the test results! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: )

pH
FC
CC
CH
TA
CYA (if any?)
 
Got out there and reached in (minding my right forearm tattoo), and was able to wipe it off. I guess it had a slight "slimy" feel -- but it wasn't thick or anything. I then wiped my finger on a white portion of my suit (sorry, honey), and it appeared more yellow-green than green-green. It was barely visible, but you could see a discoloration on the suit.

Totally at a a loss on this one! Help me, pool masters!!!

My pH has been trying to rise since Sunday. Before that, it never moved from 7.6. The highest it's climbed is 7.8 or 8.0, and then I hit it with acid.
 
Based on your slimy yellow/green stuff description, it sounds like you have some algae.

Gritty is usually dirt; squishy is usually pollen; slimy is usually algae.

My suggestion is to shock it, per pool school. You could maybe get by with simply raising your FC to the high end for a few days.
But, if it was my pool, I'd just shock it. Don't forget to brush :wink:

Once this is resolved, I suggest you raise your CH to the 250 to 350 range for your plaster.

btw, your pic is very nice and visible :)
 
duraleigh said:
Well, call me blind but I do not see any stains on that picture of what looks like an intake to me. Is that the picture in which the stain is visible?
Click to expand...

Hah, yeah, it's not that easy to see in the pic. As pale as it is, it's something new that hasn't been there, so I noticed it. t circled the main areas :

stuff2.jpg
 

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Your recommended range for FC is 5-9. I would try and maintain closer to 9, so there is less chance of the FC dropping below 5 before the next dose. There are lots of organics floating around in the spring, and anything that goes into the pool, including you, increases chlorine demand. If your FC has ever dropped out of range even for a day, algae can get a toehold in the water. Keeping the water in range will prevent the algae from growing, but if it drops out of range again while the algae is there it gives algae the chance to bloom. Raising the pool to shock level will kill the algae.
 
I wasn't able to see the picture, but after reading your description, sounds a lot like what I had last May/early June.....water mold. Looked like what comes out of your nose. Gets hung up on the returns, skimmer, anything that can hook it. Keep the FC up and keep brushing. Took a couple weeks to get rid of.

Just a guess.
 
Hm, I wonder why the images aren't loading for some people...

Anyway, I went ahead and started the shock process. Looking at the chart, 24ppm is my target with a CYA of 60. Brushing doesn't make any difference -- I have to get into the spa and wipe it off with my finger. It's almost like it's some kind of grease or oil???

I should also say that the water has remained perfectly clear and bright. The pool is under an enclosure, but even so, small bits of plant debris make their way through the screen and onto the water. If I'm really trying, sometimes I think I can see a slight film on the top of the water if I stand at just the right angle -- much like the film you'd see from suntan lotion. But other than that, the water has always looked perfect.

I haven't done the overnight FC test yet, so I'll do that tonight after sundown.

To improve circulation, is it worth me turning on our spa's overflow feature? Seems like that might help with circulation...?
 
Did the overnight test last night. First sample was 4+ hours after I shocked, and it read 25.5ppm. Got up before full sunrise to get my second sample, and it tested either 23.5 or 24 (I got 23.5 the first time, and 24 the second). That's a change of either 2ppm or 1.5ppm, so I guess I need to shock again, right?
 
Things are pretty much exactly the same, and I'm beginning to wonder if the discoloration I see really is algae at all. If it weren't for the one set of overnight results showing 1.5-2.0ppm drop, I'd say it was just some kind of greasy mark that got dust/pollen/something stuck to it. Whatever it is, it does not brush off -- kind of like the residue from a sticker or something, where the only way you get it off is to bear-down with your finger and smear it into oblivion.

Regardless, I kept the FC up all day Friday, yesterday, and today, even letting it go to 25 and 26ppm. We had a lot of sun yesterday, so there was a time between 1:30 and 4:00 when it dropped to 22 and 23ppm -- but other than that, it's been at 25 or 26. Overnight test showed 1ppm loss, from 26 to 25ppm. The pH got to about 8 yesterday as I didn't treat it Friday or Saturday. I brought that back to 7.6 Saturday evening. CC has been holding at less than .5, TA 130, CH 210, CYA 55/60.

Took a last reading at 5:00pm, got FC of 24ppm (down 1ppm from 1:00pm), and I went ahead and shocked it again to 26ppm. Water has been crystal clear, bright, and looking so good you wanna cry that you can't get into it. Thoughts? Should I continue this through tomorrow? Go ahead and call our pool guy and ask him what he thinks it may be?
 
That doesn't act or sound like algae. If that was my pool, I would let the FC come back to normal and plan on swimming if the water is warm enough.

I don't know what it is, but I would simply clean it off with a cloth and enjoy my pool.
 

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