First water test posting...some help with this stain please.

[CLToy]

This is my first time posting test results to this site. If I have omitted information, please let me know. I am a pharmacist by trade and after a couple years listening to the poor explanations of my local pool suppliers, not to mention after they ruined some of my equipment, I decided it was time to understand what was going on myself.

Here are the basics of my pool:
- 25,000 gallons IG pool with vinyl liner (approximate dimentions: 20 ft x 40 ft)
- 3 ft to 5 ft depth with slide
- Hayward S200 sand filter (200 lbs media with flow rate 44 GPM/166 LPM)
- Current sand in place for last 3-seasons (new sand purchased today and will change as soon as steps issue is resolved)
- Hayward 1.5 hp pump running 24/7 from open to close of season
- AquaChem floating chlorinator (holds 6 tablets) and recently needing an additional 1-2 tablets to keep chlorine level at ~1 ppm with pH ~7.2

Pool chemicals
- AquaChem 3 inch chlorinating tabs
- AquaChem Shock Xtra Blue (used two boxes thus far) now I am using Pool Life Turbo Shock
- AquaChem Algaecide 50%
- AquaChem Super Water Clarifier
- Arm and Hammer Baking Soda

Pics from pool today

An overall view:

The water is clear and we have been swimming twice thus far. In the last 24-hours, (weekly maintenance is performed on Sunday evening) I added:
- 3 lbs of shock (to deep end)
- few ounces of clarifier to the skimmer
- 2 lbs of Pool Life alkalinity increaser (to deep end)
- few ounces of algaecide (to shallow end and steps)

Here is the issue:

As you can see, the steps are remaining discolored, since pool opening. The discoloring is even seen on the skimmer opening. I initially thought it was algae, but it does not scrub off. Another post on this forum suggested a trial with ascorbic acid (vitamin C). A little scrubbing with a single 500 mg tablet cleared this spot right up! What does that mean?!?

I purchased the XL test kit and performed my first this evening. Here are the results:
Weekly simple test:
- Cl and pH test = ~2 ppm and pH ~7.2

Complete test:
- FC: 2 drips cleared tube, but after a few seconds, became slightly pink again, so 3 gtts x 0.5 = 1.5 ppm
- CC: 2 gtts x 0.5 = 1 ppm
- TC: FC + CC = 1.5 + 1 = 2.5
- TA: 6 gtts x 10 = 60
- Ca: started witnessing a purple, continually suspended precipitate that remained even when the tube turned blue with approx 22 gtts x 10 = 220 (Is a precipitate normal or should it be clear?) ** I have a pic if needed **
- CYA: black dot seemed to disappear between 35 - 40

Sorry for the long post but I wanted to be as complete as possible. If there is any other information needed to help with my pool, please let me know. Please let me say in advance, I appreciate your time and concern.

Chadrick

 

[CLToy]

Re: First water test posting...some help with this stain ple

I should also mention that I use a Dolphin Advantage to clean the pool weekly.

 

[JasonLion]

Re: First water test posting...some help with this stain ple

It means that there is some iron in the water and it is staining the steps. The steps are affected first because they are fiberglass, which is much more vulnerable to iron staining than other surfaces. The actual iron level might be quite low, but all of it is going to the steps, and they are turning yellow as a result.

You can fix it without too much trouble with a localized AA treatment, but preventing it from coming back will mean using sequestrant regularly.

Your FC level is too low, you need to raise it right away. That is probably also the reason why your CC level is too high. You should raise FC to the high end of the normal range, and if CC doesn't come down to 0.5 or lower you will need to shock the pool.

Suspended precipitate in the CH test is not a problem, just ignore it.

I recommend you skip the clarifier and algaecide, they aren't really needed.

 

[jblizzle]

Re: First water test posting...some help with this stain ple

Reading your chemical list ... I would not use any of them except maybe the baking soda.

Liquid chlorine if safer as it only adds FC and not the CYA that the trichlor does. Luckily it appears that your CYA has not yet gotten too high.

Although switching from your chemical list would certainly require testing and adjusting more often than once a week ... would probably save money and keep your pool a little cleaner and avoid the chance of an algae breakout.

What you are doing appears to be working now, but please stay on top of the FC do it does not get too low again and make you go green.

Posted with Tapatalk ... sorry if I sound short ... hate typing on phone