Hello everyone. This is my first year with my pool. I've been trying to clear it up for 2 months now. I was taking advice from my local pool store until I found this site. After reading pool school, I realized I have made plenty of mistakes, taken some bad advice, and wasted a lot of money. Anyway, I have very bad iron stains and green, semi-clear water. Weeks ago, I tried to fix the stains before passing the 3 criteria of the shock process. I got algae when chlorine was low, and decided to read up on this site and start over by passing the shock process, then addressing the stains. Since then I have been keeping my chlorine at shock level (15) based on my last recorded CYA of 30. It has been 5 days, and I still have not passed the overnight test yet. In those 5 days my water went from dark green, to a very milky green, to a near clear green. It seems that many on here achieve a milky blue color first, then it clears. I hate to assume anything, but it seems that maybe the metals in my water are causing it to look clear green. I know I still need to pass the shock process, but I just feel like the opportunity for my water to turn blue has passed. I read that adding a sequestering agent should take the green tint out of clear water. Is it ok for me to add such a thing while keeping my water at shock level? Also, if I am able to add a sequestering agent now to blue up my water, will it have any affect on the AA treatment I plan on doing down the road to remove the stains? Thanks for your time and advice!! :-D
Shock process and metal sequestering
- Thread starter Silvrsun
- Start date
With metals, your water isn't likely to turn blue, but it should become very clear green. You can go ahead and add some sequestrant now so that it will turn blue.
Thanks for the quick response. Just out of curiosity, Is there any negative side effects that come from adding too much of the sequestering agent? Also, will it work against my chlorine levels like ascorbic acid does?
The agents we recommend don't have much chlorine demand, but some of the others do. Adding too much might use up a little chlorine but not much.
Thank you much! The products you recommend are not available locally to me. I have some left over Kem-Tek HEDP metal/calcium remover, any idea on chlorine demand regarding this product? Also, the stores around me carry "Metal Free" and "Staintrine" while Wal-Mart has HTH line. Any one better than the other?
Metal Free is not one of the products we recommend. Sequestrants based on HEDP, phosphonic acid, or phosphonic acid derivatives are the most effective.
Well, I have a Taylor K-2006 kit, but I ran out of the Chlorine reagent. I ordered more, and it will get here Monday. Also, I'm not sure if the numbers could be skewed as I have been trying to keep the chlorine level up for the past 5 days, but here they are as of now:
-PH-7.6 (Was always between 7.0-7.2 before shock)
-Alkalinity-160 (Was always between 120-130 before shock)
-FC-13.5-Yesterday morning. (Went to pool store today and they got 8 TC)
-CC-.5-Yesterday morning. (Pool store can't check)
-CYA-30-(This was from 2 weeks ago, ran out of this reagent as well)
-CH-600-(This was from 2 weeks ago as well)
I have been chlorinating with 6% regular bleach (A ton of it). I still have not passed any of the 3 shock criteria, and will not know until Monday/Tuesday if it passes any. Here are a few more pictures. Thanks for the help.
-PH-7.6 (Was always between 7.0-7.2 before shock)
-Alkalinity-160 (Was always between 120-130 before shock)
-FC-13.5-Yesterday morning. (Went to pool store today and they got 8 TC)
-CC-.5-Yesterday morning. (Pool store can't check)
-CYA-30-(This was from 2 weeks ago, ran out of this reagent as well)
-CH-600-(This was from 2 weeks ago as well)
I have been chlorinating with 6% regular bleach (A ton of it). I still have not passed any of the 3 shock criteria, and will not know until Monday/Tuesday if it passes any. Here are a few more pictures. Thanks for the help.
Attachments
I think it's some of both. We'll know more once your reagents arrive. Keep the FC up till then.
Ok, sounds good. Am I able to keep chlorine tabs in the skimmer while dosing with bleach directly to the pool? Just wondering because I may be gone for longer periods of time than normal next week, and it seems like I need to add bleach every few hours to keep chlorine high. Thanks.
Also, I read in another thread that a high PH will cause metals to come out of solution. Does this mean that adding a sequestrant now (PH-7.6) would be a waste?
Also, I read in another thread that a high PH will cause metals to come out of solution. Does this mean that adding a sequestrant now (PH-7.6) would be a waste?
Well, I got my chlorine reagents yesterday and did the overnight test.:
FC-14.5(last night)------------11.5(This morning)
CC-(didn't check last night)----1.0(This morning)
I will continue to shock.
FC-14.5(last night)------------11.5(This morning)
CC-(didn't check last night)----1.0(This morning)
I will continue to shock.
Once again, did not pass the overnight test. I seem to be losing 4ppm of chlorine overnight the past couple nights. When shocking, do you usually see the loss overnight become smaller until you reach less than 1? Or is it possible that I could be losing 4ppm every night and one morning it holds?
It works both ways. Some people see a steady decrease in loss and some people go from losing several ppm per night to zero.
Have you taken the light out and cleaned behind it?
Is there anywhere else algae may be hiding?
Have you taken the light out and cleaned behind it?
Is there anywhere else algae may be hiding?
There is no light in there. However, when I get algae it usually is most visible around the jets, stairs and skimmer. It seems to form in the hidden areas. I took a toothbrush and scrubbed in all the gaps I could find. Maybe today I will take off all the covers and see whats hiding back there. Thanks.
No. We have not unfortunately. Trying to get everything in line first.8corneflakes said:
Today I took off all of the covers on the jets and skimmer to see if anything was behind. I did find what seemed to be algae. I scrubbed down the areas and it all came off pretty easily. I wouldn't call it "a lot" of algae and most of it was white, but there were some pieces that were still green. Also, there are some plastic strips that are screwed into the stairs (Picture). I took off the screw covers and found some junk in there. I also unscrewed the first five screws to pull the strip back and see if anything was behind. There definitely was. I"m not sure if I should unscrew those strips though, as they seem to be holding my liner down. Am I able to take these off to clean behind?
Attachments
Don't take those strips off. They're holding the liner in place and you don't want it slipping out. That's a major oh no!
Your pool and mine could be twins!! I am going thru the same exact issues. Please let me know how the things look once you add the sequestrant. I plan on getting some today!!