Green Water, High pH, and High TA- How long does this take??

[NotAChemist]

Above ground pool, 7000 gallons. pH is 8.2 (or maybe higher) and TA is around 250. The TA has gone down a little but not much. I have the sump pump going for aeration, along with the pool pump. I am adding acid every day. Ran out of dry acid and bought some highest strength muriatic acid yesterday and added about 2 cups. This operation has been going on for 5 days now.

How long is this gonna take? When can I add some chlorine? It is 150 degrees in Houston and we can't swim in this swamp. If it is never gonna clear up, I am considering just chunking the whole thing. It has been a pain in the rear for 20 years. Green water every summer.

Any encouragement would be appreciated!

 

[JohnT]

Re: Green Water, High pH, and High TA- How long does this ta

Welcome to TFP!

If you are trying to lower your TA, it is a secondary issue. Keep your pH around 7 and it will come down. At high pH, you won't see TA reduction.

You should have chlorine in there now. Chlorine is always your primary concern with your water except in the instance of metal stain removal.

 

[Richard320]

Re: Green Water, High pH, and High TA- How long does this ta

Is it clear green, or swampy green? That tells us if it's metals or algae.

TA is the last thing you play with, after everything else is good and you're bored.

 

[aa62579]

Re: Green Water, High pH, and High TA- How long does this ta

Why haven't you added any chlorine?

Although TA is the last thing you should be worried with right now, you do need to use it in the pool calculator to figure out the amount of acid to add to bring your pH down before you begin the shocking process. 2 cups of MA is not nearly enough to do much with 7000 gallons and a TA of 250. It would drop your pH by 0.4.

 

[NotAChemist]

Re: Green Water, High pH, and High TA- How long does this ta

I know I probably sound ignorant but I am really trying to understand this...and yes I have had the pool for 20 yrs but I was able to pay somebody to take care of it until this year.

The pool water is swampy green....it sure looks like algae.

What should I do right now? I have 5 packs of 'pool store' chlorine. Should I put 2 of them in after I put in some muriatic acid? 7000 gallon pool.

I also have a salt generator that I haven't even started up yet because I have been battling the green water since we re-filled the pool last month. Should I go ahead and buy some salt and start it up?

Can you help me with a 'sequence of steps?"

Signed,
Sweating in South Houston

 

[Richard320]

Re: Green Water, High pH, and High TA- How long does this ta

Start here: pool-school/

Read the basics then look at "defeating algae."

It's going to take a lot of bleach. Depending on what your pool chemistry is now, and what's in that "shock powder" you bought, you might be able to use it, or maybe not.