Cloudy Water after adding algecide

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NHDad

0
Jun 4, 2013
19
Chester, NH
I've had my pool since 2008 with no problems until this year.

My pool had a pinhole leak so the cover fell in last winter as the water dropped. When I opened it this spring, I cleaned it out, filled it the rest of the way (with well water), added metal control, filtered and shocked it. The water was clear and just a little cloudy when I cleaned my deck with Amonium Chloride and got a little over-spray in the pool. The pool turned greenish brown (like adding chlorine to metal) so I dropped the chlorine and added more metal control and the water cleared up but left a stain from the winter water level down causing the pool to look like it had a greenish/brownish tinge though the water was clear.

I visited the pool store on May 29 and got the following results:
CYA: 13
TCH: .3
FC: 0
PH: 8
TA: 118
Iron: 0.1
Algae: None

They had me do the following:
Change the sand in my filter
Use Bacquacil Sparkle Up in the filter, run for 24 hours and backwash
add 3 lbs Stabilizer
Shock the pool

I then found your forum and was reading about the Ascorbic Acid treatment for stains. I tested my stain with a grapefruit since I didn't have vitamin C and with a little rubbing with the grapefruit, it significantly lightened the stain. In preparing for the Ascorbic Acid, I let the chlorine run low, dropped the PH to 7.2 and added Polyquat 60 (about 1/2 quart). As soon as I put in the Polyquat 60, the water turned a cloudy gray color (I can only see down about 18 inches).

I attached a picture. I can't tell if the stain in the pool is affecting color or if this is the color of the water. Water in the skimmer doesn't look greenish, just cloudy like water with just a little milk in it. [attachment=0:1i5ng9af]photo (1).JPG[/attachment:1i5ng9af]

I did not do the Ascorbic acid yet because the water is a mess and I don't want to get too much started at once.

I ordered a Taylor K-2006 kit and it should arrive tomorrow or the next day. After doing more research on your site, I should have gotten the TF100-XL but I'll just order some refills. I will post better test results as soon as I get my kit but any ideas on what I may be getting ready to battle?

Thanks.
 

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It is time to stop going to that pool store. Hardly anything they had you do was a good idea.

You need to get the water completely cleared up and all of your levels stable before you attempt an AA treatment.

Polyquat is also a clarifier, even though it's primary role is as an algaecide. It looks like there was probably enough tiny debris in the pool for it to coagulate it into larger clumps which caused the clouding. If everything is going well the filter should clean that up fairly quickly.

I suggest you maintain slightly higher than normal FC levels, run the filter 24/7 to clear up the water, and get a full set of test results when your new test kit arrives. Then we can see from the test results what, if anything, needs to be adjusted before doing the AA treatment.
 
I got the testkit and did my tests this morning. Here are the results:

FC: 2.5
CC: 0.5 (I was testing in .5 increments not .2)
pH: 7.2
TA: 100
CH: 40
CYA: 30

As of yesterday, after filtering/backwashing/filtering/backwashing... for the last few days, I can see the bottom of my pool though the water is still a bit cloudy and the color is about the same as the picture above (could be the stains in the bottom and bottom half of the wall giving the water a colored look).

For anyone reading this who is testing with strips or the standard color match kit from Walmart or the free one the pool place probably included in the starter kit with your pool, I highly recommend one of the kits on this site. I wish I had found it sooner.

Thanks in advance for any advice.
 
Based on your results (good kits are great, huh?), I would shock the pool. Start it by getting your FC up to around 12-14 ppm. Read "How to Shock Your Pool" up in Pool School, follow those directions carefully (remember, it is a process that may take a few days) and I think your pool will turn crystal clear.
 
Yes, being able to easily and accurately test water rocks. I've been missing out for years ;).

Thanks for the advice. The good news is the weekend is here so the 2 day process won't be bad. The bad news is we are supposed to get a couple inches of rain between now and tomorrow at noon. I guess it will just take a little extra bleach. I'll post my results once I do the shocking.

Thanks again.
 
NHDad said:
Yes, being able to easily and accurately test water rocks. I've been missing out for years ;).

Thanks for the advice. The good news is the weekend is here so the 2 day process won't be bad. The bad news is we are supposed to get a couple inches of rain between now and tomorrow at noon. I guess it will just take a little extra bleach. I'll post my results once I do the shocking.

Thanks again.
Click to expand...
Keep pictures coming!!

You could save all the empties and post something like this at the end:
file.php
 
I'll gladly take a few more pics and add them. I'm hoping my pile of bottles isn't that big but if it is, it is. Ill be buying a few more on the way home tonight just in case.

One more comment on the test kit that I learned from using it just once... Trying to troubleshoot your pool water without a good one is like trying to troubleshoot electronic circuits without a good multi-meter. You can't just look at it and see the problem and therefore can't find the solution without a lot if time and $$ consuming trial and error.
 
FCC held overnight. It actually went up 1ppm although my automatic feeder was off. It must get a little water through it.

CC is .5 or less. I tested in increments of .5 and the water barely turned pink for the CC test. 1 drop brought it right back to super clear.

Backwash water this morning was quite clear. Last backwash was last evening.

The water is no longer cloudy. I can see the bottom clearly all around. The greenish brownish stain at the winter water level and below is still there. When I put my brush all the way to the bottom the white bristles have a greenish tinge. I can't tell if the water is greenish or if it looks that way because of the stain.

It looks like the shock treatment is complete but the pool is still not right. Any hints on next steps would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
 

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FC is still 15.5 tonight after a sunny day with the chlorine generator off (CC 0.5 or less). I removed the Trichlor from the feeder to get a good feel on the drop between tonight and tomorrow. About 1lb of Trichlor has been added to the pool since I started the shocking. I attached an updated photo. Still greenish but I can see bottom. I'm curious on what my next step should be if FC is stable overnight.

Thanks.
 

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FC was stable overnight last night. There is less than .5 CC and the water is clear as in not cloudy. The color looks like it is a reflection of te stain below the winter water line. Is continued shocking really going to make it better? Or should I drop chorine and go for stain removal now? If I go for stain removal, should I add more Algecide? I added about 1/2 quart last week which is what turned my water cloudy.

Thanks in advance for advice on next steps.
 
From Pool School, Defeating Algae....

Algaecides rarely help and often cause problems. Copper based algaecides can cause unsightly copper stains that are difficult to remove, and can turn blond hair green. Linear quat based algaecides can cause foaming and bad smells. Polyquat based algaecides can be used as a preventive measure, but are ineffective at fighting algae once you have it. Polyquat is particularly useful when you are unable to maintain the FC level, such as over the winter or during an ascorbic acid treatment.
Click to expand...

I take this to mean that most algaecides are a no-no. Polyquat being the ONLY exception, and even then under specific conditions, for the purpose of allowing Ascorbic Acid treatment of stains.

Please don't backslide into the use of goop that will only cause you more problems. You've come a long way already!
 
Thanks Charlie. I was actually referring to Polyquat in preparation for ascorbic acid treatment but I wasn't clear in my post;) I was getting ready to do that a week ago when I added the Polyquat and my pool quickly became the cloudy mess in the first picture. From Jason, this was more likely the clarifier in the polyquat coagulating particles than the actual algecide. I haven't found anything about shock treatment affecting the Polyquat that is already in the pool so I'm not sure if I should add more before the AA treatment. I'm nearly positive the hue in the water at this point is a reflection of the stained liner. You are correct, the pool has come a long way and going back to the old chemicals would be a mistake.
 
As I recall from other threads here dealing with metals and on poolforum, normally you would take your FC level down close to 0 before adding the polyquat. But as my memory may be playing tricks on me, best to have one of the more experienced (read experts) weigh in on this.

However (and you probably have already read through this), Here are the instructions for the AA treatment.

One note: I've seen where towards the end of the process where you are adding small doses of chlorine back into the pool it is suggested that you add the bleach through the skimmer so the metals with precipitate onto your filter media instead of back onto your pool surfaces. Again, let's see what the experts have to say on this.
 
I LOVE Ascorbic Acid. Here is my final result. The 1 1/2 bottles of bleach and a week of filtering got me from the mud in the first photo to the clear green in the second photo. That little $7.50 packet of Ascorbic acid in front of the bleach got me to this final photo in approximately 5 minutes. It was the most amazing chemical reaction I've ever seen with the big blob of clear water forming and going around the pool (filter was on) then growing until the pool was totally clear.

Of course, I need to rebalance the pool and get chlorine to hold again but I'm not worried at all about that. I spent 3 weeks on the pool prior to finding this site so I'm in the home stretch and very excited.

Thank you to all who posted to help out with this issue.

[attachment=0:2cvpz4dm]Clean Pool.JPG[/attachment:2cvpz4dm]
 

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