The bottom of my pool has faded

[alwyn]

I have started adding bleach directly to my vinyl pool about 1.5 years ago. 2 disastrous pool openings by the pool guys has resulted in me fighting mustard algae for a long time shocking often. The blue prints (I assume it is paint), in the bottom of my pool has faded and even disappeared in some cases. Additionally I now have iron stains galore.

Moving to the add bleach to skimmer point of view now, but I fear the damage has been done.

Btw. the pool has 4 or 5 return jets so the jets themselves don't have a very strong flow. Don't know if that had an impact.

 

[chem geek]

Re: pour bleach in skimmer or directly in pool?

I have started adding bleach directly to my vinyl pool about 1.5 years ago.

How was the bleach added? Was it added slowly over a return flow or was it just dumped in quickly away from circulation? Did you lightly brush the pool in the area where you added the chlorine?

 

[BoDarville]

Welcome to TFP!

First question: How are you testing you water? To properly dose with chlorine, you need to know the CYA level. Do not trust pool store results. If you don't already have one, you will need a good test kit to properly manage your pool. Here is a comparison of the recommended Test Kits. If you do not have one of these kits, I would order one today before doing anything else.

Additionally I now have iron stains galore.

To get rid of iron stains, you will need to do an Ascorbic Acid Treatment. This will require you to take your chlorine down to 0 and PH down to 7.2 and add polyquat 60 algaecide per directions on the bottle to avoid getting algae while the chlorine is low. After completing the Ascorbic Acid treatment, you will need to add enough sequestering agent for the volume of your pool. Sequestrants based on HEDP, phosphonic acid, or phosphonic acid derivatives are the most effective. ProTeam's Metal Magic and Jack's Magic The Pink Stuff (regular), The Blue Stuff (fresh plaster), and The Purple Stuff (salt) are some of the top sequestrants. You can also find many other brands with similar active ingredients, some of which are noticeably less expensive. You will need to add sequestrant periodically to keep the metals from precipitating as stains - sequestrants do not remove metals from the water.

When the stains are gone and after you have added sequestrant, you can add chlorine as outlined below...

Moving to the add bleach to skimmer point of view now

Slowly adding bleach in a return flow is the best way to add it. The circulation will disperse it throughout the pool more effectively and it is better for the pool surface and equipment. I use a 1 qt measuring cup and dilute the pre-measured amount of bleach with a bit of water and then pour it in. As for my definition of adding it slowly, the stream coming out of the cup is about the width of a pencil.

A couple of things to help us help you...

• 1. Please add to your profile the state and nearest city in which you live. Your climate is important to the advice you receive. By doing this, it will appear in all your posts without you having to enter it each time.
  2. Suggest adding information about your pool and related equipment in your signature. By doing this, it will automatically appear in all your posts so you do not have to re-enter it each time. If you have a SWG, please include those letters in your signature so it stands out as the advice for SWG vs. non-SWG is often different.

Here's how to do both of the above: Adding location to your profile and pool info to your signature.

 

[alwyn]

Thanks for all the helpful replies. I believe that the fading is all my fault. After every disastrous pool opening I have shocked the pool and has probably been too vigorous in my efforts, partly due to using the ColorQ for measurements which I have found to be quite inaccurate. I am now using the Taylor tools, but the damage has been done. The only concern I have over using the return flow of my pool to add bleach is that the flow doesn't seem to be very strong.

As for the metal stains, I still don't know how they got in there and how they keep on getting in there. About to close the pool now and I'm thinking of using the stain removal process on this forum, BUT I'm concerned about using a polyquat 60 product that might contain copper without specifying it.

 

[BoDarville]

BUT I'm concerned about using a polyquat 60 product that might contain copper without specifying it.

A Polyquat 60 algaecide will not contain copper. Polyquat 60 is a trade name for the active ingredient poly [oxyethylene (dimethyliminio) ethylene (dimethyliminio) ethylene dichloride]. Look for a 60% concentration of that ingredient.

 

[linen]

The only concern I have over using the return flow of my pool to add bleach is that the flow doesn't seem to be very strong.

Has it always been this way?
What is your filter pressure?
What is your clean filter pressure?

How were you adding bleach?

 

[alwyn]

My pressure meter must be broken as the needle is always in the same spot whether pump is running or not, but yes it has always been this way with only a slight improvement right after I backwash but still not as strong as pools from the past.

Usually on a bottle bleach, about half would go at return outlets the rest I would slowly empty while walking around the pool. It is a 20 x 40 pool and go about 3/4 around the pool on a single bottle.

 

[linen]

My pressure meter must be broken as the needle is always in the same spot whether pump is running or not

Replace the gauge, it is important to know your pressure.

yes it has always been this way with only a slight improvement right after I backwash but still not as strong as pools from the past.

Put your equipment and pool details in your signature and maybe we can help.

Usually on a bottle bleach, about half would go at return outlets the rest I would slowly empty while walking around the pool. It is a 20 x 40 pool and go about 3/4 around the pool on a single bottle.

Always add you bleach into the return stream to ensure that it mixes instead heading for the pool bottom.