Clear Beautiful Pool: then the golden bloom ring

[EllieWilliams]

my pool, I love it, it's beautiful, like diamonds, but this is the first year I have had issues with the golden bloom ring of dread. I test daily with no fluctuations, but I can't seem to figure out how this happens. I use the Taylor k-2006, test for ph/chlorine daily and alkalinity every 4-5 days and calcium and Cy monthly: my results today (and for the last 5 days with no chem adjustments with exception of adding 1 chlorine tab every other day):

FC - 3.5
CC - 0
pH - 7.6
TA - 90
CH - 240
CYA - 40
Langelier Index - +.10
(water temp 90/outside temp +98, last 5 days, too - live in Houston TX)
Side note: drained and refilled 1/2 of pool 2 weeks ago due to +120 Cy.
Remember: took it down to the concrete, plain white re-plaster job last October 2012

Then today, the start of the ring, I know hot weather and oxidation play into this, but I can't seem to wrap my head around how to get a handle on this and figure this in as a regular routine - do I test for it? can I anticipate it? I'm tired of brushing and duping chlorine in when the CC is 0, so how do I foresee this and kill it before it comes? and is chlorine free shock an option?

 

[jblizzle]

Couple things do not add up.

If the CYA was 120 and you replaced 50% of the water, it should now be 60ppm and not 40ppm. So if the CYA is infact more than 40ppm, your FC level of 3.5 may be too low and thus allowing the algae to start. Even if the CYA is 40ppm, you are very near the minimum of the recommended FC level.

Is there a reason you are continuing to use pucks that are adding more CYA instead of switching to bleach?

I would suggest elevating the FC to 10ppm, performing the OCLT, if you fail, start to SLAM the pool.

 

[BoDarville]

Around here (DFW), August is usually the month where a pool with borderline water chemistry begins to succumb to organic contamination. Once we get into late-July - August, I amp up the maintenance FC level to the top of the recommended FC range for my CYA. This is the time of year my pool water reaches its maximum temperature. I continue the higher than normal FC levels through Labor Day. This has worked well for me - not even a hint of any organics.

 

[EllieWilliams]

1st, been researching the bleach you all talk about, die hard puck user, hard to switch, but running out so will make the jump in a few more week.

2nd you telling me that my chlorine reading is in direct correlation to my CY reading? So the higher the CY the the higher my FC, cause the CY inhibits the freeing for chlorine - I get it. Is there a chart or formula on this, too? and would the same formula work for bleach chem treatment, too - but since no more CY leaching, the reading will stabilize, right?

 

[duraleigh]

golden bloom ring of dread

I do not know what that means.

 

[jblizzle]

Yes there is a chart ... you should also read the rest of Pool School.
pool-school/chlorine_cya_chart_shock

The required FC depends on the CYA level ... this is independant of the source of chlorine (with an exception for lower requirements when a SWG is used).

The pucks are adding the CYA and it builds up and then you have to have higher FC levels and eventually you have to drain the pool. If you are happy with that process, you can keep using the pucks. Most of us do not want to have to drain the pool all the time.

 

[EllieWilliams]

Stupid Ellie , I have seen this all the time, but never put two and two together. Thank you ALL, I get it now , am armed and educated to beat this. No more pucks, waste of money, water and time, converting to bleach when the last of the 20 pucks are gone (hate wasting money more). Thank you ALL for the coaching so I can keep my pool beautiful! :-D

 

[jblizzle]

Your CYA is fine now. Close up the bucket of pucks for when you go on vacation or need to boost the CYA some next year.

You will learn a LOT if you invest your time by reading Pool School a few times ... within an hour you will know more than most pool store employees.

 

[techguy]

Like Jason said, time to stop using pucks, use only liquid bleach from now on and save the pucks for vacations. Once you convert to BBB, you will wonder why you did nt do this years ago. Voice of experience.