black spots in pool

[ronipooh]

New owner of Older Pool with Problems

So this is my first pool. I get conflicting info on when this house was built. County Property records say 1992 but the local Pinch a Penny has records saying this was built in 88. The house had been foreclosed on 3 different times so I imagine the pool went to he** at least that many times.

It appears that someone has painted the inside of it with concrete deck paint as you will see in the pictures I will attach. You will also see black spots and bare concrete where they either "etched" for paint adhesion or improper balance ate the surface. I don't know which. I also don't know if the black spots are permanent until I can afford resurfacing or if it's black algae which I've tried to eradicate and been unsuccessful.
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I don't have the water test kit you recommend yet, but the simple water test kit that came with the pool. My levels the last time I checked about two weeks ago were all within normal ranges.

I used a metal treatment and algaecide, ran the filter for two days straight and brushed it for a week. I have a lot of sediment on the bottom of the pool floor that does not seem to be going away. I've washed the filter twice and ran the (Red Leopard Orbit) vacuum in it for days.

I just bought a new filter cartridge but haven't put it in yet. My filter has seen better days but i can't afford a new one just yet. I bought a lot of problems my home inspector didn't find. This pool is one of them.

I have well water that does have a filtration system that uses chlorine and charcoal but it has also seen better days. I wont know how much calcium or metals there are in my water til I get the better test kit you guys recommend. Any info you can give me to get me started in the right direction is SO appreciated.

I am attaching pics of my filter pump and plumbing so you know what I'm trying to work and get by with. The pump was replaced last year but they didn't bother to replace the filter. I've priced the same filter new and just don't have $400. right now. I think that's probably the first thing you're going to tell me I should do when you see it.

The air relief valve is broken and had some type of JB weld or something put over it. The spigot on the bottom has had the same stuff used on it.
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[ronipooh]

I am new to owning a pool and mine came with issues. Are these spots black algae that I didn't treat well enough or is this the cause of the pool not being maintained and possible damage to the surface?

 

[duraleigh]

Welcome to the forum. I have merged your two posts. It is always a good idea to keep a single thread even though the subject may vary a bit, they are usually closely related.

The first suggestion we would make doesn't cost any money.....immerse yourself in Pool School. I would start with "ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry" and then go to particular articles you need.

Secondly, it is almost impossible to get your water crystal clear unless you can give us precise, accurate test results. Please review "Test Kits compared" in Pool School.

While the pictures are dark, your spots look more like calcium scaling than black algae. I would treat them as a seperate issue and address them after all else is up and running.

Yeah, that filter has certainly been sloppily repaired but, if it's not leaking badly, it should do fine. I would not put in the new cart until your chemistry is where it needs to be and your pool is clear.

What does your water look like?

 

[ronipooh]

Thanks for responding. The pool is clear. Crystal clear as a matter of fact. The filter is not leaking badly. There is a little bit of leakage around the bottom but I'm not losing a significant amount of water rapidly. I've lived here for two months and had to add water after a day of my move in crew doing cannonballs. It is time to add water again (after two months) because the level is just above where the tile begins now.

I was concerned with the air relieve valve being busted, but my husband has had the cover off for me to clean the filter several times. we just turn the pump off and open the valve behind the filter to relieve any built up pressure.
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I have read pool school and many topics but I haven't found anyone with the same issues.....Of course I haven't read every thread on the forum and it probably is here somewhere. I just haven't found it yet. I have been reading for days.

Thanks again for the assistance!

 

[duraleigh]

Are those bubbles coming from the return into your pool...pump running?

 

[ronipooh]

Yes duraleigh they are. Two of the four return lines bubble like that. The two at the shallow end .

 

[duraleigh]

That seems like a pretty good leak. There is an article in Pool School describing suction side air leaks and how to fix them.

 

[ronipooh]

Yes, I read that article and we have checked all the seals on the pump and everything seems to be fine so I have no idea where its coming from and why it's only two of the return lines. Is it possible that there's air getting into the filter tank since it is not as it should be and has some sort of gunk thats sealing the broken air relief valve and the tank drain?

 

[duraleigh]

Is it possible that there's air getting into the filter tank

Well, air can get into the filter but only from the suction side of your pool. Reread the article....suction leaks are between the skimmers and the pump.

Don't waste your time looking around the filter or other equipment.....it's all located on the pressure side of your system and cannot produce an air leak..

 

[ronipooh]

Found my air leak. This was the culprit, it's stripped out and broken. Now my question is it says turn to grease. Do I pack the hole with silicon grease and turn occasionally? Are there bearings inside there? What is this?

 

[ronipooh]

What am I missing. My CSI is 0.32 Isn't that less than 0.6? Why does pool math say I need to get it to-0.06
My other results are FC 6, TC 6 they show the CC to be O I don't understand that. PH 8(I know I need to bring it down I will be adding close to a quart of acid) TA 110, CH 225 (I just added about 10lbs of Calcium Hardness will retest in a day or two) CYA 100, (I just added some fresh water so hopefully this level will be down when I retest) Temp was 75. Water was tested at Pinch a penny

 

[duraleigh]

Very few of us use CSI as a bible for balancing pools. (or even a guide) You simply don't need it.

Read "The ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry" up in Pool School. It'll suggest the guidelines to stay within and you will have no need for CSI

Don't get "in the weeds" on CSI but rather learn the normal parameters of the things we suggest you test for and get your parameters within those guidelines and your pool will be troublefree.

 

[ronipooh]

Thanks. The CSI was in the pool math so that's the reasonI was asking. By the way my water appears to be kind of shiny no rainbow colors in it but it looks like it has a grease film over it. Is that something to do with my current levels? and my water is not so crystal clear today

 

[duraleigh]

Is that something to do with my current levels? and my water is not so crystal clear today

Probably not but we will need some decent pics to give us a basis so we're not guessing. Your test results would not indicate it.

Have you put ANYTHING into your pool over the last few days?

 

[jblizzle]

What am I missing. .... Water was tested at Pinch a penny

Those 2 sentences explain much of your confusion. Get yourself one of the Recommended Test Kits and stop trusting a pool store for testing ... especially for your CYA level.

If the CYA is 100ppm (although I would guess it is likely higher) then you should never let your FC get below 7ppm ... see FC/CYA Chart.

 

[RobbieH]

Take a look at these:

Those spots, all of them even though they appear different, are caused by the plaster being old and not properly cared for. If your pool hasn't been replastered since 1992, it is probably due for a replaster.

If you can ignore the areas that have been chipped out, notice the discoloration and etching in the plaster in this picture.

 

[Bama Rambler]

It doesn't look like your question about the grease cup ever got answered. That black thing is a grease cup and you should pack it with grease and screw it back on the nipple. Don't screw it all the way on just until some of the grease goes into the valve. Then every few months just snug it up a little.

 

[ronipooh]

Thank you Bama for answering my question about the grease cup and RobbieH for showing me those pics. I don't think I can afford the replaster any time soon. I'm thinking this is all more than I want to deal with and that pool is going to become a huge planter. So much for my dream home. It's quickly become a nightmare. I'm looking at spending what it cost me to buy it to fix everything that's wrong.

 

[RobbieH]

Have you considered finding a reputable plaster company in your area to come discuss your issues? They can give you some rough ideas on cost to fix too.

 

[ronipooh]

Can anyone tell me if there is any way to get the putty that someone filled the air relief valve with out of there so I can put a new one in or am I stuck with buying a new lid?