I was dealing with an algae problem since I couldn't hold my FC overnight. I shocked for almost a week to try to hold it overnight and thought it was taken care of. Apparently it wasn't because once again the FC won't hold overnight. But I just used an AA treatment 4 days ago and was told I couldn't shock for 2 weeks. But I'm going on vacation on Sunday and will come back to a pool with no chlorine during all that time. If I shock now, my pool will be stained but at least my SWG will hold the chlorine level while I'm gone. Or should I have the dog sitter pour some chlorine every day to just keep semi clean till we get back? I wasn't sure if a stain gets harder to remove after it sets all that time.
shocking after Ascorbic Acid Treatment??
- Thread starter templehb
- Start date
If you catch a stain forming right away, it is usually enough to just add a little more sequestrant. Once it has been a couple of days you will need to redo the ascorbic acid treatment.
There isn't a good solution, either way it will be some work when you get back (unless you have a really amazing pool sitter).
There isn't a good solution, either way it will be some work when you get back (unless you have a really amazing pool sitter).
- Jul 2, 2008
- 37
Sequestrants bind to the metals in the water and prevent them from forming stains. ProTeam's Metal Magic and Jack's Magic the Pink Stuff (regular), the Blue Stuff (fresh plaster), and the Purple Stuff (SWG) are some of the top sequestrants, though there are many many others.
- Jul 2, 2008
- 37
So, if I replastered last year should I use the pink or the blue? how much will I need for my 24k pool?
The "standard" dose is one quart of sequestrant for each 10,000 gallons to start, but the actual amount you need depends on your metals level. You also need to add more any time the stains start to reappear (or by the calendar).
- Jul 2, 2008
- 37
Jason thanks for the quick reply. Is there any problem adding my salt to 900ppm and then do the AA treatment with the sequestrant?
When you do the ascorbic acid treatment it sometimes takes a while to hold chlorine levels. This is the chlorine eating up the remaining ascorbic acid. You need to make sure there is enough sequestering agent in the water to bind with the metals that were lifted off the surface of the pool and are now in solution. Once the stains are off the surface of the pool the ascorbic acid is not needed and the chlorine will get rid of it - that's why the sequestering agent is necessary 
. Without the metals being sequestered, they will fall out of solution again as soon as the chlorine level is high and the ph is high. If you do the treatment, and add the sequestering agent, then see some stains start to come back, just lower the ph and add more sequestering agent. The new stains should lift right off. :-D
. Without the metals being sequestered, they will fall out of solution again as soon as the chlorine level is high and the ph is high. If you do the treatment, and add the sequestering agent, then see some stains start to come back, just lower the ph and add more sequestering agent. The new stains should lift right off. :-D
- Jul 2, 2008
- 37
I can't believe how well the AA treatment worked! I took before pictures this morning and will take more tomorrow for the after pictures. I will post these tomorrow. My kids could not believe the difference. Thanks for all the input. I could only find Metal Free to use as a sequestrant.
- Jul 2, 2008
- 37
After the AA treatment. The stains are gone but the water is slightly cloudy. When I tested early this morning the FC was 0.5. The results below are from 5 hours after adding 176 oz. of bleach.It has been 4 days since the treatment. Here are my numbers.
FC-2.5
CC-0.5
TC-3.0
pH-7.5
T/A-110
CH-220
CYA-40
My question is... Will it clear up soon? Do I need to be patient? Thanks for any help.
FC-2.5
CC-0.5
TC-3.0
pH-7.5
T/A-110
CH-220
CYA-40
My question is... Will it clear up soon? Do I need to be patient? Thanks for any help.
That is normal. Some cloudiness is normal and it is also possible that you are just starting to get algae. If it is the normal cloudiness it will clear in a few days. If it is algae it will get worse. You can't really fight algae very effectively right at first, because you need to raise the FC level very slowly to prevent the stains from returning.
You can add some polyquat algaecide too if you haven't already. Some clouding is usual though, so don't worry too much.
- Jul 2, 2008
- 37
my pool is starting to turn green. When I test in the morning it reads 0 chlorine so I put in the bleach needed to raise it to 3ppm. In the afternoon, it is back to 0 and I add the bleach again. I also added 32 oz. of Polyquat 60. Is there anything more I can do?
No, you will have to take it up to shock levels, and hope that the stains do not start to reappear. I would bring my ph down to 7.0, slowly bring the chlorine up to shock with bleach - and look for stain starting to reappear. If you see stain, add more sequestering agent, but keep taking the bleach up. You will need a lot of bleach to get up to shock, but by adding the sequestering agent you may not get anymore stain. It is much more important to have a sanitized pool than a stain free pool. Let me know if the stain comes back, I have a few tricks you can try - so don't dispair
- Jul 2, 2008
- 37
So I raised the FC to the suggested level (15) but now 3 hours later, it is down to 7.5ppm. Do I raise the FC back up to 15. Is this because of the organics being oxidized? The pool is a olive green. My wife comes home on Tuesday and I have been telling her how great the pool looks with the stains gone! She will freak when she sees it. Any suggestions?
- Jul 2, 2008
- 37
So I went back to pool school and saw that I need to keep it at shock level. I can do this. The information about shocking the pool says to do it as often as hourly until it holds the level overnight. That is the shock level, right? In my case 15ppm?
- Jul 2, 2008
- 37
I have stayed with the hourly testing and cleaning for 24 hrs. It is clearing up. I can see the drain. It is still green. My cl level is been steady at shock level for about four hours. Should I be doing anything else?
cl 15,5ppm
pH 7.2
TA 120
CH 340
cl 15,5ppm
pH 7.2
TA 120
CH 340
Scott, clearing your pool is a process....not an event. You must maintain shock level in your pool until the pool is completely clear.
Read "Defeating Algae" back up in pool school. You may be adding chlorine, altho not as frequently, for the next several days.
The process is complete when:
A. You hold FC loss to 1.0 or less overnite
B. Your CC's test .5 or less
C. Your water is sparkling