Cleaning up mess previous owners left me

[Fndr70]

I figured that out after the first time I did it and used a million drops I can see the 25ml sample would be more beneficial for doing an accurate CC count, because the multiplier is more precise, and CC has a smaller range.

 

[jblizzle]

There is no need to use 25ml to read the CC. It should always be 0. If the CC is more than 1 drop using either method, it is often too much.

 

[Fndr70]

I thought I read somewhere that CC was an indicator that there's still something in your pool that the FC was killing, so during SLAM if the water is still green, wouldn't I want to see CC above 0? Except for the first test after I started SLAM, when it was 1.0, it's been < .5, even 0, each test.

The pic on the left is before I drained and started SLAMing, the right is now.

 

[mknauss]

Not having CC is not a big deal. They burn off with sun on the pool. And at your stage, you no longer have overwhelming organics that the chlorine is consuming.

 

[Fndr70]

So 3.5 days into this, the water doesn't look as clear as I expected. It's much better, but it still has a greenish tint to it. Is this the normal progression? I've brought the FC back to shock level multiple times, and I am checking about 4 times a day.

I'm also noticing, now that I can actually see the bottom pretty well, that there is a lot of brown stain on the liner. I thought it was sand, as my vacuum has been picking up some sand, but I can't brush it off. Any ideas on how to get rid of it?

 

[mknauss]

Do you have iron in your fill water? Or have you been using copper containing products in the past?

 

[Fndr70]

I don't know. I have city water, that's what I filled the pool with. As far as what products were used in the past, I don't know what the previous owners did (or did not) do....

I also don't know how old the pool is or if they replaced the sand in the sand filter, so maybe I need to do that?

 

[mknauss]

Sand does not wear out. It can get compromised by the use of pool potions such as clarifer, phosphate removers, and floc.

A deep clean of the sand may be advised. Deep Cleaning a Sand Filter

 

[mknauss]

Even with city water, you can have iron. But a layer of paper towels in the skimmer basket. See if they turn brown.

 

[Fndr70]

OK so I passed all the tests. The water is clear (I can see the words on my vacuum at the bottom crystal clear). I think the problem is the dirty liner....that’s what’s discoloring the water. There are brown stains all over the liner. I thought at first it was sand....my vacuum even picked up some....but if I brush it, nothing comes up so I think it’s a stain. Any way to clean this with water in it?

 

[jblizzle]

Try putting a vitamin C tablet on the stain and see if the stain vanishes. That would confirm the stain being iron.

 

[Fndr70]

I tried the vitamin C test. The same stain is in the side so I just reached in and scrubbed.....didn’t do anything. Here’s a decent picture of what it looks like

 

[jblizzle]

Does it feel smooth or rough?

 

[Fndr70]

Smooth on the side..... on the bottom I dunno. I'll go in after work and check.

What does (or could it) mean either way?

 

[mknauss]

Rough would be calcium scale with algae/metals/dirt embedded in it. Smooth would imply copper staining as you have tested for iron.

 

[Fndr70]

So the stain seems smooth.... how do I treat for copper staining?

I tried scrubbing it off but it won't come off.

 

[mknauss]

Have you added copper in the past? Algaecides, products with 'Blue' in their name, any 'ionizers'?

 

[Fndr70]

Yes, the products was originally using (the clorox brand) all has 'Blue' in their name.

Plus the previous owners could have used something like that as well. The stain has been there since I was able to see the bottom, so I don't know how long it's been there.

 

[homegameroom]

:-( At least some of the Clorox Blue products contain copper as an algaecide.

 

[Fndr70]

any recommendations on how to clean? I see a bunch of options for cleaning chemicals online....