Clear GREEN water

[TheBraLady]

Help! I know the drill...so here are my test results from moments ago:

FC 3
CC 0
pH 7.2
TA 60
CH 140
CYA 50
Salt 3100
Borates 50
Water temp is 76°
H
I had had some iron staining...so I put a handful of plain but C tablets in a sock and used that to run over the stains. Worked perfectly. Did that on Saturday. Yesterday was fine...but today?? See pic below:

I also added 8 oz of this on Saturday:

Finally I dropped a CuLator packet in the skimmer basket.

I am am officially freaking out about this green water. My suspicion is that the 8oz liquid that I thought was a sequestrant is actually garbage. But I don't know what to use.

Please help!

 

[duraleigh]

Do you fill from a well?

 

[drharris]

Your chemical (EDTA) is an actual sequestrant, but it's not recommended around these parts because it's just not effective, especially with higher levels of chlorine. It's "phosphate free", so gets a lot of attention at pool stores, but phosphates are not the evil boogie man in these parts. 8oz (especially if it's older) will likely have no effect. Look for an HEDP sequestrant if you believe it is a metal.

 

[Swampwoman]

^ Normally we recommend Jacks Magic Purple for SWG, but in this case since you added a EDTA product, I feel I should warn you that in some cases the two in combo can create a bit of a cloudy mess. I'd suggest you contact Jacks Magic help line, tell them what you used, and ask if they think the two products will react and how long to wait in order to minimize the possible effect.

Metal Magic is also often recommended here, but only Jacks Purple is formulated for the high TDS environment of a salt water pool.

 

[TheBraLady]

Do you fill from a well?

Yes sir, we do. We initially filled it with trucked in water from a service...haven't had to top off much at all lately because of all the rain...

- - - Updated - - -

Your chemical (EDTA) is an actual sequestrant, but it's not recommended around these parts because it's just not effective, especially with higher levels of chlorine. It's "phosphate free", so gets a lot of attention at pool stores, but phosphates are not the evil boogie man in these parts. 8oz (especially if it's older) will likely have no effect. Look for an HEDP sequestrant if you believe it is a metal.

I was afraid of that. The fellas that built our pool were just out a couple weeks ago to repair the flow switch on the SWG under warranty, and he left me this bottle "for free."

- - - Updated - - -

^ Normally we recommend Jacks Magic Purple for SWG, but in this case since you added a EDTA or duct, I feel I should warn y
You that in some cases the two in combo can create a bit of a cloudy mess. I'd suggest you contact Jacks Magic help line, tell them what you used, and ask if they think the two products will react and how long to wait in order to minimize the possible effect.

Metal Agic is also often recommended here, but only Hacks Purple is formulated for the high TDS environment of a salt water pool

Thank you so much for chiming in! I was hoping to hear from you. It is just unreal. The pool was literally perfect yesterday. And then this morning I almost spewed out my coffee!! My local pool store only has the Magenta Jack's on hand. She tried to tell me that was the one I needed, but I didn't trust it. I was thinking the Purple was what I needed. I'll call their help line first.

If the Purple Jack's does cloud the water - would it just be a wait and see? Or would I need to SLAM?

I can't thank y'all enough. Love this site!!

 

[TheBraLady]

Ok - just got off the phone with the fella @ Jack's. He doesn't think the "other" stuff I put in will have an effect.

I'm off to Amazon!

 

[Swampwoman]

Hi there. Please forgive my atrocious ipadian errors in the previous post

You are correct tat Jacks Magenta is NOT the one meant/selected for aggressive iron sequestering...it is meant more for plaster start up

If the tech is wrong and the EDTA and phosphonic acid interact, I do "think" ( but don't know for certain) that they will resolve in a few days without a slam or retreat. I do recall a poster who had that type of interaction and it resolved after 3-4 days. But that is entirely heresay so ymmv.

 

[duraleigh]

Before my eyes, my well-filled pool would turn green and remain so for 3-4 days each spring.

The iron from your well water stays in solution until you introduce a new dose of chlorine. the temporary jump in pH as a result of the chlorine precipitates the iron into visible tiny particles.

As the pool pH comes back to normal, the iron goes back to solution.

The sequestrant will probably help speed it up but you don't HAVE to use it in this case.

 

[Swampwoman]

^Dave, your experience makes me wonder if we'd be better off advising people with sand filters to first try to wait 2 or 3 days to see if it will filter out instead of sequestering immediately per the AA treatment instructions, but I think the fear is that if someone has done the AA treatment to reduce stains, their foremost interest is to avoid having the stains return. What we don't know is how quickly that happens when the metal has been liberated from the surface and is oxidized in the water

 

[TheBraLady]

What a difference a day makes!

The pool definitely looks a little better this morning. But what surprised me most is that the hair nets that I keep in my skimmer baskets have caught a lot of the iron! (I think.)

Here's what the hair net looked like just now when I changed it out, and how the pool looks this morning. It's not a full sun photo, but I can tell a difference...




So now I wonder what I should do?

I have a couple bottles of the Jack's Magic Purple Stuff on the way - it will be here on Thursday.

Also - the tech at Jack's recommended raising my calcium level. It is currently 140ppm. He recommended raising it by 100 up to 250-ish. His reason was that the water is too soluble because of low calcium...thoughts?

 

[Swampwoman]

That's what I was wondering in my comment connected to Dave's observation...that maybe you're better off getting as much out via filtration first to reduce the overall iron load...because oxidized iron will filter out via sand and, as you've learned, stuffing or hair nets in the skimmer.

If right nw there is no mild staining coming back and you can keep your ph on the lower side, I'd eep filtering. When the Jack's come and if the water is pretty clear, you migh add just a maintenance dose instead of start up, and just add a bit more as soon as or IF you notice a slight discoloration on your stes. Eg. Use as little Jacks as you can get by with

The black tinge on hairnet also Akers me wonder if there's a bit of maganese or copper in there too. Not sure about reactions from your EDTA product.

Re calcium...I found it has helped "carry out" more metal to increase ch a bit, also per Jacks tech and another tech in the industry. But before adding anything new, give it a bit more filter time, add some ch, then apply a bit of Jacks I think.

 

[TheBraLady]

I've been thinking about where the metals have come from. I'm going to the pool store today to have 3 samples tested. One from the pool, one from the hose, and then one from the hose WITH my metal trap pre-filter. Will be very interesting (I hope) to see what the results are.

We live back about 1/2 mile into the woods and our pool sits to the side of our home. We have a very long gravel driveway with car haulers in and out daily, as well as the neighborhood kiddos riding thru occasionally on 4-wheelers. I wonder if the dust that is stirred up and ends up in the pool could be contributing to the metals? When I run the robot I always have a little "mud" for lack of a better word - so I know the dust from the driveway ends up settling in the pool...not a thing I can do about it, but nice to know the source I guess...

Truly - thank you so much for your help. I really appreciate it! And I like the advice about Jack's! Expensive stuff!

So you think I should leave the pH alone at 7.2? I was planning to raise it a touch. But maybe it will take care of itself.

 

[Swampwoman]

I'd leave it at 7.2 for right now to prevent staining since the metal isn't as sequestered as its going to be

 

[duraleigh]

I've been thinking about where the metals have come from.
I've been thinking about where the metals have come from.

Why would you think they are coming from somewhere other than your well? That is almost surely the source.

 

[TheBraLady]

Ok - so I took 3 water samples to the pool store for metal testing.

1st sample was pool water
0.1 iron
0.1 copper

2nd sample was water directly from the hose
0.4 iron
0.4 copper

3rd sample was from the hose with my pre-filter attached
0.1 iron
0.2 copper

So - based on those results I don't feel like the pre-filter is a waste of money at all. At least it decreases the amount of metals to some extent, and I think something is better than nothing...

The pool looks terrific. The hair nets in my skimmers look much whiter. This morning's test results were

FC 4.0
CC 0
pH 7.4
TA 60
CH 140
CYA 50
Salt 3100
Borates 50
Temp 80

My shipment of Jack's Purple Stuff came today as well. My plan (since the water looks great and I don't see any more stains yet) is to add a maintenance dose. The bottle indicates this would be between 6-8 ounces per 10K gal. It does not say how to add it though. It does say that I "need" a Jack's Sequest Test kit to determine the ppm of "Stuff" in the water...they are recommending 10-12ppm.

I also would like to increase my CH level...by 100ppm - as per Jack's tech recommendation...

Thoughts?

And thank you very much!!

 

[Swampwoman]

I just pour it right on the steps...it will mix in fine, and if there's any faint discoloration on steps it will brighten them Your plan makes sense to me.
Your pre-filter is doing its job and accords with my own experience

 

[chanelvaps]

I just pour it right on the steps...it will mix in fine, and if there's any faint discoloration on steps it will brighten them Your plan makes sense to me.
Your pre-filter is doing its job and accords with my own experience

Swampwoman!
Yay. so happy to find you here. I am struggling. AGAIN. three years ago I was in here struggling. I have not opened the beast in the backyard until now. The shame is great. I PM you and asked you to take a look at my info and offer your wise opinions. See PM for link
thanks!!!!