Clorox XTRABlue trashed my pool?

[Chrissu]

@mknauss & @JamesW have totally got you covered as you’ve got a lot going on!
I just noticed you seemed gung ho about the new swcg & rebalancing- didn’t want you to skip the “actually rid yourself of the copper” step or endanger your new (and exciting!) swcg with acidic conditions

Thanks for the advice. In hindsight, I wish I had the guts to drain the pool completely when I started all this. I could have done a quick acid wash of the whole thing, and then refill the pool. Was afraid of cracking the pool since I’m on waterfront. This will take 2 weeks for the stain treatment to run its course.

 

[ajw22]

I now see it is too later for your heater. RIP.

 

[Chrissu]

Do you have a heater bypass?

I now see you don't.

Yes, this will do for now. When I plumb the new swcg, I’ll incorporate a three way valve.

 

[Chrissu]

I now see it is too later for your heater. RIP.

Post some full pics of your equipment pad and let us see if you have anything else that your acidic water may be

Post some full pics of your equipment pad and let us see if you have anything else that your acidic water may be damaging.

 

[Chrissu]

The bypass was the first step in this project. Prior to that, I hadn’t bothered to put acid in the pool for the last three years and ph was always high. I know, dumb thing to do but the water was always crystal clear. Little did I know that was because of all the copper I had added with 3 or 4 years of 100% chlorine adds from using extra blue tricolor. Didn’t do water changes during that time either. I’m pretty sure the heater is going to be fine going forward.

 

[proavia]

Instead of posting individual results or a list of results, enter the results into PoolMath and then save them there. You are sharing your PoolMath logs, but they are empty.

 

[Chrissu]

Instead of posting individual results or a list of results, enter the results into PoolMath and then save them there. You are sharing your PoolMath logs, but they are empty.

Great idea. I like the way the ranges are noted.

I will have to run to the store and buy some borax.

I also increased the aeration by turning up the pump and direction more water over the waterfall.

 

[mknauss]

Add 20 ppm TA worth of baking soda. Repeat until your TA reads 70 ppm. Then check pH the next day. You likely will not need borax.

 

[Chrissu]

Add 20 ppm TA worth of baking soda. Repeat until your TA reads 70 ppm. Then check pH the next day. You likely will not need borax.

Sounds good. 44oz of baking soda should raise TA 20ppm. That should get TA to 50. Thanks!

 

[proavia]

Sounds good. 44oz of baking soda should raise TA 20ppm. That should get TA to 50. Thanks!View attachment 541092

Raise the TA to 70 as Marty (@mknauss ) suggested.

 

[kimkats]

I am in to watch and cheer this one on. You have been SO receptive to all you are being told and learning! Keep asking questions and doing what is being suggested. As Dude pointed out you have some of our heavy hitters on your thread. You are going to LOVE how easy your pool is to care for once everything gets the TFP way!

Kim

 

[Chrissu]

Raise the TA to 70 as Marty (@mknauss ) suggested.

Oh yes, I see that now. 70 it is. That is still under 80, which is the max TA level that jacks magic recommends during their copper removal treatment. Thanks

 

[ajw22]

Oh yes, I see that now. 70 it is. That is still under 80, which is the max TA level that jacks magic recommends during their copper removal treatment. Thanks

Where are you in following Jack's instructions?

It looks like you need pH to stay below 7.0 and TA below 80 for the treatment to work.

See step 7.

Are you up to step 9?

 

[Chrissu]

Raise the TA to 70 as Marty (@mknauss ) suggested.

Yes, I see that I missed that now. Thank you both!

 

[ajw22]

Yes, I see that I missed that now. Thank you both!

Don't do that if you want your pH to stay below 7.0

People are trying to be helpful but you are in the middle of a special process and normal recommendations that are giving you don't apply.

Tell us exactly where you are in the Jack's process or you may undo what Jacks is trying to accomplish.

 

[mknauss]

A pH of 6 and TA of 30 is dangerously close to a pH crash. I would still raise the TA to at least 50 ppm.

I am amazed it takes so long for the sulfamic acid to work to remove copper staines. Ascorbic Acid works in minutes on iron.

 

[ajw22]

A pH of 6 and TA of 30 is dangerously close to a pH crash. I would still raise the TA to at least 50 ppm.

That may be advisable but I would raise the TA in 10ppm increments and see how the pH changes.

Jack's does not say what pH the process needs but Step 1 says get the pH into the Low 7's and then Step 3 says Add ½ gallon Muriatic (pool) Acid per 10,000 gallons of pool water AFTER the pH and TA are adjusted. That takes the pH into the 6's before the process is started. And then Step 7 says add acid if pH is above 7.0 but does not specify a target pH.

So a pH in the 6's is necessary for the process.

 

[mknauss]

I suspect the low pH for an extended period is to use the product for Scale removal. If only removing copper staining, the process should be much quicker.

 

[mgtfp]

Great idea. I like the way the ranges are noted.

I will have to run to the store and buy some borax.

I also increased the aeration by turning up the pump and direction more water over the waterfall.
View attachment 541090

PoolMath is a great tool. But keep in mind that it is just calculator. Don't follow blindly the suggested amounts of chemicals to be added to achieve a default target value for a specific parameter, without understanding if this default target makes sense in your circumstances.

Use the resources on TFP to understand which targets make sense for you, and PoolMath only as a calculator and data logger.

A good example is CH. PoolMath just suggests a target in the middle of the ideal range. That doesn't mean that you have to get to this target. Depending on the hardness of the fill water, you may want to keep CH lower as it will keep creeping up over time anyway.

Use the info provided on TFP or just ask what makes sense under your circumstances. But let's focus on getting through that copper treatment first.

 

[Chrissu]

I really appreciate the help from this team. The good news is that most of the copper stains have faded away and I think it’s just a waiting game now.

I started this effort by reaching out to Joel Gray with Jacks magic (he provides technical support for customers in Hillsborough county, FL (Tampa)). He advised me to bypass the heater before starting this process. He also said that I pushed the PH down a little further than necessary and to skip adding the 1/2 gal MA. He said the key is to make sure that the purple stuff continues to sequester the copper out of the water column and to continue doing daily back-flushes. I will be adding more purple stuff in a week. There is a lot of sediment being back-flushed out daily and that’s a good sign.

Since I still don’t have a way to test copper, I will have Leslie’s do a copper test tomorrow to see if the copper is dropping the way Joel said it will. I’ll keep you pool gurus posted!