Foamy Inground Vinyl Pool
- Thread starter meccanoble
- Start date
CJadamec
TFP Expert
Not to be mean or harsh even though it's going to sound like it.
Your current course of action is simply just wasting time, money, and chemicals. The more things you dump in blindly the higher the chances are you are going to harm you liner or equipment. You should do as others have said and just stop throwing things in your pool. Take the money you were going to spend on pool store potions and get a test kit so we can actually know what's in your pool. If you ordered a TF-100 from tftestkits.net it would more than likely be there by Monday. While you are waiting for the kit to arrive stock up on regular unscented bleach and read thru all the information in the pool school link at the top of the page.
You have a vinyl lined pool, there is zero reason for you to be concerned with CH. You certainly don't want to be increasing it by large amounts it's not going to stop your foaming issues but it will harm your heater or lead to nasty scale deposits on your liner/coping.
There are lots of good folks here who would love to help you but we can't do that unless you give us the information we need to do so.
Your current course of action is simply just wasting time, money, and chemicals. The more things you dump in blindly the higher the chances are you are going to harm you liner or equipment. You should do as others have said and just stop throwing things in your pool. Take the money you were going to spend on pool store potions and get a test kit so we can actually know what's in your pool. If you ordered a TF-100 from tftestkits.net it would more than likely be there by Monday. While you are waiting for the kit to arrive stock up on regular unscented bleach and read thru all the information in the pool school link at the top of the page.
You have a vinyl lined pool, there is zero reason for you to be concerned with CH. You certainly don't want to be increasing it by large amounts it's not going to stop your foaming issues but it will harm your heater or lead to nasty scale deposits on your liner/coping.
There are lots of good folks here who would love to help you but we can't do that unless you give us the information we need to do so.
- Mar 24, 2014
- 2,455
- Pool Size
- 32000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool SJ-55
borjis
LifeTime Supporter
I respectfully disagree. He is no where near having too much calcium and it is quite possible it's the reason his water is foaming.
Nobody told him to add too much calcium. I advised him earlier to bump it up to a level well within safe parameters.
I'm saying this because I don't want him to get confused with conflicting advice. He does need a proper test kit asap.
CJadamec
TFP Expert
I disagree on the cause of the foaming, and I strongly doubt that any amount of calcium will reduce that foaming like it might in a properly maintained spa that is being agitated with jets.
The foaming isn't the problem its the decomposing algae, chemical reactions, and whatever has been thrown in the pool. Solve the problems and the foaming will go away all on its own with out needing any CH additions.
The foaming isn't the problem its the decomposing algae, chemical reactions, and whatever has been thrown in the pool. Solve the problems and the foaming will go away all on its own with out needing any CH additions.
Well, I finally had a chance to take some readings and look at the pool more closely. Some good news and bad news:
Good news: foaming is pretty much all gone. Foaming is not int he skimmer anymore and dont see on the surface of water as I did before. I see a very small amount but heavily improved and looks to be going in the right direction.
Bad News: The water looks slightly greener than it did yesterday and this morning in certain sections. I think I need more liquid chlorine. Also, my ph is high now
. I am sure its due to the baking soda/ 3 tablets I added to increase stabilizer. I set the pump to filter now and will just let it run and hope I just got a high reading because of where I grabbed from (under the waterfall where I dumped most of chemicals). I am ordering a kit today for sure and will just continue to monitor and test with the kit I currently have. I'm so ready to just add more liquid chlorine since it wont impact PH and I seem to get best results lately when chlorine added.
Total Chlorine - 5-10
PH - 8.2 !!!!
Alkalinity - 50
Hardness - 100
I only have 1 CYA test left and will save it for when the water gets better. Assuming I should take out the tablets to avoid raising PH even more or do they only affect CYA?
Numbers show I need more alkalinity and hardness but I'll avoid any until I get the better kit.
- - - Updated - - -
BTW, I did backwash sand filter for a good 45 seconds to a minute and rinsed for 30 seconds before setting up filter again. Water looks nice from the house but not as good up close.
Good news: foaming is pretty much all gone. Foaming is not int he skimmer anymore and dont see on the surface of water as I did before. I see a very small amount but heavily improved and looks to be going in the right direction.
Bad News: The water looks slightly greener than it did yesterday and this morning in certain sections. I think I need more liquid chlorine. Also, my ph is high now
. I am sure its due to the baking soda/ 3 tablets I added to increase stabilizer. I set the pump to filter now and will just let it run and hope I just got a high reading because of where I grabbed from (under the waterfall where I dumped most of chemicals). I am ordering a kit today for sure and will just continue to monitor and test with the kit I currently have. I'm so ready to just add more liquid chlorine since it wont impact PH and I seem to get best results lately when chlorine added.Total Chlorine - 5-10
PH - 8.2 !!!!
Alkalinity - 50
Hardness - 100
I only have 1 CYA test left and will save it for when the water gets better. Assuming I should take out the tablets to avoid raising PH even more or do they only affect CYA?
Numbers show I need more alkalinity and hardness but I'll avoid any until I get the better kit.
- - - Updated - - -
BTW, I did backwash sand filter for a good 45 seconds to a minute and rinsed for 30 seconds before setting up filter again. Water looks nice from the house but not as good up close.
- Mar 24, 2014
- 2,455
- Pool Size
- 32000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool SJ-55
Good!
I wouldn't bother. I'd add a half gallon of bleach a day, run the pump for an hour and leave it alone.
I hate to say it but you don't know the results you are getting. FC over 10? pH test is no good. Without a FAS-DPD test you don't know if your FC is 5 or 10, which is a huge difference. I have no idea what CYA test you have but unless it's a turbidity test from a known source I wouldn't trust it more than a dartboard. Your TA is the least of your concerns I'm not sure why you are so fixated on it. All the time spent adding this and that with no good test results would have been better off spent ordering a test kit and reading Pool School.
We really want to help but you seem to be all over the place and all you need to do is get a test kit.
And yes, please, take out the tablets.
meccanoble, if you order the test today you'll probably have it by Sunday (assuming you are ordering from TFP link). I ordered my salt water test chemicals last Thursday and they were delivered on Sunday. I'm in Fairburn, GA so not that far from you.
cfherrman
TFP Guide
Tried clor yabs are acidic
Work on one thing at a time, slow it down, it will be fine, we got this, it's science, success rate is 100%
Work on one thing at a time, slow it down, it will be fine, we got this, it's science, success rate is 100%
You seem to have some misconceptions on what chemicals do what.
Baking soda raises TA and pH only a little bit. This is in contrast with Soda Ash which raises pH a lot and TA only a little bit. So it's unlikely the baking soda is raising your pH because if it were, then you TA would have been increasing more than you're reporting.
Your chlorine tablets are made of Trichlor which is VERY acidic, so it would be lowering your pH, not increasing it.
Stablizier is CYA which is cyanuric acid. As the name suggest, it's an acid but it's in reality only a weak acid. Stabilizer would lower pH but because it's such a weak acid it's not going to have any effect on pH with just a few tablets in 28k gallons of water
Okay, now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's start with what's actually going on.
1. Running your pump and/or filtering is never ever ever ever going to fix your algae problem, algae is causing the cloudy water and what you're now seeing it's going green. You need to SLAM, nothing else to it.
2. Your pH rise is likely due to aeration, meaning your waterfall. Pool water has dissolved CO2 in it and as you aerate the water the CO2 leaves and pH rises
3. Your cheap walmart test kit is worth about what you paid for it. If you've been adding baking soda and your TA reading isn't rising, the reagents are probably just old, expired, and they are now junk.
4. Normally the pH test is good up to 10ppm free chlorine but that only applies to the Taylor pH reagent which uses chlorine neutralizers to make measurement up to 10ppm FC possible, we really don't know anything about HTH pH reagent. Your high pH reading of 8.2 could be falsely high because of high chlorine level (of course we have no clue what your chlorine levels are)
What to do:
1. I'd bring pH down a bit with muriatic acid, let's say 7.6
2. Add half gallon of liquid chlorine each day until you have a good test kit
3. Study the forum on SLAMing so your ready to go when you have your kit
Baking soda raises TA and pH only a little bit. This is in contrast with Soda Ash which raises pH a lot and TA only a little bit. So it's unlikely the baking soda is raising your pH because if it were, then you TA would have been increasing more than you're reporting.
Your chlorine tablets are made of Trichlor which is VERY acidic, so it would be lowering your pH, not increasing it.
Stablizier is CYA which is cyanuric acid. As the name suggest, it's an acid but it's in reality only a weak acid. Stabilizer would lower pH but because it's such a weak acid it's not going to have any effect on pH with just a few tablets in 28k gallons of water
Okay, now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's start with what's actually going on.
1. Running your pump and/or filtering is never ever ever ever going to fix your algae problem, algae is causing the cloudy water and what you're now seeing it's going green. You need to SLAM, nothing else to it.
2. Your pH rise is likely due to aeration, meaning your waterfall. Pool water has dissolved CO2 in it and as you aerate the water the CO2 leaves and pH rises
3. Your cheap walmart test kit is worth about what you paid for it. If you've been adding baking soda and your TA reading isn't rising, the reagents are probably just old, expired, and they are now junk.
4. Normally the pH test is good up to 10ppm free chlorine but that only applies to the Taylor pH reagent which uses chlorine neutralizers to make measurement up to 10ppm FC possible, we really don't know anything about HTH pH reagent. Your high pH reading of 8.2 could be falsely high because of high chlorine level (of course we have no clue what your chlorine levels are)
What to do:
1. I'd bring pH down a bit with muriatic acid, let's say 7.6
2. Add half gallon of liquid chlorine each day until you have a good test kit
3. Study the forum on SLAMing so your ready to go when you have your kit
Thanks. In that case, I'll leave tablets in as PH was high but stabilizer was super low. I also want to test another part of the pool to see if PH is really that high. I thought dates only mattered with chlorine
You can't depend on tablets to lower pH. And you don't want CYA to be any higher right now because it will make your SLAM take that much more chlorine.
Take out the tablets. No excuses.
Use muriatic acid to lower pH if you need to.
Take out the tablets. No excuses.
Use muriatic acid to lower pH if you need to.
Copy. I have to go to store after work to get more chlorine. Until then, I can turn the pump off as well? Water looks ok since I had the filter run. I know a chlorine or 2 will help. I just ordered the kit and will try to return the walmart one for atleast gift card. I should be able to get a good 5 bottles out of that.
Nice on getting the kit.
I'm hoping someone else will weigh in on this. But I think for while you're waiting for the kit, add half gallon of bleach and circulate the water for at least an hour or so and in general you should be running your pump at least 8 hours a day.
When you do start the SLAM, you'll need to run 24/7 until the SLAM is done.
I'm hoping someone else will weigh in on this. But I think for while you're waiting for the kit, add half gallon of bleach and circulate the water for at least an hour or so and in general you should be running your pump at least 8 hours a day.
When you do start the SLAM, you'll need to run 24/7 until the SLAM is done.
I added chlorine this morning and water still cloudy but no more foam at all. surface looks real nice, blue, just cloudy. I can see jets but cant see the floor. I took more measurements with the hth kit while waiting for the real one to come and came up with the following numbers:
Total Chlorine 10+
PH 8.2-8.5
Alkalinity 40-50
Hardness 90-100
Only planning to vacuum and add chlorine until I get next test kit.
Total Chlorine 10+
PH 8.2-8.5
Alkalinity 40-50
Hardness 90-100
Only planning to vacuum and add chlorine until I get next test kit.
CJadamec
TFP Expert
Vacuum to waste if you can and make sure to keep an eye on the filter pressure and backwash when it rises more than 3 psi. As was mentioned run the pump for 30 to an hour to mix the bleach when you add it.
Your on your way to a pool clear and clean pool and you'll never need a pool store potion again if you stick with the TFP method.
Your on your way to a pool clear and clean pool and you'll never need a pool store potion again if you stick with the TFP method.
meccanoble—Many people have provided advice, some in my humble estimation is not so good and some is very good.
The best advice was to purchase a test kit and get proper water chemistry results, and the second best was to stop putting any more concoctions into your pool. I will add a third item of advice—you can be completely sure of the wisdom of your actions if you 1)read and utilize some of the TFP white papers on the subject of SLAM, use the automatic Pool Math for adding any other needed chemicals—based on the results of your TF-100 test kit and 2) applying only the advice of the pool experts who manage and monitor TFP forums. Otherwise you will risk wasting a lot of $$ and not getting anywhere with improving the clarity and condition of your pool.
I have been monitoring this TFP site almost daily for a year now and this is my opinion and advice to you meccanoble! I hope you will find the best solution for your pool very soon!
The best advice was to purchase a test kit and get proper water chemistry results, and the second best was to stop putting any more concoctions into your pool. I will add a third item of advice—you can be completely sure of the wisdom of your actions if you 1)read and utilize some of the TFP white papers on the subject of SLAM, use the automatic Pool Math for adding any other needed chemicals—based on the results of your TF-100 test kit and 2) applying only the advice of the pool experts who manage and monitor TFP forums. Otherwise you will risk wasting a lot of $$ and not getting anywhere with improving the clarity and condition of your pool.
I have been monitoring this TFP site almost daily for a year now and this is my opinion and advice to you meccanoble! I hope you will find the best solution for your pool very soon!