green pool, high copper questions

Being new to TFP, we should let you know we almost never trust pool store testing. Many of their variables can be way off causing you to treat the water improperly. With the cost of chlorine getting so high, I would recommend exchanging a good amount of water. It will help to not only remove any residual metals, but also help to thin-out the algae that appears to be in there. In the meantime, be sure to have a TF-100 or Taylor K-2006C kit ready and start a SLAM Process once you've exchanged water and have one of those kits in hand.
I have partially drained the pool several times and likely will continue, I did actually add some shock and the pool got more green. When I contacted hth, culator, jacks and some other online pool specialist online they all said that the copper needs to be removed to at least 0.03 range before I add much shock. I think pinch a penny uses the taylor test?
 
We don’t generally believe pool store test results because they are almost universally wrong and unreliable. The real first step is to get your own FAS-DPD test kit and test the water yourself. If we believed the test results that show you have no chlorine in the water the green color water would be algae.
I assumed it was algae and was shocking and using algaecide and it just got worse. The copper content increased as well. They all said that chlorine must be low when treating copper and that there is 0% chance I would have algae with the amount of copper content in the pool. It is horribly green and even draining to the 2nd step and refilling did not lower the copper numbers.
 
If you have copper, then you can SLAM now and deal with any copper stains later or you can dilute as much as possible to get rid of the copper to avoid causing more copper stains than you have now.

Copper is actually difficult to test and test results are not reliable.

If you have it tested 10 times, the results will be ten different values.

Either way, a full proper SLAM is what you need to do to get back to clear.

SLAM Process

Can you show the filter cartridge?

If you have copper, then the cartridge will have turquoise stains.

1673375369453.png

If the stains are all brown, then that is iron.

If you had a heater, there will be some copper in the water and some in the plaster in the form of stains, but it can be difficult to tell how much copper there is.

Can you show a picture of the pool when the water was clear?
 
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I assumed it was algae and was shocking and using algaecide and it just got worse. The copper content increased as well. They all said that chlorine must be low when treating copper and that there is 0% chance I would have algae with the amount of copper content in the pool. It is horribly green and even draining to the 2nd step and refilling did not lower the copper numbers.
The algaecide is why the copper increased. For future reference, algaecide tends to prevent algae, but won’t get rid of it once the water is green.

But I’m betting the culater big boss is incorrect on algae not being able to be there with the copper.
 
Yes, that is why I am on here bc nothing any of them said made any sense.
Would the ph being off balance cause this issue? What are your thoughts on the high phosphate count?
The algaecide is why the copper increased. For future reference, algaecide tends to prevent algae, but won’t get rid of it once the water is green.

But I’m betting the culater big boss is incorrect on algae not being able to be there wI sp

The algaecide is why the copper increased. For future reference, algaecide tends to prevent algae, but won’t get rid of it once the water is green.

But I’m betting the culater big boss is incorrect on algae not being able to be there with the copper.
I actually spoke with 2 different guys there and they both said that copper is used to kill algae and that was their reasoning for them concluding I have no algae issues. I did send them pictures of the pool and test results, and they said to slowly add chlorine as the copper levels decrease.
 
Would an old rusty pool heater cause high iron ?
It can if it had cast iron headers.

1673375865361.png
Would the ph being off balance cause this issue?
High CSI can cause cloudy water.



 

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Would the ph being off balance cause this issue? What are your thoughts on the high phosphate count?



I actually spoke with 2 different guys there and they both said that copper is used to kill algae and that was their reasoning for them concluding I have no algae issues. I did send them pictures of the pool and test results, and they said to slowly add chlorine as the copper levels decrease.
The trouble with that advice is that we don’t know whether you have algae or not because the pool store test says you have no chlorine which almost guarantees that you have algae if the water is green. But no one will believe the pool store test begin with because they get it wrong so often so without reliable water test results It’s pretty difficult to provide more specific advice.


Also, those guys sell a device that says copper kills algae, so if copper didn’t kill algae, they wouldn’t make any money so they wouldn’t possibly admit that. Evidently copper does kill algae at a very slow rate, but if your water is green from algae, the algae growth is exponentially higher than the rate that the copper can kill it so it’s a losing battle once the water is green.
 
If you have copper, then you can SLAM now and deal with any copper stains later or you can dilute as much as possible to get rid of the copper to avoid causing more copper stains than you have now.

Copper is actually difficult to test and test results are not reliable.

If you have it tested 10 times, the results will be ten different values.

Either way, a full proper SLAM is what you need to do to get back to clear.

SLAM Process

Can you show the filter cartridge?

If you have copper, then the cartridge will have turquoise stains.

View attachment 468530

If the stains are all brown, then that is iron.

If you had a heater, there will be some copper in the water and some in the plaster in the form of stains, but it can be difficult to tell how much copper there is.

Can you show a picture of the pool when the water was clear?
filter.jpg
 
I'm not seeing a lot of copper stains on the cartridge.

The heater is a heat pump, which usually have a titanium heat exchanger.

What is the make, model and age of the heat pump?
 
The trouble with that advice is that we don’t know whether you have algae or not because the pool store test says you have no chlorine which almost guarantees that you have algae if the water is green. But no one will believe the pool store test begin with because they get it wrong so often so without reliable water test results It’s pretty difficult to provide more specific advice.


Also, those guys sell a device that says copper kills algae, so if copper didn’t kill algae, they wouldn’t make any money so they wouldn’t possibly admit that. Evidently copper does kill algae at a very slow rate, but if your water is green from algae, the algae growth is exponentially higher than the rate that the copper can kill it so it’s a losing battle once the water is green.
ive had algae before in this pool when I was away the pump wasnt ran for years and I was able to clear it up. What ever this monster is in my pool has me perplexed. There is green on that filter but i could not clear the algae and it sent me off to the pool store for some answers. I have had this pool for years and it has never given me any problems. It hardly cost me anything to maintain myself and it got slightly green once when I broke my legs and couldnt get out there as often but one jug of chlorine cleared it right up.
 
I'm not seeing a lot of copper stains on the cartridge.

The heater is a heat pump, which usually have a titanium heat exchanger.

What is the make, model and age of the heat pump?
I bought the house pre existing in 2003 all the equipment was harward/jandy from 2000. Maybe I can look through some old papers but I went out to look for anything on the heat pump and could not find a thing. I really appreciate your willingness to help. I am at my whits end on opinions and getting nowhere.
 
Looks like maybe a Hayward HeatPro, which have a titanium heat exchanger.

I think that the heat exchanger has always been titanium, but maybe the older models were copper?


1673376993682.png




 
In any case, a full, proper SLAM will get you back to clear.

I don't know what the copper levels are.

You can SLAM and take your chances with copper stains or do a drain and refill to get rid of any copper before doing a SLAM.

Note: Never drain the pool without making sure that it will not float.
 

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