Green pool - new pool owner

[frustratedpoolmom]

Despite nothing being added since Friday!

The key to getting the water clear is frequent testing and chlorine additions, hourly if possible. Achieving shock level and holding it there. Allowing the FC level to drop down (to 5, for example) in between additions slows the process and can cause you use more chlorine in the long run.

Continual use of Cal-Hypo can cause the CH level to get too high - this is why we advocate the use of liquid chlorine or bleach instead.

Not many ionizer fans on this board, we don't advocate the use.

 

[adadof3]

PH is good for shocking level.

Re the Aquamatics unit, I wonder if it is actually working? It is an older unit possibly a mark4. There are two electrodes in the lid of the pump pre filter can you see the condition of them? If you have a basic volt meter you could test for the 24 volts at the connections through the lid.

Producing copper and silver ions is what it does, copper is a great algaecide (now I know you don't believe that at the moment) but it is, hence why I question whether or not it is actually working. If it is working you MUST get a copper testing kit and check the copper level or you will have more problems.

The cost of bleach to rival your cal hypo shock at 20kg would be £110 ish (100 litres of 14% sodium hypo)

Are you going to carry on the shocking? as you have chlorine holding quite well a good dose (possibly higher than you have been using) could just do it.

Thanks Teapot, I really don't know anything about it at all, and haven't touched it.

Electrodes look like this:

Does that seem right to you?

Definitely wired up, as follows:

Cotrol pannel look as follows:

Have never done anything with it, this is how it was setup when we moved. Appears to be set to test cycle though, surely this can't be right? When trying the other settings (albeit for afew seconds at a time), the polarity lights don't come on.

Also have one of these, again with flashing lights, but am not sure what this does either:

 

[adadof3]

Despite nothing being added since Friday!

Allowing the FC level to drop down (to 5, for example) in between additions slows the process and can cause you use more chlorine in the long run.

Thanks frustratedpoolmum, but this wasn't mid shock cycle, this was after a decision to abandon cleansing the water until next spring.

 

[teapot]

Hi adadof3,

Yes the electrodes are very badly corroded so I doubt it's doing much if anything. The cover with the electrodes can be cleaned by placing it in a bucket of dilute pool acid solution for a couple of minutes until the copper electrode are clean.

In test mode nothing is operating, set to 6 hours and the lights should be:

Polarity lights, one on for a couple of mintues then the other.
Continuity, flashes once per second.
Conductivity, remains on when sufficient current is flowing.

You will need a copper test kit to use this device, do not use for more than 3 days at 6 hours without a test kit.

Copper test dip strips are useless, all the colours look the same!

The other device water imp is an electric water softener and not needed as the ioniser does pretty much the same thing.

 

[adadof3]

Hi,

I thought that it might be worth me posting an update.

Turned pump off on the pool a couple of weeks ago, and looked at it earlier this week, and noted that the water is clear!

Appears do be alot of very fine dust all over the bottom of the pool, steps etc. Could it be that my shock killed the algae, and that the pump was simply recirculating the very fine particles?

Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

Am planning on hoovering the bottom tomorrow, to get all of the 'dust' out, and then switching the pump back on for a while. Not planning to use the pool again until next spring, so am not too bothered about wasting a load more shock on it.

Here are some pics:

(believe me, the water is clear here, perhaps the lighting does not show this. Previously it was not possible to see beyongd the second step)

(this shows where I have brushed some of the 'dust' off the step with my finger)

(this shows a bucket of water taken straight from the pool - compare this with my earlier pic).

Please let me know if I am unnecessarily geting my hopes up!


Thanks in advance.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

The algae is not dead, it's just not being circulated by the pump.

 

[chem geek]

If the algae is still green, then the chlorine has not oxidized it enough to bleach out the chlorophyll and it could still be alive and growing. See this post for how a pool with lots of algae that is shocked with bleach normally behaves in a situation with the pump initially off (this is upon spring opening). The chlorine will bleach out the algae turning it from green to gray. The algae will tend to settle to the bottom of the pool. A vacuum to waste can be done if there is a lot of organic material. Whatever is left is oxidized by chlorine and filtration with possible backwashing.

The key is to maintain a consistently high shock level of chlorine (FC high enough relative to CYA level). You don't just add it once a day -- initially you may need to check it every hour or two. Until the algae is oxidized, the chlorine demand can be high so chlorine needs to be added frequently to maintain the high level as per the shock level in the Chlorine / CYA Chart. You need a good test kit with a FAS-DPD chlorine test to be able to measure the high shock levels of chlorine -- unless you do significant dilution of water samples and approximate with a DPD test.

Given that you reported the CYA level being zero, it is quite possible that bacteria converted some CYA to ammonia and that is partly responsible for the seemingly insatiable demand for chlorine. An inexpensive ammonia test kit from a pet/fish/aquarium store could help determine if you've still got ammonia left. The solution is still to add more chlorine. There is no way to get rid of it except by oxidizing it or by dilution.

I haven't really written anything here that others haven't already posted on this thread.

 

[teapot]

Good to see adadof3,

You never get good photos with the buble cover on so please take some new ones tomorrow before you vacuum and stir it all up a bit.
Keep the pump running 24 hours on filter and backwash and rinse every 4-6 hours as the filters do get clogged quite quickly.

As you have been using CalHypo there won't be any Cyanuric in the pool as the previous owners probably would not have added any if they were using the ioniser. Personally I would run the ioniser on the 6 hour setting if your PH is within limits 7.2-7.5 and your chlorine is not above 5ppm as you don't want to add any more shock but it's your call. As Richard says a little test kit for ammonia from an aquarium/pet shop will be a good idea.

Keep going and keep us posted.