Green water after shock

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wkuengineer

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Jul 9, 2011
63
I just opened my pool a few weeks ago. The water was very clear. My pump was down for the first week after opening the pool. The water became cloudy after a few days. My new pump is up and running, however, I am having an issue in the deep end of my pool. My shallow end looks crystal clear. The deep end still looks a bit cloudy. When I add shock, the water immediately turns green where the shock was added, and after a while the green color goes away and the water is still cloudy. What would cause this green coloration?

Pool info:
-28,000 gal
-I have a Pentair 320 rainbow feeder which I believe doesn't work. It is top fed and valve wide open, and I still have to add tablets to the skimmers to keep the Chlorine level right
-pH is around 7.4
-Chlorine is around around 2 ppm using an aquachem test kit
 
When I add shock, the water immediately turns green where the shock was added, and after a while the green color goes away and the water is still cloudy. What would cause this green coloration?
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Hold the advice to shock on this post just a little bit. Notice how OP says, "turns immediately green" ? That's not algae. I have experienced this same condition and, to this point, am not completely convinced exactly what it is.

wku, can you tell us what is in the product you used that is called "shock"? Also, can you tell us what the test results were at that time?
 
duraleigh said:
Hold the advice to shock on this post just a little bit. Notice how OP says, "turns immediately green" ? That's not algae. I have experienced this same condition and, to this point, am not completely convinced exactly what it is.

wku, can you tell us what is in the product you used that is called "shock"? Also, can you tell us what the test results were at that time?
Click to expand...

I use Aquachem Shock Plus and/or Aquachem Shock Xtra Blue. This is taken from the bag

"Aqua Chem Shock Plus is made with the active ingredient sodium dichloro- s- triazinetrione. This chemical makes up 58.2 percent of the contents in each package with the remaining 41.8 percent made up of other ingredients. "

My levels were as follows using an Aquachem 3 Way Test kit and some other testing supplies that the original owner had

Chlorine (using Aquachem): a bit low, around 1 ppm
pH (using Aquachem): around 7.4
CH: around 190 using Aquachem 6 way test strip
TA: around 100 using Aquachem 6 way test strip
Stabilizer: seems like none according to the Aquachem 6 way test strip

I use Aquachem 3" Chlorinating tablets. The pool has a pentair 320 inline chlorinator that seems pretty useless. Chlorine stays at basically 0 with a top feed and valve wide open. I've had to add tablets to the skimmer.

I should mention that the pool liner was replaced last year. My liner installation came equipped with chemicals and list of instructions on what to add when starting with fresh water. I didn't have any problems last year.
 
Hey Hilltopper,

Someone on this board will be along shortly to give you the help you need - I'm not expert enough to go into all the details, especially if there is something going on besides algae.
I will say this though - read and re-read the Pool School link. Get on the BBB method, and eventually work your way out of those tablets. I'd say stop them now, but one of the main problems
with tablets is that they make your CYA (stabilizer) skyrocket. Since you say your CYA level is very low (you really need to get a proper test kit - not strips), then you may be able to use some
tablets (don't want you to waste the money you spent).

I began reading this site as we were building our pool, and I have had 1 incident that required shock level chlorine in my pool (going on 2 years now). The methods here a) work b) empower you and c) save you money.

You are on the right track.

SF
 
wku,

Thanks. So my guess is your pool turned sort of a clear emerald green within 30 minutes of adding the dichlor, right?

Can you tell me how long it took to clear back up after that and did you add any form of chlorine in between?

BTW, I don't think is at all related to your cloudiness and we'll get back to that....we won't forget why you posted.

Also, tell me if your filter is a sand, cart or DE.
 
I'm fairly certain the green is from metals in the water. At high FC levels they can form micro crystals that color the water. Sometimes simply balancing all of your levels will take care of it. In more serious cases you may need to use sequestrant.
 
duraleigh said:
wku,

Thanks. So my guess is your pool turned sort of a clear emerald green within 30 minutes of adding the dichlor, right?

Can you tell me how long it took to clear back up after that and did you add any form of chlorine in between?

BTW, I don't think is at all related to your cloudiness and we'll get back to that....we won't forget why you posted.

Also, tell me if your filter is a sand, cart or DE.
Click to expand...

Yes. It basically started turning immediately.

I am not for sure how long it took to clear up. It was right at dusk when I added. I am going to say within an hour or so it cleared up. I did have chlorine tabs in the skimmer and the feeder valve was open (although I don't believe it is adding anything).

My filter is a Hayward sand filter. Sand was changed out right before opening the pool. The original was only about 3 years old but had a ton of green seaweed looking stuff in it. The original owners left the pool sitting for two years without running the pump:(
 
Yeah, that sounds very similar to the issues I have been having....but only on startup during the last three seasons. Like Jasonlion, I think it has to be a small amount of metals in the water and, if your pool is like mine, they will precipitate out and not return....in other words, I think that condition will go away more or less on it's own. I have sent you a PM.

Now, back to your cloudiness. Has it improved since your first posted? Can you get your water tested other than a test strip? You need to get some CYA (stabilizer) in your pool if it is really zero, but the test strips are meaningless.
 

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Thanks for the help everyone. I am in the process of ordering a Taylor K-2006 test kit. I plan on buying some stabilizer to add to the pool. I also plan on looking into the BBB method since my chlorine feed seems not be be working (not for sure why).

Duraleigh, the deep end still is not crystal clear like the shallow end. Also, I did not receive your PM.
 
One more thing, if this is metals in the water, make sure you avoid anything that will add more, many cheaper brands of pool chlorine products including "shock" may contain copper based algaecide, so read the ingredients list. I have only had this problem once when the heat exchanger on a pool heater failed many years ago, but the memory of bright green water remains.

Ike
 
Well, my apologies for not getting the PM to you, I screwed up. I think what happened in your pool (exactly as in mine) is transient and I don't think it will occur the rest of the swim season. Mine occurs on start-up only and I have yet to figure it out.
 
duraleigh said:
Well, my apologies for not getting the PM to you, I screwed up. I think what happened in your pool (exactly as in mine) is transient and I don't think it will occur the rest of the swim season. Mine occurs on start-up only and I have yet to figure it out.
Click to expand...



No biggy. Thanks.
 
My water also turned emerald green after adding shock today and it is still green (6 hours). I had worked on it for 3 weeks for iron or copper stain and it had cleared but seemed to be returning. (Used ascorbic acid, some kind of sequestering, began bringing ph up with borax and then baking soda. All was good except my chlorine levels; thus after liquid chlorine additions for a week ... I shocked it! I'm TIRED and do not know where to begin or what to do next. :(
 
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