Greetings, switching to TFP method

[Mdragger88]

My kinda setup! All the right stuff…
well placed bungees, , kudos

 

[GreenLeaf]

Welp, must I say YOU LOT ARE GENIUSES. The polyester filter is working a treat.

For the first 24 hours I was filling the pool and just had my "gravity powered" filter running. It's a bucket with holes drilled in the bottom, some mesh held out into a square using cable ties to stop the poly falling through, polyfill on top, then a layer of plastic with holes to keep the polyfill squished and in the bucket, then a spare skimmer basket to spread the water, and finally some bungees to keep the skimmer basket pushing down on top of the plastic. This filter has now been running 36 hours.

About 12 hours ago the pool was filled. Worrying about loose polyfill getting in my pump I bought instead poly wadding which is more tightly held together and less likely to come apart. I put a half roll into a laundry mesh bag from the $2 shop and dropped that on top of my skimmer basket. My pump hasn't seemed to complain yet. Let me know if I'm at risk of burning it out at all.

As you can see below, both filters are doing a great job of trapping the iron/rust. Pretty sure it's rust, as it is orange, if I dry it out it sticks to a plate and is impossible to get off with water, but some lemon juice melts it straight off the plate and back into solution. If there is a better test for rust let me know.

I'll post more photos as time goes on. How much of the improvement is from my regular (glass media) filter just clearing up the new fill, and how much is from the removal of the iron/rust, I don't know. But I do know a heck of a lot of sticky orange stuff is coming out and the water is starting to look great.

I'm swapping out wadding every 12 hours, which should provide a visual of how much is getting caught every 12 hours. The loose polyfill in the bucket is too messy to muck around with - I'm just going to leave it and not change it, I don't have any spare.

Gravity Filter



Close up; Afar; After running for 36 hours

Skimmer Box Filter



The poly wadding I used; Wadding in laundry bag; After running for 12 hours

The Pool



Day 1 Still filling, just started filtering; Day 2 Filled, running gravity filter 24h skimmer filter 0h; Day 3 Gravity filter 40h and Skimmer filter 16h; Day 4 Gravity Filter 64h Skimmer Filter 40h

 

[Heard]

...my regular (glass media) filter...

May I ask why you decided to go with the "regular glass media"?
I know, the salesmen always hype it up as being superior to quality sand in every possible way , but in the reality (certain third party tests) has been shown to be inferior in both filtration and backwashing properties.
btw, the Zelbrite media bests sand.

 

[GreenLeaf]

It was highly recommended by my copper salesman

PS - I'm adding new photos to my post above as each day passes. Tomorrow will be the last day. The most recent polyfill in the skimmer came out after 12 hours looking (almost) snow white. And the water is looking superb.

I don't know if the blue water that remains is normal, but this blue looks as close to transparent, doesn't look obviously blue in a white bucket, and the water is looking "sparkling" now where it wasn't really before. I don't know how much of the original copper blue might have carried over post refill, possibly almost none and all I'm seeing is the sky. Cu in the water is now measuring 0.04 on a Pool eXact EZ (which has an advertised 2% tolerance on Cu), whereas pre-drain I was at 0.48.

 

[Charlie Bezzina]

I'm facing a metal stain fight or flight at the moment. So i was just looking at Sydney water annual report and they indicate the avg level of iron in our tap water was 0.012 and copper 0.021 last year. O.k you're in Melbourne, but it makes me wonder why are you pulling so much metal out of your fill water?? And why was my fill water that ugly colour too??

 

[jseyfert3]

I don't know if the blue water that remains is normal, but this blue looks as close to transparent, doesn't look obviously blue in a white bucket, and the water is looking "sparkling" now where it wasn't really before. I don't know how much of the original copper blue might have carried over post refill, possibly almost none and all I'm seeing is the sky. Cu in the water is now measuring 0.04 on a Pool eXact EZ (which has an advertised 2% tolerance on Cu), whereas pre-drain I was at 0.48.

Water is blue. Very light blue, but blue nonetheless.

The How Clear is TFP Clear thread is probably a good reference. Most pools have blue liners, but pay attention to pictures that show white objects like stairs and floor drains. They all have hints of blue in them instead of appearing as pure white. How Clear is TFP Clear? Let's See (Pics Please).

 

[Mdragger88]

Note the “blue”boy & “blue” steps
His arms are in the water also but the deeper the water the bluer it gets
View media item 112296

0CFE0706-AD65-42DA-81BB-51ABCB7EF567.jpeg

• Mdragger88
• Jun 4, 2020

 

[GreenLeaf]

[Deleted, replaced with next post]

 

[GreenLeaf]

I'm facing a metal stain fight or flight at the moment. So i was just looking at Sydney water annual report and they indicate the avg level of iron in our tap water was 0.012 and copper 0.021 last year. O.k you're in Melbourne, but it makes me wonder why are you pulling so much metal out of your fill water?? And why was my fill water that ugly colour too??

Sorry I see I totally stuffed up my reply.

When I first made my post I mentioned (and then deleted because it seemed impossibly high), that the tap water next to my pool when I tested it was 0.12. There are a lot of copper pipes in my place, and I suspected that reading was either (a) because the Pool eXact is not reliable or (b) the water had been sitting in copper pipes for a while. I went to the tap next to the meter in my street, ran it clear for 2 minutes and tested again and it came back as 0.00. Of all the things the Pool eXact EZ does test, the most reliable (at an advertised 2% accuracy) is copper.

Regards what was in my water and making it look green. I know if I pour a 20L snow-white bucket full of my tap water it has a green color to it. What that's comprised of I have no idea. Is there an affordable place to do a full water workup including iron?

Lastly, all I can say is that the polyfill worked a treat for getting "rusty orange" stuff into it, and now the pool water looks amazing.

That my pool water measured Cu 0.04 instead of the 0.00 at the meter, I am guessing it's due to left-over copper in the system pre-drain. Or possibly the copper billet that is still in the water flow path (but not electrified).

 

[mknauss]

Rusty orange is, rust. So your water has some iron in it. The copper pipes should not be adding any copper unless the water in them is very acidic.

 

[Mdragger88]

Sorry I see I totally stuffed up my reply.

When I first made my post I mentioned (and then deleted because it seemed odd), that the tap water next to my pool when I tested it was 0.12. There are a lot of copper pipes in my place, and I suspected that reading was either (a) because the Pool eXact is not reliable or (b) the water had been sitting in copper pipes for a while. I went to the tap next to the meter in my street, ran it clear for 2 minutes and tested again and it came back as 0.00. Of all the things the Pool eXact EZ does test, the most reliable (at an advertised 2% accuracy) is copper.

Regards what was in my water and making it look green. I know if I pour a 20L snow-white bucket full of my tap water it has a green color to it. What that's comprised of I have no idea. Is there an affordable place to do a full water workup including iron?

Lastly, all I can say is that the polyfill worked a treat for getting "rusty orange" stuff into it, and now the pool water looks amazing.

Metals testing is the only testing we suggest having done at the pool store.
It is simply impractical/ not feasible for homeowners to have the equipment for this. However don’t buy any of their potions

 

[Charlie Bezzina]

I had that yellow/green water when i first filled my pool. Within a few weeks my white grout had turned brown in all but a few patches and my water became crystal clear. No doubt whatever was in the water is now in my grout and in my chlorinator cell... Based on the water quality reports I wouldn't have expected this.

 

[jseyfert3]

Regards what was in my water and making it look green. I know if I pour a 20L snow-white bucket full of my tap water it has a green color to it. What that's comprised of I have no idea. Is there an affordable place to do a full water workup including iron?

I got a brewing water test from Ward labs. They have home tests that include iron. Copper and some other stuff can be selected as add-on tests.

I should do the tap water in a white bucket. My memory tells me when I've done this (and paid attention) I can always see a light blue color.

@JoyfulNoise do you know what may cause tap water to look green in a white bucket?

 

[JoyfulNoise]

A sufficient volume of water in a white container will look blue colored. Dilute dissolved iron (Fe2+) salts and suspended iron particulates (Fe3+) will impart a yellow color to water. Blue + yellow = green. Water that his heavily contaminated with suspended iron compounds (Fe3+), usually in the form of oxides and hydroxide, will begin to look brownish/red colored.

A typical residential water analysis should include iron and copper at a minimum as well as heavy metals. Usually you only have to pay extra if you are looking for some harder to find contaminants such as biological contamination OR chemical/pharmaceutical contaminants.

 

[Newdude]

My white Bathtubs do it also, removing the sun from the equation.

 

[GreenLeaf]

I can only attach 10 images to my post above, so adding these here in case it helps anyone see how quickly and effectively this method did clear a 100k litre / 28k gallon pool.

The wadding is the skimmer filter catch 0-12 hours (first 12 hours), 12-36 hours (second 24 hours), 36-60 hours (third 24 hours). I only started this on day 2 once the pool was filled.



The loose polyfill is the gravity filter which I didn't change at all over the 4 days. I started this before the pool was filled and the main system pump was turned on.

 

[GreenLeaf]

Or this one @45g/hr. POOL LAB PL45 SALT CHLORINATOR

@CRAD_oz, I'm looking at this with the ASP module to control PH and FC. I assume this is a similar if not the same system as your PureSilk as PoolPower appear to make cells for PoolLab, PureSilk and Hayward. Their manual says "FC should be between 1 and 3" and "Free chlorine levels above 4.0ppm may void manufacturer warranties on your equipment.".

Just wondering if the ASP lets you go above a target FC of 3 (so I can run CYA at 70 and FC at 5) and if TFP FC levels are ok with them in terms of manufacturer warranty?

 

[CRAD_oz]

Just wondering if the ASP lets you go above a target FC of 3 (so I can run CYA at 70 and FC at 5) and if TFP FC levels are ok with them in terms of manufacturer warranty?

Green
Yes I have the Puresilk version. The PL series is the newer type that has the test asymbley mounted to the pipe. The cells are the same for both models.
Mine has a max FC setpoint of 5ppm and Max pH of 8.4? I run mine at 5ppm (I don't use the pH control much as my pools pH is stable)
I did email Poolpower about the PL series in regards to the max FC setpoint and a few other questions a year ago but they did not get back to me. Since I'm not in the market for one atm I didn't chase it up.

An FC of 3ppm and 0ppm of cya is more harmful than FC 5ppm and 70ppm cya so no problems with your levels. I don't think they understand the FC cya ratio?
I still check my water regularly with my CCL kit to ensure the puresilk is working.

 

[GreenLeaf]

Thanks a lot, good to know it's (likely) at least able to go to 5.

I don't use the pH control much as my pools pH is stable

Are you using borates?

 

[CRAD_oz]

Are you using borates?

Nope.