Help guys! Black pool water!

[travelfeedsthesoul]

Uh oh. Did you forget that Leslie’s isn’t good at testing and that you should never listen to any of their advice? What does your TF-100 test kit say the water test results are?

Yep, I don't ever go to Leslie's but went there to get the water tested for metals.

I posted the image with the test results above. It seems like the TA was fine on my results but can that be incorrect?

 

[travelfeedsthesoul]

Is the dark only on the water surface or is it on t

Seems to be surface level only.

 

[Bperry]

Yep, I don't ever go to Leslie's but went there to get the water tested for metals.

I posted the image with the test results above. It seems like the TA was fine on my results but can that be incorrect?

The TF-100 is correct, the Leslie’s test is incorrect. They use some kind of adjusted alkalinity which always makes you buy expensive baking soda. Ignore all their tests.

 

[travelfeedsthesoul]

Okay, my pool builder may have figured it out for me. Right off the bat he said it could be mulch running into the pool.

In the last 2 days, we've had some heavy rains in our area. The issue started 2 days ago when the water looked a bit black and then last night we had thunderstorms with heavy rains again. This morning the pool water looked even more black.

Guess what's new since last week? We mulched our landscaping last week with ultra fine BLACK mulch. My PB thinks the black mulch or the rain water with the mulch dye could be running into the pool from the deep end.

Since all my chemicals looked fine, this is a very possible diagnosis. I'll most likely have to drain the pool and probably good idea since my CYA is higher than ideal.

So I guess I'll do the draining after I return from our trip since there's still more chances of rain here.

Will post updates here.

Attached pic is BEFORE mulching, the deep end of the pool where mulch dye water maybe flow on from.

Thanks everyone for the input!

 

[kul]

I wonder if there’s a better way to get it all out instead of draining? Can it be scooped with fine mesh scooper?

 

[JamesW]

Black Mulch Dye in Pool

We recently had some landscaping done and used black mulch, thinking it would look nice. A few days later we had a heavy rain and the backyard floored. The black dye from the mulch ran into the pool. Now the entire pool is black! We have been running the filter for 36 hours but it hasn't...

www.troublefreepool.com

Mulch!! The good the bad the ugly.

Anyone have mulch around there pool. Thinking about putting it around mine. Heard that it can attract and and the can eat kitten holes in your liner. What are yalls thought or experiences. Edit. Heard that it can attract ants and they can eat holes in the floor liner.

www.troublefreepool.com

yikes pool is black

Hi all, looking for advice. Going into the weekend pool looked good. Saturday my pool was sparkling after cleaning cartridge filters, sunday pool was in great shape. Put out new black mulch in 2 beds behind pool. pool was balanced all was fine. Tuesday little rain, Wednesday 4 inches rain...

www.troublefreepool.com

Black Mulch Dye in Pool II

Split from Black Mulch Dye in Pool Zea3 The same scenario just happened with my pool- I know that this is an older post but if you see this response can you let me know if it cleared up? Or did you need to do something specific to filter the pool water? Thanks!

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[duraleigh]

If you have run-off water from the surrounding area running IN TO your pool, that will be a continual problem.

You need to work on your Landscaping and get the water to DRAIN AWAY FROM your pool.

 

[travelfeedsthesoul]

It never did this the first time when we had the trees plated with black mulch. Although it also hadn't rained heavy here in Texas for a few months either.

Based on the threads James posted earlier, no immediate action required right now, correct? This will clear up in a few days after rain stops

 

[JamesW]

This will clear up in a few days after rain stops

Hopefully.

It depends on the dye.

Ask the mulch supplier about the black dye.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Wouldn't you see a blackened trail of dye from the garden bed mulch to the pool?

 

[mgtfp]

He said Total Alkalinity (TA) was very low and he hasn't seen it that low in a long time.

It only appears to be low because they are reporting corrected alkalinity which is only the carbonate alkalinity part of alkalinity. It's a disgrace that they still call this "Total" Alkalinity. CYA's contribution to alkalinity is real alkalinity.

The only reason to subtract it from total alkalinity is to use the resulting carbonate alkalinity to calculate the amount of carbonate in the water for saturation index calculation purposes. This should be fine internally by their software.

Calling this still "Total" Alkalinity is just a scare tactics to sell more overpriced baking soda to their customers. They are basically hooking customers into a subscription scheme. Reporting TA lower than it actually is, means that the pool is way overcarbonated, resulting in more CO2 outgassing, driving pH up. This will be fought by adding acid, driving TA down again. Add baking soda and start again.

Great business model. For them, not the customer.

 

[travelfeedsthesoul]

It only appears to be low because they are reporting corrected alkalinity which is only the carbonate alkalinity. It's a disgrace that they still call this "Total" Alkalinity. CYA's contribution to alkalinity is real alkalinity.

The only reason to subtract it from total alkalinity is to use the resulting carbonate alkalinity to calculate the amount of carbonate in the water for saturation index calculation purposes. This should be fine internally by their software.

Calling this still "Total" Alkalinity is just a scare tactics to sell more overpriced baking soda to their customers. They are basically hooking customers into a subscription scheme. By reporting TA lower than it actually is, means that the pool is way overcarbonated, resulting in CO2 outgassing, driving pH up. This will be fought by adding acid, driving TA down again. Add baking soda and start again.

Great business model. For them, not the customer.

Well, they got me. I bought 20 lbs (two 10 lb buckets) of "baking soda" from them prior to realizing it was the mulch dye and used 10 lbs initially. Once I realized it wasn't my TA and just the mulch, I returned the other tub.

Thanks for the input.

 

[JamesW]

Did it clear up?

 

[mgtfp]

Well, they got me. I bought 20 lbs (two 10 lb buckets) of "baking soda" from them prior to realizing it was the mulch dye and used 10 lbs initially. Once I realized it wasn't my TA and just the mulch, I returned the other tub.

Thanks for the input.

As long as you are chlorinating with liquid chlorine or an SWG, you can let TA (the real thing, no corrections) drop down to 50. If it gets lower you should add some baking soda to bring it back up a bit.

When chlorinating with Trichlor, then slightly higher TA is advised because Trichlor reduces pH and TA. CO2 outgassing is then desirable to compensate Trichlor's acidity, and TA will need regular top-ups. But since Trichlor use needs to be limited anyway due to CYA build-up, this shouldn't be a concern anyway when applying TFPC.