Hi All,
I am a new pool owner with a pool service and I'm struggling with a new problem. Any insight would be greatly appreciated! Here is the timeline and how things developed;
About 3 weeks ago I had an algae outbreak in the pool. The pool was cleared up by the pool service with 1gal liquid chlorine, 1lb Calcium shock, and 6oz of clarifier.
About 2 weeks ago, I cleaned my filter cartridges myself (the psi had gotten into the clean range). I used a garden hose as instructed in the users manual. All seemed well after cleaning for a few days.
About 1.5 week ago, pool service added another 2gal of liquid chlorine and another 1lb calcium shock. Since that time, the pool got very cloudy/milky in color and a white precipitate formed on the bottom of the pool. I usually see the white powder forming at the bottom after shock, but this is the first time it didn't clear up after a few days.
About 1 week ago, the pool is still cloudy with a lot of white precipitate. Pool service suggested that I may have introduced an issue with the filters during cleaning. I reassembled and cleaned the filter to see if I mixed something up...the filters seem like they properly seated. When I hosed them off a lot of white stuff came out of them.
Since then, I've been running filter overtime and running my vacuum frequently. I've been brushing the white precipitate into the water, which causes it to get cloudy. Bit by bit the water has gotten clearer and the powder less. The water now looks clear but there is still a film of white precipitate all over the pool. There are some more highly concentrated areas of white substance at corners and on steps.
My questions to the forum are...
I ran the Free Chlorine three times since it seemed so high...it is the FAS-DPD test from the Taylor 2006C kit.
Pool Stats
I am a new pool owner with a pool service and I'm struggling with a new problem. Any insight would be greatly appreciated! Here is the timeline and how things developed;
About 3 weeks ago I had an algae outbreak in the pool. The pool was cleared up by the pool service with 1gal liquid chlorine, 1lb Calcium shock, and 6oz of clarifier.
About 2 weeks ago, I cleaned my filter cartridges myself (the psi had gotten into the clean range). I used a garden hose as instructed in the users manual. All seemed well after cleaning for a few days.
About 1.5 week ago, pool service added another 2gal of liquid chlorine and another 1lb calcium shock. Since that time, the pool got very cloudy/milky in color and a white precipitate formed on the bottom of the pool. I usually see the white powder forming at the bottom after shock, but this is the first time it didn't clear up after a few days.
About 1 week ago, the pool is still cloudy with a lot of white precipitate. Pool service suggested that I may have introduced an issue with the filters during cleaning. I reassembled and cleaned the filter to see if I mixed something up...the filters seem like they properly seated. When I hosed them off a lot of white stuff came out of them.
Since then, I've been running filter overtime and running my vacuum frequently. I've been brushing the white precipitate into the water, which causes it to get cloudy. Bit by bit the water has gotten clearer and the powder less. The water now looks clear but there is still a film of white precipitate all over the pool. There are some more highly concentrated areas of white substance at corners and on steps.
My questions to the forum are...
- What is likely cause of white powder/film?
- Is there a likely problem with filter, that I may have introduced during cleaning? Should the filter cartridges be replaced as pool service suggests?
- What to do about high free chlorine, and could this be contributing to white powder problem?
- Free Chlorine: 10 ppm
- Combined Chlorine: 0 ppm
- pH: 7.4
- Total Alkalinity: 80 ppm
- Calcium Hardness: 360 ppm
- CYA: < 30 ppm...Not discernable with my test kit (Taylor 2006C)
I ran the Free Chlorine three times since it seemed so high...it is the FAS-DPD test from the Taylor 2006C kit.
Pool Stats
- Inground about 16,000 gal?
- Plaster walls
- Pentair Clean and Clear Plus 420 Cartridge Filter
- Dolphin Cayman Vacuum