Helping brother with AGP....

[julie492]

My brother has an 18'x48" AGP, metal sided pool, vinyl liner, 5,000 gallons.

They are having a clouding issue. He had city water brought in on the fire trucks and the water was a yellowish orange color when they filled it. He figured it was rust from the pipes. We added all the basics, stabilizer, algaecide, chlorine(three 3" pucks). From what he told me, he has also shocked the pool and poured in more algaecide last week. The colored water is no more, but its really cloudy now. I had their water tested at the pool store, but don't have all the numbers in front of me. The pool store told me they had copper in the water. So thats probably from the algaecide, correct? They bought a metal remover, but haven't used it yet.

They shocked the pool again last night and these are the numbers I remember her telling me:

TC 5-10
pH 7.8
TA 180
CYA iguess was at 0 because she said she filled the tube and could still the dot hazily.

My brother wants to just drain the pool and refill it with well water and start over. Should they? Or where do they go from here? Thanks.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

hi there,

The ph is on the high end....I'd lower that. How did he "shock" the pool (what chemical did he use to do so?)....

I wouldn't rush to waste 5,000 gallons of water, the solution here could be simple.

No need for algeacide or pucks. Read the BBB for beginners and the ABC's of pool water chemistry in Pool School for more information.

 

[JasonLion]

You need to be careful if you have significant copper levels, copper stains are very difficult to remove. If the copper level is very high it might be better to drain and refill, but if the copper level is more reasonable you can simply keep the PH reasonably low and use sequestrant to prevent staining. The copper level will go down over time as water gets splashed out and if he has a filter that gets backwashed.

Apart from the very high copper level issue, it is almost always easier to deal with the water you have than to refill. Get at least a little CYA in the water and bring the FC up to shock level and see how things go.

 

[julie492]

He used the HTH shock & swim in the pool. They are trying to used up a lot of pool chemicals that was left there by his wifes brother when they moved out of the house and left the pool and house to them. I will get the numbers from them this evening when he gets off of work that the pool store did that has the copper number.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

It could be the combination of high ph and the shock & swim, plus weak circulation/filter.

We'll be able to help better when we see the test results. It's better to shock with bleach....don't bother with the shock and swim stuff.

 

[julie492]

Got a set of numbers today while they were at work for them.

TC 5.5
pH 7.2
TA 210
CH 210
CYA 45

I could see the bottom of their pool this morning while there, but it still has a cloudy look to it. I checked his filter and its filtering something brown on it. He told me last night that when he tasted the water it had a mud taste to it and wondered if it was brown algae or something. I have no idea. Their numbers look pretty good to me, other than the cloudy issue.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Anyway you can get a CC test?

IF the free chlorine level holds overnight (loses less than 1ppm) then that's good, if it loses more than that you are likely fighting algae. But without a CC test, we only know what the TC is and that's only half the info.... know what I mean?

The other numbers are ok for now, focus on the chlorine and the cloudy water. Does he have another cartridge he can swap out while that slimy one is cleaned?

 

[julie492]

I actually did that kind of test today

When I did the chlorine test in the taylor kit part, the water was dark yellow showing a level of 5-10. FC came out to 5.5 and CC was 0, so that made the TC 5.5, correct?

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Well, I'm not familiar with that test, so I'll have to hope that you are correct.

I'd say just keep it up to shock till the shock number holds overnight, with no cc's, and keep running the filter swapping out cartridges until the water clears.

Is this an "easy set" or Intex type frame pool? It could just be weak circulation takes awhile to clear the cloudiness. As long as your FC holds you could just need POP....Pool Owner Patience.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Re-read the posts. Did you get a chance to have the pool store test the water? (metals?)

The TA is high...but your other numbers look o.k. I don't think the numbers combined with high TA means anything. It still could be the shock n swim stuff, time for the cloudiness to clear, and a weak pump, dirty filter.

Keep us posted.

Keep the chlorine up to shock till it holds overnight, retest in the morning, see if it holds.

 

[julie492]

His water is crystal clear! It was just a weak filter/pump he had going. He got the part he needed in for the Hayward pump he found in the shed left there. Luckily he's a mechanic and fix nearly anything. LOL He ordered a 150.00 part for it and got it connected and WOW..in 5 hrs..that water was about 90% crystal clear and after 8hrs...you couldn't even tell the water had ever been cloudy!

I'm not sure on the brand of pool it is. I know it has a solid metal wall that surrounds the outside and they have a liner on the inside and it laps over the top edge of the metal sides. Sand is built up around the outer perimeter of the pool. So possibly? It was left there by his wifes brother when he divorced and moved out. I didn't see a brand name on it anywhere.