Is it algae or rust or what....

[Atlantica]

Newbie here...
TLDR:reddish brown stuff came out of return jet after filter had been off for 2-3 days...is it algae?
With the rain, our pool filter hasn’t been running for maybe two days. I just turned it on and out of the return jet came reddish-brown...something. After a minute or so it was clear again. Whatever it was had to have been inside the (sand) filter (or settled in a hose maybe?) Could algae have been growing in the filter while it wasn’t running? The free chlorine level was at 13 the day I shut off the filter so I would think algae wouldn’t be able to grow?
Other info it it helps....
We had a nasty algae bloom several weeks back..I fought it for over a week (with algaecide and shock from the pool store) before I gave up and just overloaded it with chlorine The free chlorine level was at 30+ for several days, but that finally seemed to do something. It changed the green water back to clear anyway. Then I used a flocculent (pool store again) and it took 3-4 days to vacuum all of the reddish brown stuff off the bottom. I assumed that was algae?

AAAAnd...that’s actually how I discovered tfp....ordered the test kit balanced the pool out, added the calculated amount of Borax. Aside from being a tad cloudy and the chlorine level hovering around 10, I haven’t had any other problems.

 

[Texas Splash]

Welcome to TFP! Well, based on the chlorine bombs you have dropped, it sounds like you have some sediment that is blowing out, but let's go over a few things:
1 - You seem to have a TF-100, so we'd like to see a full set of water results please.
2 - If you ever see algae in the future, perform a SLAM Process instead. The floc, clarifiers, algaecides, and other pool store junk are just a waste of time and money.
3 - Did you vacuum all that floc to WASTE or did it get to the sand? If it hit the sand, it's probably ruined. Another reason we discourage floc herer at this forum.
4 - Are you on a well?
5 - Even with rain, there's no need to turn off the pump. Always try to maintain regular chemistry.

Let's start there and we'll see what needs to be done next.

 

[Atlantica]

Ok. I think I was off on the time frame I previously posted (this being home all day everyday has really messed with my concept of time...most of the time I don’t even know what day it is) Anyhow....
1) I’d give you a full set of results except I’m heading into week 3 of waiting for my test kit refills that I ordered on 6/30 Only thing I can do at the moment is ph (7.5) and total alkalinity (100). According to the color strip my total chlorine is in the 5-7 range.
2) I did do a SLAM...that was about 4 weeks ago. That was when it took getting the chlorine level up to 30+ before the water would stay clear. Previous to that was a 10 day period where I would “shock” the pool, wake up to clear water...and it would start turning green again in the afternoon. Somewhere in that 10 day period - I made daily trips to the pool store/Walmart/Lowe’s (plus phone calls) went through probably 6-8 trichlor shock bags and 1/4 of a $23 bottle of algaecide. My water was looking worse and worse. Enter the flocculent. Added it and went to bed. Woke up to fairly clean looking water, bottom of the pool was covered in reddish/brown stuff. I figured it must be all of the dead algae ‍♀.
3) I vacuumed it to waste. Being that some of it was naturally disturbed during b vacuuming, I let the water sit again. By afternoon it would start looking greenish again. ok no worries.. I know what I’m doing now and probably didn’t add enough chlorine. Shock again...but now I’m gonna double shock (is that even a thing?! I just added extra trichlor bags cause that’s what I thought I was supposed to use) Add floc again. Go to bed and wake up again to fairly clean water with brown stuff on the bottom. Vacuum to waste. By 2:00 in the afternoon....green tinge again. It’s that darn mofo algae again!! Repeat for 3 days...of course adding more floc because if a little is good then more must be better
Professor Google teaches me a little about CYA. Holy no wonder the algae keeps coming back. Enter calcium hypochlorite. Except everyone is out. Professor Google leads me to TFP and now enters bleach. Limit of 4 per customer at each store...I drag my family to every store in the area until we have enough bottles of bleach that I expect to be put on a watch list. 2-3 days later and I realize that I can not possibly keep up with enough bleach. Make some phone calls. Walmart has Cal Hypo. And jugs of 10% or 12% bleach/chlorine/something...I don’t remember exactly but I have more out back. NOW that mofo algae is going down . Added cal hypo. Lots of Cal Hypo. I sit down with my resourceful genius self and go back on the TFP website because when I was standing in the aisles of Walmart scanning the internet for a substitute...there seemed to be some pretty useful info on this site. Isn’t long before I choke on my ice cold lemonade and stare longingly at the pool water that I now realize I’m going to have to drain and start over with. I ordered the tf100 test kit.
I start again and everything is going fairly well (water is still a bit cloudy with very very slight a yellow/green tinge but I’m patient and gonna keeping working at it) until yesterday when I turned the filter on and all that brown/red stuff spilled out of the return jet. Which is now sitting in a blob shape on the floor of my pool.
4) Yes I have a well. IMPORTANT- WE ALSO HAVE A WATER SOFETENER. Most of the pool water was from last year before we bought the house. I assume the pool water went through the softener because there is no other water access. BUT....after moving in, my fiancé did whatever to the plumbing so the water access on THAT side of the house bypassed the softener and I could water the gardens. During the above fiasco I had to replace a lot of the pool water...and *MY* water DID NOT go through the softener! I dug our the water test results from the inspection and yesterday I bought a water testing kit from Lowe’s and the iron level in the water coming directly from the well is 3, Copper 1.3.
5) I usually shut the pump off during times of no use, but try to never leave it off for more than a day...I’ll run it for a couple of hours while I’m outside.

So that ladies and gentlemen...is how I got to here. I’m *thinking* that the stuff is maybe iron or iron bacteria? After looking in the toilets and brine tank...we definitely have iron (something) bacteria. A whole other issue to contend with

 

[Atlantica]

P.S. We’ve been swimming in the pool without issue for the last two weeks so the crud is something that had to have been sitting in the hoses, sand, or something from the two days the filter was off?

 

[mguzzy]

Wow what a story... and by the way.. Welcome!

Have you deep cleaned your sand filter after all that?

Sand Filter Use and Care - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Can you collect some of the reddish brown stuff? If it reacts and turns clear with Vitamin C or Ascorbic Acid (Fruit Fresh) its iron based.

I'm betting you have residual floc in your sand. Also if you have iron, you may have been seeing iron being oxidized instead of algae.

 

[Texas Splash]

That is a lot more info. Ha. Well, what I see in the future, whenever you decide to do it, is a large water exchange. Too much product has been added to the water which has really messed-up your chemistry, and the various pool store stuff was no help. The iron and copper levels are WAY above what we consider manageable in a pool once chlorine is added. Even if you refill via the water softener, it may overwhelm it and./or not get all the iron. I would recommend reading the link below to help with the iron. The water exchange is the only way to remove that iron.

From brown to 😍😍. Thank you polyfil!

We filled our pool from our well. We knew the risks and knew we would have a battle when the water was 12" deep as it looked green from the metals. Our fears were confirmed when we added chlorine and the water turned brown almost immediately. Enter 5 gallon polyfil filter. It worked...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Atlantica]

Ohhhh...that looks doable! Going to see if I can I gather the supplies to make one.

 

[Atlantica]

Wait wait wait...polyfil...as in the white fluff you get from a craft store!? Dude, I am a crafter! I have piles and piles of that shi....stuff downstairs. Ahoy...and we are on to bluer waters....

 

[mguzzy]

When I was fighting some iron contamination I just stuck it in my skimmer basket.. and reconfigured the diverter so it was all pulling from the surface. Try that first and see if it turns orange.. then go the big filter next.

 

[Newdude]

Hey Atlantica and welcome !! You came in like a wrecking ball if I’ve ever seen one !! But it’s ok, you’re here now. Take a breath, slow it down and everything can be fixed. Pat and Guzzy who you’ve already met can fix anything. There are oodles more behind them and some more may join in the fun too.

First off, no more pool store magic potionsmore mass Walmart purchases either unless they are approved here.

next up is to head on over to pool school and read up onABCs of Pool Water Chemistry

let us know what else we can help with or any stumbling blocks while processing it all.

 

[Atlantica]

Hey Atlantica and welcome !! You came in like a wrecking ball if I’ve ever seen one !! But it’s ok, you’re here now. Take a breath, slow it down and everything can be fixed. Pat and Guzzy who you’ve already met can fix anything. There are oodles more behind them and some more may join in the fun too.

First off, no more pool store magic potionsmore mass Walmart purchases either unless they are approved here.

next up is to head on over to pool school and read up onABCs of Pool Water Chemistry

let us know what else we can help with or any stumbling blocks while processing it all.

 

[Atlantica]

Oh I printed off the ABC’s and SLAM instructions and it’s my new bible Yeah it’s been a bit of a sh!tshow haha. Bought a new house with a new pool which also needed complete overhaul of its gardening and flower beds, new chickens, suddenly dropped into homeschooling 4 kids, dog fell of the bed and was paralyzed, trying to get firewood ready to go and my fiancé is working 80 hours a week to make up for my lack of work hours...Most days I feel like a steam engine with no brakes . About an hour ago I brushed the bottom and sides of the pool, stuffed a handful of polyfil into the skimmer basket....and it’s already got some red/brown in it. I am going to take that deep breath now...put some Bob Marley on the speakers and start in on yard work...replacing the polyfil as it gets nasty. My Dad and I will work on the big filter tomorrow if this continues to go well Thanks so much everyone...you’ve helped me make more progress in a day than the pool people have in a month!

 

[mguzzy]

Oh I printed off the ABC’s and SLAM instructions and it’s my new bible Yeah it’s been a bit of a sh!tshow haha. Bought a new house with a new pool which also needed complete overhaul of its gardening and flower beds, new chickens, suddenly dropped into homeschooling 4 kids, dog fell of the bed and was paralyzed, trying to get firewood ready to go and my fiancé is working 80 hours a week to make up for my lack of work hours...Most days I feel like a steam engine with no brakes . About an hour ago I brushed the bottom and sides of the pool, stuffed a handful of polyfil into the skimmer basket....and it’s already got some red/brown in it. I am going to take that deep breath now...put some Bob Marley on the speakers and start in on yard work...replacing the polyfil as it gets nasty. My Dad and I will work on the big filter tomorrow if this continues to go well Thanks so much everyone...you’ve helped me make more progress in a day than the pool people have in a month!

Bob Marley! YA!
You can rinse the poly fill off and put it back in.

Chasing chickens to Bob Marley is cathartic!

 

[Newdude]

Bob Marley! YA!

He *is* from New Hampshire and all. Them mountains ain’t the only thing green up there.

 

[Atlantica]

Wow what a story... and by the way.. Welcome!

Have you deep cleaned your sand filter after all that?

Sand Filter Use and Care - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Can you collect some of the reddish brown stuff? If it reacts and turns clear with Vitamin C or Ascorbic Acid (Fruit Fresh) its iron based.

I'm betting you have residual floc in your sand. Also if you have iron, you may have been seeing iron being oxidized instead of algae.

Hi mguzzy! Yup...so think so too. All this time I’m adding water with iron to my pool..freaking out because I think it’s algae..vacuum it up and add more water with iron What do they is the definition of insanity again lol. I have not cleaned the sand...but after seeing your reply I looked it up and it’s now on my to do list