Issue I haven't seen before

[joshs2000ss]

Pool has been uncovered all winter, won't get in to why that is, but just FYI. The water yesterday was reasonably clear with some dirt on the bottom of pool. Due to recent rains, the water level was high, so I vacuumed to waste until the water level was normalish, then vacuumed what little dirt (discoloring on the bottom) remained to the filter. I backwashed/rinsed 2 times before I started vacuuming to filter then once again after I was done. Pressure hadn't really climbed, but I just wanted to have a clean start. My CYA tube got busted so I couldn't really check the level (one on the way) but EVERY year, my CYA level at the start of the season is 0. I assumed the same so I added the correct weight of Stabilizer in a sock to bring the CYA to 30 and added enough pool chlorine (recently purchased) to bump the FC to 14 (shock level is 13 for CYA of 30). Again, the water was pretty clean looking.

This morning when I got up to go check the status of the pool, expecting it to look somewhat better, it was quite a greenish color. I'm not sure if it was just settled out of the water and sitting on the bottom or not but it appeared to be. I was running short on time, so I checked FC with the drop test and it came out at 14, which is where it was last night. So nothing is eating the chlorine but the water is green. What might be the cause of this? I'm going to have the wife brush the pool today and then check the FC again.

 

[splashpad]

... water yesterday was reasonably clear ... added enough pool chlorine (recently purchased) to bump the FC to 14 (shock level is 13 for CYA of 30). Again, the water was pretty clean looking.

This morning when I got up to go check the status of the pool, expecting it to look somewhat better, it was quite a greenish color.

Sounds like copper, did you use an algecide?

 

[joshs2000ss]

No algecide. I've never added anything to the pool but tap water, bleach, stabilizer, muratic acid and salt. Never had copper issues before and I've been using this system for 7 years. What might introduce copper into the pool?

 

[splashpad]

No algecide. I've never added anything to the pool but tap water, bleach, stabilizer, muratic acid and salt. Never had copper issues before and I've been using this system for 7 years. What might introduce copper into the pool?

Do you have a heater?
:edit: I see it in your sig, how old is it?

 

[duraleigh]

It's probably iron. Do you fill from a well?

 

[mknauss]

Do you have iron?

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[joshs2000ss]

I fill from tap water on a county water system. No issues with iron in the past. I do have a heater and it's as old as the pool which is about 10 years, but I would think that if there were issues with rust from the heater, they would have been evident before adding chlorine as well as the pump has been running off and on all winter.

 

[joshs2000ss]

Is there a way to test for copper or iron?

 

[splashpad]

Is there a way to test for copper or iron?

You can take a sample to your local pool store for metal testing, it's not the amount that is "important", just the presence
Dismissively smile & nod when they try to sell you different "things" you "need", ask questions here first for unbiased answers

 

[joshs2000ss]

Ugh. The phrase "go to the pool store" makes me cringe. haha

I guess my next question would be, if the iron or copper is high, what are the methods of resolving? If it is my heater, will it flush eventually or am I going to have to take drastic measures before I can swim this season?

 

[mknauss]

Did you read the article I linked to?

 

[Pool_Medic]

Clear green is metals, cloudy green is algae. I suspect your town has done something that’s caused metals to leach into their water. Once you added the chlorine it came out of suspension.

 

[joshs2000ss]

Did you read the article I linked to?

Just read it. Sounds like I have some joyous times ahead of me...

 

[duraleigh]

• I fill from tap water on a county water system. No issues with iron in the past. I do have a heater and it's as old as the pool which is about 10 years, but I would think that if there were issues with rust from the heater, they would have been evident before adding chlorine as well as the pump has been running off and on all winter.

  My pool never had iron symptoms, either but, one year, it turned green within an hour. Test your water for iron content but don't be shocked if the report is "no iron" I believe the reason for that is precipitated iron does not register on the test.....only iron in solution.

The green most always occurs with a SUDDEN introduction of chlorine. Simply running your pump 24/7 for a few days will slowly allow the iron to go back into solution and your water will clear up. My bet is you could even add some acid and drop your pH to around 7.2 and the green would disappear but that is pure speculation......I have never tried it. Won't harm anything if you want to give it a go.

So, easy enough to get your pool back to clear but to keep it from happening again, you have to find the source of the iron. Rusty pipes? Inconsistent iron content in the county water? Even perhaps a trace of iron in your pool that continued accumulate until you reached the precipitation point.

 

[joshs2000ss]

I'm going to tackle this over the weekend. Thank you for the info. I'll give that a try but it appears to be stained on the liner at this point and not suspended in the water. It's kind of hard to tell, but I'll post some pics if I get a chance later.