Just want to cry ?

[Funinsun1]

Please help..Please.

My pool water is beautiful and crystal clear. But..... there is white mold present on the skimmer creases and lights, also have very high CYA 200 (28,000 gallon pool), ( my fault used tri-cor pucks then 99% sodium di) zero chlorine.
I've drained below the returns. I'm not sure what to do next.

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum!
How are you testing your water chemistry? Post a full set of test results.
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry and consider reviewing the entire Pool School eBook.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

I have to say I've never seen white mold ... are you sure that's what you're seeing? Not calcium or something else?
Can you provide a full set of test results, and which kit you used to obtain them??
FC
CC
pH
TA
CH
CYA

Maddie

 

[Funinsun1]

Hi Maddie,
This is from Leslies pool and spa.
FAC 5
TAC 1
CH 240
CYA 200
TA 120
PH 7.0
TDS 1000
PHO 200
I've drained the pool lower than the returns. Its a 20 x 40 , deep end being 9 1/2 feet. The white mold looks mucus around the light and returns. So Im not sure what I should do now... try and kill the mold, fix the phosphate problem, lower more water for the CYA to get in check. Sad thing is the pool looks perfect ~ except the small white mold that i know is there.
Thank you very much for trying to help me. I really appreciate. ?

 

[Texas Splash]

Here's an Rx to your problem ........
1. You must test your own water with a proper test kit. Either a TF-100 (link below) or Taylor K-2006C. See Test Kits Compared. I love my TF-100 with speedstir.
2. If your CYA is as high as you suspect (again, you can't rely on Leslie's test), a healthy water exchange will be task #1. Your CYA needs to be between 30-50 so you can perform a SLAM Process to remove any excessive organic matter in the water.
3. Do not add anything else to the water except for regular bleach. Avoid Clorox brand bleach, and any bleach that says splashless or scented. Use only plain/regular. Add about 1.2 gallon per day until your test kit arrives.

Take this time to read-up on our ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry, SLAM Process page, get aquainted with the PoolMath tool, and the other Vital Links below in my signature. They will help you once the test kit arrives.

 

[Funinsun1]

Hi
Thank you for your quick response. After reading SLAM.. it would be very expensive to add 40 gallons of bleach, correct.
I have the dip stick tester from aquachek. And its
TH250
TC 0.5
FC 0
PH 6.8
TA 180
CYA 150

 

[Funinsun1]

Oh and btw it doesnt smell with chlorine odor.. if that helps at all.

 

[Texas Splash]

Unfortunately, test strips are not much better. What we don't want to happen is to see you invest time and chemicals into something and find out later the water results were not accurate. The water itself may look clear, but it doesn't mean it's sanitized if that makes sense. If your CYA is over 100, it's a matter of time before algae enters the picture since your chlorine level (FC) needs to be much higher to keep-up. See FC/CYA Levels.

A chlorine odor is typically associated with the expelling of combined chlorine (waste products), a common smell at a community pool. But between your two test examples above, one showing an FC of 5 the other zero, there's a big disparity, and that's just one example. You really need a proper test kit. Then you'll know how much water to exchange and be able to perform a SLAM if needed.

Lastly, your pH might be a bit low if those tests above are close to correct. Not sure if you have a heater up there, so make sure to update your signature when you get a chance. It helps us to see your pool and equipment info.

 

[Funinsun1]

Thank you again and again for helping me. ?I did make one mistake the FC is almost a zero.. it is 0.5

 

[Funinsun1]

I did buy chlorine pucks from Costco and the bag of shock also from there. One was tri the other di

 

[Texas Splash]

My pleasure. Of course the FC is still very, very low, you probably already noticed that by looking at the FC/CYA Levels. For new members, purchasing their own test kit may seem a bit daunting or frustrating after being told various things by a pool store clerk and trying various products off the shelf (most over-priced). But the proper test kit is not only easy to use, it is accurate, convenient, and will pay for itself in time/chemicals saved.

Also understand that those tabs/pucks not only increase the CYA more & more (you probably don't need that), they are "acidic" and will drive the pH lower & lower. Regular bleach is your best bet for a while.

When you get a moment, visit the TF100 Tets Kits YouTube channel so you can see how easy it is ....

TF100TestKit

The TF-100 sets the standard for excellence in Pool Testing Kits. It contains 7 separate tests to give you accurate readings on each important pool water par...

www.youtube.com

You might also like to see this one ....

 

[an1vrsy]

Hi @Funinsun1
You came to Trouble Free Pool looking for the best methods to take control of your pool. You can not mix recommendations from TFP and any other source. You noticed the pool store after testing your water wanted you to buy many different chemicals to bring your pool water chemistry numbers into balance but for how much???

Here at TFP you’ve gotten a recommendation to pour in bleach which is the same thing as chlorine just at a smaller percentage of strength. How much is bleach? The advice/recommendations given here will provide you with the tools you need and only what you need.

 

[Funinsun1]

Ok just got back from a different pool store. Here are their readings.
Ph 7.2
Fc 0.2
TA 82
TC 0.9
TH 190
CYA 150
TDS 1500
Does this help?

 

[Funinsun1]

Sorry if I've over stepped on my questions, by no means didn't mean to offend anyone. I just want to know the best way to kill the mold and lower the CYA.

 

[Wobblerlorri]

First of all you need your own test kit. You can't really trust pool store or strip results, as I hope you've seen by now. No one agrees with each other. You don't know what method they're using, or even if they did the rest right. Your own testing will be consistent and accurate, because no one cares about your pool as much as you do.

Now to your white mold. I'd take out the light fitting and everywhere else you have a fitting in the pool and set it on a bucket of 1:4 bleach to water solution for 24 hours. Wearing gloves, scrub those fittings, especially in grooves and crevices. Now to your pool. Add enough chlorine to bring your FC to SLAM level, and keep it there 24 hours. Run your filter 24 hrs/day while you're doing this. Check your FC every hour or so and bring it back to SLAM level of necessary. Be sure to scrub and brush the sides and bottom vigorously during that hour between FC checks. Backwash your filter if pressure reaches 25% above normal.

At the end of 24 hrs, backwash again, rinse to waste, then let your FC reach normal levels again. Reinstall your light and other fittings. You're mold-free!

 

[Mr Bruce]

Ok just got back from a different pool store. Here are their readings.
Ph 7.2
Fc 0.2
TA 82
TC 0.9
TH 190
CYA 150
TDS 1500
Does this help?

It shows how useless pool store testing is. Look how different the numbers are from the other store.

You really do need your own test kit. See Pat's post #5.

 

[Wobblerlorri]

The only way to lower CYA is to drain your pool partially. In order to know how much, you need to know to a certainty how much CYA you have, and that means your own test kit. They aren't hard to use, and only look kind of scary. After two uses you'll be a pro!

 

[DorsalSpine]

You didn't overstep at all. We are all friends here. It's just that you will get different advice depending on the source. The SLAM is the correct approach but you have a bigger problem to address first. Your CYA level determines the level of FC you need. That's a lot of bleach at a CYA of 150 - 200. You can remove the fittings clean everything but it won't solve the long term problem.

You need to get your CYA under control and that means a water exchange and giving up on pucks for the near future. All you need is bleach.

 

[DorsalSpine]

What kind of pool do you have? There are different ways to exchange water based on the type of pool (vinyl, fiberglass, concrete) and how you want to go about it. Where will your fill water come from? The more you tell us the more we can help.

I've had CYA over 200 and white water mold. I followed the advice here and have never had a problem sense. That's going on six years now. A good test kit and learning how to do it yourself will save you the cost of the kit and then some down the road. I'm glad I found this site.

 

[Wobblerlorri]

But to be helpful, if your CYA is 150, draining your pool halfway then refilling it will bring it to 75 ppm, 80 rounded up. If you have a SWCG that's a comfortable range. If you run just chlorine, you'll need to drain your pool by half again, then refill to bring your CYA to 40, which is prescribed for chlorine only pools. There is no chemical which will lower CYA.

We'd love to help you further! That means getting your own test kit and filling out your signature with your pool information: type of pool, size, equipment, and type of test kit. You can access your sig by clicking on your name in the upper right corner, then clicking Signature.