New and here's the first headache....

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drummerman951

drummerman951

Silver Supporter
Apr 6, 2019
96
Riverside, CA
Pool Size
22000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Well, new salt pool owner here. Have a pool guy. Have my own Taylor K-2006 test kit, trying to get comfortable testing while the pool guy is still around. Have a pool supply store that is eager to sell me everything, in fact (after doing some reading on this fine site) realized that they sold me $120 worth of chemicals that I did not really need. Thank you Leslie's, most of it is coming back to you.... except the acid! Quick rant over....

My pool is less than a year old. I have noticed several small "stains" 1/4" or less on the floor of my Pebble-Fina that just will not leave. On a quest to find out why they are there. Barely any landscaping around the pool. Did the vitamin C test to be sure not metals based stains. I've done desperate mechanical things to eliminate these stains to no avail. Things like stainless steel brushes and pumice stones. On my new pool made me want to cry with each brush stroke. Pool guy says he thinks it's organic matter falling to the floor refusing to leave. Pool store says it's black mold (in a pool that has never been used by me.... yet) because my phosphates are high, and that it comes from the dirt beneath my pool, leaching into that porous concrete. Oh lordy..... a little frustrated that I am paying for a pool service that "may be" letting my pool go to Hades. Who to believe? Now that I know phosphates are NOT a problem when my FC is not low (which it never has been) I have no idea what these stains are. They can't possibly be black algae.... can they? FC is NEVER below 5. Screen shot of my testing, albeit brief since I just started doing this. I really should have started testing when I hired the pool guy on. But it was November. If it is algae, is it possible it was imported to pool when pool guy does maintenance?
96665
 
Read this to see if it relates to the spots. Would seem odd for it to be in spots if black algae.

Any way to get a picture of them?

Have you broadcasted any granular fertilizer in the backyard? Or have your neighbors?

Best get your CYA up for a SWCG pool. Soon. 70 ppm is recommended. Then follow FC/CYA Levels.
 
mknauss said:
Read this to see if it relates to the spots. Would seem odd for it to be in spots if black algae.

Any way to get a picture of them?

Have you broadcasted any granular fertilizer in the backyard? Or have your neighbors?

Best get your CYA up for a SWCG pool. Soon. 70 ppm is recommended. Then follow FC/CYA Levels.
Click to expand...
I'm with you on that. For some reason my pool guy avoids CYA... or says his number is 50.... when I'm practically sure its way less than 30. Believe it or not, since having the pool finished landed in November we have only been using the jacuzzi and it has been unseasonably cool in CA lately. Once I can get into the pool, picture of stains are my first "to do" item. My backyard has no grass. There are two small Crape Myrtle trees about 15ft away in the lot behind mine. I don't get much debris from those, that I can see. Small flowerbed about 10ft away near shallow end by house. Neighbors can't get fertilizer past my 6ft block walls if they fertilize at all anyways... but I suppose when mowing that dust debris enters the pool via breeze. I have never seen grass clippings in the pool, just what I would term pollen dust and gnats. It seems as the weather has brightened up here, I am seeing these spots despite twice weekly brushing (plus pool guy) and regular skimming. Right now there are just a handful. More than I want.
 
Teald024 said:
Before you add more CYA, get that SLAM Process process completed. :whistle:
Click to expand...
Thanks for the tip... right now my FC has been reasonable.... although CYA needs to be dealt with... and tomorrow it should be pretty nice in CA so I need to verify that these stains are black algae before I go forward. I'm getting the pH in line... TA is good... my pool guy will be here Tuesday to hike up the FC to apx 15 ( which seems to be his way of making FC numbers good for a week) and I am planning on adding CYA ASAP once I have pH where it should be. I'd really like to drain a little from the pool to bring my CH around 350 but one thing at a time, right?
 
drummerman951 said:
I'm with you on that. For some reason my pool guy avoids CYA... or says his number is 50.... when I'm practically sure its way less than 30. Believe it or not, since having the pool finished landed in November we have only been using the jacuzzi and it has been unseasonably cool in CA lately. Once I can get into the pool, picture of stains are my first "to do" item. My backyard has no grass. There are two small Crape Myrtle trees about 15ft away in the lot behind mine. I don't get much debris from those, that I can see. Small flowerbed about 10ft away near shallow end by house. Neighbors can't get fertilizer past my 6ft block walls if they fertilize at all anyways... but I suppose when mowing that dust debris enters the pool via breeze. I have never seen grass clippings in the pool, just what I would term pollen dust and gnats. It seems as the weather has brightened up here, I am seeing these spots despite twice weekly brushing (plus pool guy) and regular skimming. Right now there are just a handful. More than I want.
Click to expand...
Just read the black algae article..... I know what I need to do tomorrow.... it might even get to 85 degrees to make entering the pool enjoyable!
 
waiting on photos
stains not present when pool finished
seems like a new one every few days lately
no change in size, even the ones I have scrubbed have faded. Not completely gone but have not returned prior to scrubbing.
 
Teald024 said:
Before you add more CYA, get that SLAM Process process completed. :whistle:
Click to expand...
drummerman951 said:
.... although CYA needs to be dealt with...
Click to expand...

If you are concerned about algae causing the spots, then you should hold off on adding CYA. As you add more CYA, the FC level needed to kill algae also goes up per the FC/CYA Levels.

drummerman951 said:
my pool guy will be here Tuesday to hike up the FC to apx 15 ( which seems to be his way of making FC numbers good for a week) and I am planning on adding CYA ASAP once I have pH where it should be. I'd really like to drain a little from the pool to bring my CH around 350 but one thing at a time, right?
Click to expand...

How is your pool guy "hiking" FC? are you using the SWG? If so, the SWG / pump timing should be adjusted to maintain the desired FC. He shouldn't need to overdose it so it can be good over the week. With TFP methods, there is no need to periodically spike FC levels.
You don't need to get the pH "in range" or at a specific value in order to add CYA. Your pool's pH will change daily anyway. CYA will change your pH as well.
You should hold off on adjusting CH. It doesn't seem worth it to drain 25% or more of your water just to get from 400 to 350. BUT, if you are going to drain / refill the pool in the near future, you should consider do that first before adding CYA.
 

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mknauss said:
Read this to see if it relates to the spots. Would seem odd for it to be in spots if black algae.

Any way to get a picture of them?

Have you broadcasted any granular fertilizer in the backyard? Or have your neighbors?

Best get your CYA up for a SWCG pool. Soon. 70 ppm is recommended. Then follow FC/CYA Levels.
Click to expand...
I tried to get pictures yesterday but they didn't turn out so well. Any suggestions? So far I've tried a waterproof GoPro and a iPhone in a watertight case. They don't want to focus well that closely. But being in the pool, the edges of these "stains" are solid, which makes me think I'm hopefully not dealing with black mold. I read the article you mentioned above and am going to verify per recommendations.
After firing my pool guy yesterday, I feel like I have more of a say in how I want my pool to be taken care of. Looking forward to this.
 
If they are defined spots, it is not likely an algae. Any response on the fertilizer question?
 
No fertilizer. I'm thinking now that I'm taking over the pool and working on CYA load, etc I'm going to monitor while I find the best way to get pics. I'm hoping they will go away on their own. But when I get decent photos I'll send them to you.
 
Teald024 said:
If you are concerned about algae causing the spots, then you should hold off on adding CYA. As you add more CYA, the FC level needed to kill algae also goes up per the FC/CYA Levels.



How is your pool guy "hiking" FC? are you using the SWG? If so, the SWG / pump timing should be adjusted to maintain the desired FC. He shouldn't need to overdose it so it can be good over the week. With TFP methods, there is no need to periodically spike FC levels.
You don't need to get the pH "in range" or at a specific value in order to add CYA. Your pool's pH will change daily anyway. CYA will change your pH as well.
You should hold off on adjusting CH. It doesn't seem worth it to drain 25% or more of your water just to get from 400 to 350. BUT, if you are going to drain / refill the pool in the near future, you should consider do that first before adding CYA.
Click to expand...
Don't think it's algae.... but I fired the pool guy yesterday. I'm right on the cusp of having to clean the T-Cell, but optimally I'd like to just use that until it gets really hot. Although output in 24hrs is 1.4 or so... I ran the pump overnight a few days back and brought my FC from 5 to 9.5 in about 15 hours. Not that I want to run my pump all day and night. Making the transition and I will adjust SWG to fall within 4-6. Loading CYA over the next few days as well.
 
aussieta said:
with a swg you are going to want to run a lower ta so ch 400 seems like a nice round number to me
is this a new build pool, new refinish or an existing home/pool that you have acquired
Click to expand...
new build finished 6mos ago. at 400 I have deposits on my grout and tile not happy that I have been paying a pool guy and still have to deal with these things. So now it's all mine to do.
 
Welcome neighbor,

You can reduce the amount of scaling by maintaining a slightly negative Calcium Saturation Index. You've got the right kit, and a CH of 400 is easily manageable by adjusting pH and TA. Read the link "CSI" in my signature.

Best of luck with the stains.
 
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Teald024 said:
Do you see white deposits on the plates? Don't clean the cell unless it actually needs it. Each time it's cleaned, it take a bit of cell life away.
Click to expand...
I haven't had a chance to inspect yet. I've been getting the alerts for the last few days. I'm hoping all is well and no deposits.
 

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