I live in Vegas and have high phosphate issues all summer. Trees shedding junk into pool and phosphates keep shooting up into super high ranges. I've been using concentrated phosphate remover to bring it down but keeps going back up. Now alkalinity has also been pretty low lately. Also I've got a whole bunch of organic stains on the quartz that have been there for almost a year. Tried scrubbing with a pumice stone and a stain remover stick, works a little but still a bunch everywhere. Wondering what anyone might recommend? I feel like I'm just dumping tons of money on chemicals at Leslie's and problem isn't getting better. Water was just added this spring and usually doesn't get this bad this fast. Swim season almost finished but any advice would be appreciated.
Organic stains won't go away and phosphates high all summer
- Thread starter flanmann
- Start date
- Jun 24, 2021
- 16,229
- Pool Size
- 29000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
How are you testing your water?
Ignore the phosphates.
Can you post pictures of the stains?
If you know the stains are organic, raise your FC to 60% to 100% of slam FC for your CYA and hold it there. When the stains lift, then return to normal operations.
www.troublefreepool.com
Ignore the phosphates.
Can you post pictures of the stains?
If you know the stains are organic, raise your FC to 60% to 100% of slam FC for your CYA and hold it there. When the stains lift, then return to normal operations.
Stains in Your Pool
The stained pool is beyond embarrassing. Our in-depth Guide to remove stains in your pool will help you to remove the stains and prevent them in the future.
www.troublefreepool.com
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,388
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
How “high” are your phosphates?
Are you adding an HEDP based sequestrant that adds phosphates?
www.troublefreepool.com
Are you adding an HEDP based sequestrant that adds phosphates?
Sequestrant - Further Reading
www.troublefreepool.com
Our advice is to abandon the Leslie's environment and subscribe to the methods espoused here. You'll not spend hundreds of dollars on potions and getting skewed testing results aimed at selling you stuff. Get one of the test kits we recommend - Taylor K2006c, TF100 or TFPro (recommended) and do your own testing. Read through the Pool School in the left pane and pay close attention to the CYA/FC (stabilizer to free chlorine) relationship as that is the key to a clean and sanitary pool.
Phosphates have been between 400-1000. Stains are brown dirt spots and a some darker dots in another area. Can't really get a good pic. My most recent "test" from Leslie's:
Free Chlorine- 3.16
Total Chlorine- 3.47
pH- 8
Total Alkalinity- 66
Hardness- 423
CYA- 175
Iron- 0.1
Copper- 0
Phosphates- 428
TDS- 1000
After these results, I added about 4 lbs of Alkalinity Up after doing some Yellow Out plus 3 bags of shock to kill some algae. Then used about 18 oz of NoPhos.
Free Chlorine- 3.16
Total Chlorine- 3.47
pH- 8
Total Alkalinity- 66
Hardness- 423
CYA- 175
Iron- 0.1
Copper- 0
Phosphates- 428
TDS- 1000
After these results, I added about 4 lbs of Alkalinity Up after doing some Yellow Out plus 3 bags of shock to kill some algae. Then used about 18 oz of NoPhos.
Phosphates are meaningless regardless of what Leslies tells you. You are clearly on the Leslies treadmill and you need to jump off quick. Pretend that Leslies closed and went out of business - then what would you do? Give our recommendations a try before doing anything else and make your investment in a proper test kit pay off big time.
Flying Tivo
TFP Guide
- Jan 24, 2017
- 3,100
- Pool Size
- 7500
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
You need to get off the Merry-go-round(leslies). Get your own testing kit as mentioned above and post your test result. How are you chlorinating your pool? TAbs? If we believe some part of leslies test(which we dont) you will have to drain at least half your pool water.
Start reading Pool Care Basics and Draining - Further Reading.
Just add liquid chlorine about 3-4ppm each day to keep it from getting worst until your kit arrives. Use PoolMath to calculate how much to add.
Start reading Pool Care Basics and Draining - Further Reading.
Just add liquid chlorine about 3-4ppm each day to keep it from getting worst until your kit arrives. Use PoolMath to calculate how much to add.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,388
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Phosphates of 400-1000 is not high. Note that phosphates are measured in Parts Per BILLION, whereas other chemicals are measured in Parts per Million. So your 1,000 ppb is .0001 ppm. Does it sounds so large now?
Show us the Yellow Out bottle you are using. There are various brands using the Yellow Out label. All are not good for your water chemistry and some will change your pool to a bromine pool and mess up your chemical tests.
Show us the Yellow Out bottle you are using. There are various brands using the Yellow Out label. All are not good for your water chemistry and some will change your pool to a bromine pool and mess up your chemical tests.