Pool sediment/dirt - verify?

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sas90

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Jul 31, 2017
105
edmond/ok
i'm not sure if this is the right category for this post but didn't know where else to put it.

i've been reading posts regarding sediment/dirt on bottom of pool and in my case, even adheres to the walls at times. i was concerned it may be something more than dirt so just want to confirm that if my chemistry is good, then the likelihood of it being something other than what it appears (i.e. dirt) is slim.

the "dirt" easily brushes off and if it's on the bottom of the pool floor, easily vacuums away. we've had an extremely dry winter and located in a "windy" state - which makes me believe it's dirt.

my last full suite of test results (this past weekend) -
ph 7.6 (i had been taking it down to 7.2 for a couple weeks now with muriatic acid to lower my TA; TA was 120, now 70 - see below)
Chlorine - 3 (at the time of test, i added liquid chlorine to raise to 7, the upper limit of "acceptable" range)
CCs - 0
Calcium Hardness - 250
TA - 70
CYA - 40 (last summer it was much higher and created an issue with chlorine consumption, where i would have "0" zero chlorine, that i had to SLAM my pool for nearly 3 weeks straight to rid whatever was consuming my chlorine); my chlorine hasn't fallen below 2 since (and usually I don't let it get below 3, the minimum recommended level for my pool type and CYA).
water temp - 54 degrees

would others (with more experience) agree it's most likely dirt? if not, what else could it be? i don't recall this issue last winter but we had a wetter winter than this one.

thank you!
 
Stephanie, the only way to be positive it’s just dirt and not some form of algae, is to do an overnight FC loss test.
Measure you FC when the sun is off the pool for the day, and then measure your FC again in the morning before the sun hits your pool. If the number stays the same, you should be in good shape. But if it drops, you have something in the pool chomping it up, and it might be time for a SLAM.

~Rob
 
Dirt even very fine sediment will feel gritty when rubbed between two fingers.

Algae will feel slimy or slippery when rubber between two fingers.

From you description of fluffy brown stuff that sometimes sticks to things that really sounds like you have an algae problem. You should do the OCLT. The lack of CC doesn't exclude the possibility of algae being there.
 
Thanks to both of you for the additional responses.
The water's a little cold so not sure the "feel" of the sediment.
I will try to get a pic tomorrow. We mowed today which caused a lot of grass to get in the pool so skimmed and brushed, now everything's stirred up.
At 7:15p my FC is 3 so we'll see what it is in the morning.
 
At 7:30am FC still 3; so is this a guarantee the light brown substance adhering to the sides of the wall is just dirt or maybe pollen? But nothing that warrants a SLAM?
I attached a pic but you really can't see the light brown discoloration on the lower end of wall near the floor of the pool. You'll see sediment on the bottom but we had a windy night so grass, leaves and other debris ended up in the pool; vacuum and brush again today.
 
sure - they're in my original post but including here again.

my last full suite of test results (conducted this past weekend) -
ph 7.6 (i have been taking it down to 7.2 for a couple weeks now with muriatic acid to lower my TA; TA was 120, now 70 - see below)
Chlorine - 3 (at the time of test, i added liquid chlorine to raise to 7, the upper limit of "acceptable" range)
CCs - 0
Calcium Hardness - 250
TA - 70
CYA - 40 (last summer it was much higher and created an issue with chlorine consumption, where i would have "0" zero chlorine later that day or by the next morning, that i had to SLAM my pool for nearly 3 weeks straight to rid whatever was consuming my chlorine); my chlorine hasn't fallen below 2 since (and usually I don't let it get below 3, the minimum recommended level for my pool type and CYA).
water temp - 54 degrees
 

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Arizonarob said:
DOH! I read so many posts I can’t keep up! :mrgreen:

Ok, so your numbers all look good, so my next question is. When you brush down everything good (with the pump running), does the stuff reappear the next day?
Click to expand...

lol - it's ok!
yes, it reappears either the next day or the day after. it's been really windy here, and very dry winter which made me think it's dirt or pollen (springtime things are blooming?). but, it just won't go away and stay away. this week i started irrigating our yard (now that freezing temperatures at night seem to be over with) hoping to help with some of the dust/dirt issue but don't know yet because today the walls are certainly showing the light brown in areas. as i mentioned earlier, we mowed (scalped) the yard and today it's windy again so dry grass and dirt just seems to be the norm right now. the one thing i will add, other than last night, my water stays clear when i brush this light brown stuff off the walls. last night, it did get a little cloudy while brushing but we had just mowed and there was a lot of debris (grass, leaves, dirt floating on the surface) from that. this morning, the water was clear again but the brown stuff was hanging on the walls again.

- - - Updated - - -

is there any particular weekly test i should re-run and post here that would possibly give more indication as to what's going on?
 
sas90 said:
lol - it's ok!
yes, it reappears either the next day or the day after. it's been really windy here, and very dry winter which made me think it's dirt or pollen (springtime things are blooming?). but, it just won't go away and stay away. this week i started irrigating our yard (now that freezing temperatures at night seem to be over with) hoping to help with some of the dust/dirt issue but don't know yet because today the walls are certainly showing the light brown in areas. as i mentioned earlier, we mowed (scalped) the yard and today it's windy again so dry grass and dirt just seems to be the norm right now. the one thing i will add, other than last night, my water stays clear when i brush this light brown stuff off the walls. last night, it did get a little cloudy while brushing but we had just mowed and there was a lot of debris (grass, leaves, dirt floating on the surface) from that. this morning, the water was clear again but the brown stuff was hanging on the walls again.

- - - Updated - - -

is there any particular weekly test i should re-run and post here that would possibly give more indication as to what's going on?
Click to expand...

Ok, so my next suggestion is so we can definitely rule out algae. Is to brush and vac the pool, then cover it back up for a day, pop it off and see what you have. If the water is clear with no brown stuff, yup it’s just dirt settling in your pool. But if you find stuff in there when you remove the cover, then you have algae.
 
ok - so, we don't have a cover for our pool; we just leave our pool open (uncovered) year round. i keep it chemically balanced, cleaned (vacuumed), brushed, circulating (less frequently though since water temps are so low), etc. through the winter. of course we left the pump running non-stop anytime the air temp was near or below freezing.

Questions - if it is algae, what would I do next when my FC loss test results were 0 (i.e CL level was 3 last night and again this morning)? how would i know when to stop the SLAM process to ensure i got rid of the algae?
 
I’m leaning towards it being some kind of dirt, and not algae. But the only thing I can think of to make sure is to cover the pool.
Maybe head over to Harbor Freight and pick up a tarp big enough to cover your pool?
If your FC came back the same, then it’s most likely dirt, but I can’t be a 100% sure.

When was the last time you cleaned out your filter? And how often are you running the pump in a single day?
 
duraleigh said:
Dirt doesn't settle on pool walls.....it settles on the floor. You likely have mustard algae on that fact alone but a pic would surely help. Does it have ANY yellowish greenish tint?
Click to expand...

Dave that’s what I thought too, but she had no chlorine loss over night from running the test.
That’s why I suggested to cover her pool to rule it out completely. Am I missing something here as well?
 
duraleigh said:
Dirt doesn't settle on pool walls.....it settles on the floor. You likely have mustard algae on that fact alone but a pic would surely help. Does it have ANY yellowish greenish tint?
Click to expand...

it looks light brown to me. i'll pay closer attention tomorrow if it appears to be yellowish/greenish. but, how would i confirm mustard algae and is there a reason i'm not experiencing a chlorine loss overnight?
i tried uploading one (1) picture (taken with an iPhone) but it said i had exceeded the size limit? but, with the pic i took you really can't see the discoloration at all.
does mustard algae respond to SLAM process?
i just checked my Chlorine level - it's 3. I plan to do another OCLT to see if there's any change.
 
SLAM your pool. The process is a LOT more than adding chlorine. It involves filtering and brushing until your pool is crystal clear. Once your pool (and walls) are crystal clear, your SLAM is only then complete.

If it was dirt, it will come back immediately so you'll have to find the source of the dirt and eliminate it (I doubt very much that is it)

If it is algae (of ANY type) you will have eliminated it and can return to your normal maintenance of keeping your chlorine at suggested levels
 

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