Stable chemistry, cloudy after adding phosfree

[Settleces]

I’m ripping my hair out. My grandmother kept this pool beautiful for 45 years, and here I am going crazy and bearing the stress so my father doesn’t have to.

Few days ago when the pool was still crystal clear and amazing, we decided to take a water sample in just to be sure our ph and cya was good. (Very regrettable)

Earlier this summer we did a full pool renovation so everything is brand new and only running for about a month.

We have Hayward Vs pump, aquarite 900 salt system and Hayward sand filter.
Pump is ran 24 h a day, slower speed during the day, aquarite is generating 25% during 24 hour period
Frequent backwashes, regular shocking etc

We use a Polaris robot couple times a week

Our chemistry was nearly perfect.
Salt 3500ppm
Ph 7.4
Sanitation ORP 683mV
Alkalinity was in range (about 100ppm)
CYA 48 ppm (in range as per Hayward)
hardness 190ppm

****phosphates 1900ppb

So here’s where I’m ripping my hair out. Pool store said add phosfree and gave us a description as to WHY you must remove phosphates. So now for 2 days the pool is so cloudy and I’m so angry about it!

Questions as follows: why did phosfree cloud my pool? How do I uncloud my pool? And do we need to remove phosphates from the pool in the future? Are they toxic? It seems we had everything going great, did we really “try to fix something that ain’t broke”?

Please help! Our swim season was 3 months delayed due to Reno, and Canadian summers don’t last long!

 

[duraleigh]

Welcome to the forum

did we really “try to fix something that ain’t broke”?

Absolutely! Phosphates are not relevant in a properly maintained pool (as yours was).

Increase your chlorine level by about 50% over it's current level and hold it there until the phosfree clears.

Probably out of ignorance, your pool store did you NO FAVORS

 

[Settleces]

So do phosphates at 1900ppb have ill effect on bathers? Do phosphates hurt the plumping? Or is the only risk an algae bloom? That phosfree stuff is expensive we paid $75 CAD for 3 L

 

[mknauss]

So do phosphates at 1900ppb have ill effect on bathers? Do phosphates hurt the plumping? Or is the only risk an algae bloom?

No.
No.
Only if you let your FC fall below minimum based on FC/CYA Levels

 

[ajw22]

So do phosphates at 1900ppb have ill effect on bathers?

No.

Do phosphates hurt the plumping?

No.

Or is the only risk an algae bloom?

Only if you do not maintain adequate FC for your CYA level.

That phosfree stuff is expensive we paid $75 CAD for 3 L

Thus why pool stores test for phosphates.

 

[mknauss]

The phosfree is a cheap clarifier (glue). It will cloud your water. It will also plug up your filter. Backwash your filter when the pressure rises by 25% over clean pressure.

 

[JamesW]

Phosphate is a common additive in many foods. So, people eat it every day.

 

[ajw22]

Phosphate is a common additive in many foods. So, people eat it every day.

Phosphates are added to drinking water by municipal water systems.

Phosphates are used in municipal water systems to perform three broad functions: inhibit corrosion of water mains/plumbing (iron, steel, galvanized, asbestos/cement, lead, copper), sequester nuisance metals in the water supply

 

[Settleces]

The phosfree is a cheap clarifier (glue). It will cloud your water. It will also plug up your filter. Backwash your filter when the pressure rises by 25% over clean pressure.

Certainly wasn’t cheap for us lol. Thanks for your help I hope your suggestions work, for myself and father use our pool for Physio therapy....and straight fun on weekends

 

[Settleces]

No.
No.
Only if you let your FC fall below minimum based on FC/CYA Levels

Not quite understanding this chart. The aquarite SWG manual wants the CYA “30-50ppm” and mines currently at 48ppm. Do I increase it to suit the chart or stick to the user manual?

 

[Lskul60]

Not quite understanding this chart. The aquarite SWG manual wants the CYA “30-50ppm” and mines currently at 48ppm. Do I increase it to suit the chart or stick to the user manual?

Since you have a SWG, your CYA should be around 70.

Also, for the rest of this pool's life, please ignore the hardness reading. Vinyl pools do not care about calcium/hardness. Pool stores ignore this fact too, and will try to sell you more useless chem's

 

[JamesW]

50 is fine for CYA if you feel better about staying within the manufacturer's recommendations.

We have found that using 60 to 80 can be beneficial, but 50 can work.

 

[Settleces]

Thanks everyone! The pool builder was wonderful and did a gorgeous job however he didn’t teach us anything about the Aquarite, chemistry etc. So we went 3 weeks with 0 CYA before realizing we should take a water sample in. Lol. So now I’ve had to self educate because my father is sooooo stressed about it. He said “when the heck is this salt water pool going to start being easy maintenance like they said it would be” lol

If anyone can link me to a thread that says everything I need to know about a vinyl inground pool SWG and in a cooler climate (southern Ontario Canada) please do! ❤

Also wondering if there are pool chemistry courses I could take to make me an expert!

 

[mknauss]

Also wondering if there are pool chemistry courses I could take to make me an expert!

Pool school here in the forum.

First thing you need your own test kit. As you are in Canada, you will need to order one shipped to a mail drop in the nearest US border town. I believe that is Niagara Falls, NY.

Order a TF-100

The only other real option for a test kit is a Taylor K-2006-C. Be careful comparing prices because the K-2006 comes in sizes, designated by a letter. The basic K-2006 has .75oz bottles. You need to get the K-2006-C to get the larger bottles that you want.

I also have the Speedstir. It makes testing much easier.

 

[Settleces]

Pool school here in the forum.

First thing you need your own test kit. As you are in Canada, you will need to order one shipped to a mail drop in the nearest US border town. I believe that is Niagara Falls, NY.

Order a TF-100

The only other real option for a test kit is a Taylor K-2006-C. Be careful comparing prices because the K-2006 comes in sizes, designated by a letter. The basic K-2006 has .75oz bottles. You need to get the K-2006-C to get the larger bottles that you want.

I also have the Speedstir. It makes testing much easier.

I will look into a good test kit that is available here. I have no idea how to get things from the states.

I’m very curious how to acquire a device like the one at the pool shop. I wouldn’t mind creating my own laboratory. Their device hooked up to a computer....

Please excuse my lack of knowledge, I’m new to the game ?

 

[Settleces]

Wait, why do I need to purchase something to stir the tests?

 

[JJ_Tex]

You dont need the speedstir, it just saves you from manually swirling the tube while you are counting drops for the tests.

 

[Settleces]

Is it normal for ph to suddenly climb this quick in a salt water pool? I’m getting concerned that this phosfree has done some real damage now

 

[Leebo]

Let’s fly all over the place here,

First, it’s very common for a pool to turn cloudy after adding phosphate removers. The lanthanum binds to the phosphates in the water and depending on the levels can cause a pool to go cloudy. Normally they filter out in 2-3 days. At times you can even see this reaction occurring as seen in this video.......but please be warned, somebody needs to learn how to hold a camera ?

Next however, I wouldn’t rule out algae growing in your water and what you’re looking at is a start of a bloom. Do you have any test kit at all we can get some test results from?

 

[Settleces]

Let’s fly all over the place here,

First, it’s very common for a pool to turn cloudy after adding phosphate removers. The lanthanum binds to the phosphates in the water and depending on the levels can cause a pool to go cloudy. Normally they filter out in 2-3 days. At times you can even see this reaction occurring as seen in this video.......but please be warned, somebody needs to learn how to hold a camera ?

Next however, I wouldn’t rule out algae growing in your water and what you’re looking at is a start of a bloom. Do you have any test kit at all we can get some test results from?

Oh no...

I don’t have a test kit, we really never needed one when grandma was looking after the pool. Nothing will grow when your swimming straight chlorine LOL

Now that she has passed, we’re trying to figure all this poop out. We’ve jacked up the chlorine output to 70% and will do another backwash tomorrow. I may take a pool sample into the pool store and I won’t fall for their selling tactics this time.