strange pool situation_pool company baffled

[artd]

I have been battling a problem where I cannot keep chlorine in the pool for two years. yesterday I found out why...high nitrate reading. I don't know why the reading is high because I do not fertilize< clean pool etc. Anyway I am 1/2 draing the pool and currently refilling with city water. herin lies the problem or strange situation I have found.

There are millions of clear hairbrush bristle 1-1.5 " plastic looking rods in the pool. Most float at or near the surface and I can't eliminate them. They are brittle and appear to be waxy but I have no idea where they are coming from. ha sanyone experienced this phenom?

Maybe something let loose from the sand filter? Mayabe it's a chemical; reaction? I have no cluse. Please help! Thank you

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

When my 6 year old pool brush had seen better days, that began to happen....Have you been brushing with a pool brush that is past its prime?

I'm curious that the "nitrates" are the issue with your pool. Can you post a full set of test results so that we can offer our opinion?

Welcome!

 

[artd]

Pool brush is not the question< i rarely brush as I let the Polaris 380 do the work. I will post numbers as I get them updated. All the numbers were ok except I have double zeros with chl. (both).

I can't get chlorine readings for two years no matter how much I put in. Very strange and recently my nitrates readings were almost 30.

 

[artd]

frustratedpoolmom,
you are the mom! i took your advice and will eat some crow as a result. It is my brush and although I rarely use it, it was the cause. Thank you so much.

 

[duraleigh]

A pool that has zero chlorine readings for an extended period is gonna' be trouble.

There are several good articles up in Pool School that will illuminate the importance of chlorine in your pool.

If your pool store is testing for you and getting zero chlorine and they're telling you to treat for nitrates, I would run very, very fast out the door.

 

[launboy]

Do you have a fiberglass filter or pool? If so, you may be seeing fiberglass fibers. They are about that length, mostly clear and fairly stiff. I don't know how likely it is to getfiberglass particles off the inside of a pool though, how old is it?

HTH,
Adam

 

[Guest]

High nitrates will cause recurrent algae blooms and this can deplete chlorine. However, ammonia (often related to nitrate problems) wil deplete FC but you will have CC. These two problems can often occur together. But as duraleigh said, if you have not had chlorine in the pool in two years you would have a green swamp.

The only practical solution to high nitrates is dilution with nitrate free water.

 

[heatmisr]

You should also test your nitrates and CL in your tap water. Some tap water has nitrates in it also. You can purchase a drop based test for nitrates at a pet store in the fish section. I use the API kit. It's the best, in my opinion.

You also want to test your tap water in the winter and the summer. Some times the water is treated differently based on the season. I have known some with aquariums to run into problems keeping the water balanced because of the change in the levels of CL or nitrates in their tap water.