Major Chemistry Problem on open

[psciotti]

Will do when I get home from work. PH was at around 6 this am after adding 1/2 box borax last night at 10:30. Added another 1/2 box this am and will continue to watch it (water still very cloudy). FC/TC still way up there - that's a mistake I won't make again. Like Watermom said I bleached out my liner a bit and caused a brown stain on my fiberglass steps.

Would any of these issues have any affect on pool chemistry:

- My "flooded compressor" issue with my heater - http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthr...ter-Compressor - (sorry don't know how to just copy the header link). Could I be leaking some kind of heater chemical?

- The sand in the sand filter has not been changed since pool was new - going on 9th season

- old Nature 2 cartridge system (with old cartridge in) still tied into flow?

Thanks

[PoolDoc]

Would any of these issues have any affect on pool chemistry:

Yes.

+ The compressor could add oil to the pool. If have a heater bypass, open it and close the pipes to the heater.
+ Sand doesn't 'wear out' but it can clump up. Most often, however, it gets blown out of the backwash by mismatched pumps, and needs to be replenished. You should check it, after 9 years.
+ With your pH levels, it would add LOTS of copper. Remove the cartridge . . . and don't buy another one.

[psciotti]

Just had son check the ph and it's hovering right at 6.8 so I told him to add another 1/2 box borax and check again at 12. At least the ph has stabilized. I am going to by pass the heater since it doesn't work at this point anyway but no bypass I'll have to do some reconnects. As far as the Nature 2 thing it came with the pool and I have never bought another but I will take it out of the system too when I get a chance. How do you add copper and what purpose does it serve? I wish i paid more attention in chemistry class all those years ago!

Thanks

[PoolDoc]

+ Copper kills algae and causes stains.
+ Low pH dissolves it out of Nature2 cartridges, but if you want to know more use the PF customs search (link in my sig) to search for "Nature2"
+ Chemistry classes would help less than you think -- my older son is graduating honors with a Biology degree and Chem minor -- he LOVED organic chemistry -- and my younger son completed honors high school chem with a 97 on his final, and when I ask them stuff, they are both constantly saying stuff like, "Dad, we didn't study THAT!"

[psciotti]

I am pulling my hair out and there is not a lot of that left...all my readings are off my chart or even a best guess level. The pool is completely turquoise color. I do not want to put another thing in this pool until I can get accurate readings. I can't even do basic math anymore it's so upsetting. Since all the colors are off the chart if I use a 1/2 full vial with the Leslie DPD kit do I use the same amount of chem drops and either double (or 1/2 for ph) the readings??

When I backwash it is a total turquoise discharge.... in my head I'm thinking that maybe my ph is actually sky high and adding the borax is actually making it worse. Right now I turned up the two jets and I am getting small, what appear to be soap type bubbles on the surface.

All this when I had crystal clear water 3 days ago but a non-existent ph level...... AARRGGHH!

[psciotti]

Just checked the bag on the Pool Rover and it is picking up aqua colored - what I can only assume is - excess borax on the bottom of the pool. I switched to the fine collection bag - we'll see. Off the buy more chem reagents since I've tested and experimented so much I've run out.

Isn't life supposed to get easier when you turn 50!

[PoolDoc]

I just checked to see if your phone number was in your registration, but it wasn't. So, I'll go at it here.

I've seen aqua or turquoise backwash sediment from a filter a number of times. In every case I've seen it, there was one key factor: dissolved copper. I hadn't really connected this thread with your heater thread, except in a vague way, till just now.

What's likely happening is that your low pH water had dissolved massive amounts of copper into your water, from your heater and possibly also from your Nature2 units. Now, as your pH comes up, your copper is coming out, possibly as calcium carbonate, since your calcium is so high. This is the best possible outcome.

It COULD come out as copper oxide, and turn your liner BLACK!

Given this apparent monster copper level, let's modify what you are doing somewhat:
#1 - Until the copper is gone, never, NEVER add more than 1/2 gallon of bleach at a time; do NOT let your chlorine get above 2 ppm!
#2 - Find (probably at a pool store) a couple of quarts of polyquat (see www.poolsolutions.com/gd/polyquat ) and start using it, 2x per week.
#3 - Continue adding borax, but no more than 1/2 box at a time.
#4 - Continue to run your filter and pump 24/7.

You've kinda 'gone off the reservation' a couple of time; let me encourage you to stick to the plan, if you want to have any hope of saving your liner. Your pool's pH must have been very, very low for this to happen.

And, yes, extremely low pH plus extremely high copper would give you very clear water. But it's also destroyed your heater, and is likely to destroy your liner.

Your pool is sorta like a guy I knew who went for a checkup, only to find that he had advanced cancer. He was all "but, Dr, I feel fine!", to which the doctor essentially replied, "Maybe, but you are dying", and proceeded to make him really, really sick by treating him with chemo.

Your pool "looked fine", but it was being destroyed rapidly. It may still be destroyed. Extremely low pH, like you must have had, is about the worst thing you can do to a pool. Doesn't usually hurt people, but it 'kills' pools. What's we've done since simply has revealed the serious problem that was there before. The damage is apparent now, but was actually done days or weeks ago. Sorry to deliver such discouraging info, but there's no way to fix things without facing the reality. There's a small chance you can get the pool usable by this weekend, but I wouldn't bet on it.

Draining and refilling might be faster. But I'm just not sure how your liner will do -- a drain and refill stresses a liner, and yours might not survive. I wish I had some magic bullets for you, but I don't.

Best wishes,