RE: In-Ground, DE Filter Pool With Clear Green Water

[barbjack]

Still waitning on the test kit. We closed the pool after my last post at 1.0 chlorine. Opened it today, 4 days later. The water is much clearer and a much lighter shade of green. The algae/whatever that was coating the walls is a lot less too, although back in a few spots. I tested today with the two-way test I have and Chlorine is back down to between 1.0 and 0.6, pH is steady at 7.8 (if the tests are accurate).

We added one more gallon of 10% chlorine, and brushed. Filter pressure was up again also, so we'll backwash too. I will be doing the second dose of polyquat this afternoon after the chlorine, brushing and backwashing. Then I'll test the chlorine again. We have one more bottle, if it drops this afternoon, I'll add the second bottle, if it doesn't, I'll test in the morning and add it then, if it needs it.(which it probably will).

I will do the CYA test as soon as the new test kit arrives (hurry, hurry mail!) I'm really
curious as to it's level too, since we've used nothing but the pucks for the last 3 years.
Before that the pool guy used them too, but I don't know if he supplimented with liquid chlorine or did any shock treatments.

But as I said, it looks so much better, I can see light at the end of the green tunnel now! lol.

Again, thanks for all the help!

[barbjack]

My Husband went to get more liquid chlorine (he got 6 total) and while he was there picked up a 5-way kit because I just was not trusting the kit I had. Turns out my suspicions were right and we got rather differnent readings.
Looks like the chlorine reading was fairly accurate but the pH was not,

with the new 5-way kit (not the Taylor kit that's still in transit)
Free Chlorine-0.6
Combined Chlorine-0.6
pH-6.8
Total Alkylinity-120

We added one more gallon of 10% Chlorine and an hour later it was
1.0, both FC and CC.
the other two readings the same.

We added 1 more gallon chlorine (that's 3 gallons total today) and are closing the cover and will test again in the morning.
I have 1/3 a box of borax left, I guess I should get some more tomorrow.
So what now?
Thanks again.

[PoolDoc]

Keep chlorinating and report the K2006 readings when you get them.

[barbjack]

Water temperature is 85*F

We've been adding an average of 1 or 2 gallons of 10% liquid Chlorine almost everyday for the last week and have just kept it between 0.6 and 1.0 give or take. The cloudyness has cleared up and the green color has paled quite a bit but it's still rather green.

Also added 32 oz. of Polyquat in two doses, three days apart.

The yellow-green algae (I think it's algae, it puffs up like dust when we brush it, makes the water cloudy for about an hour before it's filtered out) that has been on the sides has lessened too, to about a few patches here and there the next day after adding chlorine and brushing. There is some spider web like staining on the sides in addition to the brown iron stains on the steps.

Where would I take the water to have it tested for metals, iron and copper?

Even though the green is less, it's still about the color of slightly diluted Mountain Dew or Gatorade. That's the best color match I can think of.

What next?

[PoolDoc]

As best we can tell, metals testing used on pool water is NOT reliable.

One problem is that is that various pool products contain chemicals that can 'shield' soluble iron or copper from being measure. A second problem is that the tests only detect solubles, and simply the process of collecting a water sample, and carrying it to the store can change soluble metals to insolubles. When I used to collect water samples on a potable system, the sample used for metal testing had to be 'pre-charged' with acid and also had to be filled to eliminate ALL air space in the sample bottle.

The metals bucket test is intended to 'break' any 'shielding', drop ALL the metals present to the bottom, and give a reliable qualitative indications of metals present, rather than the quantitative, but unreliable results from various test kits.

[barbjack]

Interesting, so for the lay person, metal testing is unreliable to the point of being useless? So do we just assume because my pool water had been on the acid side and I have mostly copper pipes, I probably have some copper?

To my knowledge, I haven't used any pool products that contain copper. I checked our chlorine pucks and they do not have copper.

I also looks like I left off the first part of my post with my test results. I tend to type in a document and then cut and past so I don't lose stuff if a posting goes wrong. So here it is again;

We recived the Taylor 2006A test kit today. Here's the results;

FC- 1.2 ppm
CC- 0.2

pH- 7.0

TA- 120 ppm
CH- 875 ppm

CYA- 90 ppm

[Watermom]

Just use the 10mL sample instead of the 25mL one as it will save on your reagents.