Water is clearing, but still green....

Causes and cures for cloudy swimming pool water.
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bomb1977

Water is clearing, but still green....

Postby bomb1977 » Fri 26 Jun, 2009 18:51

Ok I will give you the background, I have been fighting a green condition in my pool ever since I moved into this house. I really haven't determined the cause of it even after 3 summers...Nor do I really know the cure.

A week ago my pump died...incorrect installation, the vents were underground ( bought the house like that ) and it overheated. So I replaced the old pump, which it turns out was doing a terrible job for the last 3 years.

I took off a 1 hp Hayward pump and installed a replacement 1 hp motor.

I have a sand filter and replaced the sand last year thinking that was the problem.

My pool is 20x40 feet and roughly 4 feet in the shallow end and we will say an average of 8 feet in the deep end although it has a semi circle type bottom in the deep end. I estimate it to be at 110,000 Litres.

I have shocked the pool since changing the pump and shocked it once before. I use chlorine granual and I always keep 2 pucks in the skimmer, replacing them when they get to about half their starting size.

My most recent readings were

5 ppm Chlorine
Alkaline between 80-120, closer to 120 on the strip
PH 7.6
Hardness is in the acceptable range (can't remember the numbers from the strips)

I have been filtering my pool now for about 24 hours, normally it is on for 8-12 hours per day.

I can see the detail on the bottom of the shallow end, along with some very light brown dust that collects at where the water return jets are. It's way too fine to be sand, I have handled the sand when I changed it and it's not even close. I have been told it's the binding agent in the chlorine pucks...I assume it's dead alge that is too fine for the pump to catch.

I backwash about every 24 hours of use...

However my deep end is still greenish in colour (will try to attach a pic) The water is clear, but it has a greenish tinge to it. When I vacuum I can see the head on the bottom, just not clearly.

I have been adding a cup of shock about every 2 days (600 grams) and 3-4 cups the last time I shocked it. I have since added a whole 1 litre jug of the concentrated algecide.

Am I ok and just have to wait for the pump to do it's thing?
Do I need to shock the hell out of it 2-3 times in the next week?
Am I just backwashing too often and the little stuff is getting thru?

My PH doesn't seem to be bouncing, my alkaline count is high enough that that shouldn't be an issue.

I'm lost....normally I am the guy that gives the advice when people are in need. But green water for 2-3 days is killing me and my pool guy ego :p

Thanks...

Kev


bomb1977

Water is clearing, but still green....

Postby bomb1977 » Fri 26 Jun, 2009 19:15

Here some pics hosted on photobucket, I took them at 8pm...so there was no direct sunlight over the pool at the time.

I just added 3-4 scoops of shock....600 gram scoop...pump is running.

I think I have the tail end of an alge outbreak that I am fighting off, maybe an expert can look at the pics and confirm this for me.

I'm out of shock now, but I will pick up a big pail tomorrow and hit it again if it doesn't clear.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b339/bomb1977/8pm.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b339/ ... eepEnd.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b339/ ... Bottom.jpg

Thanks again...
chem geek
Pool Industry Leader
Pool Industry Leader
Posts: 2381
Joined: Thu 21 Jun, 2007 21:27
Location: San Rafael, California

Water is clearing, but still green....

Postby chem geek » Sat 27 Jun, 2009 15:44

You didn't post your pool's Cyanuric Acid (CYA) level. The problem could either be algae or copper metal. Does the water turn less green if you lower the pH and turn more green as the pH rises? If so, then you may have copper in your water. Did you ever use a copper-based algaecide?

Get yourself a good test kit, either the Taylor K-2006 you can get at a good online price here or the TF100 from tftestkits.net here with the latter kit having 36% more volume of reagents so is less expensive per test.

Read the Pool School, especially the articles on Defeating Algae and on Metals in the Water and Metal Stains.
bomb1977

Water is clearing, but still green....

Postby bomb1977 » Sat 27 Jun, 2009 19:00

Well I just use the quick strips, so I have no idea what the CYA level is...

I added a container of stabilizer last year and I have never used an algecide with copper, but I have only been in control of the pool for the last 3 years. Before that, I have no clue.

The PH has been stable the whole time, that's the most confusing part.

I just spanked it with another 3000 grams of shock.

If that doesn't cure it, then i'm off to the pool shop to get advice from some 18 year old tool that is working at the pool shop for the summer :p
Denali
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Posts: 257
Joined: Tue 29 Apr, 2008 17:14

Water is clearing, but still green....

Postby Denali » Sat 27 Jun, 2009 19:24

bomb1977 wrote:Well I just use the quick strips, so I have no idea what the CYA level is...

I added a container of stabilizer last year and I have never used an algecide with copper, but I have only been in control of the pool for the last 3 years. Before that, I have no clue.

The PH has been stable the whole time, that's the most confusing part.

I just spanked it with another 3000 grams of shock.

If that doesn't cure it, then i'm off to the pool shop to get advice from some 18 year old tool that is working at the pool shop for the summer :p


Hi,

Instead of taking the advice of "some 18 year old tool" take chem geeks advice and have the pool shop test your water for CYA. That is what you need to know to determine how much chlorine to add. chem geek knows his stuff!
bomb1977

Water is clearing, but still green....

Postby bomb1977 » Sun 28 Jun, 2009 19:06

Blue as ever and clear....

Just didn`t have enough shock on hand to get rid of everything.

Was just Alge...Now to wait a day or two before swimming to let all this chlorine burn off :p Calling for 4 days of rain anyways...so no big deal.
frustrated53

Water is clearing, but still green....

Postby frustrated53 » Wed 01 Jul, 2009 19:46

Ok i need an expert with pool problems! We have an 18 foot x 41/2 ft deep pool.It is an intex with the vinyl floor.I am so mad this year.When we first opened our pool this year it was wonderful! It looked so good and everything was working very well until now! WE have had alot of swimmers but we were also maintaining it with no problems.It is now green and cloudy! I have talked to the pool advisers and they recommended using 6 bags of shock and 4 oz of clarifier.Nothing happened.All pool levels are good except the ph was high.So i added some ph minus and now the levels all look ok.We are frustrated because we have different ideas from everyone we talked to.The pool people recommended we use 6 bags of shock and another 4-6 oz of clarifier.I think they just want to make money because nothing ever works.Does anyone have any idea how we can clear this up without spending our bank account? I am at wits end and dont know what to do.

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