Help a newbie please

The basics of swimming pool maintenance.
New swimming pool owner's questions.
Help getting started with daily pool care.
Freebird222
I'm new here
I'm new here
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon 01 Jul, 2013 15:58
My Pool: Pop up 16x48 (water depth 43"), 4400 gallon, f700c 780gph pump system, round blow up top ring.
Location: Hocking hills

Help a newbie please

Postby Freebird222 » Mon 01 Jul, 2013 16:20

I was given a 16x48 round pop up pool with a 780gph filter and all accessories. After hours of digging a level spot I have a pretty even pool set up. Took me three days to fill, 4,400 gallon since I didn't want to burn up my well pump. Came with a test kit for chlorine, bromine, and ph only. My ph was a nice 7.4 after filling. I used liquid bleach and brought chlorine to 14ppm and ran pump 24hrs. Water is at 6ppm chlorine and 7.8 ph currently. Water is NOT cloudy but kinda green yellow. Not sure how to proceed from here. Our well water is not hard, but we do get a little rusty shade in showers and toilets. What do I do next?? Please help. I'm so excited to swim soon!!


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

Help a newbie please

Postby chem geek » Tue 02 Jul, 2013 02:13

You need to have some Cyanuric Acid (CYA) in the water or else the chlorine will get broken down from sunlight too quickly. The easiest way to do that is to use Dichlor at first as your chlorine source and then when the CYA is built up you switch to using regular unscented bleach (NOT splash-less or outdoor). Read the Guide for Seasonal/Temporary Pools. As for the water coloration, since you are on well water, that is probably metals so add one of the recommended metal sequestrants listed at the end of the article Metals in the Water and Metal Stains.
Freebird222
I'm new here
I'm new here
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon 01 Jul, 2013 15:58
My Pool: Pop up 16x48 (water depth 43"), 4400 gallon, f700c 780gph pump system, round blow up top ring.
Location: Hocking hills

Help a newbie please

Postby Freebird222 » Tue 02 Jul, 2013 16:54

Thank you! I will read up on the links you recommended. It is very clear now 36hrs later but still a yellowy color. I can see the bottom so will get educated and see what we can do ;)
WellWater

Help a newbie please

Postby WellWater » Thu 04 Jul, 2013 11:56

I have a 25-year old, 27,000 gallon inground pool supplied by well/ground water. I've become relatively knowledgable over the years about how to take care of a well water pool, especially the metal content. However, this year I'm stumped by recent situation. I had a 6 month battle with algae blooms on the walls which quickly would disappear with a light brushing every 2 days. I was told by the pool store that my CYA was too high consequently inhibiting the chlorine effectiveness. They said CYA levels cannot be lowered and advised to drain the pool, which I did and re-filled just two weeks ago. During the fill, I added Sequa Sol for metal sequestration. Upon finishing the fill, the water was crystal clear. Then I started to add chemicals according to local pool store. First CYA as conditioner, then dichlor for chlorine, and muriatic acid for alkalinity. The water has turned a green yellow color, like Freebird222, and no matter what I do the green yellow color persists, yet the water is very clear and no algae on the sides. After testing the water again, the metals are gone, the CYA was still low at 25 , chlorine at 1, PH at 7.5, alkalinity still on the high side, phosphates at 500. I added another dosage of CYA two days ago, increased the chlorine with floating 3" chlorine tablets, and added more muriatic acid to reduce alkalinity. The green yellow color is worse! What am I doing wrong? How do I get rid of the green yellow color? Should I add phosphate remover? The weather this week has been between 102 and 110 every day.
chem geek
Pool Industry Leader
Pool Industry Leader
Posts: 2381
Joined: Thu 21 Jun, 2007 21:27
Location: San Rafael, California

Help a newbie please

Postby chem geek » Thu 04 Jul, 2013 14:02

This is absolutely amazing. The pool store knows enough to know that high CYA levels lower chlorine effectiveness (unless you proportionately raise the FC level), but then they recommend you use Dichlor to increase chlorine after separately adding CYA to the water, but Dichlor also increases CYA a lot! The following are chemical facts independent of concentration of product or of pool size:

For every 10 ppm Free Chlorine (FC) added by Trichlor, it also increases Cyanuric Acid (CYA) by 6 ppm.
For every 10 ppm FC added by Dichlor, it also increases CYA by 9 ppm.
For every 10 ppm FC added by Cal-Hypo, it also increases Calcium Hardness (CH) by at least 7 ppm.

Your problem right now with clear green water is metals, specifically iron -- the fact that these incompetent people at the pool store are unable to measure iron in the water is irrelevant. You can add an HEDP-based metal sequestrant, but will need to add a maintenance dose weekly to maintain it.

It's odd that lowering the pH made the color worse -- normally it would make it better but perhaps you've got a lot of metal content in the water. You say you've dealt with this before -- did you use a metal sequestrant? Look at the link I gave in the earlier post at the end on metal stains since it lists some HEDP-based metal sequestrants. These bind to metal strongly and are more resistant to breakdown from chlorine. You will need to maintain your FC level to be at least 7.5% of the CYA level to prevent alage growth and if you continue to use Trichlor tabs alone that will be difficult due to the CYA level which will keep rising unless you have extraordinary water dilution. Read the Pool School for more info.
WellWater1

Help a newbie please

Postby WellWater1 » Thu 04 Jul, 2013 15:54

Since filling the pool two weeks ago, I've added a minimum of 3 gallons (not quarts) of metal sequestration agents, namely GLB Sequa Sol, which I have used for years for iron reduction. Typically 1 or 1.5 gallons would have been more than sufficient to achieve clear blue water upon complete re-fill, with weekly smaller doses as maintenance. Should I add even more metal free product? Should I also increase the chlorine by using liquid chlorine and taking out the trichlor tabs? I've enrolled in Pool School. So much for thinking I was knowledgeable! Thank you so much for your help.
Freebird222
I'm new here
I'm new here
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon 01 Jul, 2013 15:58
My Pool: Pop up 16x48 (water depth 43"), 4400 gallon, f700c 780gph pump system, round blow up top ring.
Location: Hocking hills

Help a newbie please

Postby Freebird222 » Thu 04 Jul, 2013 22:54

I have yet to have water tested for anything but chorine 5, and ph 7.6 but I have been clear and yellowish all week. I am definitely catching iron in my filters which I am am cleaning with a tablespoon of iron out in the sink and they become spotless in seconds. Going to get some metal product to speed the iron removal but all I have done is keep chlorine steady, rused two arm and hammer clear balance tabs in my floating dispenser and the iron is definitely coming out. No algae and clear to the bottom. No staining either. We swam yesterday :) it is just non stop rain and gloom in ohio. Highs in the low 80's for two weeks! Needless to say I don't believe in global warming anymore.
Freebird222
I'm new here
I'm new here
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon 01 Jul, 2013 15:58
My Pool: Pop up 16x48 (water depth 43"), 4400 gallon, f700c 780gph pump system, round blow up top ring.
Location: Hocking hills

Help a newbie please

Postby Freebird222 » Fri 05 Jul, 2013 12:41

Well all was well until last night. 8" of rain pushed down wall of pool overnight and overflowed like a water fall until entire pool was empty!!! Pop up pool owners beware! I could have cried. Gonna refill with filter on hose this time. Stupid rain!
WellWater2

Help a newbie please

Postby WellWater2 » Fri 05 Jul, 2013 17:59

Put in another 1/2 gallon of metal sequestration agent and let the pool filter run over night. 24 hours later, the water is light blue. Thought I had put a sufficient amount in of metal free product over the past weeks, but guess I was at tipping point. Thanks for the help.

Return to “Basics for New Pool Owners”

Who is online at the Pool Help Forum

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 24 guests