Pool Thermal System Turned Water Green

[acamato]

I know this is a few months old. What did you do to get it clear?

I would say the metals were your problem. Metals can color the water a variety of colors, typically green or blue or yellow. When this happens the water will still be very clear and transparent. If the water is cloudy or murky it is very unlikely to have anything to do with metals in the water. If the coloring is from metals, lowering the PH slightly and adding sequestrant should remove the color.

Your CYA level is very high. What are you using to sanitize the water? If you are using pucks or granular chlorine you are adding CYA (stabilizer) to your pool. That will continue to get higher.

Your CYA is at 120 (should be around 30-40, 60 max), the recommended free chlorine level for CYA of 100 is is 12 (min 7, shock 39). Draining and replacing 1/2 of your water will drop it to 60.

If i saw this earlier, I would have told you to stop throwing $$ at chemicals and read read the pool school section on troublefreepool dot com.

I doubt that you were bringing you FC level to the correct level when you were shocking the pool. Here's a great way to solve most algae issues (which i don't think you had)
SLAM (Shock, Level & Maintain)

• Test the FC level and add enough chlorine to bring FC up to shock level for your CYA level
• Test and adjust chlorine levels as frequently as practical, but not more than once per hour, and not less than twice a day. Chlorine additions should be frequent, especially at the beginning. Algae and other organic debris will consume chlorine very rapidly at first. As things progress, you will lose less chlorine each cycle and can add chlorine less frequently.
• Brush and/or vacuum the entire pool once a day
• Backwash or clean the filter as needed
• Vacuum up debris as needed

You are done when:

• CC is 0.5 or lower;
• You pass an OCLT (ie overnight FC loss test shows a loss of 1.0 ppm or less);
• And the water is clear.

When all three are true, you are done SLAMing and can allow the FC to drift down to normal levels.

You can use unscented bleach for adding chlorine. Its 6-8.5% sodium hypochlorinte. The liquid chlorine/pool shock you purchase at the pool store is 12%/

[drmtesta]

And in context "high GPM" means taking steps to run the flush water through the system much faster than it normally flows when in use. Any way of introducing turbulence also helps the cleaning action.

If there is any concern about hard water deposits, a nice slow flush (with standing time) using a dilute vinegar solution can be helpful. A commercial phosphoric acid solution (Lime Away, CLR) can be even better.

We are hoping that the water running through the system the past few weeks will provide the flush we need. We have asked the manufacturer if we should be doing something else and that has been met with complete disinterest. They are blaming our pool chemistry despite the fact that this has happened to 6 other pools. The have not taken any samples of our water, nor followed up to see our progress. We have had to take the lead in contacting them to get answers. Unfortunately, we have received no concrete answers, no assurance that when we refill it won't happen again and zero empathy from this company. I'm extremely frustrated! Sorry to vent, but there are few other venues.

[inetdog]

GPM= gallons per minute.

And in context "high GPM" means taking steps to run the flush water through the system much faster than it normally flows when in use. Any way of introducing turbulence also helps the cleaning action.

If there is any concern about hard water deposits, a nice slow flush (with standing time) using a dilute vinegar solution can be helpful. A commercial phosphoric acid solution (Lime Away, CLR) can be even better.

[Naptown]

Thank you. What is a GPM flush? Something I grab at a pool store?

The plastic smell is back and the pool has a tinge of green which I thought we were past. The ph is perfect and I'm staying on top of the chlorine. I've shocked it once or twice and have a metal remover in. I need to hold of draining until we get some answers from manufacturer who has shown zero empathy. Three weeks in the middle of summer. Unreal.

GPM= gallons per minute.

[drmtesta]

Thoughts on a purge product of some kind from a pool store? Any chance it helps wash out the pipes a bit?

[drmtesta]

Thank you. What is a GPM flush? Something I grab at a pool store?

The plastic smell is back and the pool has a tinge of green which I thought we were past. The ph is perfect and I'm staying on top of the chlorine. I've shocked it once or twice and have a metal remover in. I need to hold of draining until we get some answers from manufacturer who has shown zero empathy. Three weeks in the middle of summer. Unreal.

[SunEagle]

Doing a separate flush of the heater piping will allow you to put in detergents or other chemicals, as well as a high chlorine shock if you feel that will help. Also maybe aerating the flow to get better surface cleaning.
That will require separating the heater loop from the filter and pool, and if you pressure feed it from a tap water source you can leave the pump out of the loop too.

I agree. Just flushing may not get the entire pipe wall cleaned.

Using some type of high GPM flush to ensure every surface has been "brushed" by a "cleaning" fluid would result in a better chance of getting out all the contaminants.

[inetdog]

I'd rather not disclose unless I feel like it's a risk to others or they do not work with us on trying to figure out the cause. That is the most important thing since we are going to refill. I'm a bit more concerned with the plastic smell suddenly returning. I was hoping this would all just go away. They say they are trying to figure out the cause although I'm not sure I'd use the empathetic to describe them unfortunately.

Doing a separate flush of the heater piping will allow you to put in detergents or other chemicals, as well as a high chlorine shock if you feel that will help. Also maybe aerating the flow to get better surface cleaning.
That will require separating the heater loop from the filter and pool, and if you pressure feed it from a tap water source you can leave the pump out of the loop too.

[drmtesta]

I'd rather not disclose unless I feel like it's a risk to others or they do not work with us on trying to figure out the cause. That is the most important thing since we are going to refill. I'm a bit more concerned with the plastic smell suddenly returning. I was hoping this would all just go away. They say they are trying to figure out the cause although I'm not sure I'd use the empathetic to describe them unfortunately.

[Naptown]

Who was the manufacturer?
This is a first in my experience. (30 years)

[drmtesta]

So we are dumping the pool in about 10 days. Can I flush the thermal system myself or would that have to be done by the installer? Won't the draining sort of act like a flushing of the system? I'll be glad to get the water out of there, the plastic smell suddenly came back.

Make sure you do your due diligence on these thermal manufacturers. I've acted in good faith, paid a good bit of money and I'm being treated as if I'm the one who did something wrong. Not exactly sure how that works.
Thanks again for all the information

[inetdog]

Thanks. I did a phosphate treatment at the start of the summer. Interesting that they lump nitrates and phosphates together.
My bigger concern is making sure the solar system doesn't reintroduce the nitrates after I empty the pool. Talk about a stressful circumstance. We dropped a pile on this system and instead of making the summer better, we lose almost 2 weeks of pool use and I'm running around like an idiot trying to fix it. Crazy
Thanks again

They lump nitrates and phosphates together because they are primarily worried about algae growth and you can stop that growth by denying access to either class of nutrient.
Phosphates are just easier to deal with.
When the problem is excess copper rather than algae growth, the problem and the solution are very different than with algae.

Be sure to flush the solar circuit thoroughly (without using pool water) before reconnecting to the newly filled pool.

[drmtesta]

Thanks. I did a phosphate treatment at the start of the summer. Interesting that they lump nitrates and phosphates together.
My bigger concern is making sure the solar system doesn't reintroduce the nitrates after I empty the pool. Talk about a stressful circumstance. We dropped a pile on this system and instead of making the summer better, we lose almost 2 weeks of pool use and I'm running around like an idiot trying to fix it. Crazy
Thanks again

[bridaus]

Googlefu: http://www.pintopools.com/wordpress/...osphates-faqs/

[drmtesta]

Update

So the water is finally turning blue. I did a double shock and put in a metal remover called CULater. What the company thinks now is that the nitrates may been introduced into the pool from the system. I'm getting conflicting information on nitrates. Some say you cannot remove nitrates at all except by draining the pool and others say you can use a "starver" to remove them. First are nitrates dangerous and second, is draining the only way to remove them?
Thanks again for all of the help.