Green Saltwater Pool

[duckhunter220]

Hi, We just put in a 18' by 46" circular intex pool.

We hooked up the saltwater system last night and ran it for the recommended three hour run time. We woke up this mourning to the pool looking a clear green its not cloudy or murky just greenish tint. Tested the copper level and there is zero copper in it we also tested the water return from the SWCG and it says it it is generating the right amount of chlorine...

Please help... My kids are dying to swim in it so if there is a quick fix please let me know.

[chem geek]

Clear green is almost always metals in the water. I suspect it is iron that would look yellow (or red) against a white background, but against a blue vinyl liner it could look green (yellow + cyan-blue = green). Did you use fill water from a well? Your pH may be high as well. Lower it to 7.2 to see if the green gets lighter. If it does, then this is very likely metal ions. Add an HEDP-based metal sequestrant such as ProTeam's Metal Magic and Jack's Magic The Pink Stuff (regular), The Blue Stuff (fresh plaster), and The Purple Stuff (salt). You may find less expensive brands -- just make sure they contain HEDP (1-hydroxyethane 1,1-diphosphonic acid; etidronic acid).

[duckhunter220]

Yes we filled from a well...Is it ok to swim in when the ph is a little high? And how do you lower the ph level

[chem geek]

Yes, you can swim if the pH is a little high, by which I assume you mean 8.0 or 8.2 (not 9.0 or something like that). You lower the pH by adding acid, usually Muriatic Acid (31.45% Hydrochloric Acid) for pools. You can get that at a hardware/big-box store, usually in the aisle with tile/concrete products though sometimes also in the pool aisle (but check pricing for both since sometimes it's more expensive for pools even though it's the same stuff!). If you want to avoid fuming, you can get half-strength 15-16% that fumes less.

[LouisSeinfeld]

Sorry for bumping this post, but I have to agree with chem geek's comment. I also should mention this: stick with saltwater. I recently left saltwater and I really regret it. The health benefits of saltwater swimming pools are too immense to pass up. Another tip is to remember to call your local pool store. This is something I did not do unfortunately. heh...

[al_novak]

Chem geek is correct.  I like to use https://poolchemicalcalculator.com/Pool-pH-Calculator.html to figure out how much to add to my pool.

[Travis Schonleber]

On 7/22/2012 at 11:11 AM, duckhunter220 said:

Hi, We just put in a 18' by 46" circular intex pool.

We hooked up the saltwater system last night and ran it for the recommended three hour run time. We woke up this mourning to the pool looking a clear green its not cloudy or murky just greenish tint. Tested the copper level and there is zero copper in it we also tested the water return from the SWCG and it says it it is generating the right amount of chlorine...

Please help... My kids are dying to swim in it so if there is a quick fix please let me know.

 

[Travis Schonleber]

I would avoid any sequester that contains phosphates so please read the labels, sometimes they don’t list it though. 

A best bet would be to use SC1000 from Orenda, it is safe to swim in and carries NSF certification and contains NO phosphates. 

It will also help keep the blades of your salt generator from scaling up. 

Down load and use the free Orenda App to help keep your pool water in great shape and extend the life of your pool surface and equipment.