Milky White water w/ white wisps

Causes and cures for cloudy swimming pool water.
Milky pool water, white, pink, brown, purple, black cloudy water.
DEGal

Milky White water w/ white wisps

Postby DEGal » Mon 16 Jul, 2007 11:08

Okay need some help. My pool guy is at a loss.

This all started over 3 weeks ago. The farm across the road was plowed the summer wheat. There was an awful stench in the air. We went in the pool the next day, As I was cleaning it with the scooper I noticed these mucus like substance. I thought it was from my girls. Then the following day I had Yellow / Mustard Algae. I used Yellow Out along with two (1lb) bags of shock. The following day As I was vacuuming the pool it turned cloudy, a milky white cloudiness. I also noticed white wisps floating in the pool. Like someone put a tissue in the water and it broke up. I contacted my pool store they suggested flocing the pool. I did that. It cleared up, but when I went to vacuum it out (on waste per store) it clouded up again and hasn't changed. I can't even see my stairs. I've left my pool filter going 24/7 for 5 days and nothing. I then found out there are several people in my area with the same exact problem. One person has floced his pool 8 times and nothing. Everyone is at there wits end. The water has been tested for everything. Nothing. Oh and another thing, when this all started I couldn't keep enough clorine in the pool. It was eating right through my shock and (2) 3" round tablets. One day it was high purple on the stick and the next it was showing no clorine.

All other reading are fine. They have never changed through all of this.

Myself and everyone else involved would appreciate any help you can give us.

Thanks,
Anne


djbinva
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Milky white water

Postby djbinva » Mon 16 Jul, 2007 12:02

You have water mold. I experienced it earlier this summer and had it reappear this last weekend. From what I found it is not as typical in pools that use Chlorine as sanitizer. Flocing does nothing other than knock down what is in the water but does not treat the problem. This stuff is not easy. Going to pool stores most of the people there just don't know what to do. I did find someone who ran with the issue and called some of the manufacturers directly and the answer came back to shock with up to 4 times the regular amount. Yes the mold eats this stuff for lunch you need to kill it by overwhelming it. I have a 30,000 gal in ground pool and put 12 bags at a time and did it more than once. Yes it killed the stuff and then I flocced and vacuumed to waste. I don't know what has caused it's return but it is frustrating that in midsummer I am out of action again for days. I have a DE filter and ended up backwashing many times as this stuff really clogs the filters. There are several others very good threads about this issue with posts from owners who are way more knowledgeable than myself. Stay with it you can get it clean but it will take a huge amount of shock
Backglass
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Re: Milky White water w/ white wisps

Postby Backglass » Mon 16 Jul, 2007 12:15

DEGal wrote:Okay need some help. My pool guy is at a loss.

This all started over 3 weeks ago. The farm across the road was plowed the summer wheat. There was an awful stench in the air. We went in the pool the next day, As I was cleaning it with the scooper I noticed these mucus like substance. I thought it was from my girls. Then the following day I had Yellow / Mustard Algae. I used Yellow Out along with two (1lb) bags of shock. The following day As I was vacuuming the pool it turned cloudy, a milky white cloudiness. I also noticed white wisps floating in the pool. Like someone put a tissue in the water and it broke up. I contacted my pool store they suggested flocing the pool. I did that. It cleared up, but when I went to vacuum it out (on waste per store) it clouded up again and hasn't changed. I can't even see my stairs. I've left my pool filter going 24/7 for 5 days and nothing. I then found out there are several people in my area with the same exact problem. One person has floced his pool 8 times and nothing. Everyone is at there wits end. The water has been tested for everything. Nothing. Oh and another thing, when this all started I couldn't keep enough clorine in the pool. It was eating right through my shock and (2) 3" round tablets. One day it was high purple on the stick and the next it was showing no clorine.

All other reading are fine. They have never changed through all of this.

Myself and everyone else involved would appreciate any help you can give us.

Thanks,
Anne


Are you a non-chlorine pool using Baquacil (soft swim, etc) by chance?
If so, this is common after a few years and you should consider switching to Chlorine.

As stated, you rarely ever hear of water-mold in a chlorine pool.
===============================
I'm no expert...just a long time pool owner. The real experts are at www . troublefreepool . com

Download Bleachcalc free at troublefreepool . com /files/BleachCalc262.exe and start saving money on chemicals.
pucklordofchoas
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yep

Postby pucklordofchoas » Mon 16 Jul, 2007 13:30

I work in a spa store, and we are seeing more and more of ur customers comming in with this issue, in spas, it seems to be related to something that happened in the last few weeks this summer. at any rate the ast two people we had in on it we recomended the super clorinate to kill the stuff and then drain, i under stand tha this is a simpler solution for a spa where you deal with much less water than a pool, but maybe it can offter a little help.
DEgal

white water mold

Postby DEgal » Wed 18 Jul, 2007 14:44

Thanks everyone.
I use Chlorine. Your never gonna believe this, I went home the other night and my pump had kicked off. When I checked the water, it was pretty clear except for the bottom. Could not believe this. I ran my filter non stop for 5 days and nothing. The pump shuts off and bam, it's clear. So I got a hold of a regular Pool Guy. He came over yesterday and vacuumed my pool using what he normally uses for in-ground pools cause it's on wheels. I just have to backwash one more time. But I am hoping against all hope that it is gone.


I have never seen such a thing. But now I know for the next time. LOTS and LOTS of Shock all at one time. And also, to put it directly into the pool and not thru the skimmer basket.

Thanks again for your help.
chem geek
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white water mold

Postby chem geek » Wed 18 Jul, 2007 14:56

I'm glad you got rid of the white water (tissue) mold. You should probably get yourself a good test kit, the Taylor K-2006 or the TF-100 from tftestkits(dot)com. See if your CYA level is high. If you don't keep your chlorine at a target of 11.5% of the CYA level or at an absolute minimum of 7.5% of the CYA level, then you can get algae and maybe this mold. This mold is so rare in chlorine pools that it is hard to know what level of chlorine will keep it away, but by knowing your CYA level and your normal FC level (i.e. when you first got this mold in your pool) then that might help us sort this out for others in the future.

Since you use stabilized chlorine tabs (Trichlor), or at least it sounded like you did, I suspect your CYA level is high. A high CYA level would also explain why it took so shocking to kill this mold.

Richard
Backglass
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white water mold

Postby Backglass » Thu 19 Jul, 2007 08:39

DEgal wrote:Your never gonna believe this, I went home the other night and my pump had kicked off. When I checked the water, it was pretty clear except for the bottom. Could not believe this.


Thats no miracle, thats the floc. Evidently whoever flocced your pool didn't read the instructions! After floccing you have to shut of your pump for 12-48 hours so everything can settle, otherwise it won't do much of anything.

Maybe the pool KNEW this and shut itself off. :lol:
===============================

I'm no expert...just a long time pool owner. The real experts are at www . troublefreepool . com



Download Bleachcalc free at troublefreepool . com /files/BleachCalc262.exe and start saving money on chemicals.
jenifern

Milky White water - white wisps

Postby jenifern » Tue 31 Jul, 2007 13:52

oh I'm so glad to have found this post. I have had this problem with my pool with loads of light brown sediment on the bottom of the pool and in my filter. As soon as i start to vacuum it out the water turns all murky like someone has thrown in a box of kleenex. I have been using bromine but will try switching to chlorine now. Thanks for this info!
jenifern

Postby jenifern » Tue 31 Jul, 2007 13:55

one more thing...is it not safe to swim in it until it's totally clear? :?:
Tracey

Milky White water w/ white wisps

Postby Tracey » Wed 04 Mar, 2009 20:22

DEGal wrote:Okay need some help. My pool guy is at a loss.

This all started over 3 weeks ago. The farm across the road was plowed the summer wheat. There was an awful stench in the air. We went in the pool the next day, As I was cleaning it with the scooper I noticed these mucus like substance. I thought it was from my girls. Then the following day I had Yellow / Mustard Algae. I used Yellow Out along with two (1lb) bags of shock. The following day As I was vacuuming the pool it turned cloudy, a milky white cloudiness. I also noticed white wisps floating in the pool. Like someone put a tissue in the water and it broke up. I contacted my pool store they suggested flocing the pool. I did that. It cleared up, but when I went to vacuum it out (on waste per store) it clouded up again and hasn't changed. I can't even see my stairs. I've left my pool filter going 24/7 for 5 days and nothing. I then found out there are several people in my area with the same exact problem. One person has floced his pool 8 times and nothing. Everyone is at there wits end. The water has been tested for everything. Nothing. Oh and another thing, when this all started I couldn't keep enough clorine in the pool. It was eating right through my shock and (2) 3" round tablets. One day it was high purple on the stick and the next it was showing no clorine.

All other reading are fine. They have never changed through all of this.

Myself and everyone else involved would appreciate any help you can give us.

Thanks,
Anne


Hi Anne, have the pool shop check for phosphates>>>
SO UPSET AND FRUSTRATED!!

White Water Mold

Postby SO UPSET AND FRUSTRATED!! » Wed 27 Jun, 2012 14:50

I am glad to know I am not the only person suffering with this problem. My pool has been cloudy until my pump was shut off for a few days and then it turned clear with the exception of a grayish film on the bottom. When I stirred it up HOLY MOLY it looked as if someone had threw a few rols of toilet paper in my pool! YEs I am using a Chlorine pool so apparently its not as rare as once thought. The pool stor etoday recognized it right away from my sample as White Water Mold. They gave me a list of thigns do to, shock times 5 the normal amount, then clarifier to sink to bottom and vacuum out on waste. This soo better work! If theres any new suggestions please let me know!! 18x4 intex pool with Fibrofilter Sand Filter. :?:

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