white stuff on surface

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

white stuff on surface

Postby brownmaniac » Fri 14 Aug, 2009 14:33

I had a pump motor go bad during off season and I was late getting started opening pool this summer. Lots of algea and contaminates. Installed new pump and motor and started the process. Shocked with 12lbs of chlorine shock the first night and vacuumed to waste. then 9lbs seconed night, 6lbs third night, finally after another shock of 12lbs Iwas able to maintain some what of a chlorine level. Pool place where i buy chemicals kept telling me to keep shocking pool. When level reached about a five PPM they had us flock. After flocking and shutting off pump for 24 hours the "stuff" floated to the surface instead of sinking to the bottom.(Looked like white grease or lard floating on top of the water and a whole lot of it.) Skimmed the stuff off, vacuumed to waiste and pool is still very cloudy. Pool place had me flock again after shocking again and same thing happened. Pool is a little clearer(can see botom on shallow end) but still have the white crap floating on the surface.... CAN ANYONE HELP? Have used 85 lbs of shock in three weeks!


doe55

white stuff on surface

Postby doe55 » Thu 20 Aug, 2009 07:19

I have an above ground 15/48 .The last week or so I noticed it a little cloudy, but now it looks like milk. I can't see the botton at all .test says clorine is alright ph looks a little high. how do u down ph levels .

if you found a solution please let me know
chem geek
Pool Industry Leader
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Posts: 2381
Joined: Thu 21 Jun, 2007 21:27
Location: San Rafael, California

white stuff on surface

Postby chem geek » Thu 20 Aug, 2009 10:23

brownmaniac, what are you using as your chlorine source for shocking? If it's Cal-Hypo, then for every 10 ppm Free Chlorine (FC), it also increases Calcium Hardness (CH) by 7 ppm. If your pool was already near saturation with calcium carbonate, then the Cal-Hypo would make the water cloudy and eventually could create calcium carbonate precipitate (flakes) or scale.

Read the Pool School for more info on how to maintain your pool and clear it of algae. Be sure to 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.
Camden
Pool Enthusiast
Pool Enthusiast
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu 20 Aug, 2009 10:32
My Pool: I have a 16000 gallons water capacity, rectangular with an oval shape at shallow end, plaster all around, filter grid
Location: California

White stuff on surface

Postby Camden » Sun 23 Aug, 2009 14:18

That's unheard of shocking. How green is the water? Looks like the pool guy is draining your pocket. White crap is not filtered and ended up back to the return line. Check your filter and see if the white crap is trapped. If the filters are dirty or clogged your wasting your time, money running the pump. This is not to tell you that's a problem, it is a problem if the water is filtered and falls right out of the filter and back into your pool. I started my pool with disgusted water about knee high, I was told that water can be restored so I listen to the guys and fill the water up to level line. Now the water is lighter green but not swimmable. I then ran the pump everyday for 8 hrs for 2 weeks. Opened the filters and damm what I saw was unbelievable crap trapped. Rinsed the filters 6 times until I have less crap clinging to my filters. I now understand the filtratrion and realized Its the most important thing for the pool. I adjusted all Pool chemical within the colors range and took the water for testing. Water tested was good, but too cloudy. I then used Diatomaceous Earth powder and put in about 10 coffees cup and after two days I saw my water is visible at the deep end 8ft. However I kept running the filters for 4 days but the water was the same. Opened the filters up again, holly sht! , these concentrated stuff had broken down and crap everywhere in the filters. Again rinse the filters clean and did this for 6 consecutive days, finnally water is clear and free of powder. Still not satisfied I poured 5 ounces of water clarifier and the magic is no longer magic, water is crystal clear. Still not satisfied, took out the filters and guess what, there's still little white crap but rinse it until I no longer needed. Water now is crystal clear the neighbor used to complain about the previous owner who never took care of the pool and now they asked me how I did it, they paid a pool guy $70 a month for maintenance. No secret I hope it helps.aquote="brownmaniac"]I had a pump motor go bad during off season and I was late getting started opening pool this summer. Lots of algea and contaminates. Installed new pump and motor and started the process. Shocked with 12lbs of chlorine shock the first night and vacuumed to waste. then 9lbs seconed night, 6lbs third night, finally after another shock of 12lbs Iwas able to maintain some what of a chlorine level. Pool place where i buy chemicals kept telling me to keep shocking pool. When level reached about a five PPM they had us flock. After flocking and shutting off pump for 24 hours the "stuff" floated to the surface instead of sinking to the bottom.(Looked like white grease or lard floating on top of the water and a whole lot of it.) Skimmed the stuff off, vacuumed to waiste and pool is still very cloudy. Pool place had me flock again after shocking again and same thing happened. Pool is a little clearer(can see botom on shallow end) but still have the white crap floating on the surface.... CAN ANYONE HELP? Have used 85 lbs of shock in three weeks![/quote]

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