# Garden copper sulphate for swimming pool



## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

What's wrong with chlorine & pH balance?


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Look up the name brand with SDS after the name. The Safety Data Sheet says it's toxic if swallowed or with skin or eye contact.


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## alex6999 (Nov 11, 2017)

Chlorine level 2/4 according to Wal-Mart's 6 way test strips.
But I put 25 3" tablets into pool 4 days ago and tablets still like new.
Water is green.

Ph around 7.2-7.5, I can't say exactly, test strips does not give good results.

Technician opened pool 2 weeks ago(rental house, owner send him), water was clear, but lots of green on walls and bottom, he did not clear it, he said that add chlorine and stabilizer. Also it was lots of worms on bottom. Pool was closed last summer and May be it was closed 2 or even 3 summers.

Water becomes green couple days after I clean it with brush(with hose)

25 tables for 35000 gal looks too much. But label says add one tablet per week per 10000 liters(pool 130000 liters as per technician)

Outbound pipe was clogged, technician just put new pipe over ground to pool. Looks like he plumber or even handyman, not pool technician, he put basket into skimmer and put brick into it, because basket tends to float.

Basicly I swimming in this swamp, but it looks terrible.


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## alex6999 (Nov 11, 2017)

Nik333 said:


> Look up the name brand with SDS after the name. The Safety Data Sheet says it's toxic if swallowed or with skin or eye contact.


It May cause skin or eye irritation.
If swallowed drink large amount of milk.... rinse eyes.... Can cause cancer in California.

99% copper sulphate pentahydrate 
1% inert ingredients 
Same as aquatic quality copper sulphate.


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## Gregsoldtruck79 (Dec 21, 2017)

Do NOT ever use products in pool water not specified for the use. Pools are nice to have but a high maintenance item. Get the pool designated algae control required treatment and put it in as per instruction ounces per gallon. Do not swim in the water immediately after the product is put in. One should either pay the price to kill the algae or dump it IMO.

Even if a person maintains their water with the perfect "balance" as I did at work, while having to maintain a 250,000 gallon pool proved to me, algae gets in the water sometimes. 

As the heat of the season rises, the pollen from the trees and bushes, grass clippings etc. can add to the algae problem, especially in the shadier parts of the pool. Starting in the beginning of every August, I had a heck of time controlling the mustard algae in the big pool. As it was surrounded by bushes, trees, homes that had their spraying fertilizers, herbicides, all contributors to some form of various algae growth . JMO


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## Cedrus (Feb 25, 2011)

I have used liquid copper made for pools....and it worked. Also, other pool techs use gallons of pool chlorine, per day for a few days, until it clears up. I think Nik333 has the right approach.

I would find another pool company and be upfront with them....that you need a month or two of their service to get your pool in good shape and than you will take over.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Just realize that a pool requires a lot of work. You need to brush the algae every few days during hot months.

Don't add liquid chlorine until you see what the tablets do.

Patience.

But if you're renting, they should have made the pool pristine.


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## alex6999 (Nov 11, 2017)

Nik333 said:


> But if you're renting, they should have made the pool pristine.


No, pool and not working hot tub rented as is.
House with 2 acres lot rented for price of regular house in this area.

3 large pines near pool, and lots of 
cones and needles in water every day.

And that should I add into pool?
That about Clorox Pool&Spa Super Water Clarifier, $10 in Wal-Mart?

Should I put aglaecide into it?
Which one?

That is best place for chlorine, floating basket or bottom?


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## Cedrus (Feb 25, 2011)

alex......please hire a pool service.


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## zolakk (Nov 28, 2012)

With 35 tablets your stabilizer level would be sky high meaning which actually makes the chlorine work worse or not at all. The only way to get the stabilizer level down is to drain and refill, which from the sounds of it is your best course of action anyway at this point.

Also, if you've just thrown them in and they are sitting on the bottom you've also likely did permanent damage to the plaster or vinyl which can be expensive to fix. 

You really do need to get a pro to take over. If you are insistent on doing it yourself, I'd suggest troublefreepool.com for help.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk


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## alex6999 (Nov 11, 2017)

I don't have enough money to hire service. I need to DIY

How to remove tablets now? Pool 10 feet deep and I did not see bottom even on shallow end(3ft)

Picture of pool made years ago


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## Gregsoldtruck79 (Dec 21, 2017)

As a retired CPO, even that pool water years ago would not pass my inspections. Pool water should be shimmering blue, with NO hint of green tint. IMO. If you are a landlord or maintenance tech responsible for pools, every cities health department has free classes for pool operators. One would really benefit you, as you are putting the swimmers in danger, as they are swimming in unsanitary water.


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## alex6999 (Nov 11, 2017)

Is blue water result of color additive or it's possible without it?

Why fresh water in bath green like on pucture?

I'm my last apartment building, water in closed pool was blue, but it melted lycra from swimming pants and walls was stained with some white mass like chewing gum.


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## Cedrus (Feb 25, 2011)

alex......what planet did you come from ?


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## alex6999 (Nov 11, 2017)

Cedrus said:


> alex......what planet did you come from ?


Tatooine 🙂

How do you think, will person, who going too use cheap garden copper sulphate, hire contractor?

I don't have money for it.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Just be patient and don't kill yourself with chemicals, okay?:smile:
Read the website that is listed above. Good luck.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

*Tatooine*



*Tatooine* /ˌtætuːˈiːn/ is a fictional desert planet that serves as the setting for many key scenes in the Star Wars saga, appearing in every Star Wars film except The Empire Strikes Back. Since it is the home planet of Anakin Skywalker and Luke Skywalker, as well as the meeting place for Obi-Wan Kenobi and Han Solo, it is the most iconic planet in the Star Wars universe.


:biggrin2:


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## iamrfixit (Jan 30, 2011)

I've never put algecide in my pool and I never will. Algecide doens't kill existing algae, and it only sort of works to help prevent it. Putting a bunch of copper in your chlorine pool will result in staining and is well known to turn blond hair green. 

Go to troublefreepool.com and learn about pool chemistry. 

zolakk is right on in post #12. Dry chlorine products like tablets or shock add either CYA (stabilizer) or calcium with every dose. High calcium can be bad for your pool and equipment, high CYA levels inhibit the chlorine which requires you to maintain even higher FC levels. The chlorine you add burns off each day fighting sun and bacteria and must be replenished, CYA does not burn off and just builds up.

If you use tablets or shock each day to raise and maintain that FC level then you add even more stabilizer. The pool reaches a tipping point and turns green. No amount of chemical will bring it back, you need to lower CYA and the only way is through dilution. Extremely high CYA levels may require a majority of your water to be changed out. 

The right test kit and the right products make all the difference. Liquid chlorine only contains chlorine and water. You can buy it as liquid shock at the pool store, it will be 12-14% strength, or WalMart has Pool Essentials brand pool chlorinating liquid at about 10% strength. Plain, unscented bleach is exactly the same product (sodium hypochlorite) at about 6% strength but it takes a lot more at the lower strength. You must be careful to get plain bleach without any scents, easy pour or other additive, those will cause problems.

A properly cared for pool will have almost no chlorine smell. I maintain a CYA of 40-50 and a FC level of 7ppm, you would never even know there is chlorine in the pool. If you smell chlorine it's a good sign the pool is disgusting. The odor comes from combined chloramines which is a build up of spent chlorine that has not burned away.


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## alex6999 (Nov 11, 2017)

Thank you for answer, I am not at home, but when I left it 3 days ago

CYA level was 30-50
TA 80
FC 2
Ph 7.2-7.5
TH 100

I cannot understand why chlorine level does not grow up... grow slow.

Filter running on high speed 24/7
Pressure 20 psi.
And 10 psi on recirculation.

Pool still green.
As I read in internet people add heavy dose of aglaecide before closing and after opening.
I did not add, and pool was closed for years.

What I do now?
Walmart

PS: what about bleach from dollar tree?
1 gallon = 1 dollar

Anyways pool essential ok too.

But that I have to do now?
I going to buy 2 gallon(no, 3 gallon, 1 for maintenance) pool essential aglaecide(10%), it same as clorox(50%) but less expensive.
And will put it to pool to kill aglae.


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## iamrfixit (Jan 30, 2011)

Dollar store bleach is only a dollar for a reason, it's often only 3% or less. It could take MANY gallons of the much higher strength, 12.5% chlorine to get your pool back. It requires a very precise process, you must get the pool to shock level and maintain until the pool clears up and will hold chlorine overnight. This process will require frequent testing and dosing the first day or so along with gallons and gallons of chlorine. As the algae dies and is filtered out the filter will plug and require frequent backwashing. 

When your pool has algae, the algae consumes the chlorine as fast as you add it. You must overcome that before you can begin to clear it up. This requires an fas/dpd test kit that can read high chlorine levels that you will need to maintain. The very first thing you'll need is an accurate CYA reading, if your CYA result is accurate then shock level is 20ppm FC to kill your algae. That is way beyond what a standard pool test kit can do. 

Pool store "free" testing is awful, they are often terrible at performing the CYA test and only want to push their potions and empty your wallet. I have a Taylor K-2006c test kit, it cost about $90 and is a wise investment for your pool. I encourage you to direct your questions to the TFP forum where there are thousands of users there focused on pools that can offer good advice much faster.

I add roughly 40oz of 12.5% chlorine each day to my 15k gallon pool to maintain my chlorine level. That's a gallon every 3 days in the summer. That's about 10 gallons per month at about $4/gallon. I often find it on sale or even two for one through the summer and I stock about 20 gallons when I do. I've installed a dosing pump that operates on a timer and automatically doses my pool each day. That $40 worth of chlorine is pretty much the only thing the pool uses besides a little electricity to run the pump. It is MUCH easier and cheaper to maintain the pool each day then it is to recover it from green.

You don't want algecide of any kind, chlorine is what you need, along with good test results and a proper plan of action. WalMart's Pool essentials "Pool chlorinating liquid" is what you want. Probably going to take a lot more than 3 or 4 gallon. Depending on the size of your pool you may very well need to add *several gallons* at a time and it's entirely possible that you'll need to do that several times per day in the beginning.


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## alex6999 (Nov 11, 2017)

Nik333 said:


> Just be patient and don't kill yourself with chemicals, okay?:smile:


Thanks, will try 



iamrfixit said:


> I've never put algecide in my pool and I never will. Algecide doens't kill existing algae, and it only sort of works to help prevent it. Putting a bunch of copper in your chlorine pool will result in staining and is well known to turn blond hair green.


Really? I like girls with green hair 




iamrfixit said:


> Go to troublefreepool.com and learn about pool chemistry.


They recommend slam process

May I buy hth 6-Way Test Kit from walmart store?


Perform up to 100 tests with 1 kit
Includes phenol red, alkalinity indicator and titrant, hardness indicator and titrant and a bottle of orthotolidine
Includes 30 test strips with 5 regents on each
HTH test kit tests for total chlorine, bromine, pH, total alkalinity, total hardness and cyanuric acid
But it does not test for FC

I confused, people wrote in comments "all your need"



iamrfixit said:


> If you use tablets or shock each day to raise and maintain that FC level then you add even more stabilizer. The pool reaches a tipping point and turns green.


Does it means "do not buy tablets and use only liquid chlorine?"
I drive truck and out of home for 10 days.
My wife.... she can put bottle into pool, but not test it.

For my 35kgal pool I need 2 bottles of pool essential aglaecide $15
To shock my pool I need 6 bottle = $21
But first fix CYA, Ph and TA. 



iamrfixit said:


> I encourage you to direct your questions to the TFP forum where there are thousands of users there focused on pools that can offer good advice much faster.
> 
> I add roughly 40oz of 12.5% chlorine each day to my 15k gallon pool to maintain my chlorine level. That's a gallon every 3 days in the summer. That's about 10 gallons per month at about $4/gallon.\


OK, will go to TFP Forum, Thanks

So... for my 35kgal pool I will need 23 gallons per month?
I found in my area %12 20L(5+ gallon) $CAD 12.99
With reusable package, sold separatly.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

Guys, the OP is a chain jerker. He is getting the elicited responses that he wants. Questions asked here in the air conditioner vs. dehumidifier thread will go on forever if you let it, and they are being asked to get a certain response from you. Maybe he will find an answer at the other Pool forum.


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## alex6999 (Nov 11, 2017)

chandler48 said:


> Guys, the OP is a chain jerker. He is getting the elicited responses that he wants.


May be
That I think
1. Using non EPA products? Why not? I think EPA label something like kosher food, yes it usually better quality, But price tag higher.
2. Copper sulphate does not help me/kill pool water balance or something else - May be. 
3. Shocking pool vs adding some chemistry. I found cheaper to shock than use special chemistry. But cannot understand why chemistry is bad.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

One thought, you are renting, if you destroy the pool interior & equipment, guess who will be charged?

Do you have kids who use the pool?


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## alex6999 (Nov 11, 2017)

Pool rented as is and in unknown
condition.
If I break it - nobody will fix it.
If I break it - my next post will be how to fix it.

No, no kids. But wife. It's not recommend for womens to swim in bad water.
I can swim anywhere.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

alex6999 said:


> Pool rented as is and in unknown
> condition.
> If I break it - nobody will fix it.
> If I break it - my next post will be how to fix it.
> ...


I wonder how the electrical system is?


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## alex6999 (Nov 11, 2017)

Pump pumping. 10 psi on recirculation and 20 psi on filter.
I backwashed it.
I don't know sand condition will try to clean it with some chemistry.
Pump cup cracked and I have some air bubbles in outlet
It cracked on mounting, so impossible to fix.

Pump started only at low speed. Tryed to start it at high speed and it fail. I don't know is it was thermal protection on motor... I turn off-on all beakers and it start working again.

Think same will happines at electric failure.

I know pumps in old fridges have special startup circuit to start it.


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## iamrfixit (Jan 30, 2011)

You can dump a hundred gallons of algecide in the pool, it's not going to fix it. 

The HTH kit is useless because it will only test to 5ppm FC, nowhere near what it will take to clear the pool. Doing that test requires you to compare shades of yellow, very difficult to differentiate.

It's going to be almost impossible to clear the pool and very hard to maintain it if nobody is there to test and do the daily maintenance chores. 

Large pools require a lot more of everything, 35k gallon is pretty large for a residential pool. It's going to require nearly a gallon of 12% every day just to maintain and much more than that to clear it. A salt system would be a good alternative but would cost over a thousand dollars to get up and running in a pool of that size.

Any junk you dump in the pool will only complicate the solution in the end and require a water change to fix it. You may need one already to fix your CYA issues, no way to know without a trustworthy test result.


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## alex6999 (Nov 11, 2017)

Any inexpensive for $20? or around this


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## iamrfixit (Jan 30, 2011)

This is *ONLY* the FC test, you still need and must have the CYA test to really know where you stand, plus you will need accurate PH, Alk, and CH tests. A high quality kit is the best way to go, you will get all the tests you'll need and results you can trust.

I have no idea how you got your CYA test result but this measurement is imperative to clearing up your pool. I you have high CYA or attempt to chlorinate using tablets, powder shock or some other hybrid method then none of my advice will help.

Unless someone can be there, attend to the SLAM, test, dose and backwash the filter, then you are really just wasting your time and mine. It's very unlikely the pool will clear up overnight. It didn't get green overnight and it doesn't clear up that way either.

I promise, the TFP way can give you ultra clear water, the most clear and blue you've ever seen, but the methods are not negotiable.

recommended kits

TF-100

K-2006c


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## alex6999 (Nov 11, 2017)

iamrfixit said:


> I have no idea how you got your CYA test result











I know what you will say


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## iamrfixit (Jan 30, 2011)

Yeah, that's about what I figured.

In my experience strips are wildly inaccurate. The colors bleed together and can bleach out in higher chlorine levels. The color differences are too subtle to differentiate especially if they bleach a little. The ranges are way too wide to do any good. The CYA test for instance is 0, 30-50, 100. If you are in the 60-70 range it will likely still register as 30-50, but the chlorine requirement for a cya of 70 is considerably higher than it is for a cya of 30.

There are hundreds of posts each day at TFP from folks with the same problem. When the pool turns green with algae there is only one cause, not maintaining enough FC for the CYA level. If you shock and chlorinate with dry chlorine products it will push the CYA level even higher and the cycle continues.

The test kits I linked are very accurate drop based tests. Each test shifts completely from one color to another or from color to clear so there is no mistaking the result. You count the drops and use a multiplier to get your result.


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## Cedrus (Feb 25, 2011)

www.troublefreepool.com is excellent for all kinds of info.


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