From green to clean!

Why did this pool turn green? Negligence and sabotage is the short answer, but here's backstory.

The return lines in the pool were replaced by an outside company that I work for from time to time, and they partially drained the pool. (about halfway) In the meantime the customer kept his old pool company on payroll and said to please resume service after the repair was done. Simple to say the least, the repair company kept the pool in decent shape adding shock to the pool so it would not turn green and finished the repairs. After it was filled the repair company made sure the water was clear and ready for the other service company to take over and the customer called them up.

Fast forward 3 and a half weeks later, the customer called me up and asked me to come over to check the pool as it was turning green, I thought to myself that's odd.

When I got there I checked the chemicals no chlorine, PH at 8, zero conditioner, filter dirty and poor circulation. I then asked the customer a series of questions: Did your pool man come by and service the pool? Yes he came by. Were you home and did you see him? Well... he called. Ok, what did he say? He said that we would have to drain the pool and acid wash it, it was the only way he could get it back to blue. At that point I knew exactly what was going on. I said when the repair company left to fix the return lines it was in decent shape correct? Yes he was supposedly out here afterwards.

(A bit more context to this story)

The customers were in the middle of remodeling their house, they had been going back and forth from there and a temporary apartment. I initially thought it was just some bad communication at first, but the chemicals told a different story.

Pools usually don't turn that green in the picture above, there was another factor, a solar cover that exacerbated the situation.

Getting back to asking the customer questions. I came to his property the same day or day after his pool man was there. There should have been a slight hint of chlorine in the test or at least some conditioner in the pool. Neither chemical was detected from my test kit. (Taylor K-2005) I asked what else did you talk about with your pool man? He kept pressing for an acid wash, He said there was no way to make the pool clear again without doing that. I thought to myself BS this is sabotage, this paints us pool professionals in a bad light.

I told the customers I would be able to clear up the pool without needing an Acid wash. It was going to take some time, but I was confident it could be done. That day I shocked the pool. The next day I came back (picture below) and it had already started to get back to normal. It took about a week from start to finish.

No acid wash was needed, so how did I know it was negligence and sabotage?

1 When the pool is partially drained you loose conditioner. Depending on how much conditioner there was in it before you can loose a substantial amount and be at zero. (strike one) There should have been at least a little bit coming up on the test. Also if you are coming weekly and adding chlorine as needed the pool would not be that bad.

2 Zero chlorine. Yes you can loose a lot of chlorine and be at zero when a pool is that green, but if he was there that day and added something the test although faint should read something, free or total chlorine. (strike 2)

3 PH at 8 if he was taking care of the chemicals and added muriatic acid it would not read at an 8 maybe a 7.8 and a few drops on the test to bring it down, but this was a lot more than expected. I have battled pools in the past to bring the PH in balance and as long as you are staying on top of it, it would rarely would go that high. (strike 3)

4 Claiming you were there then saying the only solution is an acid wash. How do I start? (1) If you were taking care of the pool you would be adding chemicals. (strike 4) (2) Claiming the only solution is an acid wash when you clearly let the pool go. (strike 5) (3) Continuing to be paid the month you didn't service the pool then have the audacity to sabotage it, then to try to milk more out of a customer you had for 10 plus years. (strike 6)

This is my first blog and to be honest it really isn't for potential future customers but for our industry as a whole. I know we have had tough times the past few years with covid, chemical shortages, and gas going through the roof, but there isn't an excuse to do that to people. We must elevate our industry to a higher standard.

Jackson

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