This isn’t a fine homebuilding question by anymeans, but I can’t find a swimming pool forum, so I thought I’d try here.
We took our winter cover off of our inground pool yesterday, to find a fine, bright purple “soot” on the water side of the cover and covering the entire liner and stairs where the water touches. It brushes aside easily enough but I can’t get it off of the pool light and stairs completely. I’m sure that it will stain and do a real number on the cartridge filter. Our pool company is coming out tomorrow to get the filter and lines going. But so far, they are stumped about the “purple” soot. I’m wondering if when they removed the cover last spring and folded it up while it was still wet, if this may have caused damage to the black side of the cover, causing it to deteriorate. It’s just a guess. Now that the cover is dry, the purple “stuff” has turned chalklike. If anyone has any thoughts or experienced this, I’d really appreciate hearing about it. Thanks!
Replies
What color is the cover?
What is the composition of the cover?
Can you rub the backside of the cover with a white cloth and see a purple residue on that cloth?
What chemicals do you use in your water treatment?
more info please..................................................................Iron Helix
This is called "purple big gulp pool syndrome" and is quite rare. Do nothing. Swim in the pool as often as possible. You may even drink the water. Invite your family and all your friends over for a midnight skinnydip.
Remember the movie "Cacoon"? It was actually this phenomenon that allowed those people to reverse aging.
Iron,
Thanks for your response. The pool company came out, dropped their mouths open- I'm not kidding when I say that the pool was purple. Anyway they tested a sample and found our copper level to be sky high. So I've been vacumming on drain without the cartridges in, have drained and replaced 1/3 of the total volume, am vacumming some more and will bring another sample in tomorrow. Now my question is-where did the copper come from and how do I prevent this from happening again? Our heater is going to be checked-it's only 4 years old-yikes!
In answer to your questions-the liner is vinyl, black on the water side and blue on top. I'm working on washing the purple chalky residure off of it, but I don't see anymore purple coming off it. I don't think it's the culprit anymore.
We use stabilized chlorine, shock, ph up and down when needed, that's about it. We had to increase the alkalinity once last summer.
Luv,
I'd take the reverse aging in a flash-but right now I'm sure it would do the opposite. Our kids are dying to dive in, but we were told they'd turn green if they did! :-) Could start a new trend!
Edited 5/2/2002 2:44:21 PM ET by Beatrix
There is copper in pressure treated wood. There is copper in sprays for fruit trees. You could have copper flashings on your roof or copper gutters that allow runoff to head to the pool. Your plumbing supply and recycle lines for the pumps and filters might be copper. Maybe the goldfish were pitching pennies made of copper all winter.
Excellence is its own reward!
Did the pool company give any more detail than "copper" Push for the details...
......Is it dissolved in the water, or is it deposited on the bottom? Or both?
......What is your water source? Public or private well?
In either case have it assayed for copper content.
.......The heater, I assume for the pool only, is it gas or electric?
In either case it is hard for me to conceive of the heater contributing that much copper to create such a mass of color.
........What is the ph of the pool? Many copper based chemicals respond to lower ph's and addition of muriatic acid may return them to the ionic form which may be colorless. Try this in a white colored 5 gal bucket by adding acid.
still more detective work.........................................Iron Helix
ps.....................I recall seeing more compounds colored purple as a result of manganese as compared to copper..............how specific is the pool companies test?
Edited 5/3/2002 7:01:03 AM ET by Iron Helix
Use any Algecide last year?? If so, a dollar to a donut says that's where your copper is coming from. If not, look elsewhere. But I bet it's algecide.
How about clarifier?? That can cause problems too .. . . . .
Frontier,
We used a little (maybe 4 litres) of algecide and no clarifier last summer. I spoke to our pool company, they also said that algecide has copper in it, but the good quality stuff has very little. Luckily we used the good quality.
Iron,
Yes-the detective work continues. What do you mean by "more details than just copper". I was told that the normal level of copper is 0 with an upper safe limit of .2ppm- our level started at 3.0, and was tested at 2.0 yesterday. I'm still vacumming on drain, lowering the water by 1/3 and filling it up again. There is now very, very little of the purple residue that can be seen.
The water was tested for:
-free, total and combined chlorine
-pH
-hardness
-alkalinity
-cyanuric acid
-copper
-iron
-total dissolved solids
-phosphates
The purple particles settle to the bottom but dissapate easily when brushed or vacummed too quickly. Our water is public, no one is the neighborhood with a pool has had this problem. The heater is gas and is 4 years old. It's a Teledyne-Laars. The pH and alkalinity are way off right now, since most of the water has been replaced. I had the water tested just before we closed in the fall-it was balanced then. They don't test for manganese. |Pardon my chemistry, it's been a while, but,would colorless copper in the ionic form still cause a problem?
I don't know if this has any significance, but, there's a new subdivision being built closeby. Last summer, when they were grading and digging, we had clouds of clay dust blowing directly at us. Instead of cleaning the cartridge filters 2 or 3 times a season, I was cleaning them twice a week when the dust was at it's peak. Everything was coverd in that fine red dust. Do you think this may have contributed to our problem?
The plan now stands to add 2 litres of "Mineral Out"- it doesn't say what it is made of and I didn't think to ask at the time. Then I have to add 24kg of alkalinity booster (baking soda), adjust the pH, shock the pool and have the water tested again. I'm hoping to bring in a water sample on Monday.
Please keep your thoughts and ideas coming, I really appreciate it!
Are you in an area that would allow access to a university chemistry department, or an independent assay lab? If so consider hand filtering the"purple" stuff through a coffee filter, or rig your pump to accept a house type cartidge filter. The residue on either filter can be tested using a sequential series of qualitative analysis tests or injected into a gas chromatograph for the identity of the Purple Pool culprit.
Your conjecture about the dust may have validity............back to an assay !
At any rate this is quite a conumdrom....I'm going to dig out my old chem books..........
I'll be back after a little memory refresher....??????....................Iron Helix
Thanks again Iron. That is my plan. I drained the water onto the street and down the sewer and was very easily able to brush some purple powder that had collected at the end of our driveway, into plastic bags. I'll bring samples back to the pool company and to the lab run by the city. We hadn't thought of using a university lab, I have enough of the purple stuff for anyone who will take it! Did you by any chance read my muriatic acid dilemma about a year and a half ago? A friend of a friend is an excellant chemist who saved my butt then and who may have advice now also.
The pool looks great now, but we still haven't put the cartridges in the filter. I just vacumm and drain and then shut the system down.
Let me know what you come up with, I'd love to hear it!
Thanks again for your time,
Beatrix
ALLLL right...................you drained the pool. Wash it down and start fresh. Alot cheaper than all those chemicals from the pool company.
If you have some muriatic acid please try the following.......In a small glass container (a cup max) place 1/8 tsp of the purple powder(PP) to which add about 1/4 cup if water. Into this mix add muriatic acid(straight from the bottle) at least a tablespoon by the drop and swirl. What I hope will happen is that the PP will go into solution with the high ph, or even change color to a clear solution. If no results I'm wrong on my assumption. Be carefull with the acid...wear protection especially for your eyes.
So far the old dusty chem books have given me the following:
Most common copper compounds in crystaline form or solution are colored brown, green or blue..... not purple. This leads me to believe that although present in your pool in high concentrations it is probably not your culprit.
Although this does not rule out the presence of a copper complex of an unusual nature ...........I'm very rusty <g>on this topic...............see your local chemist.
Going back to the dusty closure of your pool and a passage from a discussion on manganese in the chem book. It talks about the production of potassium permanganate (intensely purple color) from manganese oxide (found in some clay soils) by combining it with chlorine in an alkaline solution. This situation reminds me of closing a pool...............yours would already have the high dose of manganese oxide from the construction dust dissolved in the water to which you add cyuranic acid and super shock chlorine and cover the pool. In the pressence of high chlorine and no sunlight to release the chlorine the water goes alkaline and the manganese oxid is converted to PURPLE POWDER. All this is speculation since it has been thirty+ years since I was in a lab.
So much for the smoke and mirrors BS. With the powder in hand let a true chemist have a shot at a little qualitative analysis. Most pool companies are very limited as to the real chemical analysis of any thing other than the common stuff.
Do keep me posted on the what the PP turns out to be...........................Iron Helix
Well, you used high quality algaecide, so maybe that isn't it. I do know though that the cheap stuff has a ton of copper in it.
And I'm thinking here that Iron Helix has me outclassed in the chemistry department. Other than a semester in college, chemistry is not my forte.
Looks like you're on your way to figuring it out though. Do let us know what you find. I have a pool today and may one day have this problem !
Did you have them do a test for grape Kool-aid?
T
Layers
Onions
Have
Layers,
Carpenters
Have
Layers
at least you didn't say acid test
Wouldn't that be a Purple Jesus test???
TLayers
Onions
Have
Layers,
Carpenters
Have
Layers
sounds electric to me
After having swimming pools for almost twenty years, I really thought that I had a decent level of understanding of them. This is turning out to be a real learning experience, to say that least.
Here's a link that may be helpful to you.
http://www.intheswim.com/catalog.cfm?dest=watertesting&storeid=0
Iron,
Here's the latest. Our copper level is now (thank God!!) zero-it was a labor intensive weekend that paid off. The question still remains, where did it come from? Could the half bottle of algecide have done it? We do dive for pennies occasionally, but that couldn't do it.
The pool company had a rep come in from the chemical company, who was quite amazed at the purple powder I had brought in. He was absolutley sure that the powder was not copper. The chemical company think that it may be bacterial-sounds bad, but, bacteria can be killed! I'm a nurse, I can do it!mThe heater is no longer being looked at as the bad guy. The friend of a friend chemist said right away that he feels it's a super bacteria. So I have to bring in a larger sample of the powder tomorrow and a fresh, water sample that they will culture for bacteria and run through a series of
Here's a link that points the purpleness at manganese, as you said right off the bat.
http://www.namcopool.com/care_guides/guides/problem_water_color.htm
Your theory about the manganese coming from the clay is interesting. Our neighbors pool is fine though, but, he uses very little chlorine and keeps his pool very cold. Other pools are opening this coming weekend-some of the neighbors are worried after coming to see where the purple powder on the curb was coming from!
Lots left to do! I think a mineral purifier for the filter may be a wise purchase for us.
Edited 5/6/2002 10:57:31 PM ET by Beatrix
Wow......................what an interesting thread. The answer will be anxiously awaited! I hope it is not bacteria...you may have to have your pool sterilized.
Keep us posted...........................................Iron Helix
Interesting doesn't describe it! :-)
The pool is now free of copper, balanced and is very clear, the water tested negative for manganese. I didn't drain the whole pool at once, but drained a third at a time and filled it up again- I did this 7 times. The purple powder is "wowing" everyone who sees it. I remain as pleased with our pool company as I have been since they built the pool. They are having 2 labs test and culture the water and powder. It really looks like the "bad guy" may be the clay dust blowing in from the construction site-if so, then we have to figure out a way of preventing it from happening again. I'm wondering if I should go over and get a sample of the clay and have it tested, for a comparision.
Your input has been great, thanks. Let's see what happens next!
Must be wonderful to breathe in that dust from the construction site, too. Regardless whether it is making the purple powder or not, the neighborhoods' lungs are taking a hit.
Is that dust getting into the houses too?
Curiously,
Phil
Phil,
Yes, I'm sure that we are breathing it in. Last summer, we all kept our windows closed and air conditioning on for more than we wanted to. Weekends were a little better when they weren't grading, but it was impossible to keep the windows and ledges clean. Most of the houses are in the process of being built now. They will be working on another field shortly, but it will become park areas and 3 baseball diamonds-the grading should be much quicker and hopefully less severe.
It became standard last year that the neighbors would all warn each other when the winds were blowing this way. Outdoor patio furniture really took a beating. Allergy sufferers, suffered!
YES,GO TAKE A CLAY SAMPLE>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>have it analysed too!!
By the way, How BIG is your water bill going to be?
Keep the reports coming......................................Iron Helix
Iron,
I'm guessing about $200 worth of water so far, maybe more. The good news is that the filter has been running for the last 24 hours and NO MORE PURPLE!!! The water runs through the heater even when it's not on, (and it's not-it's going down to freezing tonight!). So far, so good.
I know from working in hospitals, that initial culture reports take 24 hours, we may get some results tomorrow.
How deep of a clay sample do you think I should get?
Edited 5/8/2002 9:27:53 PM ET by Beatrix
I assume that with ALL the dust as you have described that the topsoil was stripped away and held for a topcoat after the final elevations were to grade. The sample should come from the exposed subsoil which would contain more mineral and less organics......about a cups worth would be plenty.
And while your at it..... go ahead and take a topsoil sample just to be sure.
As this continues to unfold I have thoughts of the geothermal springs of Yellowstone and their myriad colors. Some colors from mineral deposits, some from thermophilic bacterial with specialized metabolic pathways that produce intense colored deposits.
Maybe the process has been mimiced in a small way in your pool...............Iron Helix
........the saga continues.
The Public Health Unit is testing the pool water (but this is now the chemically balanced water), not the original water with the purple in it. Their tests are limited though. Our pool company is sending the purple sediment to the chemical companies head office in Georgia. I have a chemical consulting firm looking in to our dilemma. They are going to research and ask around themselves before I go ahead and have the water, purple powder and clay soil from the construction site tested. That should cost about $200. But......I was told that they will do a mineral scan and microbiology culture but the interpretation of the results is up to us. Go figure!!
So far, everywhere I go, it's the same stumped look and "Wow, I've never heard of that before!"
And......the icing on the cake is that I have had the cartridges back in the filter and the system running since Wednesday, the water is crystal clear, but Friday's water result showed the copper level back up to 1.5. There is no way, right now, to bypass the heater, even when it's not in use- which makes me wonder if the copper is coming from the heater after all?????? I'll bring in another water sample on Monday.
The bump on the road is not getting any smaller yet :-)
In a past response you mentioned the name of the heater company......pull out your product manual and look for a phone number. Call these folks and ask what metals are used in the construction/manufacture of the unit that you own. I seriously doubt that they use anything but stainless steel in the heater due to the fact that chlorine and copper have a strong affinity for each other and a reaction is a given to produce Copper Chloride and dissolve away any copper or brass heater parts and turn your pool water green.
Ask them if they have had any PURPLE POOL problems!?!?!?!?
Let me digress back to Yellowstone and thermophilic bacteria. Where else would you find such an environment in your pool system than in your heater?
I know that a chemical rule of thumb is that chemical reactions double for every 10 degrees of temperature increase. Inside that heater would be an ideal situation as an incubator for chemical reactions or BIG SUPER BUGS.
If the pool was drained and cleaned was the heater disinfected or purged of sediments? Is the heater your TYPHOID MARY? Mary was an OK person, but she was infected and ignorant of the fact.....................so may be your heater.
NO ANSWERS.........................only more questions......................Iron Helix
ps........sorry about having a little fun with Properos WP system !!!!!
Well, we're still waiting and hoping for answers. The copper level is right back up again to where it was when we first opened the pool. The chemical company came out today and took more water samples to test. The heater company, Hayward (I mistakenly said it is was Teledyne Laars) is sending the manager out tomorrow to look inside of the heater. The warranty expired 2 years ago.
No other results back yet. The pool is clear (vey cold though since we won't turn the heater on until we know what's up). The bright side is that there is no further purpleness. Still keeping my fingers crossed that there is a relatively simple explaination and solution to this mystery....
All that data..............all those permutations.............!!!!!
I guess I'll wait till the next episode........................................Iron Helix
Bandaids, but no real answers yet! The chemical company told me today that there is absolutely no manganese in the purple powder or the pool water-good news I guess. They remain stumped as to what the purpleness is and asked me if there was any way that a dye could have been introduced into the water accidently-perhaps from a new bathing suit or a towel thrown in. (Our neighbor next door does have a paint gun-but we're all friends) :-) Maybe the purple Kool-aid suggestion wasn't so far off after all! :-)
The public health unit could not identify any bacteria in the water-also good news since we have been swimming in it for over a week.
The heater guy checked the heater and said that some damage may have been done by the alkalinity being low for a while last summer. I had the water checked every couple of weeks-when the alkalinity was low due to all of the rain, I raised it back up right away. But- the copper level still remains too high now. So to keep that from doing any damage, I just have to add a maintenance dose of "Cop Out" to keep the copper suspended and hopefully splashed out of the pool over time. Just a bandaid solution for now- but with no further answers-it's the best we can do.
Any more thoughts???
You still have not tested for Kool-Aid have you??!!
I don't want to say I told you so, but......
Hope you get your swimmin hole back before the warm weather!
Mr TLayers
Onions
Have
Layers,
Carpenters
Have
Layers
How perplexing!
Sabotage would be plausible, intentional or accidental. Therefore,I would still attempt to find a chem lab that has a gas chromatograph. It is capable of analysis of complex compounds. Most university chem or biology departments have one of these critters. I would want to know a solid answer to this problem.
The continual presence of the copper is also perplexing.............did you have your tap water tested ? Seems that you said that you had.
I guess that in the end frustration, time consumption and expense will cause this puzzle to be labeled "unsolved" and filed away. And then hoping never to need it as a reference again.
Best wishes in your continued efforts.................................Iron Helix
You are all not far off. I'm now known as the "X-File " lady at the pool store!
Anyone ever find out the final assessment of the puple color in the pool? Let the thunder crack and the waves roar.
We're going on.
If anyone did, I'd love to know too!! It is completely unresolved, no one was able to give us any answers, just guesstamates. We're keeping our fingers crossed for when we open the pool again in the spring.
Bea,
Great!!!! I was going to take the week off, drive up and reverse about twenty years in the purple pool. If only I could be 22 again and know what I know now......wait I don't know anymore now than I did.... Anyway my wife wants a pool and threads like this give me ammo against giving in to her wants. I hope it's not bacteria let us know, this is interesting.
Luv,
I can't imagine living without a pool! It's great for families. This is just a little bump in the road. Take the plunge-go for it!!
Sure looking forward to spring to get to see the continuing saga of ...
the purple pool.
Half of good living is staying out of bad situations.
The other...proper application of risk.
You'll have to work a purple pool party into a chapter of the norvellas.
;).
Excellence is its own reward!
Pif, you're an idea man.Half of good living is staying out of bad situations.
The other...proper application of risk.
That's what I am, man - a walking idea factory.
Excellence is its own reward!
Artistry in it's virgin form.
Clean, refined, distinct.
Roar!Half of good living is staying out of bad situations.
The other...proper application of risk.
Honestly officer, I never touched that purple virgin smurf!.
Excellence is its own reward!
My question is: Given the weather. Is this now a purple ice, slush, problem?
I want a photo of a purple snow woman.
I'm just waiting for the thaw to pull back the cover and have a peak underneath.......while keeping my fingers crossed!!
Hey Beatrix,
Good to see you're still lurkin' here:O)Half of good living is staying out of bad situations.
The other...proper application of risk.
I'm still puttin' my money on grape kool-aid!!
TDo not try this at home!
I am a trained professional!
Rez, I don't lurk here very often, but I do subscribe to the few discussions that I get involved in here and over in the garden. I really appreciate everyones interest in my purple pool- 3 more months until we open it!
Hi..............Beatrix
Will the PURPLE DRAGON" rear its ugly head again?!!!!!
What a befuddling conundrum!!!
I'll be looking & lurking....................................Iron Helix
Hi Iron,
It was out of sight and out of mind until this thread re-surfaced. :) We tried to get a sneek preview of what's in store for spring, but, there's way to much snow and ice on the pool. The pool company has already called to see if we can see anything. Keeping my fingers and toes crossed..........
We installed an 18x43 "above ground" in the ground last year....looking forward to a full year of fun with DW in the summer sun.
But for now 3 inches of sleet prevent us from even seeing the pool....let alone sitting under the big oak tree with an iced G&T while the breezes blow through the trees!
Please keep that PURPLE DRAGON in your neck of the woods!!!!!!
Best wishes for a very clear sparkling pool in 2003!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
...........................Iron Helix
Iron,
That's a big pool-I wish you a ton of fun this summer! We had an in-ground/above ground pool in our last house, it was great-only too shallow for diving. If I can use my experience with it to help you at all, just let me know. We've had pools for 21 years, I thought that I had seen it all.
With what's going on in the world right now, my little purple problem is so trivial!
Beatrix
Edited 2/18/2003 5:29:55 PM ET by Beatrix
I just wanted to let all concerned know that the pool is open and is sparkling!! Clear and sparkling, that is. So the purple pool problem remains unresolved, I still have the purple sand in a bag as a reminder. Sabatage is the only thing that makes any sense. So, again, thanks to all who tried to figure it out last summer.
Beatrix
Beatrix, I thank you for your Post, oh, how the gears were turning on that one. sabatoge eh, well take care and enjoy that pool, check your Pool fencing, and the gate latch, if you would please Jim J.
Jim,
We have 2 locked gates to get to the pool from the front, but we have no neighbors behind us-it's open land. It's sad to think that someone would have done this intentionally. Last summer was a learning experience to say the least, a real refresher in chemistry for me too!
Beatrix
Beatrix, Yesterday, cleaning up, on a rental, sure enough, your purple pool problem once again crossed my mind. I was fishing around in the toilet tank, trying to find that "Bar" of bluish/purple, you know that stuff that some people use, makes the water, well bluish/purple, with a possible slight stinkum odor. Just purley speculation on my part, would a couple of those bars, possible, do a large Pool??? Beatrix, you could do your own test, just drop a couple of those in,,, and, ok, ok, just, really, it's a joke.. Jim J
Saw a little activity on this thread........Just had to stop by and say "Hello"!!!!
We will open ours this week.....peeked under the cover yesterday...it's clear.
It is so nice to see "clear waters".....glad the purple stayed away.
May your life's journey be the same.
.....................Iron Helix
Maybe this year the neighbors will use orange, cherry, or lime koolaid instead.
: ) A good heart embiggins even the smallest person.
Quittin' Time
Iron,
Thanks again for all of your effort last year! I was at the pool place yesterday, they're still talking about our pool. Good luck with yours and have a great summer!
Because of our long, hard winter in Ontario, many pool owners here are having a tough time with ground water that seeped behind their liners.......caused alot of resulting damage.
You know, one good thing did come out of all of this. I had a fair number of dealings with our Public Health Unit when they were testing our water and the soil. It ended up landing me a very cool job there!
Beatrix
Wiley,
We had the same problem with our last pool. The liner had faded to a very light blue, I tried everything to get rid of the stains, diving with a brush included-nothing worked. This pool has a darker, patterned liner, I chose to hide any imperfections should they occur.
You would think that the chlorine would bleach it out, especially when you shock. If your pool is 50 years old, is it concrete?
This is a diy job of the first order. If you know how to hold a brush and roller then it's a nobrainer.
Empty the pool as you can. If it takes time so be it.
Acid wash with muriatic acid at full strength.(were rubber boots and old cloths for this as it will eat through) Mask with a chlorine filter is also recommended)Use a scrub brush on a pole and an old garbage can. The hard part is now done.
Re paint using a pool paint. See your local pool suplier for it. Either water based ( easier clean up) or Toluene based (Longer lasting).
Do all your mixing in the pool as you can't get this stuff off the deck if you spill it.
Just the acid wash should get rid of the stain. But if you have bare cement you should repaint to protect the pool. It will also be easier to vaccum and clean the scum line.
If at first you don't succeed...try again! After that quit! No sense being a dam fool about it! W.C.Fields
Not sure if this came up before....but did this purple problem come up the same time as the movie Big Fat Liar was released? The little blue guy was indeed quite a kick...maybe someone was trying to copy it??
I can't say that I have seen that movie. Two years ago, our 14 year old neighbor shot a couple of paint balls into our pool, I caught him in the act, he was punished for it by his parents. We got the balls out before they exploded. When we put the winter cover on the pool, I know without any doubt that the pool had nothing in it but water and chemicals. Sabatage is the only thing that makes sense since nothing else has turned up positive- but,he would have had to work really hard at it though.
Edited 5/15/2003 1:56:02 PM ET by Beatrix
Hmmmm...I just wonder if he actually did it...In the movie (a kid's/family type movie...somewhat fun for the whole family) kids poured I believe ink into the pool...so when the bad guy took his morning swim, of course he turned blue.
Since you already have the 14 year old "suspect", just wonder if that was the thought process.
Don't know if ink would do it per se, but just the idea of giving you more grief?
Just 2 oz. of magnesium permanganate would really do the BIG PURPLE.
Could be quickly slipped under the cover as the varmit crept in the cover of darkness.......
Sure would be a good story, but not very likely..........................Iron Helix
Iron
If magnesium permanganate had been slipped into the pool, from your knowledge, would it dissolve and turn the water purple or would it settle? Remember, the pool water was itself very clear-the purple stuff was on the walls, bottom and attached to the bottom of the winter cover. The water became purple only after the stuff was disturbed.
I assume that paint balls are filled with latex paint-whatever it was wasn’t too difficult to remove from the cover and vacummed up well.
It’s great that it didn’t happen again this year, but still awfully perplexing……..
Beatrix
Now you did it......I have to think and remember back to 1966 ????
Man, how that hurts.................but the permanganate is a great oxidizer, which means the water would turn purple and then the dissolved ions would react with the chemicals dissolved in your pool water or with the materials in the surfaces it would contact.
Lots of possibilities with many other possible results.....we really do need an up-to-date chemist to chime in here. Or I go back to school!!
It used to be I could buy permanganate at the local apothacary, but it has been 25 years since there was an old time Rx store in our area. So I seriously doubt it would be available to the currently suspected varmit.
But the "kool-Aid" theory may now be more valid than any other. A large can of grape Kool-Aid is readily accessible to a mischevious malcontent, as well as being easily dispensed into the pool. The results could possibly be a purple coat on every thing.
Now we have to hire a "food" chemist, a pool chemist, an inorganic chemist, and a complete analysis laboratory............I hope your wallet is fat with dollars.
What an adventure.........hire a palm reader, too!! Get a full body massage and forget about it......................Iron Helix
PirgerBruce,
My daughter said that's a good movie-we'll have to watch it.
The neighbor kid is a bit "off". His Dad keeps their pool very cold, ours is always at a great temp for the weather. He used to come swimming in ours because it was warm, but I put an end to it when our kids always ended up getting hurt. Revenge is plausible..........that would make me the "bad guy" though. :-)
Beatrix,
Well, it's end of May 2004.
Ya know I just had to check in and ask if you're still lurking here abouts...and...
Any news about the purple pool?
Or is another trouble free pool year going to be yours again?
Funny you should mention this... I haven't been able to sleep for worrying about the purple pool perobelem.
;)
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Hi Rez,
I received an email saying that there was a new post here. No major projects, no major problems-that's a good thing, so I'm rarely here.
The pool is great-sparkling and 86 degrees! It again was a great relief to pull back the cover when the ice finally melted and see only a few spiders and worms-but no purple stuff! It's sad to think that this was probably done intentionally- the kid has grown up and hopefully moved on to bigger and better things than trying to ruin our fun. I still have a sample of the dried purple stuff to keep as a reminder-I wish that I had taken pictures because it really was unbelievable.
Thanks for remembering,
Beatrix
Edited 5/31/2004 1:15 pm ET by Beatrix
Well then Cheers and best to ya! View Image View Image
I can catch up on my sleep now!
;)
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
View Image
Edited 6/6/2005 11:46 am ET by razzman
Haven't been around for a couple of days and just read this. Don't know if anyone else mentioned it but there is an excelent site called http://www.poolforum.com . Lots of knowledgble pool people there. Dan
Thanks Dan. I had a quick look at the site-I've bookmarked it and I'll see what I can learn over there.
Beatrix
Well, since the summer season is once more upon us I had to stop in here to ask...
Has the purple pool ever returned? :o)
Only in the form of the Librian Trio.RELAX... The work can wait... The fish might be biting...
Nope! I'm happy to report that the only purple things near or in the pool are the cocktail glasses!
We do hold our breath every spring while we're taking the cover off though.
Hope it's a great summer for all!
Beatrix
razz and I both need a life - can't say how often I have wondered if this purple pool problem was ever resolved. I hate unresolved mysteries but glad you are enjoying things
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
2002, 2003, 2004, 2005,...
Well you know Beatrix, just couldn't let the year go by without checking in to see if there's an update to the saga of the purple pool.
and if you're still hooked up to BTs message notification.
Hope all is well.
cheers
A bird does not sing because it has an answer. A bird sings because it has a song.
How'd I know it was you?
LOL
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Now the REALLY weird thing is that I was just thinking about this thread yesterday and wondering whether the problem ever came back.
Creeeeeeeeepy.
I fear this is the end, my friend.
May the face of love always sight to your eye The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.
Did you email her?She has not been since 6/05.
No, wouldn't take it upon myself for a personal email.
Seems I recall her saying how busy she was in previous posts thus her lack of visiting.
Still figure she probably somehow got muddled up in the last prospero change.
It was an interesting thread.The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.
Lost but not forgetten!!! How nice!
I had a bit of trouble signing in again, but here I am.
Thanks so much for thinking of me and my pool. Good news is that our pool is great-was just in it tonight at a very comfortable 86 F. No more "Purple Pool Problem". We still think it was our teenage neighbor?? He seems to have grown up now. That's good too!!
Bad news is that just a few months ago I finally threw out the purple residue/sand that I had kept when we were experiencing our purple pool. Our daughter is now at university studying biology and chemistry and has access to the latest technology including a brand spanking new forensic lab........if I had only kept the evidence for just a bit longer........it would be nice to know what it was! I hate to blame it on the kid next door when it may have been something else........the mystery remains unsolved...
Thanks again to everyone who did their best to help when the going was really tough............
Beatrix
ROAR!
Hey, Beatrix is still signed up!
Was surprised to see your name on the post as you were given up as lost in the archives.
Glad to see you're doing well and that 86degrees is considered comfortable to someone else besides myself. Thinking I don't ever recall complaining about heat.
Winter cold, now that's a different subject.
Good to see you returned to grace us once again.
Cheers
be seeing you in 2007:o)The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.
2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and now perchance might there be the yearly summary for 2007?
Breaker Breaker 19! You got yer ears on Beatrix?
aimless has to knowLet the thunder crack and the waves roar, we're going on.
It was purple Rain.
children and food dye...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
yur librian's outfit was water soluble...
I like that move rez...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
And so ends the saga of Beatrix and the purple pool.
The End
-30-Peace out.
rez...STEP AWAY FROM THE ARCHIVES!Put down your keyboard and step away from the archives.Mongo
Mongo...
do you realize yur trying to put a crimp in his life and most of our entertainment???
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Sumptin tells me I'm not gonna stop rez from being goog old rez.<g>Bump, Mongo
nope...
bump....
be thankful...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!