Let me start with the fact this is our first pool. We saw a sparkling blue pool at open house and submitted an offer the same day. ~30 days later we own the house and a green pool. That was ~10 days ago and we spent the first 7 days working with the pool store. While the pool got less deep green, it was still not something I would want to be pushed into ever. I decided that in 7 days we had spent about $250 and my last visit was "yeah, throw these pucks in the floating duck and use some of this algaecide". I had actually looked at this forum the night before and knew to not get one with copper at least. Regardless, on July 3rd afternoon I decided this DIY guy was going to DIY the pool from green to blue without a pool store.
July 3rd:
Test kit didn't come until Sunday so I might have gone a little nuts with 5 gal 8.25% on both Friday, Sat, and 3 gal sunday before it showed up. Liner is being replaced before next season anyways so I wasn't worried about bleaching the blue pattern. I basically just used test strips to ensure I was keeping above 10 FC as I knew I was shooting for around 20 if pool store test was close with CYA (verified now at 52 or so).
Lesson also learned. Pouring the bleach out at waist height while leaning over pretty much ruins a shirt. Even more sad when it is your favorite shirt from your boys on father's day.
After the kit showed up and I could test, I then SLAM'ed the pool to the best I could over the last few days. I have spent just under $100 on bleach from Kroger, Target, and Aldi's (first time there).
I have shots for every day around the same time but here is where I was earlier today:
Every morning I have been cleaning filter carts, pump basket (we have leeland cypress needles), skimmer basket (now has sock to save rolly pollies and such from entering the system). Sock is being cleaned as needed. Always watching filter pressure, especially after removing a rat July 4th. Dolphin run about 2x a day. Me brushing 2x a day as well (making sure I hit hard spots like under/behind ladder and steps/light. New bleach every few hours as needed based on test results (we have a full rolling recycle can with bleach and beer bottles). btw, I joked to my oldest son that this much bleach is either a sign of a pool or a dead body cleanup.
So the pool water looks pretty good. The walls/steps look like they are stained green and brushing does not help. The floor, both shallow and deep end, looks like a mix of green stain and blue pattern/white paths where the bleach settled and moved. The slants on the sides are green, except where they meet the floor... looking more like they should but possibly depatterned a bit from bleach or use. Again, the liner is really old and we will be replacing before next summer.
Is the green actually a stain from the algae or is there still algae holding on tight? The filter carts were still green this morning but nothing like the last couple days before. I am still losing FC so I am still SLAM'ing but I am curious if the liner will look like it did at the open house again... or if it will remain green/splotchy possibly due to staining and bleach.
BTW, thanks to kim, lisa, jason, chem geek (richard I think?), tim, and about 10 other regulars I saw helping people and having made posts that were informative for someone dealing with similar issues. Also a big thanks to all those that were having issues. I read a ton of threads over the last 5-6 days (even the really long ones). The posts let me know I had found a place with others that prefer to DIY instead of giving their money away. I tell both my boys... try to DIY almost anything at least once... then you can decide if it was worth the time/effort or if you prefer to pay someone else.
July 3rd:
Test kit didn't come until Sunday so I might have gone a little nuts with 5 gal 8.25% on both Friday, Sat, and 3 gal sunday before it showed up. Liner is being replaced before next season anyways so I wasn't worried about bleaching the blue pattern. I basically just used test strips to ensure I was keeping above 10 FC as I knew I was shooting for around 20 if pool store test was close with CYA (verified now at 52 or so).
Lesson also learned. Pouring the bleach out at waist height while leaning over pretty much ruins a shirt. Even more sad when it is your favorite shirt from your boys on father's day.
After the kit showed up and I could test, I then SLAM'ed the pool to the best I could over the last few days. I have spent just under $100 on bleach from Kroger, Target, and Aldi's (first time there).
I have shots for every day around the same time but here is where I was earlier today:
Every morning I have been cleaning filter carts, pump basket (we have leeland cypress needles), skimmer basket (now has sock to save rolly pollies and such from entering the system). Sock is being cleaned as needed. Always watching filter pressure, especially after removing a rat July 4th. Dolphin run about 2x a day. Me brushing 2x a day as well (making sure I hit hard spots like under/behind ladder and steps/light. New bleach every few hours as needed based on test results (we have a full rolling recycle can with bleach and beer bottles). btw, I joked to my oldest son that this much bleach is either a sign of a pool or a dead body cleanup.
So the pool water looks pretty good. The walls/steps look like they are stained green and brushing does not help. The floor, both shallow and deep end, looks like a mix of green stain and blue pattern/white paths where the bleach settled and moved. The slants on the sides are green, except where they meet the floor... looking more like they should but possibly depatterned a bit from bleach or use. Again, the liner is really old and we will be replacing before next summer.
Is the green actually a stain from the algae or is there still algae holding on tight? The filter carts were still green this morning but nothing like the last couple days before. I am still losing FC so I am still SLAM'ing but I am curious if the liner will look like it did at the open house again... or if it will remain green/splotchy possibly due to staining and bleach.
BTW, thanks to kim, lisa, jason, chem geek (richard I think?), tim, and about 10 other regulars I saw helping people and having made posts that were informative for someone dealing with similar issues. Also a big thanks to all those that were having issues. I read a ton of threads over the last 5-6 days (even the really long ones). The posts let me know I had found a place with others that prefer to DIY instead of giving their money away. I tell both my boys... try to DIY almost anything at least once... then you can decide if it was worth the time/effort or if you prefer to pay someone else.
