Usually I only need to clean my filter a couple times a year. This year i've had to do it every 2-3 weeks. Each time when I take the filter out it's coated in algae, but the pool itself is fine. I clean the filter put it back and shock the pool, but sure enough a few weeks later it's back. I've been checking my FC and it's always in the 3-5 range and as I said other than the filter the pool is looking good. Any suggestions?
Alge in my filter
- Thread starter da_guy2
- Start date
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,789
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Hello! Well, I've had a similar experience in the past, and here's what I learned. Just because our water is clear doesn't mean something is wrong somewhere. I too would have to hose-out my filter everyday, sometimes 2-3 times per day hoping it would filter-out the algae. But it doesn't work that way. The reason algae finds that lovely, dark, cozy home is because it's just that - perfect for algae. Also, your chemical balance (chlorine compared to CYA/stabilizer) is probably not correct. When the chemical balance is correct, your filter will not have green in it.
Best thing you can do for us right now it provide a full set of test results (FC, CC, CYA, TA, PH, and CH) via your Taylor K-2006 or K-2005 w/ FAS-DPD test. If you do not have one of those test kits, you must get one right away to provide and monitor the FC, CC, and CYA accurately and at higher levels needed. Let us know if you have any questions.
Best thing you can do for us right now it provide a full set of test results (FC, CC, CYA, TA, PH, and CH) via your Taylor K-2006 or K-2005 w/ FAS-DPD test. If you do not have one of those test kits, you must get one right away to provide and monitor the FC, CC, and CYA accurately and at higher levels needed. Let us know if you have any questions.
So ya must have been algae. We had some swimmers in the pool today and by the time they got out the water had gone cloudy. I clean out the filter (etter to get the algae out of the pool than to kill it in the pool) and added the last bottle of 10% bleach I had on hand and cranked the SWG to 100%. Technically I need more than 1 bottle but with the SWG at 100% I'm hoping I'll be ok. Before I did al that though I checked me levels again
FC 5
CC <0.2
CYA ~40
TA 130
PH 7.4
CH (I didn't test but it's ok)
My CYA is a bit low (The were OOS last time I was at the pool store
) but I didn't think it was low enough to cause a problem. Other than that everything else seems OK.
Running your SWG at 100% is going to do two things
1. Shorten the life of your SWG
2. Aggrivate the algae, but not kill it
The SWG will not raise the FC high enough or fast enough to eradicate all the algae. The SWG is designed to maintain a sanitary pool, not clean up one that has algae.
Turn off the SWG and SLAM your pool -
Pool School - SLAM - Shock Level And Maintain
1. Shorten the life of your SWG
2. Aggrivate the algae, but not kill it
The SWG will not raise the FC high enough or fast enough to eradicate all the algae. The SWG is designed to maintain a sanitary pool, not clean up one that has algae.
Turn off the SWG and SLAM your pool -
Pool School - SLAM - Shock Level And Maintain
I'm not just running the SWG at 100%, I also added 5 L of 10% liquid chlorine. By my calculations the chlorine should get me 80% to my shock target, and I'm just counting on the SWG to get me the other 20%. Then I keep the SWG at 100% for another day or two just to maintain the high level. I'd never run it at 100% for an extended period of time but it should be ok for a day or two. If it hadn't been 7pm when I got home and noticed the cloudy water I'd have gone out and bought another couple bottles of chlorine, but it was too late to get to any store. I'll check again in the morning and if my FC isn't up high enough I'll go buy another bottle but I have a feeling it will be.
But, you are still making it up as you go unless you are doing things you are not telling us. A SLAM is a complete process with several parts. It's not just raising the chlorine a couple of days.
It's your pool and salt cell, but we do have aprocess that works.
It's your pool and salt cell, but we do have aprocess that works.
If you are seeing algae in your filter you have algae in your pool. There is no way around it.
Adding a gal or two every once in a while will not get rid of the algae. It is slowing it down but it is still there waiting.
Have you seen this chart?
Pool School - Chlorine / CYA Chart
As you can see your FC should be 16. That means 16 ALL OF THE TIME. Do not go below 16 if at all possible until the SLAM is done.
How do you know if your SLAM is done?
-Clear water, no algae dirt on bottom of pool, and for you NO algae in the filter
-CC less than .5
-Pass the OCLT Pool School - Perform the Overnight FC Loss Test (OCLT)
Have you done a OCLT? I wonder what that will show you?
Good luck killing that algae.
Kim
Adding a gal or two every once in a while will not get rid of the algae. It is slowing it down but it is still there waiting.
Have you seen this chart?
Pool School - Chlorine / CYA Chart
As you can see your FC should be 16. That means 16 ALL OF THE TIME. Do not go below 16 if at all possible until the SLAM is done.
How do you know if your SLAM is done?
-Clear water, no algae dirt on bottom of pool, and for you NO algae in the filter
-CC less than .5
-Pass the OCLT Pool School - Perform the Overnight FC Loss Test (OCLT)
Have you done a OCLT? I wonder what that will show you?
Good luck killing that algae.
Kim
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