Reoccurring algae and rough edge in pool

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MickeyB23

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Mar 31, 2015
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Elkton, Maryland
I have had to do 3 SLAM's so far and the algae just seems to come back after a few weeks. I have kept the FC levels up between 5-7 (my CYA is 30) to keep it higher than the target per advice from this forum. I take the pool brush to it every other day and run the filter at least 6-8 hours a day. My husband pressure washed it a bit ago and it came back, then I recently used a puck to scrub directly on the rough surface and SLAMed again. That takes it away, but after a few days of being done and back at the FC of 5-7, I can already see the algae trying to form again. Redoing the pool is just not in the budget at the moment - we were budgeted for the house (lived here 6 months), not a neglected pool. But obviously we have to do something or this is just going to be a constant battle. Any suggestions that won't break the bank?

Here are some pictures of what I am dealing with, it goes around the entire pool:

 
Hello Mickey. Silly question, but we have to ask right off the bat when someone says they SLAMmed.... on your previous SLAM(s), can you confirm that you followed the Pool School - SLAM - Shock Level And Maintain to the letter and passed ALL 3 criteria? You're sure your SLAM/Shock FC level was maintained at or above 12 the entire time - even if it took several days or a week or two?

Inquiring minds need to know. :) Then we can all pitch-in some more. Thanks.
 
Well Mickey, then that makes this case a little more interesting. I read on some other threads where owners had difficulty with black algae embedding into open plaster, but not green algae. We may need to elevate this issue for more guidance. It's getting late this evening, but either tonight or tomorrow morning please post a fresh set of test results from your TF-100: FC, CC, CYA, PH, TA, and CH. As we get more people involved, the test results will be a formality everyone will ask for. Thanks.

We'll put our heads together and try to get your some answers soon. Have a nice evening.
 
Thank you! I decided since I'm still up that I would do some tests:

FC:5
CC:0
CH:175 - was up to 200 last week, but we keep getting rain and we have a small leak (1/4 inch a night) so I have to add water to the pool almost every day. The day I added the calcium increaser the FC fell to 0 shortly after (can that cause it to drop?) and then I did the 3rd slam after that.
TA: 40
PH: 7.2-7.3
CYA 25-30

TA and PH stay pretty steady and I have been slowing getting the CYA up, but then with the rain and adding water each day it changes a little here and here. It now averages around 30.

What is on the rough walls looks green, but after a slam will look black or be gone. It's not slimy after a slam and when I brush the pool, I don't see much on the floor and nothing on the walls. It does seem useless to scrub the area, it doesn't seem to get rid of it at all. The puck worked pretty well, but didn't get into all the crevices.
My husband has replaced our valves to see if that fixed the leak, but it didn't. He put epoxy putty into the one skimmer, but that didn't work and then it fell off. We have one skimmer (the other one) that is low on water when the pool level is low, but once you start the filter it goes up with a minimal amount of added water to the pool. The other skimmer is always ok. I'm not sure if this is all related, but I wanted to add those details too. This pool has been a mess! I've had a crash course in newbie pool care for sure!
 
Mickey, I received a second (expert) opinion on your situation, and the consensus is as follows. Algae, regardless of its many varieties, is eliminated with the proper amount of chlorine. It is true that deteriorating or pitted surfaces can pose some unique challenges that may make pool maintenance more difficult. For example being continuously aggressive with different types of brushes (even steel) and techniques to get into those pitted surfaces, but inevitably, the algae will be killed with chlorine when treated at the appropriate strength and duration.

Our concern is that for algae to reappear several times like this may indicate a chemical imbalance issue (chlorine) that most prominently displays itself in the same area based on the irregular surface condition. We have no control over the condition of the plaster, but our best recommendation at this time would be to perform another SLAM and ensure once again that all 3 SLAM criteria are achieved. Then continue to ensure the FC level is maintained at or slightly above the target level based on the amount of sunlight you receive and condition of the plaster.

If you have any more questions or concerns, please let us know. Have a nice day.
 
MickeyB23 said:
Thank you! I decided since I'm still up that I would do some tests:

FC:5
CC:0
CH:175 - was up to 200 last week, but we keep getting rain and we have a small leak (1/4 inch a night) so I have to add water to the pool almost every day. The day I added the calcium increaser the FC fell to 0 shortly after (can that cause it to drop?) and then I did the 3rd slam after that.
TA: 40
PH: 7.2-7.3
CYA 25-30

What is on the rough walls looks green, but after a slam will look black or be gone. It's not slimy after a slam and when I brush the pool, I don't see much on the floor and nothing on the walls. It does seem useless to scrub the area, it doesn't seem to get rid of it at all. The puck worked pretty well, but didn't get into all the crevices.
Click to expand...

this bold statement is where I think you are getting in trouble... After your SLAM, you probably still have some kind of algae in those cracks/rough spots on some parts of your walls or bottom.. It is probably a part of the pool that has low circulation and does not get chlorine in the PPM that you need to keep algae from growing.. so this is what is happening, after the SLAM, you drop the FC down to 5 but some part of your pool with bad circulation the FC probably drops to 2 or 3 in that area and algae starts growing again..

you will need to slam again, but this time when you think you are done, keep going for a couple more days.. Brush the walls and bottom until there is nothing at all left..

what type of return eyeballs do you have? could you change over to these to change circulation just to see if it changes or you get better coverage of chlorine to those parts of your pool?
 
I put "the circulator" pool returns in both returns about a month ago, and I've tested the water near different areas of where the algae likes to sit to get my FC numbers. I've asked in a separate post towards the end of my 2nd slam and was told I could be brushing up old plaster dust and that I could stop the slam since the 3 criteria were met and the dead algae was gone.
When slamming I get brown dust but once that is gone I get a very small amount of white dust.

My last slam I kept FC at 14 for 2 days (and scrubbed with the puck) after all 3 criteria were met and I made sure to pass the overnight test 2 nights in a row, but I don't know what to look for to know the live algae is gone. I vacuum till the dead stuff is gone and the green stuff is gone but what about the black stuff that is left? What is it? Do i have to wait for all of that to be gone?

Here are clearer pictures:
 
It sounds like they've already been pretty darn aggressive in going after this algae sanctuary, including the power wash and frequent scrubbing.

Mickey, have you tried treating the rough areas directly with additional chlorine - well, you did describe scrubbing with a trichlor puck, but that wouldn't seem to get way back into all those nooks and crannies. Maybe go around with a bucket of diluted bleach, and use something like a turkey baster to squirt it on all those rough surfaces. I know it sounds like a pain... but you are already putting a lot of effort into fighting this algae problem.

Another issue that often comes up when someone has recurring algae problem is that algae remnants are hiding in various places, such as in pool ladders, behind light fixtures, under drain covers, etc. I know you have the obvious "smoking gun" in the rough plaster, but have you looked in those other places also? Perhaps the algae is reseeding from somewhere else in the pool.

How long have your previous SLAMs taken? Just trying to better understand the behavior of your pool.
 
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There is an overriding issue in your pool. As discussed above, I believe the plaster surface of your pool is so bad that you cannot keep the pool algae free unless you re-plaster.

Your best hope is to brush that broken down plaster every other day or so with a stiff brush and micromanage your FC so it does not EVER fall below the suggested values.

In the long run (although I haven't seen enough pics) I would say you will have to re-plaster before you can mange your pool correctly.
 
MickeyB23 said:
I put "the circulator" pool returns in both returns about a month ago, and I've tested the water near different areas of where the algae likes to sit to get my FC numbers. I've asked in a separate post towards the end of my 2nd slam and was told I could be brushing up old plaster dust and that I could stop the slam since the 3 criteria were met and the dead algae was gone.
When slamming I get brown dust but once that is gone I get a very small amount of white dust.

My last slam I kept FC at 14 for 2 days (and scrubbed with the puck) after all 3 criteria were met and I made sure to pass the overnight test 2 nights in a row, but I don't know what to look for to know the live algae is gone. I vacuum till the dead stuff is gone and the green stuff is gone but what about the black stuff that is left? What is it? Do i have to wait for all of that to be gone?
Click to expand...

I don't want you to think we are blaming you for not doing something correct.. I believe you are doing it right but the green things in your pool are not being nice... They are sticking around and coming back...
 
Thank you everyone! I know that I am following along correctly, so no worries. I know this is a unique situation and I agree with Dave that I don't think it will be resolved 100% until we can afford to replaster the pool. Can one replaster in DIY fashion or do you have to hire someone? My husband is very skilled in all things labor intensive, but being new to pools, we don't know anything about the replastering process. I will have to get some quotes on the replastering. I had one quote early in the season and he said he'd charge $8,000-9,000 just for replastering and that didn't include retiling (which it needs too) or filling the pool back up.

I have used many different types of brushes and even the hard nylon grout brush won't make a difference with scrubbing. My first slam took 50 gallons of bleach and was over a week (8 days, I think) with a month of prep and leaf raking prior to it. The 2nd slam took about 5 days. The last one only took 2 days to pass, but I kept levels up for 3 days longer so I could pass the overnight test 2 days and keep FC high for 2 days past that. The last slam only ended about a week ago.

I can try doing the liquid to the edge or see about a steel bristled brush. This is very tiring and frustrating. I guess I can be grateful that we've had time to enjoy the pool and have decided that we like having one which we wanted to accomplish before having to put $$ into it.

Here is a picture of the pool with it's crystal clear water :)


This is what I started with in April:
 
that is some clear water you have there :) maybe you just need to keep the fc 2 or 3 higher than you have been and see if it stays gone, would not hurt to try it...
 
Thank you, just wish the pool was in better shape. My husband said he will get into the pool tomorrow and pressure wash it again, then I'll see where we are overnight and go from there. Is the black that's left in the wall after the green is gone ok, or does it all need to be gone?

What if after the next slam, I kept the levels even higher overnight and let them drift no lower than 6 during the day?

I'll work on finding more info on resurfacing and get some contractor referrals. I don't want to go through this all next year. Hopefully someone will work out and we'll be able to afford to fix it.
 

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