First time pool cleaning

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H

hkl

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Aug 15, 2015
3
East Brunswick, New Jersey
Hi my dad typically manages the pool but he is away and left me in charge. That isn't working out.
I have a medium algae bloom, and tested the pool from a pool store but I don't know what the best way to balance the chemicals is or should i deal with the algae first.

I make sure the keep backwashing my filter and the pool rover vacuum filter is clean

Free Chlorine .03 ppm
Total Chlorine .03 ppm
Combined Chlorine 0 ppm
pH 8 ( pool store said to lower it so I already put in 2lbs of decreaser)
Alkalinity 39 ppm
Cyanuric Acid 6 ppm
Copper 0 ppm
Iron .1 ppm

I have a 15x30 above ground pool, with a sand filter

Please help in how i should continue to clean the pool, do I balance it first before i super shock it for the algae or algae clear first then balance.
any advice is greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Heather
 
Poor Heather, nothing like a "crash course" in pool maintenance huh? Can you tell us how long it will be until your dad returns? Depending upon your age and personal capabilities, it may be tough to follow all of our normal advice. Jason gave you the TFP pages/links above, so I suspect you will have some questions. Just let us know. We'll try to help you thought this awkward period while you are in charge of the oasis. :)
 
Yeah, the problem you will find and hear a lot here at TFP is that those pool store treatments of "Super Shock" and "Bags-of-shock" simply aren't good enough. They don't maintain the high free chlorine (FC) level required to kill the algae permanently. IN fact, they have a by-product (stabilizer) that can increase CYA levels way too high.

Because you are just helping your dad, you may not be able to order a TF-100 test kit, so trying to do what we call a "SLAM" for several days may not be something you can do, but that's really what we would recommend. But here's typically what you will need to really clear cloudy/green water:
- Several gallons or regular (generic bleach. Nothing fancy, no scents, just regular 8.25% bleach; that's your primary sanitizer
- You need a test kit that can read CYA levels. We never recommend the pool store because most of the time they are not accurate. Some local pool stores may have a CYA test kit, but that would be your choice.
- You need a way to test FC levels above 5. Most of those local store kits only go to 5. You can obtain what we call the "FAS-DPD" portion of a test kit that will test higher than 5 from TFTestkits.net. Again, that's if you have the resources to order it.

So Heather, we would love to give you pinpoint accurate help, but without the proper test kit it really makes it difficult for us. Your original (pool store) results above are not something we put a lot of faith in, but I did notice the CYA level listed as 6. That seems low. Ideally it should be around 30 to start with. So I will simply leave you with this advice ..... IF you have no choice but to rely on the pool store testing while your dad is away, at least try to get a good CYA reading. Take that CYA reading and look at this chart Pool School - Chlorine / CYA Chart where you will find what your FC level should be for that CYA. Use only regular bleach to maintain that FC level as best as you can. No other products.

If you are able to order a TF-100 or Taylor K-2006 test kit, then let us know and post a full set of numbers. Until then, make sure you add one gallon of regular bleach to the water each day to try and keep it sanitized and hopefully from getting any worse. Let us know if we can help you any further.

- - - Updated - - -

Oh, and if your pH really is 8, that's too high. It needs to be in the mid-7s. You need to use muriatic acid to lower that down. The Poolmath calculator is a great tool to help you figure out exactly how much to add based on your pool volume (gallons).

- - - Updated - - -

If after further testing of your CYA, you determine it really is low (below 10), let us know and we'll tell you how to add more.
 
I am back, so i could not work on the pool immediately. but I put away the pool store shock and got normal gallons of normal unscented bleach. the algae bloom has settled at the bottom

I was going to brush the walls and floor and then throw in the gallons of bleach while the filter runs. should i do algaecide instead?
 
Do not do any algaecide. Many of them add copper (metal) to water which is not good. Stick with the bleach only and use the Poolmath Calculator link in my signature to help you. You need to know two things to ad bleach: Your CYA level (stabilizer) and current FC (free chlorine) level. You also need the proper test kit. I hope you have one.
 
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