Greetings,
Great forum. I have been visiting this site for some time and I have learned a great deal
and am still learning. So thanks to all who have provided input here . Every year I think I have it figured out but every year it's something new. This year I'm dealing with a swamp. Usually I would drain, pressure wash and refill but I've grown tired of that method. So after checking a few YouTube videos (they make it seem really easy and fast) I'm trying to clean it up chemically. I getting close but need some advice ---
i started the slam process about 2-1/2 weeks ago using sodium hypo (10%) from Walmart . I was putting several gallons in at a time in an attempt to raise the FC to 10-12 (ppm) - this is what I had read at the the time that I needed to maintain in order to kill the algae (based on a 16,000 gallon In ground pool). Well I did not realize how fast the chlorine was burning off so the first week of attempting to slam I was one step forward ( green was getting lighter) but 3 steps back as the chlorine was burning up really fast and apparently I was not putting in enough chlorine to maintain that level of 10-12 ppm. So the green was coming back (not as dark as when I started ) but clearly I was not doing it corrctly I also think the sodium hydro from Walmart had degraded some and wasn't strong enough or I wasn't putting in enough for the amount of algae I had initially. I also put in one bottle of "Swamp treat " from united chemical with the initial dose of sodium hydro hoping to see same results I saw in YouTube . I did see some some change but nothing like the videos. So after the first week i had hit a plateau and came
to conclusion it was time for another plan of action. I also added a bottle of the cheap Algecide (didn't know at the time) and the whole pool foamed up and it took several days for that to clear out - I have also had 4 -6 3" tri Chlor tabs in the floater during this whole process--
After reading more I saw that I needed to be at 30 ppm to kill the algae vs 10-12 ppm?? So I went and got come granular cal hypo (68%) as I figured this would also raise the CH as it was low. So starting on 5/6 I added 5 lbs calcium hypo , then another 4 lbs 5/7, 2 lbs 5/8 and 1.5 lbs 5/9-5/12. I have been brushing daily (oversight initially) and backwashing at least once a day wi filter running 24/7. I
Ran the pump on recirculate the first 2 days as I was not there to backwash and the filter was clogging fast . So I did not start filtering until Sunday night (5/8).
I've been checking the water daily and as of today this is what I'm reading
FC- really high but not sure the #. The tester I have stops at 4(see pic). I have a Taylor kit as well but i guess the reagents can expire as I get no chlorine reading when I test chlorine with the Taylor but with my other Walmart kit (see pic) I get a high Reading. I'm attempting to stay at 30 ppm but not sure how close I am to this - I'm just adding the cal hypo amount based in what I have read to get a 16k pool to 30 ppm. (1.3 lbs of cal hypo increased chlorine 10 ppm for 15k pool?)
Ph-8.0 + (see pic)-- is the shock causing the high ph? I thought cal hypo did not raise ph?
TA- 70
CH- 150
CYA-50
what next? Keep shocking ? How will I know all algae is dead? Pool is on bluer side of green (see pic) but it s still green and milky but btetter than a week ago.
Should I floc? Use more Algecide? Or just be pAtient and keep slamming?
hooefully I've explained my process corrctly- any feedback greatly appreciated
I'm attaching 3 pics of pool - dark green (start), light green with foam( that was 5/6 before I added cal hypo) and today 5/12 blue/green/Milky (almost a week of shocjing w cal hypo)
and 2 pics of of my water Readings this evening -
thanks!
james
Great forum. I have been visiting this site for some time and I have learned a great deal
and am still learning. So thanks to all who have provided input here . Every year I think I have it figured out but every year it's something new. This year I'm dealing with a swamp. Usually I would drain, pressure wash and refill but I've grown tired of that method. So after checking a few YouTube videos (they make it seem really easy and fast) I'm trying to clean it up chemically. I getting close but need some advice ---
i started the slam process about 2-1/2 weeks ago using sodium hypo (10%) from Walmart . I was putting several gallons in at a time in an attempt to raise the FC to 10-12 (ppm) - this is what I had read at the the time that I needed to maintain in order to kill the algae (based on a 16,000 gallon In ground pool). Well I did not realize how fast the chlorine was burning off so the first week of attempting to slam I was one step forward ( green was getting lighter) but 3 steps back as the chlorine was burning up really fast and apparently I was not putting in enough chlorine to maintain that level of 10-12 ppm. So the green was coming back (not as dark as when I started ) but clearly I was not doing it corrctly I also think the sodium hydro from Walmart had degraded some and wasn't strong enough or I wasn't putting in enough for the amount of algae I had initially. I also put in one bottle of "Swamp treat " from united chemical with the initial dose of sodium hydro hoping to see same results I saw in YouTube . I did see some some change but nothing like the videos. So after the first week i had hit a plateau and came
to conclusion it was time for another plan of action. I also added a bottle of the cheap Algecide (didn't know at the time) and the whole pool foamed up and it took several days for that to clear out - I have also had 4 -6 3" tri Chlor tabs in the floater during this whole process--
After reading more I saw that I needed to be at 30 ppm to kill the algae vs 10-12 ppm?? So I went and got come granular cal hypo (68%) as I figured this would also raise the CH as it was low. So starting on 5/6 I added 5 lbs calcium hypo , then another 4 lbs 5/7, 2 lbs 5/8 and 1.5 lbs 5/9-5/12. I have been brushing daily (oversight initially) and backwashing at least once a day wi filter running 24/7. I
Ran the pump on recirculate the first 2 days as I was not there to backwash and the filter was clogging fast . So I did not start filtering until Sunday night (5/8).
I've been checking the water daily and as of today this is what I'm reading
FC- really high but not sure the #. The tester I have stops at 4(see pic). I have a Taylor kit as well but i guess the reagents can expire as I get no chlorine reading when I test chlorine with the Taylor but with my other Walmart kit (see pic) I get a high Reading. I'm attempting to stay at 30 ppm but not sure how close I am to this - I'm just adding the cal hypo amount based in what I have read to get a 16k pool to 30 ppm. (1.3 lbs of cal hypo increased chlorine 10 ppm for 15k pool?)
Ph-8.0 + (see pic)-- is the shock causing the high ph? I thought cal hypo did not raise ph?
TA- 70
CH- 150
CYA-50
what next? Keep shocking ? How will I know all algae is dead? Pool is on bluer side of green (see pic) but it s still green and milky but btetter than a week ago.
Should I floc? Use more Algecide? Or just be pAtient and keep slamming?
hooefully I've explained my process corrctly- any feedback greatly appreciated
I'm attaching 3 pics of pool - dark green (start), light green with foam( that was 5/6 before I added cal hypo) and today 5/12 blue/green/Milky (almost a week of shocjing w cal hypo)
and 2 pics of of my water Readings this evening -
thanks!
james