Good evening to everyone, I'm in East Central Alabama and have just taken over my Mother in Laws pool which looks like a green lagoon currently and I need some help. I've been reading up on everything and it looks like you all are much smarter than me! Look forward to some good conversations.
Alabama Pool
- Thread starter asumrall
- Start date
Welcome! Before you know, if you read Pool School, you'll have that green lagoon sparkling. Have you ordered the recommended test kit yet? It's a necessity for a SLAM. Pool School - SLAM - Shock Level And Maintain
Green Pool improving, but help.
I have taken over my Mother in Laws pool, 30k gallon vinyl pool with sand filter and 1 hp pump. She needs a new liner (pool guy says pin holes) because its leeking up to 5 inches per day. Her pump stopped working 2 weeks ago due to impeller being stripped. Down for 3 days and after 3 days I fixed it for the cost of impeller ($38). Pool guy said add algaecide and shock pool (68% cal-hypo) to the tune of 6 lbs per day for 2 days. Pool went from clear to cloudy green. She's been cleaning the pool by vacuuming manually and backwashing daily. Well Monday I went over to check chemicals (dad works for water board and tests for free very accurately) here are results:
Total Chlorine: 1.2
Free Chlorine: 0
PH: 7.4
Total Alkalinity: 70
CYA: 35
Calcium Hardness: 75
We wanted to use cal-hypo on hand first so went with 10 lbs of it Monday and it took the FC to 21. This morning it was 18. This evening dropped to 13 and raised it back to 21 tonight. Will check again tomorrow but what else could I do to help... Sorry this was so long, any advice is great. Thank you!!
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I have taken over my Mother in Laws pool, 30k gallon vinyl pool with sand filter and 1 hp pump. She needs a new liner (pool guy says pin holes) because its leeking up to 5 inches per day. Her pump stopped working 2 weeks ago due to impeller being stripped. Down for 3 days and after 3 days I fixed it for the cost of impeller ($38). Pool guy said add algaecide and shock pool (68% cal-hypo) to the tune of 6 lbs per day for 2 days. Pool went from clear to cloudy green. She's been cleaning the pool by vacuuming manually and backwashing daily. Well Monday I went over to check chemicals (dad works for water board and tests for free very accurately) here are results:
Total Chlorine: 1.2
Free Chlorine: 0
PH: 7.4
Total Alkalinity: 70
CYA: 35
Calcium Hardness: 75
We wanted to use cal-hypo on hand first so went with 10 lbs of it Monday and it took the FC to 21. This morning it was 18. This evening dropped to 13 and raised it back to 21 tonight. Will check again tomorrow but what else could I do to help... Sorry this was so long, any advice is great. Thank you!!
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Test kit is in the mail, should have it Friday hopefully. I ordered the tf 100 XL kit. Until then my dad is testing the water daily for me using the best equipment money can buy. (He is the Lead Operator of the Water Board, our drinking water experts, no reason to skew test results.)
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Total Chlorine: 1.2
Free Chlorine: 0
PH: 7.4
Total Alkalinity: 70
CYA: 35
Calcium Hardness: 75
Sent from my LG-H810 using Tapatalk
Free Chlorine: 0
PH: 7.4
Total Alkalinity: 70
CYA: 35
Calcium Hardness: 75
Sent from my LG-H810 using Tapatalk
Re: Green Pool improving, but help.
It is fine to use the cal-hypo, there is room for plenty more CH in the pool. Here is the process we use to kill algae and clean up pools, SLAM Process. You will need a good test kit, I use the TF-100 from TFTestkits.net.
It is fine to use the cal-hypo, there is room for plenty more CH in the pool. Here is the process we use to kill algae and clean up pools, SLAM Process. You will need a good test kit, I use the TF-100 from TFTestkits.net.
Re: Green Pool improving, but help.
How soon are you planning on getting a new liner?
How soon are you planning on getting a new liner?
Re: Green Pool improving, but help.
New liner is planned for end of this season.
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New liner is planned for end of this season.
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Re: Green Pool improving, but help.
A 5" daily water leak is about 2500 gallons at a typical cost of $6/k for the water that's fifteen bucks a day.
A 5" daily water leak is about 2500 gallons at a typical cost of $6/k for the water that's fifteen bucks a day.
Re: Green Pool improving, but help.
I sort of misspoke when I said 5 inch leak, that includes evaporation which is anywhere from an inch or two a day. Anyways, I do appreciate that info but she has a few parties already planned for this summer and wants the water warm and pretty.
So far after shocking the pool since Monday it's definitely killed a lot of algae. Almost all green is gone and now it's black ish on the bottom from dead algae. It seems her sand filter is just spitting it back out of the jets when I stir it up. Any ideas on how to get more of it out besides brushing/ vacuuming to waste and waiting to repeat? Thanks guys!
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I sort of misspoke when I said 5 inch leak, that includes evaporation which is anywhere from an inch or two a day. Anyways, I do appreciate that info but she has a few parties already planned for this summer and wants the water warm and pretty.
So far after shocking the pool since Monday it's definitely killed a lot of algae. Almost all green is gone and now it's black ish on the bottom from dead algae. It seems her sand filter is just spitting it back out of the jets when I stir it up. Any ideas on how to get more of it out besides brushing/ vacuuming to waste and waiting to repeat? Thanks guys!
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Re: Green Pool improving, but help.
If you don't have a test kit and have not completed a SLAM, I doubt it's all dead.
SLAM Process
I doubt the original testing numbers because it is almost impossible to have 0 FC and 1.2 CC.
To follow our methods you really need your own test kit on site as making adjustments may require multiple tests back to back.
If you don't have a test kit and have not completed a SLAM, I doubt it's all dead.
SLAM Process
I doubt the original testing numbers because it is almost impossible to have 0 FC and 1.2 CC.
To follow our methods you really need your own test kit on site as making adjustments may require multiple tests back to back.
Re: Green Pool improving, but help.
I've been maintaining a FC of over 13 since monday, been as high as 24 the first night. Been using a Hach Colorimeter II for FC tests so I'm confident they are right. I am waiting on a tf 100 in the mail but am using what I have for now.
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I've been maintaining a FC of over 13 since monday, been as high as 24 the first night. Been using a Hach Colorimeter II for FC tests so I'm confident they are right. I am waiting on a tf 100 in the mail but am using what I have for now.
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Re: Green Pool improving, but help.
You should,be brushing the pool once a day. Some algae can develop a biofilm that protects it from chlorine so you want to make sure brushing breaks that up to allow the chlorine to do its thing.
Meters like the Hatch require cleaning and calibration for accurate readings. Has it been calibrated recently?
With CYA= 40 (there is no 35 in our system, round up) you should be maintaining a FC of 16 as much as possible. You should test and adjust back to 16 at least twice a day, but in reality it works better the more often you adjust back to 16. Most folks do it four or five times a day during the work week and almost hourly on the weekends.
You should,be brushing the pool once a day. Some algae can develop a biofilm that protects it from chlorine so you want to make sure brushing breaks that up to allow the chlorine to do its thing.
Meters like the Hatch require cleaning and calibration for accurate readings. Has it been calibrated recently?
Re: Green Pool improving, but help.
It has been calibrated. Like I mentioned in the OP my dad works for our local water board and has used their equipment to verify my results. I've been adding 68% cal-hypo in the morning (after testing FC) and in the evening because it's too far away to swing by on my lunch break from work. The lowest the FC has been is 13 and that was after all day in the sun.
The first picture is Tuesday Night (6/21) and the second picture is this morning (6/22) Originally the pool was much darker green than the first picture but improvements have been made and I'll be trying my best to maintain at least a 16 FC and I'll test the CC tonight if the clarity keeps improving. I've been brushing daily and also vacuuming after I brush to waste so as not to strain the filter any more than normal.
Thank you all so much for your help and if you have any other suggestions please keep em coming!
It has been calibrated. Like I mentioned in the OP my dad works for our local water board and has used their equipment to verify my results. I've been adding 68% cal-hypo in the morning (after testing FC) and in the evening because it's too far away to swing by on my lunch break from work. The lowest the FC has been is 13 and that was after all day in the sun.
The first picture is Tuesday Night (6/21) and the second picture is this morning (6/22) Originally the pool was much darker green than the first picture but improvements have been made and I'll be trying my best to maintain at least a 16 FC and I'll test the CC tonight if the clarity keeps improving. I've been brushing daily and also vacuuming after I brush to waste so as not to strain the filter any more than normal.
Thank you all so much for your help and if you have any other suggestions please keep em coming!
Re: Green Pool improving, but help.
So after brushing and vacuuming to waste I notice that what appears to be algae is shooting out of the jets. Is there anything I can do to prevent that or just wait for it to settle and vacuum it up later?
So after brushing and vacuuming to waste I notice that what appears to be algae is shooting out of the jets. Is there anything I can do to prevent that or just wait for it to settle and vacuum it up later?
Getting rid of Dead Algae with Sand Filter
So I have been SLAMing my Mother in laws pool to the best of my ability. I started the process on Sunday and have kept the FC level above 13 (16 since Tuesday due to some help) the pool has cleared up very nicely and the CC has been 0 for 24 hours.
I am doing the OCLT as well as I can tonight because yesterday it was at 2 ppm loss but I measured originally about an hour ish after dark (9 p.m central time) and unfortunately re-tested at 6:20 a.m which the 'official' sunrise was at 5:35 And it is very hot but no actual Sun hits the pool until at least 10. Would this time Almost hour of heat skew the test any? I will try to test it again tomorrow before 530 but I work until 8 so with the pool that's a long day.
Just trying to figure out if I'm good or not but my main question is this: how do I get rid of the huge piles of dead algae on the bottom of the pool (brushing, waiting 30 mins, then vacuuming to waste is what I'm doing) and how do I keep the majority of it from showing back up 3p mins after vacuuming? No store locally has any DE except for pool stores and they want $40 for a 25 lb sack. Is it necessary to clear it up over a few days?
The jets blow visible yellow/green ish algae after I vacuum/backwash/rinse for about 5 minutes. And hours later there is a large like underneath both jets (i have 2 returns. 2 skimmers, and 1 drain)
Thanks to everyone's help so far I feel like I'm very close!
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So I have been SLAMing my Mother in laws pool to the best of my ability. I started the process on Sunday and have kept the FC level above 13 (16 since Tuesday due to some help) the pool has cleared up very nicely and the CC has been 0 for 24 hours.
I am doing the OCLT as well as I can tonight because yesterday it was at 2 ppm loss but I measured originally about an hour ish after dark (9 p.m central time) and unfortunately re-tested at 6:20 a.m which the 'official' sunrise was at 5:35 And it is very hot but no actual Sun hits the pool until at least 10. Would this time Almost hour of heat skew the test any? I will try to test it again tomorrow before 530 but I work until 8 so with the pool that's a long day.
Just trying to figure out if I'm good or not but my main question is this: how do I get rid of the huge piles of dead algae on the bottom of the pool (brushing, waiting 30 mins, then vacuuming to waste is what I'm doing) and how do I keep the majority of it from showing back up 3p mins after vacuuming? No store locally has any DE except for pool stores and they want $40 for a 25 lb sack. Is it necessary to clear it up over a few days?
The jets blow visible yellow/green ish algae after I vacuum/backwash/rinse for about 5 minutes. And hours later there is a large like underneath both jets (i have 2 returns. 2 skimmers, and 1 drain)
Thanks to everyone's help so far I feel like I'm very close!
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I would vac to waste then brush. If you stir it up by brushing first, it will be somewhat suspended in the water when vacuuming. As for the debris coming back in,Could the laterals be damaged? I'd recommend a deep clean, but that's usually called for when the cloudy won't go away. You might want to inspect the filter innards, if possible.
The laterals are all brand new. I went ahead and replaced the sand and laterals a month ago because we weren't sure what was causing build up in the pool (it wasn't sand it was algae, oops) my hesitation with that is I bought sand from a Hayward dealer that said he used it in all pumps with the laterals I replaced with (for s220t) and it said on the bag #20-#40 grade. The hayward manual states #20 only. Should I be worried even though the majority of the residue is definitely algae?
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