How do I clean out Thick Algae from the deep end

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aflacduck

aflacduck

0
May 24, 2009
12
Central Mississippi
I have an in ground pool, size 16x35 with shallow end being 4ft deep and deep end being 8 foot deep. It has sat all winter without the pump on due to it getting out of kilter while I was on away from home working for 28 days. So I just cut off the pump and let it sit during the winter. I shocked it the other day with 15 lbs of shock and have gotten the water color clear again and have vaccumed the shallow end. My problem is the deep end is thick with algae on the bottom, it seems like about 6 inches thick. I tried to vaccum it and running the vac through it just stirred it up and had it floating and some comming to the surface. I have a polaris but dont want to run it until I have all this algae out of the deep end. My sons birthday is comming up in 2 weeks and my ex and I want to have a pool party for his birthday. Can anyone give me any advice on how to get all this algae out of the deep end so I can get my chemical levels back and ready for his party? Thanks in advance for any help I can receive.
 
I forgot to mention, I live in the south in Mississippi and the pool has a vinyl liner in it also. Thanks again for any help, this pool thing is still new to me. When I was home all the time I had no trouble keeping it clean and clear. Now that I'm home all the time again it wont be any trouble keeping it that way again after I can get it clean and clear again.
 
Thanks Jason, so you dont think it would hurt the polaris running through it as thick as it is along with manual vaccumming? Thanks for your help, I appreciate it alot. I will be posting a pic of what it looks like here in a few minutes to go along with the post.
 
aflacduck said:
Well I tried to put some pics on but the files are too large. Thanks Jason I appreciate the help :)
Click to expand...
Put the pics on photobucket, the unse the "img" function to insert them into the posting...

BTW: What you are seeing is normal. Using the Polaris AND vaccuming AND brushing will stirr the water around, allowing the filter to clean up the deep end too. Do you have a main drain in addition to a skimmer, and can the amount of water be adjusted so more comes from the main drain? That'll help too.
 
Maybe the pics will come through this time.

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Yes I have a main drain in the bottom of the deep end in addition to the skimmer. I have a shut off valve on the main drain line at the sand filter and also a shut off valve on the skimmer line at the sand filter as well. Currently both shut off valves are wide open.
 

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A buddy of mine and I tried to get some out yesterday with the leaf basket on the extension pole, but it did'nt work that well. I wished it was leaves but I only have one tree in the backyard and its not close to the pool and its a magnolia tree with big leaves. This stuff is coming up to the surface when you go through with the vac as gobs of gooh that will break up to real fine particles when its disturbed. Its all dark green and slimey looking and fills up the skimmer basket several times a day after you have disturbed it.
 
aflacduck said:
Yes I have a main drain in the bottom of the deep end in addition to the skimmer. I have a shut off valve on the main drain line at the sand filter and also a shut off valve on the skimmer line at the sand filter as well. Currently both shut off valves are wide open.
Click to expand...
First, how's the pump pressure: Is it high, if so then you need to backwash.
Second, can you set the valves so you get 75% of the supply water going to the pump from the deep end and 25% from the skimmer? If the pump basket won't run from the main drain like that you may have a clog from the algae/whatever.
Even though it clogs the basket fast, that's better than doing nothing as it's going to require manual work.
 
I have been back washing 2 to 3 times a day and cleaning the skimmer basket each time and putting more chlorine tabs when they are diplinished. I can close off the shut off valves to pull more from the main drain and less from the skimmer basket. I just figured it was better making it come through the skimmer basket to catch it. We have been manually vaccuming the pool also and planning on a whole afternoon of cleaning this week at some point when we can get together to work on it. The gauge on the pump system is broken right now and does not register but it is still getting backwashed routinely.
 
aflacduck said:
...leaf basket on the extension pole, but it did'nt work that well....gobs of gooh that will break up to real fine particles when its disturbed...all dark green and slimey looking and fills up the skimmer basket several times a day after you have disturbed it.
Click to expand...
Just a thought, but something else that I did 2-3 years ago was to coat the inside of the leaf rake ('basket') with an old t-shirt, one layer thick. You'd be amazed how fast you can get it full then!
Even pantyhose or a fabrik thinner than a t-shirt will work, just something to turn the leaf rake into a "gunk-getter" will work and help.
Bottom line: The faster you can get the 'goo' out of the pool the faster it'll clear.
 
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