All your fault!!!

[belgique]

You forgot to tell me to take the wedding cake steps out! And, in today's world, I refuse to take responsibility for my own actions, even if it is mentioned in some of the threads and school

Nah, seriously, here's lessons learned for others. After 1.5 months and I don't know how many gallons of chlorine, the pool was blue this AM and I could see the bottom . I attribute this to doing something I had not read, and that was turn off the pump last night and let the dead algae sink to the bottom. I vac'ed to waste and it was fantastic.....until I went to get out and the wedding cake steps moved and released a could of algae I pulled them out and that was a giant algae petri dish!

I cleaned them and am letting the algae sink to the bottom and then I'll vac to waste again and then hit er hard with chlorine again tonight. I have no CYA and can't get any until tomorrow. I haven't bothered with tests because I'm almost out of reagents and know chlorine is zero.

This sound like a plan?

 

[waste]

Sounds great!

Jump this last hurdle and get down to enjoying the pool

Also, order some reagent refills

 

[Bama Rambler]

in the instructions for my steps they say that anytime you add water to the pool to stick the hose in the hole in the side of the step and let it swirl the water underneath the steps. that wouldn't help in your stiuation but it's good advice.

 

[reebok]

someone here was going to try hanging a trichlor puck under the steps due to the water flow issues there. I can't seem to find the thread right now though.

 

[dattia]

I was one of the people considering that, but haven't as of yet. Taking my steps out was the last part of my battle and it really did make a difference. Mine have several holes cut in them, but the circulation is VERY poor. Even when the pool looks great, I can peek in and see that all is not well under there, so I usually take the head off of my vacuum and place the hose in there to draw out the water into the filter and occasionally add my bleach there.

 

[Cherie]

We are planning on doing that as well, but not a whole puck, just a small piece inside a skimmer sock, teathered inside the steps. And we are adding more slits and holes to our steps to increase the flow through them. We may be able to put them in by next weekend (yea!) and start swimming again. If I can remember, I'll report back here and let you know how the little piece of puck goes!!

 

[Buggsw]

Oh yes, no wonder it took so long for yours to get cleaned up. Hidden algae can really cause problems and it doesn't have to be a lot to cause you problems. Any cupped out, or hollow area, niches, fixtures, etc., could be harboring algae and wreak havoc with your progress.

I put the garden hose nozzle on the highest pressure and blast out the little niches where you would tie a rope across the pool and any place I can find like that. I personally have those and some stub outs that go nowhere. I have therapy jets that rarely get used in a loveseat on the side of my pool, so I use the high pressure nozzle to force water down the air holes in the deck behind that area, regularly. I've cleaned up 3 pools this year and scrutinize everything like that. I even found algae in a floating thermometer and tossed it out.

I'd be surprised if it isn't in pool school somewhere and if it's not, it should be added, to look for things like this.