Swimming in a pool with algae and no chlorine

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silver02gt

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LifeTime Supporter
Jun 19, 2010
49
Rural Southern Illinois
I finally got time to try to open my pool this year, it had been closed for the whole 2 years that I have owned the house, and I have no clue how many years before I bought it. So needless to say the pool was very dark green with a ton of leaves, twigs, pine needles, and who knows what else on the bottom of the pool. I leaf raked a ton of this stuff out, and when it started getting to the point where I wasn't getting much more in my leaf rake, I decided that I would dare to enter the pool. The first time I got in, I was only in there for around 30 minutes, and I seemed just fine when I got out. I took a shower within 10 minutes of getting out. But, on the second time of entering the pool, I spent probably close to 2 hours in the pool trying to rake every last bit of debris out that I could get. Within 2 minutes of getting out of the pool, my legs began itching like crazy. I took a hot shower again within 10 minutes of getting out, and I had to scrub my legs over and over in the shower. I was just wondering if someone could tell me what likely caused the severe itching after getting out of the pool? Just curious.
Thanks for your insight!!!
 
I'll guess it is pH out of range. Lots of leaves can lead to acidic water. Or maybe pH is too low, it may depend on the TA of the water as to which way it would go over time. Or it may be bacterial.

A good test kit can define the pH and TA, not sure about bacteria levels if that is an issue. Getting the chlorine level up to a proper range will fix that one. Can you give us good test numbers yet?

Of course, you need to get circulation going and the filter going and cleaned.
 
silver02gt said:
Oh yeah, I've been keeping my pool at or near shock lever for a week now, running filter 24/7, following pool school, pool calculator, and all other instructions from forum members. I was just curious what was making me itch.
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Well then, post the numbers you have and maybe someone will see is something.

They say that it is safe to swim at or below shock level but if CC is high perhaps that is the problem.
 
When I got in, the were probably no cc's because there had been no FC for years. lol, I was mainly wondering if anyone else had experienced this or knew if it was algae causing my itching or something else. The itching went right away after scrubbing down in a nice, hot shower, but it's just my curiousity has gotten the best of me!!!
 
I'm not sure what it would be other than pH. I had to get in my murky, green pool last year to brush it and now I get creeped out just thinking about it. That had to be really creepy for you, I would think. It makes me so glad to have found TFP and gives me a strong incentive to keep my pool from ever getting like that again. Congratulations on your soon-to-be successful clean-up. :goodjob:
 
Please don't get into stagnant water like that!!! There is no telling what could be living in there. I could give you a clue as to what potential life forms like those places, but then you wouldn't go to sleep at night.
 

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257WbyMag said:
Please don't get into stagnant water like that!!! There is no telling what could be living in there. I could give you a clue as to what potential life forms like those places, but then you wouldn't go to sleep at night.
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