Help with cloudy water, please.

[mdavis]

Due to recent torrential rain, my pool developed a case of algae sufficient so that I can not see the bottom of my pool.

To attempt to correct the situation, I first adjusted the PH to 7.6. Then I superchlorinated by setting the pool calculator to chlorine level of 24, and adding triclor in the recommended amount. The next morning, the PH had dropped to 7.0. So I added soda ash sufficient to raise PH to a little above 7.6. Color of test water is between 7.6 and 7.8.

Next, I added algaecide that says it kills blue, green, black and mustard algae. ( I have had the most trouble with mustard algae.) I let the pump run the recommended number of hours after each application.

Another test for PH, tested 7.6, added more soda ash. Got it up to about 7.7 again.

I don't know what the actual chemical is, but Wal-Mart had an Aqua Chem product called "Sink and Sweep", which is a flocculant that's supposed to settle the stuff out of the water and clear the water. I added that in the recommended amount and let the pump recirculate for 2 hours like the directions said.

Went out there today to check the water after the "Sink and Sweep" had been in for 24 hours. Absolutely NO CHANGE in the water.

QUESTION: WHY DIDN'T THE "SINK AND SWEEP" WORK?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Mike

 

[JasonLion]

Welcome to TFP!

"Sink and Sweep" is what we call floc. Floc will never work if you still have live algae in the pool, which you most likely do. Even without live algae, it can still fail some of the time (for a variety of reasons).

You should do some reading in Pool School, especially the Defeating Algae article. Algaecide almost never works when you are in the middle of an algae bloom. It is most effective at preventing algae, and even then it is usually better to simply maintain an appropriate FC level and not bother with the algaecide. Several kinds of algaecide can also have negative side effects. Which specific algaecide did you use, and what is the active ingredient?

You also need to find out your CYA level. If you have been using trichlor for a while, your CYA level is likely to be very high, which is going to make it very difficult to get rid of the algae.

 

[mdavis]

My algaecide is Aqua Chem "Algaecide PLUS" and its active ingredient is "Copper (Metallic) 3.3%".

My test kit only tests free chlorine, combined chlorine, ph, and bromine. How do I determine CYA levels? And how do I get rid of it?

I have been using Aqua Chem "Shock PLUS", which is diclor, and Aqua Chem "3" Chlorinating Tabs PLUS" which is triclor. Does that affect what you said in your message?

From reading the Pool School section on "Shock Your Pool", it appears that I didn't finish the superchlorination. I put in the Pool Calculator's recommended amount to raise the chlorine level to 24 and quit. Now I think maybe I should do that several more times. Is that right? It also sounds like, if I still have live algae, I just need to add more chlorine, and if the algae isn't dead, I don't have enough chlorine, right?
Is it better to use household bleach than triclor for shocking? What do you recommend for long term chlorine maintenance?

Thanks for your help.

 

[JasonLion]

Both dichlor and trichlor add CYA. After not too long the CYA level gets too high and it becomes difficult to fight algae. It helps tremendously to know what your CYA level is. The best thing to do is to buy a CYA test, they are available various places on the Internet, TFTestKits.net has one as do several other places. The other option is to get your CYA level measured at a pool store. Pool store water testing is not completely reliable, but you can probably do this right away, while the CYA test may take a couple of days to arrive. On the other hand, you might want to get a complete top quality test kit. I doubt that you have the FAS-DPD chlorine test, which is a huge help when shocking.

Trichlor isn't very good for shocking because it dissolves slowly. Dichlor is alright for shocking if you need your CYA level increased. If your CYA level is already high, they you don't want to use either of them because you don't want CYA to go any higher. So it really depends on what your CYA level is right now.

 

[mdavis]

So, I finally got all my test results. I took the water to Leslie's Pool Supplies and had them test it. This is what they said.

Free Chlorine = 0
Water PH = 8.0
Total Alkalinity (TA) = 240
Calcium Hardness = 90
Cyanuric Acid = 0
Phosphates = 100 ppb

i have very green water and can't see the bottom in the deep end.

They said to use 4 lbs of "Yellow Out", which has a 100% active ingredient of "Disodium salt of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid dihydrate,diammonium sulfate".

Further instructions follow:

"Wait 5 minutes. Add 4 lbs of Sodium dichloro-s-tranetrione dihydrate.
Wait 12 hrs. Add 4 more lbs.
Wait 12 hours Add 4 more lbs."

After this the water is supposed to be clear, and I just have to adjust free chlorine and ph.

Any comments or advice? Or alternatives?

Thanks for your help.

Mike

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

DO NOT USE YELLOW OUT! This will make your situation worse, much, much worse and is unneccessary.

Your situation is simple, the water is not balanced, and they are going to complicate it and cost you more money. Your test results are highly suspect, as you stated you have used Dichlor, which adds CYA, so for your CYA to be zero would seem unlikely....

1. I recommend you order your own test kit as Jason suggested. You are going to need it.

If we were to proceed with your results posted:

2. Lower your PH to 7.2 with Muratic Acid
3. after 15 minutes add CYA/Stabilizer (enough to reach 30ppm) to your pool using the "sock method" - I can tell you more about this method later. Stabilizer can be found at Walmart or Pool stores, or home depot/lowes pool departments.
4. In the evening, add enough liquid chlorine or bleach to reach 10ppm of FC in your water. Leave the pump running 24/7.
5. After one hour, test the FC again (this is why you need your own kit, cuz you need to test hourly) and if the FC is not at 10, you recalculate enough chlorine and add it again. You repeat the hourly testing and bleach additions until the FC holds overnight, the CC is 0.5 and the water is clear.

Now, after 24 hours or so your CYA should start to take effect and your shock level becomes 12 instead of 10, and you won't lose all the FC to sunlight.

Now, you can use Dichlor if you choose to. Dichlor is more expensive than the CYA/Bleach route, but that's your own decision, but there amounts just don't make sense. 4 lbs is the right dose (the first time), but there advice to wait 12 hrs and add more another 4 lbs, etc., is nonsense.

If you want to go the Dichlor route, you just use the Pool Calculator to determine how much to add to reach shock level, each time you test. You have to track your CYA as you go, because each lb of Dichlor in your pool will raise the CYA level by 2.5. As the CYA level goes up, so does the shock level. So I hope this make sense.

It would be simpler, easier and cheaper to just follow my steps 1-5. We can help walk you thru.

Post back if I have confused you further - that's not my intent