scratching my head over this algae problem......

Jump to latest Follow Reply
J

JBird

0
Sep 17, 2010
22
I have been fighting my green pool for several weeks now. I have a 25K kidney shaped vinyl liner pool. I have been following Leslie's advice and I think even they are scratching their heads now. I have used three bottles of algaecide and over a hundred in shock. I have a SW swim pure system an apparently my box is not working so I have had to manually add shock. This led to the problem in the first place because I didn't know it wasn't working. I don't want to spend the $560 to replace the box right now. I also just replaced my filter sand and now I am getting sand in the pool. I have an old Fox filter(300 lb) and I was very careful not to damage the laterals. But I assume that is where the sand is coming from. In just the past week I added soda ash to up the pH to 7.4, another bottle of algaecide, and then 4 bags of shock the first night, 3 the next, 3 the next, and 3 the next. Only a little change occurred. I added some blue stuff to clear up the cloudyness and little change occurred.

Here are my pool numbers as of yesterday:

FAC 5
TAC 5
Ph 7.4
TA 90
CA hardness 210
CYA 40
TDS 3520(?)
No copper
No phosphate
salt 3100

suggestions please? Any ideas about good prices on salt water chlorinator box for swim pure? or filter?
 
I have been following Leslie's advice
Click to expand...
That might be the biggest problem. Essentially, your pool is not getting adequate chlorine to kill the algae and clear your pool.

I saw in your other thread (please keep all your info in one thread so we can follow the "story"....it's very helpful to understand what's been done) where you have been advised against algaecide but Leslie's happily sells it to you. It is pretty useless in your situation.

I would suggest taking charge of your own pool management by Reading all the basic articles in Pool School and the Sticky....Turning a green swamp into an Oasis.

The answers are all up in Pool School, but I think you are going to have to commit to the forum's advice here or stay with Leslie's......you end up being in the middle when two sources are telling you different things.
 
Algacide will not clear a green pool. Once algae has taken a strong hold on one's pool water, only chlorine can kill the alage fast enough via super chlorination (aka shocking). Shocking is best done with liquid chlorine and is a process which is described below in detail. The cheapest way to shock your pool is to get your own testkit (TF100 or K2006) follow the process in the link


pool-school/shocking_your_pool
 
Richard320 said:
http://www.troublefreepool.com/turning-your-green-swamp-back-into-a-sparking-oasis-t4147.html

Are those your numbers, or Leslie's? 'cuz if they're Leslies, I wouldn't trust 'em.

Off the top of my head, I'd say you need to keep adding bleach and stay on top of the demand, like this guy did. Your own test kit is essential - one that reads FC above 5. The color block isn't good enough, nor are strips.

:testkit:
Click to expand...

Definitely Leslie's. I don't have a quality test kit. I have been relying on Leslie's since I got my SWG in '06. Thanks for your reply.
 
duraleigh said:
I have been following Leslie's advice
Click to expand...
That might be the biggest problem. Essentially, your pool is not getting adequate chlorine to kill the algae and clear your pool.

I saw in your other thread (please keep all your info in one thread so we can follow the "story"....it's very helpful to understand what's been done) where you have been advised against algaecide but Leslie's happily sells it to you. It is pretty useless in your situation.

I would suggest taking charge of your own pool management by Reading all the basic articles in Pool School and the Sticky....Turning a green swamp into an Oasis.

The answers are all up in Pool School, but I think you are going to have to commit to the forum's advice here or stay with Leslie's......you end up being in the middle when two sources are telling you different things.
Click to expand...

I think you are correct that I need to spend more time researching this site. I have only come on a couple of times in the past. That said, I looked for my other thread and couldn't find it so that is why I started a new thread. A couple of weeks ago, Leslie's had me hit the pool with 12 lbs of shock at once. It turned the pool more of a grayish blue than the yellow green but did not completely turn the yellow green in the deep end. It lasted a few days before it starting easing back toward the yellow green. We had a couple of big rains in during that time as well.
 
The trick is you can't hit it "all at once" with a large dose and then nothing for a few days. You have to reach a specific "shock" level, and then HOLD IT THERE, until the algae is dead. This can take several days and frequent testing - which is why we advocate your own test kit. In the long run, it will save you money.
 
frustratedpoolmom said:
The trick is you can't hit it "all at once" with a large dose and then nothing for a few days. You have to reach a specific "shock" level, and then HOLD IT THERE, until the algae is dead. This can take several days and frequent testing - which is why we advocate your own test kit. In the long run, it will save you money.
Click to expand...

I am starting to get the picture. I was just reading the link you sent me. Can one of these test kits be found at Leslies(TF100 or K2006)? Looks like I need to get one of these first thing. I keep reading the word "bleach". Are we talking about clorox here or is that another term for chlorine shock packs?
 
"bleach" is Clorox brand 6% bleach or the equivalent generic store brand. Sodium Hypochlorite is the active ingredient - this is the same ingredient sold in pool stores as "pool shock" in gallon liquid jugs but often it is 10-12.5% strength. Powder packs are either calcium hypochlorite or Dichlor - see more about the various chlorine sources in Pool School. Once it's in your pool, chlorine is chlorine is chlorine. However, powders add additives you may not necessarily want, where as bleach/liquid does not.

Leslies sells test kits sometimes. Just be sure they don't sell you a K-2005 by mistake, a frequent report on this forum. You want the K-2006. The TF100 is a better bang for the buck however, and has the same components.
 
frustratedpoolmom said:
"bleach" is Clorox brand 6% bleach or the equivalent generic store brand. Sodium Hypochlorite is the active ingredient - this is the same ingredient sold in pool stores as "pool shock" in gallon liquid jugs but often it is 10-12.5% strength. Powder packs are either calcium hypochlorite or Dichlor - see more about the various chlorine sources in Pool School. Once it's in your pool, chlorine is chlorine is chlorine. However, powders add additives you may not necessarily want, where as bleach/liquid does not.

Leslies sells test kits sometimes. Just be sure they don't sell you a K-2005 by mistake, a frequent report on this forum. You want the K-2006. The TF100 is a better bang for the buck however, and has the same components.
Click to expand...

Thank you so much for the continued support in this thread. You are so kind. I haven't visited pool school yet so I was just thinking about how much liquid chlorine to add compared to what the chlorine in a lb of shock would present. Certainly one can add and test. If you can't find liquid chlorine, and I know my Leslie's store doesn't stock it, do folks use grocery store clorox?

Thanks again,

Jay
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Yes. I have used several types. Aldi, store generic including Walmart brand, Clorox brand. etc. just make sure its "original" scent and not one that has additives or scents. Avoid dollar store bleach, sometimes its less than 5.25% and not worth the money. My local pool store just sold me gallon jugs of 12.5% for $2.54 each - a fabulous price.

Use the pool calculator - play around it with it, it will tell you how much of each product you would need to reach a certain PPM of FC. That will give you some idea.

I spend roughly $75-100 a season (May-Sep) on my pool -for all products. Bleach is the cheapest method of daily chlorination.
 
frustratedpoolmom said:
Yes. I have used several types. Aldi, store generic including Walmart brand, Clorox brand. etc. just make sure its "original" scent and not one that has additives or scents. Avoid dollar store bleach, sometimes its less than 5.25% and not worth the money. My local pool store just sold me gallon jugs of 12.5% for $2.54 each - a fabulous price.

Use the pool calculator - play around it with it, it will tell you how much of each product you would need to reach a certain PPM of FC. That will give you some idea.

I spend roughly $75-100 a season (May-Sep) on my pool -for all products. Bleach is the cheapest method of daily chlorination.
Click to expand...

$75-100? Wow! That is amazing. I have spent over $200 in the past three weeks trying to clear this up. Do you have a SWG? I have spent considerably less per year since I purchased mine and I had less trouble with algae when I would leave town for few weeks of vacation in the summer. But, I had to pay the $1200 to put one in and now, 5 years later, the box is down and a new one costs $560 at Leslies. We have had this house which came with the pool for 11 years and I have just done what ever aquarama or Leslies has recommended. I have not taken control of my own pool control like many here. So I am learning. I did change my sand in my sand filter recently, but now I am getting sand blowing into the pool. I did come on here before changing it and read what I could about it. I am afraid one of the laterals must be cracked or something. I don't know. I was very careful not to damage one. Now I fear having to purchase a new filter. So with the Chlorinator purchase looming, if I actually buy another, and the filter, I am a little discouraged right now. Plus, if lightning hits the new box I would have to start over again. So I don't know.

Thanks,

Jay
 
You won't go wrong if you supply us w the info we need & follow the suggestions. It will take some time, you will need to read up at PoolSchool, you will need to keep asking questions, you must kit the proper test kit, but you will eventually get it.

Get the TF100 kit is my opinion, most here have that & we love it.
 
You won't find the TF-100 at any stores. It's available online only. If you decide to get the Taylor kit or the Leslies kit make sure it's the one with the FAS-DPD chlorine test and not just the DPD test. Stores have been reported to tell people that it's the same but it's not. I'm sure they believe it is, but there's a BIG difference.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply