If not algae, what could it be?

Jump to latest Follow Reply
B

beachyoest

0
Jul 27, 2009
12
Richmond, Michigan
Last year, we had a really bad problem with mustard algae, so this year we've been extra dilligent testing the water and keeping the chlorine level a little on the high side. The pool is crystal clear and has been all season long, however, I keep finding smudges of something that appears anywhere from yellowish/green to yellowish/orange on the bottom. It doesn't seem to react like algae if I run the brush or the edge of the skimmer over it because it doesn't poof into a little cloud and disappear. I have to use the vacuum to remove it, sometimes needing to scrub over it several times. In general, I don't see it at all until the filter is turned on. The circulating of the water seems to make it appear.

I don't see much change in FC levels overnight, it stays pretty consistent and I haven't let it drop below 3 since we opened the pool. I do need to lower the ph and TA levels, though I don't think that would cause the smudges to appear.

Here are my numbers this morning. I have a good test kit, so I think the numbers are accurate:

TC - 5
FC - 3
ph - 8.4
TA - 180
CYA - 30

Water temp is currently 76 degrees.

We live in an old neighborhood with lots of huge, mature trees around. A few branches of a large maple tree hang over the pool. Could this be dirt or pollen? Would pollen require scrubbing to remove? I've become obsessed with this, I don't want to deal with another algae outbreak.

Also, disregard the filter listed in my signature. I haven't updated my sig. yet, but we are now running a sand filter (not sure of the hp, I'll have to go take a look at it).
 
Post up some test numbers from your good test kit for us to see? If a sand filter-----convince yourself it's not just pollen and super fine dirt by vacuuming to waste instead of filter. You can do it a third at a time to minimize water loss. If it thins out considerably...there's your answer. Thought I had your same problem and vac'ing to waste proved it was crud-----------not algae. You shock value for your CYA level is only 12-------so not that big a deal if you need to shock.
 
I don't see much change in FC levels overnight, it stays pretty consistent and I haven't let it drop below 3 since we opened the pool. I do need to lower the ph and TA levels, though I don't think that would cause the smudges to appear.

Here are my numbers this morning. I have a good test kit, so I think the numbers are accurate:

TC - 5
FC - 3
ph - 8.4
TA - 180
CYA - 30
Click to expand...
Well, based on your test results, you have 2CC and need to shock your pool, but first lower your pH to about 7.2.

Carefully follow the directions in Pool School for How to Shock Your Pool.

After you have completed the shock process (see red lines in my sig), you can work on lowering your TA.
 
It's interesting that so many people are having the exact same problem I am lately. The only difference is that my CC is 0. I can't vacuum to waste because I have a cartridge filter. I don't know what the stuff is, but it's so fine a skimmer sock won't even catch it. My pool has been slightly cloudy for a few weeks now even though my numbers are good.
 
My pool clouded up about two weeks ago also. It has been crystal clear for two years then for no reason that I could find it got very turbid. I didn't have algae - passed the over night chlorine test several times. I took the sand filter apart and flushed it out with a hose - it was absolutely, amazingly dirty and about 50% sealed off with dirt and some kind of hard white crust. I spent over 4 hours flushing it out on July 4th. The water has been slowly clearing up since then. It's still not as clear as it was, but it's getting better. I started adding one cup of DE to the filter after back washing and that seems to be making a difference, but I have to back wash about every two or three hours to keep any water moving.

The fact that so many people seem to be having the same problem makes me wonder if some plant or tree is putting out a very fine pollen that is hard to filter.
 
Something is very wrong if you are having to backwash a sand filter every 2-3 hours...not sure what it is :scratch: but that's not right unless the pool is filled with algae particulates or you are perhaps adding too much DE. A properly operating sand filter is VERY slow at clearing a cloudy pool. It takes my filter about a week to get dull water to sparkle and that's only at the begining of the season after the opening shock :shock: :wink:
 
dmanb2b said:
Something is very wrong if you are having to backwash a sand filter every 2-3 hours...not sure what it is :scratch: but that's not right unless the pool is filled with algae particulates or you are perhaps adding too much DE. A properly operating sand filter is VERY slow at clearing a cloudy pool. It takes my filter about a week to get dull water to sparkle and that's only at the begining of the season after the opening shock :shock: :wink:
Click to expand...

I think something is wrong and I'm guessing that the problem is plugged laterals. I'm having a new liner installed in about two weeks and I'll remove all the sand from the filter at the same time and inspect the internals. If there is partial blockage of the inlet slots that would explain the behavior I'm seeing.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
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