Algae issues,my head is spinning........

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L

leannedarling

0
Jul 12, 2011
33
Tavistock, ON, Canada
Good afternoon everyone!
I live in Southwestern ON Canada and have been having algae issues for quite some time. We live in an area of extremely hard water so when opening our pool each year we use the water that was on top of the cover and put it back into the pool. We've had no issues until this year, the water we put back into the pool was extremely green. Ever since then the pool has been anywhere from cloudy to light green to completely green(which it is today!!)
My pool spec's and levels are
26,000 G, vinyl lined pool with a sand filter. We are using a Jacquzzi 1.5 hp pump and a Zodiac SWCG
I have a crappy test kit(there are no good test kits available in Canada....only test strips) so I usually rely on my pool store, but they always err on the side of caution and have me freaked out about adding too much chlorine.
I do have some phosphates in the water level was anywhere from 250-500
FC 4
TC 4
ph 8 (which I lowered with muratic acid)
TA 130
Stabilizer 70
Starting Sunday night I added 5 gallons Divex, brushed the pool and took a sample in. They said to vac up what algae I could then add another 3 G liquid(which I added 5) and brushed last night. This morning I added a 50% Poly Algaecide. The green colour is starting to fade, but the algae on the pool floor is still green.
I know by reading the messages on here that my chlorine levels aren't high enough, but I'm just not sure how much to add. Can chlorine wreck my liner? I always pour off the diving board very slowly. Other people are telling me to use copper sulfate or flock to clear it up but I keep reading that chlorine should clear it up. Could the phosphates be contributing to my algae? I was going to add another 5 G of Divex tonight but is that enough? I know alot of my concerns are mentioned on other posts but when I read all the posts that's when my head started spinning with all the numbers etc! We are in the hottest two week of the summer and our kids are unhappy that we can't use the pool. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!
Thanks!!
Leanne
 
What is Divex?

You definitely need to get your FC level up to shock levels. According to the pool calculator, http://www.thepoolcalculator.com, to raise your FC level from 4 to 28 (your shock level for a CYA of 70) you need to add 13 1/2 of the 96oz jugs of 6% bleach. The key then is to keep it there until you pass the OCLT, have CC's of less than 0.5 and have sparkling clear water.

Read Pool School, http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/shocking_your_pool. This will let you know what you need to do to get your water cleared up.
 
Welcome to TFP! You should get plenty of responses from knowledgeable veterans who can help you get your pool back in shape. Don't forget to study up in Pool School :-D

cramar is right about getting your own quality test kit. That will be key to helping you take back control of your pool. Sounds like you need to shock your pool (see the link in my signature). In order to do this successfully you will need a test kit that can measure the higher levels of chlorine that will be needed during the shocking process.

If you take a look at the Chlorine/CYA Chart you can see that if your stabilizer reading of 70 is correct, you will need to bring your FC levels up to 28 and keep it there until you have finished the process. I usually add my chlorine in the path of my deep end return and let the pump run for at least 30 minutes to ensure that it has mixed in well enough. I don't believe that your liner would suffer any permanent damage form those levels as long as the chlorine was added properly. Maybe others will chime on that subject.

Run your pump 24/7 if possible and backwash as needed. You should try and get any and all debris out your pool to help speed along the process.

You don't need to be worried about your phosphate levels. Proper chlorine levels will keep algae in check. These days you can't walk into a pool store without getting phosphate treatments pushed on you.
 
Thanks everyone for posting the links! Using these will make it easier to follow and I now have a better understanding of what I need to do.
I plan on ordering a proper test kit tonight.
SoCalGary...thanks for the phosphate info!!
The pool has cleared quite a bit from this morning, so hopefully I am on my way to a clear pool!
 
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