We just recently purchased a short sale home with a 16x32 in ground liner pool. The water in the pool has been sitting for a year!It was brown had numerous frogs bugs and who knows what else living in it.Prior to finding myself here I added some plain shock with little results.We had pool's growing up and I know we never had issues but they wre smaller pools that never were this bad.I called my dad and told him I was going to try using bleach and he was like are you crazy? Any ways I added 4 gallons to start and after a Few days it started clearing up so I added 4 more.I have been brushing the bottom etc and just loads of brown Nasty algae and sludge were turning up.That was a week ago,I have the bottom pretty clean but the pool still is very milky and you can see all the white algae in the water when the light is on.I just ordered the Tf100 so I know we're my levels are at.My question is I seemed to have reached a dead end,should the filter get all this out?(sand filter) or is it possible the particles being so small they pass through?Any advice?
New here and white algae
- Thread starter Cloneman315
- Start date
Welcome to TFP! 
You need to read the shock PROCESS. The link is in my signature.
You are on the right track. It will take some time to get things right and a LOT of bleach.
Good luck!
Until you get your test kit you will be doing it blind. For right now I would go buy LOTS of Walmart bleach and have it ready to pour in.
Kim
You need to read the shock PROCESS. The link is in my signature.
You are on the right track. It will take some time to get things right and a LOT of bleach.
Good luck!
Until you get your test kit you will be doing it blind. For right now I would go buy LOTS of Walmart bleach and have it ready to pour in.
Kim
That's def what I have been doing!What should I do about all the floating white algae?it seems like maybe the filter is not catching it?i will try maybe cleaning the sand with the hose like mentioned in another post.In the beginning the water was bad!
Filters do not catch live algae.
I am not sure what "white" algae is, but if it's algae, chlorine is the solution to killing it.
read "How to Shock Your Pool" up in Pool School
I am not sure what "white" algae is, but if it's algae, chlorine is the solution to killing it.
read "How to Shock Your Pool" up in Pool School
Cloudy water generally means algae... could be dead or alive. You need to keep your pump running 24/7 for now and once your test kit arrives you can do the shock process. Without having actual numbers on CYA, FC, CC, PH, TA, you can't shock correctly and are simply correcting blindly. Adding a little bleach here and there may help you keep from the swamp returning, but you likely won't clear your pool completely without your test levels.
Whenever you have an algae outbreak it can take some time for your filter to remove it all, but it will eventually if chlorine levels are at shock level and the filter has been kept clean/back-washed appropriately.
Read through pool school's How to Shock... Once you have your first set of test results you can post them here for some advice to get you started. Your Ph and cya are the first to know and/or address before the shock process should truly begin.
Whenever you have an algae outbreak it can take some time for your filter to remove it all, but it will eventually if chlorine levels are at shock level and the filter has been kept clean/back-washed appropriately.
Read through pool school's How to Shock... Once you have your first set of test results you can post them here for some advice to get you started. Your Ph and cya are the first to know and/or address before the shock process should truly begin.
I will just keep doing what I'm doing to I get my kit..is taking the head of the filter a good idea to clean the sand with the hose?
Absolutely. It should be a part of an annual program either at closing or opening. Looking inside your sand filter can really be quite helpful.
Hi cloneman. Can you maybe put your pool specs in your signature?
And are you backwashing every time the filter (presumably sand?) gets up say 25% above it's "normal" PSI?
There is also a trick in one of these threads about adding a little DE to help the sand filter work a little harder on especially mucky water.
I had a foreclosure swamp, and in all, it took me two weeks with cold water (in spring) -- so I didn't have rough algae-inducing temps to deal with. But I'd say with the sand filter you should notice daily improvement in clarity if all is well with it.
Best wishes, and post a pic if you're able. We love before and after pics, and also, seeing the color/cloudiness actually will help us give better advice.
Cheers!
-Swampwoman
And are you backwashing every time the filter (presumably sand?) gets up say 25% above it's "normal" PSI?
There is also a trick in one of these threads about adding a little DE to help the sand filter work a little harder on especially mucky water.
I had a foreclosure swamp, and in all, it took me two weeks with cold water (in spring) -- so I didn't have rough algae-inducing temps to deal with. But I'd say with the sand filter you should notice daily improvement in clarity if all is well with it.
Best wishes, and post a pic if you're able. We love before and after pics, and also, seeing the color/cloudiness actually will help us give better advice.
Cheers!
-Swampwoman
So another problem I have found and not sure if this has anything to do with the algae etc. We have not moved into the house yet,we go there every few days and we will be in nov1. So the few days I go there I mess with the pool a bit,I had it shocked and could see the bottom,but it did have a bunch of dead algae and dirt etc on it. I tried to vac and now I see I have very little suction with a bunch of air bubbles out of the two returns and the pump basket you can see water coming in but its not full.(at one time it had suction a few weeks back) I took the pump apart checked the impeller for blockage,I also changed out the gasket and used pool lube.I am thinking there could be a air leak but how did it just pop up?
When you vacuumed, did you first fill the hose with water, set the connection plate over the skimmer basket, then close the main drain (if you have one) to increase the suction on the skimmer line? It's easy to introduce a little air when starting to vacuum, and it's normal to blow a little air when you're switching back afterwards. After you remove the vac hose and before you turn the pump ack on again, I usually prime the pump by filling with water then resealing even though it's a self priming pump. Then after a few minutes it shoukd all be back to normal. So it's possible that what you described is normal and there's no real problem.
- Jun 14, 2012
- 2,668
- Pool Size
- 13500
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool Edge-40
Ok first we have no drain,second I had help and there was no basket in the skimmer so it was going straight through it un filtered......But myself personally filled the hose etc with water from returns and made sure no air got in the line.It would suck real hard then fall off,I am going to try and snake that incoming line,I can see water coming in the basket and it looks like it is fully populating the pipe but maybe it is plugged from all the algae and leaves etc as it comes in slow.I did have suction and psi before but now nothing the needle barley moves.Maybe it getting plugged did create a air leak?I was going to pull the drain plugs this weekend and teflon tap them,they seem fine but I know I need to check them.How often do under ground joints fail?
- Jun 14, 2012
- 2,668
- Pool Size
- 13500
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool Edge-40
If you vacuum without the basket or an inline leaf canister you are asking for a clog...
-sent with Tapatalk 2
-sent with Tapatalk 2
Yes, please get a basket and plate before making further attempts. Not sure how to unclog, hopefully someone will chime in on tha!
Yes I have a basket,I was watching the waste line for flow and didnt catch that it wasnt in there.Any opinions if I should try the drain blaster or a snake on the incoming line?
So further tearing up of the concrete found leaking fittings and cracked pipes. The house sat for a year and pipes froze there were not under the ground far at all. So it's up and running and all tests are within specs according to the Taylor kit. I shocked with a bunch of bleach and my cc is now in range. My problem is I can not get the cloudy white out of the water,you can see the first step on the stairs but not the bottom. I did try to add some de and have let the pump runs 24 7 for about two weeks now. I simply can not get the cloudy white algae out with my sand filter. Any opinions?
- Jun 14, 2012
- 2,668
- Pool Size
- 13500
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool Edge-40
Test results? Description of how you shocked... A bunch of bleach isn't very reassuring...
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Sent via Tapatalk...
Will get results number tonight I wrote them down.from what I recall
FC was at shock level 15 and holding and cc was 0.5 and ph was around 7.2.
FC was at shock level 15 and holding and cc was 0.5 and ph was around 7.2.
In all my treatments of algae (which is well over 10,000 water test's) You have three things to start Chemistry, Brushing, And filtration. When one fails we get algae.
You are past the stages of shocking "white algae" is dead algae, you should be vacuuming and back washing(until sight glass is clean). while not vacuuming I would keep the suction to your main drain. If water stays cloudy you can use a clarifier like ultra bright.(they have tons of options for the product this one is just on the top of my head).
Remember once clean and looking good, test once a week and keep it balanced, brush the whole pool once a week and circulate the pool 10-12 hours (summertime) 4-6 hours (wintertime).
of course check baskets frequently.
You are past the stages of shocking "white algae" is dead algae, you should be vacuuming and back washing(until sight glass is clean). while not vacuuming I would keep the suction to your main drain. If water stays cloudy you can use a clarifier like ultra bright.(they have tons of options for the product this one is just on the top of my head).
Remember once clean and looking good, test once a week and keep it balanced, brush the whole pool once a week and circulate the pool 10-12 hours (summertime) 4-6 hours (wintertime).
of course check baskets frequently.
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