Hi my husband and i bought a house last year at the end of the summer and it had a pool yay or so i thought. When we purchased it the pool had set stagnant for i dont know how long and we had it cleaned up and seemed to be in good shape until i have within the last few months realized we have mustard algae. We have vacuumed, scrubbed walls, soaked equipment multiple multiple times. I keep going to my local pool store to get my water tested and am dumping hundreds of dollars worth of granulated chlorine. The pool is a SWG with 1 hp pump, 15000 gallons. The pool is sparkling beautifully crystal clear but the algae sits in dispersed spots all over the floor of the pool and on steps and bathing seats. I've been reading a few things from other posts about dumping in liquid chlorine or bleach, is that safe? Seems like it could definitely be cheaper than all this granulated i've been being told to dump in by my local pool store. Any tips would be appreciated.
Please Help
- Thread starter mhein006
- Start date
One of the first things recommended here is read pool school. It is the button in the up right hand corner. Second thing is buy a great test kit. The TF-100 will help you learn about you pool chemistry. Taking care of your pool yourself can be challenging but it is worth it. I would stop with the expensive chemicals and use what is recommended in pool school.
Here is a great example of a thread that took a pool from green to sparkling clean using the BBB method.
viewtopic.php?t=57137
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
Here is a great example of a thread that took a pool from green to sparkling clean using the BBB method.
viewtopic.php?t=57137
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
Welcome to TFP!
Are you seeing what you're describing as algae on the walls of the pool too or is it just on the flat horizontal surfaces? Typically, if it is algae, it isn't just on the floor and steps. It's on vertical surfaces too until it is brushed away. Pollen however, sits on floors and steps.
We need to see some test results for your pool water. Please let us know the results for FC, CC, CYA, TA, and pH. If you don't have your own drop based test kit, you need to get one. We always recommend the TF-100 kit from tftestkits.net. Without a good kit, you're going to be in the dark.
Are you seeing what you're describing as algae on the walls of the pool too or is it just on the flat horizontal surfaces? Typically, if it is algae, it isn't just on the floor and steps. It's on vertical surfaces too until it is brushed away. Pollen however, sits on floors and steps.
We need to see some test results for your pool water. Please let us know the results for FC, CC, CYA, TA, and pH. If you don't have your own drop based test kit, you need to get one. We always recommend the TF-100 kit from tftestkits.net. Without a good kit, you're going to be in the dark.
Ok well i don't have my own test kit but thinking of ordering one soon because i would like to learn to manage my own pool. I am new to all of this and am trying to learn as much as i can. I'm almost positive it's mustard algae and not pollen because we've had a bad pollen season (northern louisiana) and it's come and gone and when it was in my pool it mostly stayed at the top and lined along my water line. What leads me to believe it's mustard algae is i cannot maintain a FC level after dumping in 5lbs of granulated chlorine for three days in a row. The pool store keeps telling me that the water is going light and dark like it's trying to read a 1 for FC or close to but i have not been able to maintain anything over that. We have also tried yellow out and that didn't work and it was probably close to two weeks ago and i've been dumping in chlorine almost every day since then and running my pool 24/7. I dropped out last weekend and vacuumed and there is less in there than before but it had already signs of being back in less than 24 hrs. Today the pool store told me that my readings were CYA: 70, TA: 50 PH: 7.6, CH: 250, FC: 1, CC: 0.
Welcome!
You are gonna be so happy in a few weeks after you learn what's going on in your pool! Print out pool school are read it a couple times. Once you tackle this mustard (if that is what it is) having the SWG is going to make following BBB real easy as that is your source of chlorine, not manual dumping of bleach daily.
You are gonna be so happy in a few weeks after you learn what's going on in your pool! Print out pool school are read it a couple times. Once you tackle this mustard (if that is what it is) having the SWG is going to make following BBB real easy as that is your source of chlorine, not manual dumping of bleach daily.
Welcome to TFP!!!Please stop listening to the the pool store and read Pool School a few times to start to understand the chemistry. All the granulated chlorine could be making your problems worse if it was dichlor by raising your CYA too high. If the pool store testing was to be believed (which it should not be), your CYA is already too high and likely contributing your your problems.
What kind of chlorine do you typically use?
Step 1: Order one of the recommended test kits
Step 2: Read Pool School ... a few times
Step 3: Post a full set of test results when your kit arrives
Also, Please add your pool details and location as described HERE as it will help us help you.
OK i will order the kit and give more information when it arrives, it is dichlor chlorine i'm adding. what should my cya level be? i thought that was in range
CYA should be 30-50ppm: pool-school/recommended_levels
Does the stuff in the pool feel slimy? Look green?
Does the stuff in the pool feel slimy? Look green?
If you knew the amount of granuals you've added this season, we could calculate how much you've added, but we've no way of knowing what level it was at when you opened. My CYA mysteriously goes away over winter, at least 30 PPM did.
The issue is nobody trusts the pool store testing, so we think the result is probably low.....and your CYA is much higher.
The issue is nobody trusts the pool store testing, so we think the result is probably low.....and your CYA is much higher.
just ordered the TF-100 and some salt strips to go with it. will test as soon as it arrives
No green no slime, nothing on walls, just dissipates in the water when it's touched, turns into a cloud when there are heavy amounts
It could be dead algae that is collecting, you may just have a low level algae growth in the water that you are never completely killing off.
Sand filter? I wonder if it could be channeled allowing fine dirt to stay in circulation and then settle out. Have you been vacuuming to your filter or to waste?
Yes vacuuming to waste. Sand was replaced when we bought the home around September of last year
Ok got my test kit in but i'm a little confused, for the chlorine drop test it says to add one "heaping" scoop of the r-870 powder, what is a "heaping" scoop?