newbee witht TF test results trying to kill algae

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D

dannybye

0
May 24, 2008
8
Pensacola Florida
Hello Everyone,

Read a bit first and then went and bought a TF-100 kit Made my readings last evenings

FC 2
CC.5
TC2.5
PH7.4
TA 90
CH60
CYA40
Temp 85Degrees

It's an 18 by 42 rectangular viny pool 8 foot depth edges are rounded I've been told treat it as 30,000 gallons

1. Is this right more or less?
2. I have been fighting returning algae all spring here in Pensacola on the bottom and sides.
3. In the past I have used Walmart Algaecide sold in Gallon Bottles Walmart no longer sells that type now sells something in a half gallon ..supposed to be twice as strong. Just not working it seems.
4. I have kept up my chlorine readings to at least 1.5 for the last 45 days
5. Most of the time it has been 3 or a good deal more ...cheap test kits don't read the higher numbers

So I'd like to stop using Algaecide ... How long Do I have to keep up a shock level of chlorine to kill the algae once and for all???

What Should I raise the Chlorine leve too to work effectively and kill it off once and for all and should I be using stright liquid Chlorine or something else???

Anything else wrong with my thinking, pool chemistry, or my wife??? :))
 
Hi, Dan,

Welcome! First of all, you can get rid of the agaecide....you won't need it.

What you will need to do is bring your FC up around 20ppm or so with lots and lots of liquid chlorine or plain old Clorox. Use JasonLion's calculator and figure how much bleach that'll take based on 30,000 gallons (the 30k makes sense for your pool size)

Now, it will only be effective if you will HOLD YOUR CHLORINE AT THAT HIGH LEVEL by testing and adding more chlorine as often as you can. 4 times daily is not too much if time will permit.

It may take a few days but keeping the chlorine steadily around the 20ppm level is the key to success. You'll be killing lot's of algae so it is important that you run the pump 24/7 and backwash/clean your filter if the filter pressure rises by more than 35% or so.

The smart *ss answer to "how long does it take" is "as long as it takes". It's actually the truth, too. It may be just a day or two or much longer. Most pools clear up in about 4-7 days. You should see a little progress each day. The important ingredient in this process is your persistence.....keep testing and adding bleach.

Ask lot's of questions. Everyone here will help you get the pool sparkling. :lol:
 
Welcome to the forum!

Your numbers look remarkably good to me......except for your algae issues.

How long Do I have to keep up a shock level of chlorine to kill the algae once and for all???

Read all about clearing up the algae in Jason's sticky here: http://www.troublefreepool.com/sticky.php?s=4147

What Should I raise the Chlorine leve too to work effectively and kill it off once and for all and should I be using stright liquid Chlorine or something else???

Use Jason's Pool Calculator, link in my sig, to calculate the amount of chlorine/bleach you will need to reach and maintain shock as needed. Yes, liquid chlorine/bleach.....plain, unscented 6% most popular, from grocery stores, Walmart, etc. Or, you can get the stronger liq chlorine from the pool stores. Just make sure you make any adjustment in the Pool Calc.

You will need about 6 gallons of 6% bleach to reach shock level of 15. And, remember, brush, brush, brush!!!

The algaecide is probably a waste of money and not needed in a properly sanatized pool :wink:

Already having the TF Test kit puts YOU in control of your pool :lol:
 
newbee with followup questions

so do I understand that once I rid the pool of algae .. test daily, keep my numbers where they belong,

**** Keep the FC between 3 and 6 as long as my cya stays at 40 ... I should not have to shock anymore? The 3-6 FC would do the trick of keeping my poll sparkling?

Those FC numbers seem high based on all the cheap test kits out there ... but I can see that it all is very much related to CYA numbers.

I bought this home 2 years ago .. tis is my second pool summer starting. where does CYA come from? If you use tabs along with chlorine does it eventually increase CYA?
 
Yes, if you consistently maintain the correct FC level there will never be any need to shock. The key is consistency.

There is CYA in trichlor and dichlor. Almost all of the pucks/tablets/sticks sold contain trichlor. Many of the granular "shock" products contain dichlor. You can also get stabilizer/conditioner/cyanuric acid which is pure CYA.

If you use tablets for chlorine the CYA level will slowly go up through the course of the season. Eventually it will get too high and you will have problems.
 
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