Green pool

[RoyT]

Hi,
I have a green pool like a lot of other people on this forum.
This morning when I checked it the cholrine was high, the
PH was ok, and CYA was ok. What do I need to do now?
Also I have a question. What is the differance between Cholrine and free cholrine?
And PH and total alkalinity.
Thank you, RoyT

Rectangle vinyl pool 16000 gal., 1 hp Hayward super pump
Hayward Cartridge filter 120 sg. ft. Strip test kit

 

[graler]

Roy I am new here but several have helped me so let me give a little back. Can you post your actual numbers? FC, CC, CYA, PH and TA? Then visit the tab at the top labeled pool school. It will answer your questions regarding CC, FC, PH and TA. What test kit do you have?

 

[Smykowski]

Welcome to the forum!

Green means you need to SLAM the pool. Everything you need to know about our methods of pool care, including fixing green pools can be found in Pool School. Start with the link in my signature, and read as much as you can.

Also please put all of your pool and equipment info in your signature.

Then start posting questions in this thread and we'll get you on your way to clear pool.

 

[Kiss4aFrog]

Welcome to the forum Roy

TC or Total Chlorine is a combination of CC, Combined Chlorine and FC, Free Chlorine. If you have more than .5 CC it's likely that you are heading toward an algae outbreak even if you can't see it yet. FC is what is available to keep your pool clean and sanitary in relation to your CYA. The higher your CYA the higher your FC needs to be to do it's job. See the table - - > http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/128-chlorine-cya-chart-slam-shock

You might need to brush up on the chemistry angle a bit at "Pool School" here - - > http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/186-show-all_1
Also located at the top of each page on the right.

It's much more helpful if you actually post the value of the test rather than saying it's high, good, need to adjust .... those terms don't tell us where you are or where you are going.

Have you been using the "Pool Math" calculator to help figure out your corrections ?? Pool Math - - > http://www.troublefreepool.com/calc.html
Also available up near the top of each page more to the left.

 

[Kiss4aFrog]

At some point you will also want to take control of the pools chemistry and the only way to really do that is ditch the strips and get one of the recommended test kits. It's more $$ than you might want to spend but if you read some other threads on people who needed to SLAM their pools to get them clean you will see the necessity of it. You can SLAM without one but it takes longer to get good results and it's going to cost you more in bleach as you raise it to your SLAM level (or shock) and let it fall to something you can test and raise it again. If you hold the FC up at SLAM level the pool will clear up sooooooo much faster and with less bleach. The big trick on doing a quick SLAM is to hold the FC at the appropriate level without letting it drop or drop much.
Reading a thread or three on clearing up a "green swamp" will make this all understandable.
You will want to pick up or order a TF100 or K-2006. Most of us recommend the TF100.
http://tftestkits.net/TFTestkits-TF-100-p4.html
http://www.walmart.com/ip/39130833?...97286209&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=88706890809&veh=sem
This is new to me but Walmart is now selling the K-2006

 

[RoyT]

Hi, kiss4afrog, graler and Smykowski,
Thanks for answering my post. I know your advice is probably good
but I'm a 88 year old retiree living on a fixed income and I would not be able to afford
the test kit and a lot of chemicals. Maybe before next spring I'll be able to do something.
Thanks again, RoyT

 

[pooladdict]

Pucks, Algaecide, Clarifiers and the like will cost you way more then a tfp test kit and proper advice. First step to "owning" your pool, is learn how to test and care for it.

 

[Kiss4aFrog]

Not a problem at all Roy ..

I had a hard time plunking down the $$ for the kit as the owner, my GF didn't want to pay for it and I'm ... well ... thrifty. Money is an object and the good thing is you can still do all the reading you want to for free. You'll get an education and you will better understand what we are talking about and how to control your pool no matter what method you use.

The "stuff" we (TFP) use to manage our water - - > http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/139-recommended-pool-chemicals

The best part for me is knowing what this stuff does and what to expect no matter if it's a pool store product, "Walmart" pool product or the equivalent chemical like baking soda from the grocery store for a quarter the price. That and the advise of "try this" from the pool store and not really knowing what was in the $25 bottle and what it would really do to the waters chemistry was always an act of faith and unfortunately often futility.

Except for the more expensive kit this way (TFP Method) is the least expensive way I've found to manage my water. Using just bleach and basic chemicals you can get at Walmart, grocery store or a hardware store has saved me (the GF) a lot of money and I like the feel and look of the water much more. Still trying to get her to understand we don't need "Sparkle Up", algaecide, Ph up and the rest of the BioGard family of products to have really nice clean, clear and soft feeling water.
NOT picking on BioGard, just happens to be what the pool store in my area carries and while I was being "pool stored" it did it's job just fine but was expensive.

Below is the "Pool Store" way :thumbdown:

 

[Swampwoman]

Roy, I appreciate your situation. I fear, though, that it may cost you more to clean it up later if the weather is warm enough for the algae to continue growing (I see you're down south.)

The reason for the test kit is so you can properly slam to the effective "shock" level and "maintain" aka keep it there to kill off the algae. The right "super-chlorination" level to kill the algae depends on your CYA, which is often high if you use tabs instead of liquid bleach. It's hard to do this "blind" eg - without knowing your parameters.

However, maybe you could mitigate the situation right now a bit by reading up on the slam in pool school, calculating an approximate shock level, and dosing up your pool with some household bleach to that level a few times a day until you see some visual indicators that the algae is dying off (color change.) best wishes.

 

[kimkats]

I am also in Florida and KNOW what you are facing. The water is still warm enough to grow algae. My silly husband still gets in! BURRRRRRRRR

In the long run you will spend LESS money if you buy a good test kit! The up front cost seems like a lot BUT when you get your pool clear again it will be SO much cheaper and easier to maintain.

I wish you luck. Let us know if there is anything else we can help you with.

Kim

 

[Patrick_B]

Welcome Roy. If you must wait until the spring, you must, but I will make a friendly suggestion that a kit will save you a lot of money in the long run. The beauty of what we teach, is that it minimizes or eliminates lots of un-needed chemicals often pushed on you by retailers. We will never tell you to buy something you don't need, and almost without fail, our methods end up saving people a significant amount of money. Enjoy the forum, and jump into the ABCs in pool school as Smykowski suggested. Take bites at a time, and digest at your own pace.

 

[Smykowski]

..... I would not be able to afford ....a lot of chemicals.

Don't mean to beat the horse here, but that's the beauty of TFP. If you buy a good test kit, and you truly understand what's going on in your pool, you won't have to buy a lot of chemicals. The stuff you do buy can be had for cheap from the grocery store, hardware store, or online. For some real world numbers, you can take a look at my signature.

If you do decide to go the TFP route, you'll also get more free advice than you'll ever imagine.

Just let us know.