Algae battle!!! How to win?

[wmmihail]

It seems that Im always battling a little bit of algae in my pool, what I call a 5 o'clock shadow! Otherwise the water is clear but I feel that I am needing to brush away algae a little too often. I check my water balance daily and today I went to pool store to confirm my numbers. They are as follows from the pool store and are very close to the numbers I get with my Taylor kit:
FC-4.72.
Total Cl - 4.72.
pH - 7.6.
TA - 105
Calcium - 237
Cyan - 64
Iron - 0.1
Copper - 0.1
Phosphates - 2549
TDS - 900

So clearly the phosphates are high, I have landscaping with plants, mulch, etc within 18" or so from one long edge of the pool and over winter organic matter tends to collect in the cover. Are the phosphates really my problem? I have read in many forums that the phosphates are not such a big deal and dont necessarily need to be addressed. Last year they were in the 1800 range and I did add a bit of fresh water this spring after a power vac to waste. Any advice for me????

 

[mknauss]

numbers I get with my Taylor kit

Post those up and we can provide some guidance.

 

[wmmihail]

FC - 4.5
CC - 0
pH - 7.4
TA - 110
Calcium - unfortunately ran out of reagent in middle of test. But last week it was in range.
Cyan - mine only does black dot test, no numerical score
2006 Kit wont do the others.

Thanks

 

[proavia]

Cyan - mine only does black dot test, no numerical score

CYA - look at the side of the comparator block in the K-2006 kits.
There should be numbers from 100 to maybe 30 or 20 in 10 digit increments
You fill to a line, glance from the top of the tube, if you see the dot fill to the next line.
If dot can be seen at 60 but not seen at 50, your CYA Is 60 - as the scale is logarithemic and not linear. You always round up.

Is your kit a K-2006 or K-2006C?
How old are the reagents?

 

[wmmihail]

ok but why focus on CYA? I had a reading from pool store and it was OK. Does CYA affect what my original posting was about???

 

[mknauss]

Your CYA level is needed to know what level of FC you need for the SLAM Process

 

[wmmihail]

So is the suggestion to SLAM the pool? It is not green, water is clear and CC = 0 and my FC has been 3 to 5 consistently once i got the pool going for the season.

 

[mknauss]

It seems that Im always battling a little bit of algae in my pool, what I call a 5 o'clock shadow!

Do an OCLT.

 

[wmmihail]

sorry been away a few days. would anyone be able to comment on the phosphates level and whether I need to address that or is it pool store hocus pocus???

 

[Jsf721]

sorry been away a few days. would anyone be able to comment on the phosphates level and whether I need to address that or is it pool store hocus pocus???

If you need to address the phosphates use Orenda PR10000. I have but it does create its own issues. the fallout can clog a DE filter leading to a cleaning (takes mew 20 minutes). The fall out will blow through a sand filter (at least my friends) and you need to stop pump let it settle and vacuum it out.

Phosphates are food for Algae. The thinking of this board is to not address them but rather to keep FC at a level where the Algae cannot live so they cannot feed. Not wrong thinking but I manage both.

 

[Mdragger88]

sorry been away a few days. would anyone be able to comment on the phosphates level and whether I need to address that or is it pool store hocus pocus???

If you wish to address phosphates you would do it after you dealt with the algae anyway. Adding phosphate remover now will not help your current algae problem. Reducing phosphates is at best a preventative/mild insurance incase of fc dips- it is not the cure.

Phosphate Removers - Further Reading

www.google.com

The crux of the problem & the solution is the fc level in relation to cya
FC/CYA Levels
At some point fc was below minimum for your cya which allowed algae to take hold/proliferate. You need to know your actual cya (measured with the turbidity test) to ensure you adequately chlorinate your pool & to know the appropriate slam level.

If you have visible algae you should do the
SLAM Process.
Having a little algae is akin to being a little pregnant.

 

[proavia]

Where is "selden" - update your profile with city and state.

Fill out your signature with pool, pool equipment (including manufacturers and model numbers) and test kit info.
This assists up in providing help specific to your pool without needing to ask you each time.

In your initial post to this thread, you mention you are "... always battling a little bit of algae ...".
If you want to rid your pool of algae, you need to SLAM Process.

Don't be concerned about the pool store reported phosphates.
Getting rid of phosphates isn't going to rid your pool of algae.
Liquid chlorine in the required amounts will.

To start, post a full set of current test results from one of the recommended test kits.
Test Kits Compared

The following results are needed:
FC
CC
pH
TA
CH
CYA
Water temperature
Salt (if you have a SWG)

Familiarize yourself with:
Pool Care Basics
PoolMath
FC/CYA Levels
Overnight Chlorine Loss Test
SLAM Process

An accurate CYA result (not the PS one) is needed so you know the needed minimum and target FC levels for your CYA level - and what the SLAM level FC is, as you have algae and need to SLAM to get rid of it.

TFP methods work - but require accurate testing, follow-thru and a bit of time.

Inspiration:
How Clear is TFP Clear?