- Jun 14, 2012
- 2,668
- Pool Size
- 13500
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool Edge-40
New here and white algae
- Thread starter Cloneman315
- Start date
WaterWizard said:
Welcome to TFP!!!
Just to address a few of your points:
Chlorine is really the most important thing required to avoid algae ... and some circulation. You could have no filter and maintain the FC level and there would be no living algae.
We also generally do not recommend and clarifier / floc products until a last resort. Sometimes they work and sometimes they make more problems. If the filter is working correctly, the water will clear (a little DE can help the sand filters speed this along).
Our general recommendation is to backwash the filter when the pressure rises 20-25% above the clean pressure ... do this long enough so that the water is clear as you state. Additionally inspecting and cleaning the sand once a year can help settle the sand.
Finally, there is no real right answer as far as how much to run the pump. You really just need to run it long enough that the water looks clean enough to you. But generally, the winter time run can be much shorter than in the summer as was stated.
jblizzle said:
I agree that chlorine is important in preventing/treating algae Which is why my first comment point was good chemistry. I do also insist that filtration is equally important in pool care ( I speak from Texas) and treatment of algae. No mater how high the FC level the old or dead debris have to be removed from the water, and dead algae turns white.
I am sorry that i stated that wrong about the back washing, I did mean to include to backwash when at 10-12 psi over starting clean filter pressure. I completely agree with cleaning and inspecting the sand yearly ( it becomes round instead of jagged for silica #20). About the clarifier I misunderstood, I thought he was in a last resort situation (considering i never recommend a product that can be bought in a grocery store like bleach) and would never advise to use clarifier with "growing algae" as it bonds to it and pretty much protects it from chlorine.
My Mistake on running the pump as well, I only speak for people based in my climate. (Texas, Houston) which was not pointed out. Although my personal recommendations are still min-8hrs in summer and min-4hrs in winter for any climate. Just my opinion.
Thank you for your answer, I am new to the forum so any threads you recommend to read would be appreciated.
I agree that filtration is absolutely required to have a clear pool. I was simply pointing out that you will not get algae growing if adequate chlorine is present, regardless of the filtration. Sure the pool will be dirty, but it will not turn green.
I think this forum used to recommend the ~10 psi rise that the industry often states, but 10 psi rise over a clean pressure of 5 psi (+200%) is much more significant than a 10 psi rise over a clean pressure of 20 psi (+50%). So, the recommendation was changed to a 20-25% pressure rise as that will scale depending what each pool's "normal/clean" pressure is. Through experimentation it was found that with a pressure rise much above this %, the flow can become greatly reduced, thus reducing the amount of water being filtered.
This forum does NOT subscribe to the belief that the sand "wears out". In fact there are experiments posted with macro photography that prove this to not happen. Sand is already millions of years old. If it wore out, all the beaches would be round powder. In fact, the only time sand really even moves in a filter is during a backwash. The inspection is just to make sure the sand has not clumped up or become channeled, reducing the filters ability to actually filter.
This forum is also all about understanding the pools chemistry and using chemicals that achieve a desired change ... this often includes chemicals from a grocery store. There is no difference between liquid chlorine and bleach besides the strength that matter. There is no difference between TA UP and baking soda. Why pay a mark-up for the same ingredients?
We certainly welcome your thoughts and experience and hope I am not coming off as confrontational. We generally regard ourselves as a teaching forum and when new members (with unknown experience) post things that may not exactly align with what we teach, we try to make sure that the differences methods are pointed out for any future readers.
I would certainly suggest reading through Pool School (and some of the Further Reading articles at the bottom) to get a feel for what we are about. There is just a ridiculous amount of information here to read :lol:
If you want to get into the bowels, check out The Deep End or Chemistry 201.
I think this forum used to recommend the ~10 psi rise that the industry often states, but 10 psi rise over a clean pressure of 5 psi (+200%) is much more significant than a 10 psi rise over a clean pressure of 20 psi (+50%). So, the recommendation was changed to a 20-25% pressure rise as that will scale depending what each pool's "normal/clean" pressure is. Through experimentation it was found that with a pressure rise much above this %, the flow can become greatly reduced, thus reducing the amount of water being filtered.
This forum does NOT subscribe to the belief that the sand "wears out". In fact there are experiments posted with macro photography that prove this to not happen. Sand is already millions of years old. If it wore out, all the beaches would be round powder. In fact, the only time sand really even moves in a filter is during a backwash. The inspection is just to make sure the sand has not clumped up or become channeled, reducing the filters ability to actually filter.
This forum is also all about understanding the pools chemistry and using chemicals that achieve a desired change ... this often includes chemicals from a grocery store. There is no difference between liquid chlorine and bleach besides the strength that matter. There is no difference between TA UP and baking soda. Why pay a mark-up for the same ingredients?
We certainly welcome your thoughts and experience and hope I am not coming off as confrontational. We generally regard ourselves as a teaching forum and when new members (with unknown experience) post things that may not exactly align with what we teach, we try to make sure that the differences methods are pointed out for any future readers.
I would certainly suggest reading through Pool School (and some of the Further Reading articles at the bottom) to get a feel for what we are about. There is just a ridiculous amount of information here to read :lol:
If you want to get into the bowels, check out The Deep End or Chemistry 201.
The Pool calc has been loaded on my phone and I been using for a few weeks now. Does the cya really mean anything if I am holding chlorine right now as far as the water clearing up ?It has been very cool and not much sun and the levels have been steady. I dont have a main drain,I have been brushing and backwashing.I am really not wanting do use any bottle products like floc etc but maybe it will save me some time now during the off season.
Cloneman315 said:
CYA determines your FC shock level and general target levels, so is very important. As was previously asked, please provide a full set of test results and we'll help you get things balance.
You are done shocking when:
1) CC is 0.5 or lower;
2) An overnight FC loss test shows a loss of 1.0 ppm or less;
3) And the water is clear.
Floc has it's pros and cons. If you hold FC at shock level and have adequate filtration, the water should show visible improvement every day.
I will post results,I think the particles are so small there going through the filter even with the de in there ?
I did not catch it in previous posts, but did you get a chance to open up the filter and ensure the sand is not channeled? You can also attach pantyhose to one of your returns and if it fills up with debris, it's bypassing the filter.
Have not pulled filter apart yet,only a little over a year old.i have pantyhose on returns and skimmer