Green Pool - getting greener by the day

tony4

0
Jun 10, 2017
9
Houston, TX
Hello,

I'm a newbie pool owner and I've been fighting the algae that's been growing in my pool for the last two months now, and I've just recently discovered this community and was hoping for some help. Two months ago, I went to the local pool supply store and told them my pool was green from algae. They sold me some "green to clean" as well as some shock. I followed their instructions, and while some of the algae did go away, the walls of the pool still had algae growth on it. A week after the treatment, all the algae had returned. I went through this cycle again with the local store, and again, same results - green again after a week or so. I did a little internet research, and that's how I ended up here. :)

I bought a taylor 2006 testkit and my pool stats are as follows:
FC = 0
CC = 0, (I guess this is 0 since my FC test never changed color)
PH =7.4
TA = 90ppm
CYA = 95

My pool is a 10,000 gallon pool with a Hayward DE filter. plaster surface.

I've read through the SLAM guide and had some basic questions:
1. I am assuming my first step is to lower my CYA. I was planning on just doing this via water changes and testing until my CYA is around 40. Does that sound correct?
2. Should I be adding bleach to my pool while I am trying to lower the CYA, or just wait until my CYA is low enough before I start adding bleach?
3. Can someone explain to me how to read the Chlorine/CYA chart? If my CYA is 40, then I should add enough bleach to get to 5-7 FC? what is the Shock FC column for?
4. How do I know how much bleach to add to increase the FC in my pool? I've looked at the Pool Math calculator, and it tells me that in order to go from 0 FC to 4 FC, I should add 83oz of 6% weight bleach. Is this how much I add for my intial SLAM? Am I to test the water again, adjust my "Now" value and see how much bleach to add for my next time?

Thanks in advance to anyone that responds. I hope that I can be a valuable contributor to this community one day.
 
Awelcome to TFP :)

SLAM=

Shock
Level
And
Maintain

So on that FC/CYA chart you'll want to keep your FC at shock level for your CYA until water is clear/ CC is .5 or less and OCLT is less than 1.

You will have to replace water to get your CYA down. 50% water replacement would take you down to about 47 (half of 95).

Keep posting questions.
 
I am no expert, but first thing I would do is redo the CYA test a few times, reading instructions carefully. If consistently 95, yes, you need to replace 40-50% of the water in the pool. I prefer 40-60 on my CYA. You could get away with 60 in Houston I think.
 
I've read through the SLAM guide and had some basic questions:
1. I am assuming my first step is to lower my CYA. I was planning on just doing this via water changes and testing until my CYA is around 40. Does that sound correct?
2. Should I be adding bleach to my pool while I am trying to lower the CYA, or just wait until my CYA is low enough before I start adding bleach?
3. Can someone explain to me how to read the Chlorine/CYA chart? If my CYA is 40, then I should add enough bleach to get to 5-7 FC? what is the Shock FC column for?
4. How do I know how much bleach to add to increase the FC in my pool? I've looked at the Pool Math calculator, and it tells me that in order to go from 0 FC to 4 FC, I should add 83oz of 6% weight bleach. Is this how much I add for my intial SLAM? Am I to test the water again, adjust my "Now" value and see how much bleach to add for my next time?

Thanks in advance to anyone that responds. I hope that I can be a valuable contributor to this community one day.

1. Yeah, drain about 1/2 of your pool to get CYA down to about 45 (or lower down to 30 if you can)

2. Wait until you get your CYA lowered and pool refilled. You can start adding during the refill if you want.

3. "Shock" column is for the SLAM value. You will need to SLAM your pool.

4. With a CYA of about 40-45, I would use the SLAM value of 20 ppm. You can just about safely assume your initial FC value will be zero.

It's not clear to me you understand the nature of the SLAM. You must bring your FC up to about 20 ppm (once you get your CYA down to 40) and then you must keep replenishing the chlorine back up to 20 until your pool is clear.

Please read "The "ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry" up in Pool School. Then read the SLAM article.
 
So I followed the SLAM procedure, and my pool is back to being blue again! :)

I took another reading from my pool today and the stats are as follows:
FC = 12.5
CC = 0.5
PH =7.8
TA = 100
CYA = 80

My question is, assuming I pass the OCLT test and my FC doesn't change overnight, is my pool safe to swim in given the high CC reading and CYA reading? From a daily/weekly maintenance standpoint, should I just make sure I keep the target FC range of 9-11 if my CYA stays at 80?
 
So I followed the SLAM procedure, and my pool is back to being blue again! :)

I took another reading from my pool today and the stats are as follows:
FC = 12.5
CC = 0.5
PH =7.8
TA = 100
CYA = 80

My question is, assuming I pass the OCLT test and my FC doesn't change overnight, is my pool safe to swim in given the high CC reading and CYA reading? From a daily/weekly maintenance standpoint, should I just make sure I keep the target FC range of 9-11 if my CYA stays at 80?
If the water is also clear so you can easily see the main drain, you can get in right now.

,5 CC is nothing You're well below shock level. pH is in range. Get in :splash:
 
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