Brown Algae not does vacuum to waste after shocking

[scogaun316]

Hello TFP Family! I recently found this site and figured I'd join. I just moved into a house that has an above ground pool (stupid me left the details of my pool at home so I will post that later today), but I believe it's a 24 foot above ground round pool. I just printed off lots of the information on the site such as ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry, Defeating Algae, etc....

Anyway, before I go through all this, AGAIN, I thought I'd see if anyone had any advice! So before finding this page, I went to a pool store near me (Great Escape) who recommended shocking the pool, which we did with the Walmart H2H Green to Blue Pool shock 3 times and then the Super Floc and Bouratic Acid (I think that's what it was called) from the pool store. Every time we have used any of these methods, there is brown algae (looks like sand) that I believe is dead at the bottom of the pool, but when I set my filter to waste and try and vacuum it up, it does not come up with the vacuum (which I tested does have good suction). Any thoughts of what may be wrong? It's getting very frustrating and I recently thought about just draining the pool, cleaning the algae with chemicals like bleach or chlorine and then refilling but I"d like to avoid that if at all possible.

Thanks in advance!

Scott

 

[duraleigh]

Welcome to the forum.

Stir it up and let it get into your filter......i.e. don't vacuum to waste.

Clean your filter as needed.

If you have recurring algae (and you probably do) it will continue to partially die and continue to fall onto your pool floor.

one of principles we try to adhere to is we don't suggest mix and match of advice. You'd be better off EITHER going with your pool store's advice OR with ours. Trying to do both wastes your time, often gives you confusing results, makes it VERY difficult to help, and usually doesn't help your pool.

 

[singingpond]

when I set my filter to waste and try and vacuum it up, it does not come up with the vacuum

What do you mean exactly? Does the brown material just stick to the floor, and it's still sitting there after you pass the vacuum head over it?

 

[scogaun316]

I agree Dave -- I am done taking the pool stores advice now that I have found this site! But before, that's all I had.

singingpond - So I will fill my pool 3/4 high where the skimmer is, set up the vacuum to the skimmer and set the filter to waste. I stuck my hand in the water under the vacuum to make sure there is suction (which there is), and the brown algae will move around a bit but will not suck into the vacuum. The reason I know this is #1 there is still a good amount of the brown algae in my pool and #2 the water coming out the hose to the filter (waste water) is clear. Once enough water exits through the hose and below the skimmer, the vacuum obviously doesn't work any longer so I have to refill my pool, again!

Thank you for the replies!