Algae on the pool cover

[dlaslo]

I had quite a bit of algae on the pool winter cover remaining after pumping the excess water. I was carefully removing the cover a little at a time from both sides but not careful enough.

I was pulling one side and the other side slid back into the pool and about 10% of the green gook spilled into the otherwise crystal clear water and now I have a cloudy light green yukky pool. ARGH.

I quickly spiked to 11 ppm FC without any other analytical measurements....I'll get those after a few hours when the filter and FC have cleaned it up a bit

Anything else I should be doing (other than following SLAM procedures) ? What happens to the algae in the sand filter- is it all backwashed out?

 

[Richard320]

11 FC might not be enough.

You own a decent test kit, so it's unlikely you let your CYA get out of control, but anything's possible. If your CYA is above 30, you need more FC.

The green stuff will bleach to a greyish color and cloud the water until the filter strains it all out. Just be patient, don't go dumping a bunch of flocculent or clarifiers in. If you have any neighbors or friends with a DE filter, beg a bowlful of filter media and Add DE to a Sand Filter That filters finer stuff faster than just plain sand. On a microscopic scale, it's like setting window screen on top of chicken wire. If it works, you'll load up the filter in a hurry, so don't leave the filter running and disappear for the day. You'll want to keep an eye on the pressure gauge.

 

[Texas Splash]

You nailed it ... SLAM. Hopefully the circulation and higher SLAM FC level will neutralize anything spilled into the water quickly, unlike a normal SLAM where algae is already attached to everything. Still, do everything you see on the SLAM page to be safe. Backwashing will remove any of the dead algae as well. Just make sure to confirm pH first (7.2-7.5), and confirm CYA so you know what SLAM FC level to be at.

 

[dlaslo]

Update

I did a complete analytical and pH was 7.3, CYA was less than 30 and I've been seeing what Richard320 predicted....at first green, then grey, then cloudy. After a couple of days of FC=10 and a couple of backwashes the turbidity got better but still not crystal clear. Last night I did a FC overnight check and it went from 7 to 6 --- I just spiked it back up to 10. I've been trying to vacuum the pool from the outside (water temperature is only 68F) - and there are still a few leaves in there that keep eluding me

I'll see if I can drum up some DE today.

I don't have anything on hand to raise the pH so I'm leaving it at 7.3.

 

[kimkats]

You can turn your returns up so they roll the water. That will push your PH up. Cheap and fun if you let them really have at it and make them like a fountain!

Kim:cat: