I'm a newbie to pools & posting, so plz forgive mistakes. I have owned an 18" X45" Oval AGP with a Cartridge type filter- pump for 3 yrs now. Always wanted a pool, but I just can't seem to 'GET' how to care for one. In past, have always tried to do the 3step process: Balance/Chlorine/Algicide, w/o much success. Idk what I told myself this Summer was the year I'd find out what I did wrong or die trying. Long story short: Illness stopped me from properly closing my pool last Fall = Algae City in Spring. Killed Algae out & I'm vacuuming daily to get it all out, but its VERY hard cause' its degraded to a whitish slime now. I DO have the PH right , BUT I CANNOT GET CHLORINE UP enough to even register and the STABILIZER is LOW too. I've tried using the stabilized solid disc chlorine but it just never dissolves quickly enough to make a difference, and by that time, PH, algea & other stuff are usually acting up. So I switched to Gallon jugs of Sodium Hypochoride thinking it would boost it quick cause its liquid (just found out its unstable). Wrong!Duh... So, my questions are 1) What type/brand of Chlorine do I need to raise it to 1-3 ppm in a reasonably quick time? 2)Do I add CYA BEFORE or AFTER the next new CHLORINE I add? Testing reveals : Hardness, PH, TA are OK. TC& FC are VERY LOW & STABILIZER LOW. Pool water has visible dead algae & possibly a bit of new growth too. I am a 52 yr old retired- disabled nurse who needs pool for exercise to help my Lymphedema in legs. Thanks to anyone who has advice.
Help! Ph ok, cant get chlorine up/algae out
- Thread starter npgirl64
- Start date
the algae is consuming the FC faster than you can put it in. have you read pool school? if not read it now. do you have a good test kit? if no get one and take control of your pool. we need your test numbers in order to give you much advice. only thing needed is liquid bleach to take care of the algae.
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,752
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Hello and welcome to TFP! 
Your situation is not as uncommon as you might think, and anytime there is an algae problem it's boils-down to improper chlorination. If you have low to no stabilizer, the FC won't remain stable enough to do its job. Much of this is addressed in the TFP "Pool School" link below. But at this point, you'll need to ensure CYA is increased to 30, then increase FC to 12 using just regular liquid bleach - generic is fine. Just as important as all of this is HOW you are testing. You need to use a TF-100 or Taylor K-2006C to test properly, so if you don't have one of those kits, please make that a priority.
Also, don't forget to update your profile signature as soon as possible. Let us know if you have any other questions.
Your situation is not as uncommon as you might think, and anytime there is an algae problem it's boils-down to improper chlorination. If you have low to no stabilizer, the FC won't remain stable enough to do its job. Much of this is addressed in the TFP "Pool School" link below. But at this point, you'll need to ensure CYA is increased to 30, then increase FC to 12 using just regular liquid bleach - generic is fine. Just as important as all of this is HOW you are testing. You need to use a TF-100 or Taylor K-2006C to test properly, so if you don't have one of those kits, please make that a priority.Also, don't forget to update your profile signature as soon as possible. Let us know if you have any other questions.