My wife and I bought a home a couple of months ago. This is my first time dealing with a pool. I have struggled with algae almost since day one. I refuse to pay a someone to clean/care for my pool if I have the ability to do it myself. I have read lots of information and bought a K-2006 test kit. Here are my latest measurements: FC = 12.6ppm; CC = 0.2ppm or less; pH = 7.2 - 7.3; Total Alkalinity = 100ppm; Calcium Hardness = 220ppm; CYA = 55 - 60. My free chlorine is so high because I dumped 6 to 8 gallons of bleach in it early last week to combat another algae bloom. My pool is 12,150 gallons.
Here is the cycle: I get algae when my pool statistics are normal; my 8 year old daughter gets upset because I tell her she can't swim; I get upset because I don't know what I'm doing wrong; I dump bleach (6% or 10% gallons, whichever I have on hand) to raise the FC above 20ppm (this past go around it was up to 30ppm), I monitor pH, etc, and dial it back in; I scrub the pool; the algae dies and the pool gets milky blue; I clean the filter; the water gets clear; we swim for a week; then back comes the algae.
The bottom and sides of my pool have yellow splotches...as if it's slightly camouflaged. There are also a few black patches that I can't get rid off. I have scrubbed hard enough to lose some of the steel hairs from the brush. Also, when I brush, some grey clouds of debris/dead algae/dirt/I don't know what puff up. I try to vacuum it up, but maybe I'm not vacuuming enough? I think that I'm not scrubbing away all of the algae and it's hiding in these yellow spots. I think the algae then continues to creep back up. What do you guys think? I live in Florida, by the way, so it's hot and humid here. Also, the pool canopy has a ton of green algae on it, but I'm putting off pressure washing it until I can figure out my pool...and I'm also afraid of that algae falling into the pool - but it probably falls into the pool every time it rains!
What should I do about these yellow and black patches? Do you think I need to have the pool resurfaced? There are a few places where the pool plaster is coming up and crumbles if i rub my feet/hands against it. The house was built in 1986. The previous owners had a 'pool boy.' The pool looked fine when we bought the house; then again, we probably weren't looking at it so microscopically before we bought the house. We saw blue water and thought "cool." The only reason we got a pool is for our daughter...and it's p!ssing me off to no end that I'm constantly fighting it . ANY advice would be greatly appreciated. Meanwhile, i'll plan on vacuuming for a long time this afternoon to see if that gets rid of those small clouds of grey whenever i brush the bottom. By the way, I have attached two pictures for reference.
Here is the cycle: I get algae when my pool statistics are normal; my 8 year old daughter gets upset because I tell her she can't swim; I get upset because I don't know what I'm doing wrong; I dump bleach (6% or 10% gallons, whichever I have on hand) to raise the FC above 20ppm (this past go around it was up to 30ppm), I monitor pH, etc, and dial it back in; I scrub the pool; the algae dies and the pool gets milky blue; I clean the filter; the water gets clear; we swim for a week; then back comes the algae.
The bottom and sides of my pool have yellow splotches...as if it's slightly camouflaged. There are also a few black patches that I can't get rid off. I have scrubbed hard enough to lose some of the steel hairs from the brush. Also, when I brush, some grey clouds of debris/dead algae/dirt/I don't know what puff up. I try to vacuum it up, but maybe I'm not vacuuming enough? I think that I'm not scrubbing away all of the algae and it's hiding in these yellow spots. I think the algae then continues to creep back up. What do you guys think? I live in Florida, by the way, so it's hot and humid here. Also, the pool canopy has a ton of green algae on it, but I'm putting off pressure washing it until I can figure out my pool...and I'm also afraid of that algae falling into the pool - but it probably falls into the pool every time it rains!
What should I do about these yellow and black patches? Do you think I need to have the pool resurfaced? There are a few places where the pool plaster is coming up and crumbles if i rub my feet/hands against it. The house was built in 1986. The previous owners had a 'pool boy.' The pool looked fine when we bought the house; then again, we probably weren't looking at it so microscopically before we bought the house. We saw blue water and thought "cool." The only reason we got a pool is for our daughter...and it's p!ssing me off to no end that I'm constantly fighting it . ANY advice would be greatly appreciated. Meanwhile, i'll plan on vacuuming for a long time this afternoon to see if that gets rid of those small clouds of grey whenever i brush the bottom. By the way, I have attached two pictures for reference.