I need serious help

[Bridgette.maze]

For the past few weeks I can't get rid of the algee. I have put almost 2 gallons of algeeside in the water and 10
Lbs of shock. I would wait the said amount of time and vacuum to waste. I back wash every few days. The other day the lady at the pool place said not to do that cause it is just wasting out all my chemicals. My ph and ta are almost non existent. I have put in 5 plus lbs of borax and baking soda. I have an In ground vinyl pool 25,000 gallons and a Sand filter. What I am doing wrong?

 

[AimeeH]

Welcome to TFP

What we teach is about accurately testing and balencing our pool water and feeding it only what it needs. We generally don't trust test strips or pool store testing as they all have been proven to be inaccurate. I'll put some links at the bottom of this thread that should help. But first, Algaecide doesn't kill algae.....it is a preventative at best. Many algaecides contain copper which can turn water greenish and cause metal staining over time. So I'd say stop with that for sure. Some links below are a good place to start and post back with questions.

Pool School - ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry
Pool School - Test Kits Compared
Pool School - SLAM - Shock Level And Maintain

 

[Bridgette.maze]

Ok I read the links you sent. The one on slamming the pool. What if I can't rise my ph it is around 6.3 or so?

 

[AimeeH]

Hi there

How are you measuring your PH? You can raise it a number of ways. You can add borax, you can also aerate your water to raise PH.

Can you tell us how you chlorinate your water normally?

 

[Bridgette.maze]

I tried that I about between 10-15 Lbs of borax and baking soda and it didn't raise it at all

- - - Updated - - -

I have an chlorinatorthat take 3 in tabs. I have been shocking it like crazy and I even got the little floating chlorinator that has 3 inch tabs in it too

 

[zea3]

Your pH is probably lower than the test can read. I suspect that the tablets have caused the pH to crash. They are very acidic and will lower the pH. I also suspect your pool has a very high CYA level. Do you have a set of recent test results you can post?

 

[Bridgette.maze]

FC over 18.24 ppm
TC over 18.24 ppm
CC 0 ppm
PH under 6.3
Hardness 29 ppm
TA 0 ppm
CYA 40 ppm
Copper 0.4 ppm
Iron 0.1ppm

When I did it the TA test myself I put the initial 5 drops and it immediately turned red not sure if that means it high or low. The chart doesn't tell me that.

 

[duraleigh]

Your serious help is available but you must do some serious reading and get a serious test kit.

Your pH WILL come up. read "The ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry" up in Pool School to tell you how....you just haven't added enough borax.

Pool store testing won't help you. If you want to truly manage your pool, you must start by doing your own testing.

 

[pooldv]

Enter your test results in PoolMath. Copy everything over to Target except PH. Make the PH Target 7.2. Add as much Borax as it says, pump on, brush and retest in 15 minutes. Repeat until the PH reads 7.2 or above.

PoolMath link is at the top of every page. There is a link to the instructions at the top of the PoolMath page.
Here are the ABCs, ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry
I use the TF-100 Test kit. It is the best value. I buy mine at TFTestkits.net.