Clear water/green spots

[Dddarlin63]

First please know I need a pool care for dummies course. I tried to find an answer to my problem but all of your #'s and acronyms are way over my head. My husband takes care of our pool. All the test strips come out perfect except ph sometimes a little high. Our water is crystal clear for the first two months we have it open then around mid-July we start to get the little spots of green dust that dissolves or floats away when touched. The water is still clear. We've shocked, vacuumed, brushed to no avail. The closest we got to back to normal was after we used flock which held it together so we could actually get it vacuumed. But in about 5 days, it's back. Last night, 24 hours after flock, my husband vacuumed to waste until none could be seen. Within an hour it's back again. It's more green with a hint of brown. My husband has decided this must just be the way it is. He's frustrated to the point that I really don't want to even offer ideas!

21X54 above ground
sunk about 1 foot
stairs in pool
sand filter

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Welcome Dddarlin63 You've come to the right place. You just need to learn the lingo

Here is the starter lesson - ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry

Next you need to ditch those strips <boo hiss for strips!> and get a drop based test kit. The strips aren't accurate or accurate enough especially if you're having algae problems. The TF-100 or the K-2006 are the two kits we recommend. Can be ordered online from TFTestkits.net or Amazon. Worth *every* penny and then some!

We need to know:
FC (free chlorine)
CC (combined chloarmines ....aka the used up chlorine..or as I like to say "the cooties" :joker:
pH (duh... pH )
TA (total alkalinity... important as works hand in hand nicely with your pH)
Ch (calcium hardness... not too important in your vinyl pool)
CYA (the stabilizer Cyanuric Acid...which "holds" the chlorine in the water and protects it from the evil sun's burning rays...which would make the chlorine go away before it had a chance to kill the cooties off)

When we know these things, along with what chemicals you add to your water, we can help diagnose your pools "issues" and get in to helping you.

How's that sound for a plan??

Yippee

 

[domct203]

Algae in a pool is not 'just the way it is'. Your algae is not 'coming back', it is just continuing to bloom as you are not killing it all. Just because you cannot see the algae does not mean it is not in your water.

YippieSkippy has put you on the right path. Have a read through pool school, especially the 'ABC's of Water Chemistry' that YippieSkippy posted.

This is how we destroy all the algae in your pool, but you need the proper test kit to do it:
SLAM - Shock Level And Maintain

What have you been using to shock your pool, and how do you normally chlorinate?

Welcome to the forum, glad to have you with us.