Newbie Fighting Algae

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I match what you get. 3 cycles is 120, 4 cycles is 70-80.

Here are some other options. Reverse osmosis can lower CYA too. It might not hurt to search around your area to see if anyone does it.

Only other thing I can think of is there can't be much swim season left for Chicago. You could limp along and hope the CYA Eating Fairy visits after closing and takes all your CYA. It's happened to some of us over the past winter or two.
 
Right, there may be a weekend here or there but after this week, temps look like mid 70's as the high, not much of the season is left. I'll check with my installer to see what he may charge for it. Slowly filling it in thirds really doesn't seem like it's a great solution either but probably the only one to do...
 
I think Marian has a good Idea in calling and seeing about a guarantee or just about how much for them to drain and fill to be sure no wrinkles. Since you had liner replaced last year, I would start there. Also as Mr.Bruce suggested above, could close for the year and your CYA may drop some, however you will probably have a mess on your hands when you open but you are going to exchange water if CYA isn't down enough and that would help with the mess. I bought a house with a pool and have opened twice, 2 years ago a real swamp as pool was neglected several years without a cover most of the time. After being "pool schooled" and not much progress for several weeks, I cleared it in a week following TFP method. Last year when closing, used a mesh saftey cover that came with house for winter, not taking the time to think that it needed a solid cover to prevent algae. When I opened this year had a big mess with strips of dark green algae running through and could not see 2 feet down. Cleaned up again in a week, and it was pretty easy since I knew what I was doing. However, I have read of many that took much longer. Interested to see how you go and the results, even next spring.
 
Notes/Thoughts:

Reverse Osmosis is not available in our area....

Viscid and I discussed the possibility of CYA lowering over the winter. We also discussed the advantages of closing after water temps are below 60 degrees and opening before they reach 60. (Which you may want to consider, Pool Amateur. I do, and I open crystal clear and balanced).

I also sent him this link about another option for refilling with a MetalTrap: New User - Doing first drain - What do I need to know?

I still can't decide what I would do if it were my pool... I am leaning towards the "tarp method" and getting it clear this fall. I am curious to see what PB says about drain and refill.
 
Thanks Marian,
Just read the "Tarp Thread", great thread learned a lot. I think that could be a possibility, and fast, as could use trash pump for fast drain with water truck doing fast fill. I will wait this fall til water reaches 60 to close (Also use solid cover over trampoline safety cover). Thanks for the tip. Also liked the idea of automated chlorinator.

Maybe could borrow tarp as in same area.
 
Drain and refill. Slowly with the hose. I'm vacuuming to waste as the water level rises. Pool is clearer than it has been in 2 weeks but still cloudy. No more tabs, powder or chemicals. Just a ton of chlorine. We'll see what happens. Don't have money for a truck load(s) of water right now.


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Hi Viscid,

I'm sorry I didn't see this earlier. I have been gone from this forum for a very long time, as it has been a VERY busy summer for me.

I'm assuming you have the pool closed now, but may have not gotten your CYA down to where you want it. When you open next year, if your CYA is still high, you are welcome to use my tarp. I had high algae, and a CYA of over 400, and I did a easy water replacement with that tarp. I'd be happy to let you use it.
 
Respectfully, I would close the pool and regroup in the spring. All the work and expense to get it clear to close? And never a chance of any use of it now. I know the helpful pool Forum folks will chew me up and spit me out on this one maybe ?, but there is a cost now in your time and money for a short gain and potentially less work several months from now.

If you close you get the benefit of losing some CYA between now and opening time. Is there any downside to the pool materials to leaving the water in its current state?

I've posed the question in another thread about the costs of closing at labor day and opening a problem pool in the spring vs. keeping it open until the water goes below 60. I've read in other posts , including living through the experience, that these several weeks until the water get that cool- are not trouble and expense free with brushing, pump running, algae flaring up if the first two aren't done enough, etc.
 
Hey Smartjack, thanks for the post! I may take you up on that in the spring. Here's an update if anyone is interested... Pool cleared up around mid September. Over the past month I have been draining and filling VERY slowly from the hose, in total I doubt I even drained a third of the pool. I've added a total of about 2 cups of DE, adding about a half cup after each backwash, making sure I watched the pressure each time. That seemed to have helped a lot as I'm not adding it anymore. I've also been using skimmer socks for the iron in my water. About 2 weeks ago it really cleared up and we were able to use it for about a week because it warmed up (and the heater helped too). I still haven't closed it as I'm going to try it myself, wish me luck. Now the water is super clear, all I've added is liquid chlorine, religiously. So my plan is to see what the CYA level goes to in the spring and work it out then. Yeah, procrastination, ugh.

Here are my levels:
TA - 240
CH - 225
pH - 8.2
FC - 21
CC - 22
CYA - 160 (by dilution method)

Now to get the levels balanced and close in the next week or 2. Thanks to everyone for your assistance. I greatly appreciate it.
 
Here you go: TC=FC+CC. We prefer that you just post FC and CC rather than TC. TC is more of a pool store number and it makes some of us nervous!

The skimmer socks are more to collect junk so less junk gets into your pump basket and filter. Next Spring after you get that CYA down and get properly balanced, we can talk about that iron.
 
And I thought I was having problems with my near to 0 CYA water.
Viscid your 240 CYA water is welcome here. Why dumping it when it can be useful here in Playa? (just about 50 miles from Cancún).
Most of us newbies learn the hard way, fortunately for me I knew about TFP in the early stages of my pool involvement. Still a lot to learn but thanks to the site got what I´ve needed to know.
THANK YOU ALL GUYS! To the experts for their advice and to the newbies for their screw ups, I mean, your learning material. :D
 
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