algae clearing recommendations

[reebok]

I've seen a few people mention it's difficult to add bleach/chlorine as often as needed during shocking. for some, I would imagine it's near impossible due to their schedule. since polyquat 60 is a somewhat recommended product, though not part of bbb, I wondered if it would help if people were advised they could use a product like stop yellow. at least they have an option instead of a rigid shock every second or you're out of luck regimen.
http://devstore.pinchapenny.com/product ... w-00000446
I only say stop yellow because I've used it way too many times, and it does clear up the pool. I'm sure every store has their own similar product. it looks like leslie's is yellow out. once the pool is clear of course, it's easier to get on the bbb bandwagon. also, is there a magic ingredient people could be told to look for (i.e. polyquat 60) in these products?

 

[duraleigh]

A prime tenant of BBB is simplicity. Algaecides and chemical combos tend to confuse the issue when newbs are just learning.

Chlorine works each and every time. It can work if you can only apply it once daily. If you cannot apply it once daily, that's another issue

That may sound a little strident but it is my strong opinion that newbies need the least amount of confusing advice. I never suggest soda ash, Cal Hypo, or any of the other chemistry that works just fine but doesn't really do anything that you can't do with chlorine, borax, baking soda, and muriatic.

Polyquat falls into that same category. It may have a place but usually it is ineffective at clearing a pool and you don't need it as a preventative if you keep FC where it belongs.

 

[jagfan]

Until our SWG was installed a few weeks ago, I used Yellow Treat (United chemical) very frequently over the years. I believe it is similar to PAP's Stop Yellow. Works great on mustard algae and clears it very quickly. I had a little mustard prior to the SWG install and tried the poly 60 but that didn't seem to work well in getting rid of it. I understand the tenants of BBB but there are times when other products can do the job a little easier and quicker - just MHO.

Does anyone know if Yellow Treat or Stop Yellow - the sodium bromide products - can be used with SWGs for mustard algae.

 

[reebok]

Chlorine works each and every time. It can work if you can only apply it once daily. If you cannot apply it once daily, that's another issue

That may sound a little strident but it is my strong opinion that newbies need the least amount of confusing advice. I never suggest soda ash, Cal Hypo, or any of the other chemistry that works just fine but doesn't really do anything that you can't do with chlorine, borax, baking soda, and muriatic.

thanks for the feedback. my main idea here is when shocking for an algae outbreak. the how to shock article lists these three steps:
1) Measure the FC level
2) Add enough chlorine to bring FC up to shock level
3) Repeat steps 1 and 2 as frequently as possible, as often as once per hour, and not less than twice a day, until the FC level remains the same overnight and CC is 0.5 or lower.

so according to what everyone is pointed to, twice daily is the bare minimum, with once per hour being ideal. now I'm confused since you say it can be done once per day, conflicting with that article

 

[duraleigh]

now I'm confused since you say it can be done once per day, conflicting with that article

Under any normal circumstances twice daily is pretty easy to do....three,four, or five is even better but becomes increasingly problematic.

It "should" be done as often as possible. It certainly "can" be done once daily with massive doses of chlorine that will stay in the pool for 24 hours.

That is not a good method nor does anyone recommend it. My point was to suggest that it is not mandatory to dose a specific number of times but I think I stretched it too far if I implied that once daily was a good way to clear your pool.....sorry.

 

[JasonLion]

Adding chlorine only once a day often works, but not always. There have been a couple of people who went back and forth with algae for weeks because they could only add chlorine once a day.

 

[duraleigh]

because they could only add chlorine once a day.

We're getting off-topic but perhaps it's because they didn't add enough.

 

[Butterfly]

because they could only add chlorine once a day.

We're getting off-topic but perhaps it's because they didn't add enough.

....or perhaps did not add it at the most opportune time....later in the evening.

I had a little mustard prior to the SWG install and tried the poly 60 but that didn't seem to work well in getting rid of it.

Polyquat 60 is good at preventing, but does very little at curing.

 

[reebok]

Adding chlorine only once a day often works, but not always. There have been a couple of people who went back and forth with algae for weeks because they could only add chlorine once a day.

which is the basis for my post. what do you think about it?

 

[JasonLion]

Raising FC twice a day seems to always work, more often is usually faster, but is not essential. The ideal balance, in my view, is to reserve a couple of hours and add chlorine several times at hourly intervals to start with, and then switch to twice a day after that. Frequent chlorine additions will significantly speed things up at the start, but is much less important after that.

Polyquat doesn't help with an active algae bloom hardly at all.

The Yellow Out/Yellow Treat products have problems, sometimes they work great, sometimes they make things worse. They are really only more effective than chlorine when you have extremely high CYA levels, which you really shouldn't have. The rest of the time they are just extra money you don't need to spend.

There was a gripping, but sad, saga over at Pool Forum several years ago of someone who added huge amounts of chlorine once a day for weeks and never got anywhere against his algae. This included using high/mustard algae shock level after the first week.

The essential problem is that it is very tricky to know just how much chlorine you can get away with in a vinyl pool. If you add enough chlorine all at once, and brush the entire pool, it will kill the algae in a single application. But it also risks damaging the liner. In a concrete pool things like this are actually an option, but I would never try it with vinyl.