Hi from Texas- help needed for green pool

[bjkkern]

I am new to this site, and it looks like it will be very helpful. Please help- we have had our pool for about 9 years now. This year and last year we have had a terrible time with algae. We have brushed it all down, shocked it, used algecide, balanced it (using Leslies to test our water, I haven't had much luck with the test strips) and still can't seem to get it right. We also have had lots of staining on the steps and the liner. Stain out and metal out seem to help for a while, but it seems to come back after a few weeks. Our CYA level was tested at 90-100 for the last several weeks, so yesterday, we drained half the water, refilled it last night, and when we took another sample to Leslies, they said our CYA was still at 100. I am at a loss what to do here. (Does their test only go up to 100?) We are going broke adding chemicals and chlorine. We can shock the pool one day, and the next, the chlorine level is still at 0. After reading this site, I added 600 oz of chlorine to shock the pool. I plan to use some phosfree per Leslies recommendations. Here are our latest readings as of today (before adding the chlorine.) Any suggestions would be a great help to me. Thanks.
FC- 0
Total chlorine 1.5
ph 7.2
TA 130
CH 110
CYA 100
phosphates 300

12,000 gal, vinyl liner, DE filter

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Re: Hi from Texas

Welcome.

Yes, unfortunately the CYA tests tend to only read up to 100. You can do a 50/50 dilution (loses some accuracy) to get an idea of actual levels. I suggest you do another drain/refill and then retest.

Phosphate removers are money makers for the pool store and unneccessary in a properly chlorinated pool. Several members on here have phosphate levels much higher than yours and it's a non-issue with proper levels of FC. See if you can return it for store credit or liquid chlorine.

It sounds to me like you just don't have enough chlorine, despite the 600 oz, because your CYA is still too high.

Until you get the CYA down to 60 or so, you will fight a losing battle with algae.

I highly suggest you order one of the recommended test kits so that you don't have to be subjected to pool store testing and feel influenced to purchase unneccessary chems like phosphate removers and algaecides.

Hope this helps.

 

[reebok]

yes a good test kit is a must, and the best investment you can make. it will save you lots of money in the long run and probably short run too. they may be wrong about the cya level. also, you need to read the pool school articles. some of the stuff you say isn't right and you will learn a lot of great information in pool school.

 

[bjkkern]

I just did the 50/50 dilution and it still read somewhere between 100-150, meaning my level was between 200-300? How does it get this high? I just hate to have to dump more water and refill, here in Texas, water is VERY expensive. Is there any other way to reduce the CYA?

 

[reebok]

it gets high from people using chlorine tabs in an automatic feeder. which every pool store will tell you to do. not that it's necessarily bad, but it is when it gets your cya to unmanageable levels. sadly, there is no other way.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

No, there really isn't.

Trichlor pucks/tablets add cya, as does Dichlor granules, often marketed as powdered "shock" by pool stores. Overtime, frequent use of both products, with no water replacement, it can build up too high. This is especially true with pools that have cartridge filters that don't get backwashed and also of pools that aren't drained for winterization.

 

[poolpop]

If you use or used trichlor pucks and/or dichlor shock these both introduce more CYA into your pool everytime you add them. It is not uncommon for folks using an inline chlorinator using only trichlor pucks and dichlor shock to have CYA levels as high or higher than yours. Unfortunately the only way to lower the CYA is drain and refill.

 

[Hal3]

I was where you are last year. Exact same thing. I found this board and followed the advice. I think I had way too much CYA and my chlorine was so stable it couldn't work. I did a total drain and refill. My pool has been crystal clear essentially every day since with minimal effort and mostly Chlorox from Sam's club. You have come to the right place. Not everyone will agree with a total drain and refill but that cured my pool in about three days. Too bad for Leslies. I had a little algae try to sneak in earlier this year and Leslie's wanted to sell me about $80 worth of a Green to Clean treatment. $20 worth of Chlorox did the trick.

 

[Hal3]

Here's my original post:
diving-in-to-bbb-t8581.html

 

[Hal3]

More:

whatever-happened-to-the-guy-who-drained-his-whole-pool-t9301.html

 

[The Mermaid Queen]

We can shock the pool one day, and the next, the chlorine level is still at 0.

Shocking is a process, not a one-time thing. You keep your pool at shock levels until
1) You lose less than 1ppm FC overnight (add chlorine in evening after the sun is off pool; circulate 30 - 60 minutes; test. Test again in morning before sun hits pool)
2) you have <0.5 ppm CC
3) your water sparkles.

Depending on your pool, this could take several days. The more often you can add chlorine and boost your FC back up to shock level, the faster you will be done!

Welcome to TFP!

 

[bjkkern]

Thanks for all the info. Unfortunately I can't drain the whole pool, it has a vinyl liner and I was told we can't totally drain it, only lower it to about 1 ft deep in the shallow end. I guess the liner may raise if we drain it all the way? So I have to do this over several water dumps. A total drain would be easier (and cheaper).

 

[Casey]

We would never reccommend draining a pool of all the water! It's not only dangerous for a liner but for most pools!

You are right on track with only doing partial drains/refills. It may take a few times, but it must be done to fight the green beast!

 

[bjkkern]

OK, just finished dumping 1/2 the water again (2nd time) and my CYA is now at 80. Do you think I need to dump more water or is this level OK?

 

[The Mermaid Queen]

I would do another drain. Shoot for 50. If you have full sun, you can get by with 50-60, but it will require more chlorine... might be cheaper to drain now, and save the money on bleach later.