Help...in the Northeast

[frasermom]

Calling to anyone in the northeast...as you may know we've been having a miserable June here in the northeast.
I live in central Jersey and we've had MANY days of rain and clouds since we've opened our pool.

Needless to say we've not used it much. The kids have been in a few times since or mid-may opening.

I'm getting algae frequently. It looks like dust when I brush the pool

my numbers are as follows

FC 10+ (due to constant shocking)
ph 7.4
cya 50
That's all I have at the moment.

I've been running the filter for 7-8 hours per day. The algae seems to clear up for a day or two but as soon as the pool goes down below shock level the algae keeps soming back.

Cleaning our cartridges often and running my vaccum every other day. I brush every day after adding 4-5 gallons of bleach. Also holding shock levels over night.

Is anyone else having this problem in the northeast?

 

[duraleigh]

The algae seems to clear up for a day or two but as soon as the pool goes down below shock level the algae keeps soming back.

It certainly sounds like you are making the most common error of the shocking process......you are not getting the FC high enough not holding it long enough.

With your CYA of 50, you should bring FC up to 20ppm and hold it there by adding more chlorine until

1. Your pool water is sparkling
2. Your CC's are .5ppm or less
3. You can hold your FC overnight without losing more than 1ppm.

 

[Brad S]

I'm in boston, same weather as you in jersey. Will it ever stop!

No problems here. i have been keeping my FC around 5-6 ppm, but i have a SWG so it stays pretty constant. No sun to burn it off either.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Duraleigh gave you the advice to a clear pool.

Question - are these test results from a strip? Can you get a more reliable way to test your CYA level?

Wal-mart has a $20 HTH 6-way drop based test kit that has enough solution to do 3 CYA tests. Or you could go to a pool store, though their results and advice are not always good....

Or and this is my recommendation, your order online a TF100 or a Taylor K2006 test kit and test the water yourself. Because if your CYA is actually higher than you report, you need to know what it really is so you can reach your shock level.

Also, you want to run your filter 24/7 while trying to Defeat Algae.

Lastly, dust/dirt on the bottom of the pool could be a few things, pollen, dirt/dust or dead algae. The only way to confirm that is an Overnight FC Loss Test, but you have to have an FAS-DPD chlorine test to do it.

 

[Chasville]

From everything I've read, a clear/clean pool is a result of 2 things:

1) Circulation
2) Chemistry.

I think you are falling short on the circulation side by running the pump only 7 or 8 hours.

So, my advise would be

1) run pump 10 to 12 hours
2) make sure you have a good test kit, like the ones recommended here
3) post a complete set of numbers that include CC and TA
4) Use some borax as per the BBB method.

Borates from the Borax do many things
1) Helps fight algae
2) Fights insects
3) aids in buffering the water
4) improves subjective appearance and feel of the water.
5) don't leave the water except through draining -- backwashing, waste, etc -- and in the filtered out plants and animals that have absorbed the borates into their cellular structures.

 

[frasermom]

Thanks for all the help and information...someday soon the sun will shine in NJ and we'll be able to use the pool...seems like when we use it we don't have so many problems...

 

[reebok]

From everything I've read, a clear/clean pool is a result of 2 things:

1) Circulation
2) Chemistry.

I would add that good filtration and brushing are also important ingredients for a clear pool. also, as far as circulation goes, I think of that more in terms of good return placement and water movement, but I see what you mean by adding run time into the equation also. my water is in the high 80's and I'm running my pump less than 8 hours/day and my pool is fine. I don't know that there is a benefit of running it more than 8 hours, but of course if you're fighting algae like the op is, a 24 hour run time is definitely recommended.