Newbie with Algae

[DEBRAPONS]

Post split off to form new topic. Please do not post in all caps. Moderator

I HAVE HAD GREEN ALGE FOR 4 WEEKS NOW AND $400.00 LATER. THE POOL PLACE CANT TELL ME HOW TO GET RID OF IT, THEY ARE AT A LOSS. I WANT TO GO TO THE BBB METHOD. I JUST GOT MY READINGS

FREE CHLORINE 0.2 PPM
TOTAL CHLORINE 0.2 PPM
COMBINED CHLORINE 0.0 PPM
PH 8.0
HARDNESS 220 PPM
ALKALINITY 120 PPM
CYANURIC ACID 65 PPM
COPPER NOT RUN
IRON NOT RUN
TOTAL DISSOLVED SOLIDS NOT RUN

MY POOL IS SWAMP GREEN. TRIED EVERYTHING POOL PLACE SUGGESTED??

ORGINALLY WHAT HAPPENED I HAD A SMALL GREEN CLOUD IN THE DEEP END, THEY SAID OH ITS YELLOW ALGE IM SURE, USED THE YELLOW TREAT, TRIPPLE SHOCK, NEXT DAY SWAMP GREEN, THEN TOLD TO USE SUPER YELLOW TREAT PLUS, TRIPPLE TREAT, NO CHANGE, SEA KLEAR, 78% SHOCK, NOTHING WORKED. ANY ADVISE.??

JUST WENT TO WALMART AND GOT 20 BORAX 2-BOXES AND 6 JUGS WALMART BRAND BLEACH LARGEST BOTTLES!!!!

I HAVE AN INGROUND 16X32X9 W/VINYL LINER. THANKS

 

[Bama Rambler]

Not to be picky but please turn your caps lock off. It makes your posts easier to read without it.

Also you should start your own thread. Maybe one of the mods will move this one for you.

Now to the problem. At least your on the right road now. If you don't have one of the recommended test kits, you're gonna need one. Also you should read Pool School a few times too.

Given a CYA of 65 you need to shock at 19ppm. That's 5ea 182oz bottles of bleach. But the first thing you need to do is bring your pH down. Add 1-1/2 quarts of either 31.45% muratic acid in front of a return or the same amount of dry acid mixed in water. Then after 30 minutes or so slowly pour the bleach in, a jug at the time till you've poured in 5 jugs. Then immediately go back to Walmart and buy at least 10 more jugs. It's gonna take more bleach than you think it is but it's worth it.

FPM strikes again. Thanks

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Hi and welcome.

You don't need any Borax, yet. Just lots and lots of bleach. And Muratic Acid.

1. You need to get your PH down to 7.4 ASAP.

2. You need one of the recommended test kits, there is an article in Pool School that compares the three we recommend.

3. You need to read "How to Shock your Pool" in Pool School, and "Defeating Algae".

4. Learn how to work the Pool Calculator, there is an article in Pool School that tells you how.

Stay out of the pool store unless you buy liquid chlorine.

Your shock level can be found on the CYA chart.

If you follow the instructions in the articles I linked, to the letter, your pool will clear.

 

[DEBRAPONS]

I appoligize for my ignorance. I really enjoy your site. I can not figure out or have not found where the link is to put my pool information, size, etc, as you asked me to. When I go to the home page or wonder around the site I am not finding it.

I for now will have to try what you suggest and take my samples to a pool store for the readings until I can afford a new test kit like you suggest.

Thank you for you time. Sorry to be pesty. Thanks Deb

 

[Butterfly]

Just scroll to top left (under TFP logo) and select User Control Panel. Then select Profile, then Edit Sig.

Welcome to the forum

 

[DEBRAPONS]

I put the MA in, put in 5 huge jugs of 6% bleach like you said, alittle area in the shallow end where we manual vacumed is bluish, 95% of pool dark green. I back wased before putting in chemicals. Do I need to backwash again and add 10 big bottles of bleach again now? I have no way to test the levels over the weekend. I can take a sample Monday. Thanks Deb

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

You don't want to do 10 all at once, you want to do 5 at a time at the most. Keep brushing, or both. Tonight add another 5 before you go to bed. Leave the filter running... You should only have to backwash when the pressure rises on the gauge indicating the need to backwash, if that makes sense.

 

[DEBRAPONS]

Thank you for your quick response. I am heading to Walmart now. I will brush the pool this afternoon and ad the 5 bottles this evening. DO I need to do this same thing everyday? Is it 10 psi that I am suposed to backwash? My daughter has been trying to take care of the pool and I have been attempting to take care of it myself while she is gone over the weekend. Should I put the creepy crawly in and leave him in to vacum as I brush? Should I also manual brush some on waste? How often to backwash or brush to waste? I really appreciate all of your help.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

What you usually do is make a note of the "clean" pressure on the filter gauge. So say the clean pressure is 10, when the gauge goes to 16 is when you would backwash. Do you know what the gauge read after you backwashed before? That would be your "clean" pressure. Usually you backwash after a 6-8 psi rise in pressure.

The idea with brushing or vacuming to waste, etc., is to remove as much organic debris/visible algae as you can see. You do this while shocking. So if you have like a thick layer of algae on the bottom, it's just going to sit there consuming chlorine. If you get it out of the pool, that will help to clear the water quicker. If you can vacume to waste, bypassing the filter, that helps, but you do lose a lot of water that way. By brushing, you stir everything up and then the filter can catch it, it requires alot of chlorine to kill everything, visibility will be zero and it will be hard to see what you are doing, then the pressure rises and you have to backwash. So it's gonna use up some water either way. You can try the kreepy if you like, I have no experience with that so can't really offer an opinion on if it will help or not.

With shocking, the key is frequent testing and bleach additions. The sooner you reach shock level and hold it there, testing and adding more bleach to reach shock level, hourly if possible, the sooner the water clears. Without a test kit it's gonna be a hit and miss kind of thing, it will be hard for you to make real progress.