We bought a house in October of last year with an inground, vinyl lined pool. A week after we moved in, a company came in and closed it. We opened it (took off the cover, opened all the ports, started the filter) and it was very green. The local pool shop sold me a couple of bottles of algaecide and pool shock and told me to run the algaecide for 24 hours, then the shock. The pool went from British racing green to cloudy grey, then promptly back to green. I went back, and they had me do the same thing again. It again, it went from green to slate grey back to green. So far, I'm 2-3 hours a day (vacuuming, skimming, brushing, adding chemistry, etc) plus $500 into this green nightmare and I'm at my wit's end. I'm now thinking that $500 might have been better spent renting a jackhammer to bury this monstrosity. What am I doing wrong?
I need serious help.
- Thread starter uberculture
- Start date
You are not shocking your pool thoroughly enough. It is a common error. You must put high levels of chlorine in your pool and HOLD IT THERE until your pool is completely clear.
read "How to Shock Your Pool" up in Pool School.
I would suggest you use household bleach for your chlorine source and stay out of the pool store.....save some money.
Your neighbors will be upset if you rent that jackhammer and run it on Sunday AM!!
......We'll help you get the pool crystal clear.
read "How to Shock Your Pool" up in Pool School.
I would suggest you use household bleach for your chlorine source and stay out of the pool store.....save some money.
Your neighbors will be upset if you rent that jackhammer and run it on Sunday AM!!
......We'll help you get the pool crystal clear.
Welcome to TFP!
You really need a full set of water test results. By far the best thing to do is to purchase a top quality test kit. I recommend the TF-100 from TFTestKits.Net. The Taylor K-2006 is also good. For now, you can get test results from a pool store.
Without test results, I can't be very specific, but essentially you are not using enough chlorine. When the algae turned gray it was mostly dead, and when it turned green it was actively growing again. That happens when you haven't added enough chlorine.
I would skip the algaecide completely and use chlorine along. But the details depend on your water test results.
You really need a full set of water test results. By far the best thing to do is to purchase a top quality test kit. I recommend the TF-100 from TFTestKits.Net. The Taylor K-2006 is also good. For now, you can get test results from a pool store.
Without test results, I can't be very specific, but essentially you are not using enough chlorine. When the algae turned gray it was mostly dead, and when it turned green it was actively growing again. That happens when you haven't added enough chlorine.
I would skip the algaecide completely and use chlorine along. But the details depend on your water test results.
Here are the test results from an hour before I posted the original issue:
pH approximately 7.5
ppm Free Chlorine 3
ppm Total Alkalinity about 100
ppm Stabilizer 100
After reading this, I dumped the last three gallons of "pool shock" into the pool. Seriously, I should use clorox? Can I sue you guys if that ruins stuff?
pH approximately 7.5
ppm Free Chlorine 3
ppm Total Alkalinity about 100
ppm Stabilizer 100
After reading this, I dumped the last three gallons of "pool shock" into the pool. Seriously, I should use clorox? Can I sue you guys if that ruins stuff?
Your CYA level is way to high, which is why you are not able to make progress fighting the algae. The common CYA test will report CYA levels over 100 as 100, so your CYA level might actually be much higher than 100.
You should stop adding chlorine, and replace water to get your CYA level down to something more reasonable before going back to shocking the pool.
You should stop adding chlorine, and replace water to get your CYA level down to something more reasonable before going back to shocking the pool.
+1 to what Jason said, just don't drain too much or you'll float your liner and ruin it. I would suggest draining maybe a third, refill and then check your CYA again.
uberculture.. total newbie here, i started the BBB this year. Pool man turned everything on and i took it from there. I'll open myself next time. Get a good kit, 100xl is what i got. Went to the pool store (because it's only couple of minutes away) and got some 12.5% chlorine and nothing else. Raised the fc to shock and checked it every couple hours starting out. Brushed 2-3 times a day (3 day weekend) and kept the chlorine level up. Backwashed plenty and in a few days had sparkling water with an investment well under 100 bucks. No unneeded chemicals added either,just chlorine (cya was already high at 70). This method works and is easy once you get it going. Just got a liquidator started with the expert help of persons on here, especially sal and brian. Check it out later, you'll probably like the operation.
Lots of info here... sounds like I may want a more exact test kit. I have strips to dip in and compare to a color chart on back, with some pretty large ranges. Anyway, did a little draining, refilling, and retesting...
Here's where I sit this morning:
pH approximately 7.8
ppm Free Chlorine somewhere between 5-10 (although my test kit maxes at 10)
ppm Total Alkalinity about 120
ppm Stabilizer matches the color that's marked 30-50 now better than it matched the 100 mark
I'll read up again on shocking, but it really is okay to just use household bleach?
Here's where I sit this morning:
pH approximately 7.8
ppm Free Chlorine somewhere between 5-10 (although my test kit maxes at 10)
ppm Total Alkalinity about 120
ppm Stabilizer matches the color that's marked 30-50 now better than it matched the 100 mark
I'll read up again on shocking, but it really is okay to just use household bleach?
I urge you to get a good test kit sooner rather then later. You'll be glad you did once oyu get it.
It is very ok to use bleach.
Your pH is a little high if you can believe the strips. I'd recommend bringing it down to about 7.2 before starting to shock your pool.
It is very ok to use bleach.
Your pH is a little high if you can believe the strips. I'd recommend bringing it down to about 7.2 before starting to shock your pool.
The only difference between traditional unscented household bleach and the liquid chlorine you can buy in pool stores is the concentration (bleach is usually 5.75% and pool store liquid chlorine is around 12%) Not the higher the concentration the shorter the shelf life, so never buy old stock as it will be weaker.
Note the common pool chlorine compounds all add chlorine plus something else:
Bleach/Liquid Chlorine (sodium hypochlorite) adds chlorine plus salt to the water
Tri-Chlor and Di-Chlor add chlorine and CYA stabilizer (this is what get most people in trouble with too high of CYA levels)
Cal-Hypo (adds chlorine and calcium)
Of these three bleach giving chlorine + salt is usually the safest for most pools (Calcium Hardness should not be over 250-300 ppm, CYA should be kept around 50 ppm, but salt can easily 1,000 ppm before it is noticed, and is required to run over 3,000 ppm if you use a salt water chlorine generator.
Ike
Note the common pool chlorine compounds all add chlorine plus something else:
Bleach/Liquid Chlorine (sodium hypochlorite) adds chlorine plus salt to the water
Tri-Chlor and Di-Chlor add chlorine and CYA stabilizer (this is what get most people in trouble with too high of CYA levels)
Cal-Hypo (adds chlorine and calcium)
Of these three bleach giving chlorine + salt is usually the safest for most pools (Calcium Hardness should not be over 250-300 ppm, CYA should be kept around 50 ppm, but salt can easily 1,000 ppm before it is noticed, and is required to run over 3,000 ppm if you use a salt water chlorine generator.
Ike
esim13
0
duraleigh posted this earlier.... check it out, it should help with the 
bleach feeling.
water-clarity-and-showin-off-just-a-little-t23969.html
AWESOME isn't it?
bleach feeling.water-clarity-and-showin-off-just-a-little-t23969.html
AWESOME isn't it?