Hi, and arrrrgh!!

[daniboo]

Hey there, my first post! 3rd season with my pool, know the ins and outs of things mostly because my grandfather bought me my first above ground pool back when i was 9 or 10, over 30 years ago. So now, being in chicago, we had a nice day in may and i took the winter cover off, and the weather changed quickly, so i was not able to attend to the pool as i wanted. The water was crystal clear, and by the time i was able to tend to it, had turned green.

I shocked, it cleared up. thought my problem was over.

Boy was I wrong.

I believe i have mustard algae. within the last week or 2, green is forming around the bottom, where the wall meets the floor. Some is also on the walls. I also see, in the small divots on the bottom, what appears to be "silt". I assumed it was from the tar paper on the roofs of houses around here, because it can be very windy, and has been this season so far.

Anyway, I've shocked 2x in the last week, water is still clear, but still see the green. My liner has become faded in areas from the shock.

So, i'm at a loss as what to do. best bet to bring in water sample to a pool store??? I've read a lot on here before joining and my head is swimming with all the info.

AG 17x12. 52 inch walls. Cartridge filter. yes i use test strips as opposed to the drops, and the ph is low, the free chlorine is high (shocked 2 days ago) the total aklalinity is low and the stabilizer is low. I know i have a lot of work ahead of me.

Can someone stop me from spinning and shove me in the right direction? it's gonna be a scorcher here this holiday weekend and im sad that my daughter and I can't enjoy the pool.

 

[Lershac]

I will point you toward that big button at the upper right. The one that says "pool school".

Shocking is a process, not a one time application of chemicals. Essentially you determine your proper FC shock level, raise your chlorine to that level, and maintain it there until:

1. Water is crystal clear
2. Overnight FC loss is negligible.
3. CC is .5 or below.

Run the filter the whole time.

This can take a day or a week (or more!) depending on what you are fighting.

 

[Lershac]

And welcome to the forum! This is a great place to hang out and learn more than you ever wanted to about pools, sanitation, and all sorts of neat stuff.

 

[daniboo]

1. Water is crystal clear

It is crystal clear and has been.

Well since i'm on overload here with all the abbreviations and what not, i'm off to pool store with a water sample, and to get a better test kit. FC vs TC and LMNOP and ABCDEFG is too much for my brain right now.

 

[Suziqzer]

You won't find a very good test kit at most pool stores... be aware of that. You will get a better value for you $ for one through the sites they recommend here.

You will have to hold your shock levels longer than just dosing once at a time. You need to get your FC (free chlorine) level up to what the pool calculator calls your shock level and hold it steady. Read through pool schools "how to shock" directions.

If you use the pool stores recommendations... most likely you will be back and will have spend more $$ than necessary to get a clear pool. You don't need an algaecide... chlorine will kill it w/o adding problem metals if you take the time to shock correctly.

 

[Lershac]

1. Water is crystal clear

It is crystal clear and has been.

Well since i'm on overload here with all the abbreviations and what not, i'm off to pool store with a water sample, and to get a better test kit. FC vs TC and LMNOP and ABCDEFG is too much for my brain right now.

And ALL THREE.

FC = Free chlorine
CC = Combined Chlorine

Its possible to have crystal clear water and a nascent algae outbreak, or some other biologicals eating up your chlorine too.

It does generally take several readings and some practice to get the pool school integrated into your understanding of water chemistry. Heck I still havent mastered it.

An important point that other posters have brought up... shocking is not a one-time dosing with chemicals. Its a process.

The guys at the pool store are selling you stuff. They are likely not as motivated as you are to actually keep your pool clean long term. They make money when your pool is messed up.