Newbie trying to avoid a problem!!

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karmazrevenge

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May 22, 2012
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So I am one of the millions without power after a huge storm friday. My family's pool has become our saving grace as temps have gotten up to 109!! I have been adding bleach (clorox) and the water is clear. The kids get in and "circulate" it. Here's this morning's readings...
Fc 7
Ph 7.5
Ta 90
Ch 40
Cya 45

Am I doing everything right to prevent algae? I can't afford to mess this up as the pool is the only way we have to take cool down.
Also, the temp of the water is 89. My well is electric, so i can't add cool water.

Any advice or suggestions welcome!!
 
I'm new so take my thoughts with a grain of salt. If you're confident you can maintain FC, you're looking good. If it were me, I might add polyquat 60 as extra insurance, but am not sure whether there are any "contraindications" of doing this when you cannot filter. I might also give the kids a brush to scrub the sides while they're in there ;)

I'll send the power fairy your way! In the mean time, enjoy "roughing it"!
 
Keep doing exactly what you are doing. The active FC keeps your pool safe to swim. mixing it around through swimming is perfect 'til your power comes back.

Scoop out as much visible dirt and debris as you can. With a round AGP, have everyone in the pool move all in the same direction around the edges. The "whirlpool" you create will concentrate the dirt and debris in the dead center of the pool for removal.
 
Hi karmazrevenge:

I see other posts have already responded. Since I have this text ready to go, here's my $0.02:

Your numbers look great overall. The fact that the water is clear is also a good sign (but read below for something to keep in mind going forward).

The only number missing from your test results is Combine Chlorine (CC). CC is an intermediate breakdown product created in the process of sanitizing the pool. A CC greater than 0.5 is cause for concern since that indicates the presence of some organic matter in the pool that the chlorine is breaking down. When the CC reaches 0.6 or higher, shocking the pool is recommended. However, even if you tested right now and found that the CC was greater than 0.5, you would have to wait for power to run the pump/filter before you could shock.

So with an FC at 7, it is unlikely that CC is greater than 0.5 but the only way to know for sure is to test (preferably with a FAS-DPD test).

The fact that the water is clear is a good sign. However, even clear water can harbor low levels of microbial or other organic contamination (algae) before the effects become visible (http://www.taylortechnologies.com/FeatureArticleCM.ASP?ContentID=93, Myth 1). Again, the only way to know for sure is to test both FC and CC on a regular basis.

Until your power comes back on, keep the FC about where you have it, skim/remove larger debris items (leaves, branches, etc.). Having the kids swim around mixes the water and keeps it moving. You can also give the water an occasional stir with the skimmer or similar implement to generate some water movement.
 

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Whatever you have been doing these past few days is working. Looks like you will have to keep that up for a while. If it's any consolation, the way you have kept your pool in good shape without power for several days is serving as a good case study for how to handle this situation. :goodjob: Will stay tuned to see how it plays out.
 
It went well actually. Things settled more along the pool walls than in the middle, but we were able to get a lot more of the fine particles out. The big stuff like leaves we just dove for. It was fun to watch the kids float in the "current"! They had a blast!
 
Re: Newbie trying to avoid a problem!! Update!

We are hearing reports that our power will not be back on for another week!!! I am happy to tell you that our pool is still clear and in good shape. I wish I could post a picture, but that's not possible right now. I believe with all my heart that using the BBB method and the pool calculator have been the key factors in keeping our pool algae free while unable to use the pump and filter!! I will continue to post updates if you want me to :)
 
Day 5 without power... here's today's test results
fc 8
Cc 0
Ph 7.6
Ta. 90
Ch 40
Cya 45

Water temp is 89. The pool is still crystal clear, except for some finer particles on the bottom we can't get with the net. I did an onclt just to check on things and my fc was 10 last night and 10 this morning so no unseen algae problem! !! The 2 pt chlorine loss I am attributing to heavy swimmer load today along with high temp (it's 100 degrees outside)
 
Thanks for the update. You're doing great :goodjob: It is astonishing how you have kept your numbers & water in great condition with no power for 5 days (and counting) in 100 degree weather.

I've bookmarked this thread. Truly believe it will serve as an ongoing reference for years to come.

As great a job as you are doing, I hope your power comes on today.
 
Just a thought for getting the really fine stuff off the bottom. How about a knee high stocking or panty hose over the skimmer net. I've tried it before and had pretty good luck with it and I've also seen it mentioned on this forum.
I admire your ability to keep things running so smoothly with no power! Tho I hope it is restored soon for you.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using Tapatalk 2
 

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