long time BBBers please step in-pretty please

[kimkats]

THANKS! I have a question for you. How often do you vacuum your pools? Why do you vacuum them?

A little back info. about the question-You can see from my signature that we are new to this pool. I have been doing BBB from the very first drop of water in the pool. Every thing is going GREAT! I can/do pass the OCLT when ever I test for it (did it last night in face). BUT every day I see some brown/gray stuff on the bottom of the pool. Some days are more than others. It is never much but it is there. I really think it is dead algae as it is not grainy and is very easy to vacuum up.

Test results are from PM test after adding the evening chlorine

FC 7 (goes down to 4.5 during the day-full sun 10 hrs.)
CC 0
TA 90
CH? Vinyl pool so did not test
CYA 35
PH 7.4

We have little leaves/debris in the pool most days. Pump runs 10 hrs day.

So is my pool normal with having some "dead algae" every day?

Thank you SO much for reading this!

Kim

 

[257WbyMag]

I have a cleaner in the pool that is constantly on whenever the pump runs. The skimmers get the stuff on the surface and the cleaner gets what falls to the bottom.

It is not normal to have dead algae present in the pool. Dead algae means that you have living algae to begin with. You may need to shock your pool.

 

[Suziqzer]

You shouldn't have dead algae in your pool at anytime unless you are in the process of killing it off. If you think that's what it might be... do an overnight test and see if you maintain your chlorine level.. you should if there isn't any biological activity going on.

How clear is your water?

Sometimes it's normal to have some pollen and/or dust that falls to the bottom. I have some of that in the spring and fall that can be a bother.

 

[Richard320]

Try raising the CYA level a little and keep the FC up. It is is a tiny algae bloom, that ought to fix it.

Also look on the window sills, the cars, and the patio furniture. Whatever is on them will be in your pool. It could just be dust.

 

[Bama Rambler]

I bet what you're seeing is not algae at all, but dust. I get tons of it in my pool and could vacuum every day because of it, but I usually vacuum about every other day. It settles in the irregularities in the bottom of the pool.

When we first got our pool it worried me a lot, but after running many OCLT's (and passing them all) I figured out that it was dust and it doesn't bother me anymore. Well, not like it did to begin with. I still hate it!

Given your location and the amount of sun you get, I'd suggest raising your CYA up to about 50 ppm. I usually run mine between 50 & 60 and lose about 2 ppm per day FC. Since you're already running your FC at 7 ppm you won't even have to change the target.

 

[dattia]

I vacuum nearly every day. My pool is surrounded by trees and I get a lot of tree dirt. My dog also swims every day and carries in dirt on his paws. I keep my pump running 24/7 so I almost never have to skim, but I do have to vacuum regularly.

 

[Bloomfield]

I have never vacuumed. I don't even have one. Polaris does a pretty good job. I just brush the pool once in a while.

 

[Pauls234]

Kim,

I have the same thing and as others have suggested, I would bet it is just dirt/dust that settles into the dimples at the bottom of the pool. I could probably vacuum it every day, though I only actually do it about once a week. This is one of the downsides of being a BBBer, the crystal clear water means that you notice every little dirt pocket that gathers!

 

[phonedave]

I posted about this same sort of thing in another thread. I was getting "dust" on the bottom of my pool in any of the little depressions in the liner.

I loose about 1.0 to 1.5 PPM of CL per day. OCLT has been rock steady for months. Daily CL loss has been consistent for months, but I had to vaccum every other day or else this "dust' collected. I was of the opinion that it was pollen or some other sort of dirt. (my CYA is at 40 and my CL does not drop below 4.5, CC is always 0). The general consensus on that thread was it was NOT dirt but sounded like mustard algae that was being kept just in check.

Now, one experiment does not proove anything one way or another, bur I went on a 5 day vacation. Before I left, I ran the pool up to mustard shock levels, and threw in a puck in a floater (which I took out when I got home). I get enough rain that the minimal amount of CYA added by the puck is offset.

Anyway, it could be due to changing weather, prevailing winds, change of season, or heck even solar flares for all I know, but the mystery "dust" is now a lot less, as in I can vaccum once or twice a week.

Was it algae? Who knows. Was it the mustard shock level that did the trick? Maybe Or maybe it was just dust and the dust causing enviromental factor changed. This is my first season with this pool, so if I get it again next year, I will try mustard shocking earlier in the season and see what the effect is.

-dave

 

[Smykowski]

I think it depends on where you live. I live down the street from a stable, so my pool is constantly collecting dust.

Sent from my Exhibit II using Tapatalk.

 

[kimkats]

THANKS for everyone!

Step one-raise the CYA (whimper due to being SO worried about it getting too high like last pool that got ruined from it)
Step two-do the shock process just in case

Step three-look around and see if there is anything that could be getting in pool

Again thanks!

Kim

 

[Richard320]

THANKS for everyone!

Step one-raise the CYA (whimper due to being SO worried about it getting too high like last pool that got ruined from it)
Step two-do the shock process just in case

Step three-look around and see if there is anything that could be getting in pool

Again thanks!

Kim

Shock Process is easier at the lower CYA. If you're going to go full out with it, shock first, then raise CYA.

 

[kimkats]

Got ya! Will switch one and two around!

In fact already have due to having to buy the CYA still and have already been shocking.

THANKS!
Kim