Pool has gone from dark green slimy looking to light green

[Smykowski]

Re: Pool has gone from dark green slimy looking to light gre

Also, I hear everyone loud and clear about the test kit, I just can't afford it at the moment. At least not the ones recommended. We have already decided to drain the pool down low to about the one foot level and refill. Again, based on the amount of tri chlor that I've put in the pool unwittingly raising the CYA level, is there anyway to guesstimate how much bleach I could use as a starting point once the pool is refilled? It's tempting to say "I'm going to drain it, refill it and just pour in X amount of bleach to start and keep adding bleach till I see the algae starting to die off. But then what is X amount, 5 96 oz jugs 10 jugs? etc. etc. Seems almost like there should be a rule of thumb. (BTW there is a sticky here somewhere that suggest if you don't have a chlorine test that reads high ranges to just keep adding bleach until you see the algae turning white and dying off.)
Regards,
Michael

I was unemployed or underemployed for 2 years back in 2008 and 2009, so I know exactly how it is. That being said, you need to decide how you're going to get this pool under control. I can pretty much guarantee you that the cheapest, most accurate and efficient way to get your pool clean is to use the test kit and advice given by everyone here. You'll spend $30-40 more now, but you'll save hundreds in the long run. (Take a look at my signature to give you an idea of the money saved when you do only what's right for your pool.)

I can pretty much guarantee that you will be wasting money if you use the advice of the pool store, or if you blindly put chemicals in the pool (or any combination of both). The last time you went to the pool store, when they gave you the list of stuff to buy and the grand total, did you blink as you handed over your credit card? How much was it? (I know I didn't two years ago.)

Again, it's up to you to decide how to proceed, but you will be correctly using accurate amounts of chemicals purchased from a grocery store if you follow our advice. There's no cheaper way to do it.

 

[msgtdan]

Re: Pool has gone from dark green slimy looking to light gre

I really do understand cost factors, and if money is that tight right now, you could try using half pool water and half chlorine free water in the chlorine test cell and double the reading. This won't be accurate at all but an indicator, if chlorine drops below 10 add enough per pool calc to get it back above shock level. Set pool calc to what you're getting for your last CYA reading, pool size and type. You should see some change within 2-3 days if so keep at it until clear, it will take longer and use more chlorine than needed if using a good test kit. If you don't see a change in that time then you'll need to re-evaluate what you're going to do. In my location ALDI's has the cheapest bleach per ounce of anywhere and is usually what I use, though sometimes it's more convenient to use something from elsewhere.

Good luck and I hope you get it straightened out.

 

[Noah_Count]

Re: Pool has gone from dark green slimy looking to light gre

Also, I hear everyone loud and clear about the test kit, I just can't afford it at the moment. At least not the ones recommended. We have already decided to drain the pool down low to about the one foot level and refill. Again, based on the amount of tri chlor that I've put in the pool unwittingly raising the CYA level, is there anyway to guesstimate how much bleach I could use as a starting point once the pool is refilled? It's tempting to say "I'm going to drain it, refill it and just pour in X amount of bleach to start and keep adding bleach till I see the algae starting to die off. But then what is X amount, 5 96 oz jugs 10 jugs? etc. etc. Seems almost like there should be a rule of thumb. (BTW there is a sticky here somewhere that suggest if you don't have a chlorine test that reads high ranges to just keep adding bleach until you see the algae turning white and dying off.)
Regards,
Michael

I was unemployed or underemployed for 2 years back in 2008 and 2009, so I know exactly how it is. That being said, you need to decide how you're going to get this pool under control. I can pretty much guarantee you that the cheapest, most accurate and efficient way to get your pool clean is to use the test kit and advice given by everyone here. You'll spend $30-40 more now, but you'll save hundreds in the long run. (Take a look at my signature to give you an idea of the money saved when you do only what's right for your pool.)

I can pretty much guarantee that you will be wasting money if you use the advice of the pool store, or if you blindly put chemicals in the pool (or any combination of both). The last time you went to the pool store, when they gave you the list of stuff to buy and the grand total, did you blink as you handed over your credit card? How much was it? (I know I didn't two years ago.)

Again, it's up to you to decide how to proceed, but you will be correctly using accurate amounts of chemicals purchased from a grocery store if you follow our advice. There's no cheaper way to do it.

Never have done the pool store deal. I knew better than that from the get go. I was fine the first year just using the chlorine tablets and the shock packets from Wally World although I know now that I was unwittingly adding CYA to the water. I realize now I should have been using bleach. It was when I left the the pool uncovered and didn't winterize the first time that the algae got started and I got in trouble. Using the Yellow Rid was on the suggestion of a friend who also owns a pool and it worked once. Nothing is working now which is why I'm here. I have Bleach, Baking soda and Borax, I just can't afford the test kit. That's where I stand. If I could snap my fingers and make the money for the test kit magically appear, I would but unfortunately we all know it doesn't work that way.The pool draining process is already started. As everybody has said, replacing a good bit of the water should Lower the CYA. I've used the pool calc and some of the guesstimates people have made on my CYA level based on how much tri chlor I used. I will also have to do some guesstimating on the chlorine level to try and shock it. If I'm wrong and this doesn't work then so be it. It's all I can do right now. I'll let y'all know how it goes. Thanks for the help.
Regards,
Michael

 

[duraleigh]

Re: Pool has gone from dark green slimy looking to light gre

Michael,

I usually stay away from test kit issues because I manufacture the TF-100 and obviously have an agenda.

However, let me give you this analogy....your goal is a crystal clear pool and lower chemistry costs - let's call that California. Now, when you ask, "how do I get to California?". the VERY FIRST thing you need to know is where you are. Kansas? Alaska? The directions are different.

No one can help you get your pool clear unless you can accurately test the water and figure out where you are and what you need to do to arrive at your goal. YOu can continue to stab in the dark (driving aimlessly between Kansas and Alaska) or you can learn how to manage your pool water effectively with accurate testing AND understanding what to do about the test results.

I t sounds like you have no intention of taking the advice to test accurately but I am compelled to try to help you see what you are overlooking.

 

[Noah_Count]

Re: Pool has gone from dark green slimy looking to light gre

I t sounds like you have no intention of taking the advice to test accurately but I am compelled to try to help you see what you are overlooking.

It's not a question of what my intentions are. It's a question of what I'm able to do and what I'm not able to do at this time. I'm sorry I don't mean to be rude to people trying to help but I'll make an analogy too, I tell my daughter all the time " what part of no don't you understand?" So I ask everyone here along the same lines "what part of I can't afford an expensive test kit do you not understand?" "Stabbing in the dark" as you put it is about all I've got right now but really thanks to this site I don't really feel I'm stabbing in the dark quite as much as I was a few days ago. I do feel like I have a better handle on what's going on with the pool and I've certainly learned some things to avoid.

If you don't have a test kit that can reliably measure high FC levels you will need to do some guessing. One indicator you can use is the color of the water. As long as the water remains a rich green, wait one hour and then assume that FC is zero. The algae will start turning gray or white when the FC level starts holding.

That quote comes from this site and it's the only way I'm able to proceed at present. No hard feelings but continually reciting to someone the mantra that they need an expensive test kit when they have repeatedly told you they can't afford it at the present time isn't very helpful. I'm just going to have to do the best I can for now and hope I can get a kit in the future. It is what it is. I hope I'm not making enemies here when I'm really just trying to explain things from my point of view. If yall want I'll let you know how it turns out. Hopefully I'll have good news in a few days. If not I'll just have to keep saving my pennies for that elusive test kit and miss half the swimming season or more as a result. At least after this weekend I'll know I gave it my best shot with the resources I had on hand no matter how it turns out. In my mind that's better than just not trying at all.
Regards,
Michael

 

[Big_kid]

Re: Pool has gone from dark green slimy looking to light gre

Michael,
The drain and refill will help a lot. I was on the fence about doing the same thing to mine last month, but I decided not to and went through with the shock process ($200 water cost vs $50 bleach). With our previous pools I had to do the drain & refill routine due to not knowing better & using tablets/pucks & bags of shock. I get what you're saying about not getting the kit, it took me a while too before I was able to get it. I'd say that in absence of a kit, the next best thing would be to refill, take a water sample to *gulp* a pool store, and use the pool calculator based on their readings and shock the pool. Keep in mind what you KNOW you've added, the amount of sun, the bather load, and DO NOT get behind on adding bleach. You might be stabbing in the dark a bit, but at least you'll still be taking a stab at it. It's a gamble, but if you don't try you'll not be swimming at all. I get that.

Good luck, and keep us informed!

 

[Noah_Count]

Re: Pool has gone from dark green slimy looking to light gre

Michael,
The drain and refill will help a lot. I was on the fence about doing the same thing to mine last month, but I decided not to and went through with the shock process ($200 water cost vs $50 bleach). With our previous pools I had to do the drain & refill routine due to not knowing better & using tablets/pucks & bags of shock. I get what you're saying about not getting the kit, it took me a while too before I was able to get it. I'd say that in absence of a kit, the next best thing would be to refill, take a water sample to *gulp* a pool store, and use the pool calculator based on their readings and shock the pool. Keep in mind what you KNOW you've added, the amount of sun, the bather load, and DO NOT get behind on adding bleach. You might be stabbing in the dark a bit, but at least you'll still be taking a stab at it. It's a gamble, but if you don't try you'll not be swimming at all. I get that.

Good luck, and keep us informed!

Thanks, it's nice to know that someone knows where I'm coming from. Luckily for me, water rates are fairly low in my area so I won't take as much of a hit there. I apologize to everyone if I got a bit testy. ( pardon the pun :-D ) I really do WANT a nice complete test kit and will get one at the earliest opportunity but I can't just sit on my hands and do nothing until that point comes. I have to at least give it a shot armed with some of the new knowledge I've gained here. I look at this way, in the absence of a proper test kit I may still be stabbing in the dark a bit but at least I'm not aimlessly throwing bag after bag of tri-chlor and other chemicals from Wally World in it. I do feel as if I have some sort of plan and direction even though it might not be as specific as it could be. In other words, I may not have a precise map to Cali but at least I've got a compass to point me in the right direction! :lol:
Regards,
MIchael

 

[Forward]

Re: Pool has gone from dark green slimy looking to light gre

Noah, it took me a while before I bought a test kit and its made my life a lot easier. Before I had one, I would bring the sampled water to Leslie's pool store and they run the exact pool test free. If you have a local Leslie's pool, i would recommend doing the same. That would help everyone make recommendations to clear up your pool. P.S. I'm a fellow Georgian as well

 

[Noah_Count]

Re: Pool has gone from dark green slimy looking to light gre

Wow!!!! I will never ever ever ever make the mistake of not covering my pool for winter again! All discussion of test kits aside, the amount of leaves I have pulled out of it today, now that I can see them, is mind boggling!! My shoulders absolutely ache from using the pole and leaf net today.
Michael

 

[Big_kid]

Re: Pool has gone from dark green slimy looking to light gre

I know what you mean. I couldn't see the bottom of my pool when I started the shock process. A few days into it I could make out a dark spot in the middle. I kept scooping and scooping, thinking there had to be a forest down there. Eventually I had clear water, and whitish leaves.

Keep at it, you'll get there.

 

[Noah_Count]

Re: Pool has gone from dark green slimy looking to light gre

Have been working my behind off this weekend. Had projects going on around the pool as well as the drain and refill. Took the pool down as low as I dared and got almost all the leaves out of the bottom. Brushed the sides of the liner as the water was going down. Pool is still filling back up. I have slightly cloudy looking water but at least it's no longer green. I've been slowly adding some bleach as the pool fills. Of course chlorine is maxed out on my test kit and I have no idea what the actual level is because I don't have the TF-100 with the test to read high levels. Lots of sediment down on the bottom of the pool but as long as it's not disturbed, it's staying there. I hope to be able to vacuum it once the water level comes up enough to get the pump back on. I have no way to "vacuum to waste" so what the filter doesn't catch will end up coming back into the pool through the return. I'm working on a work around to this issue. I took so much water out of the pool that I've probably got my CYA level too low now but we shall see. I will no longer be throwing bags of tri-chlor in or using chlorine pucks though so maybe I can get it where it needs to be and manage it more than I did in the past. I use to add it in the form of stabilizer when I thought it was low. Had no idea the shock packets and pucks were adding it too which along with leaving the pool uncovered over the winter is probably what got me into this mess. Glad I found this site.
Regards,
Michael