Elaine in Mississippi

Jump to latest Follow Reply
elainerader

elainerader

0
Apr 16, 2013
132
Columbia, MS and Blue Ridge, GA
Hello!

Help!! My pool is taking over my life!!

I am brand new to this site and I am hoping that someone will be able to help me get my pool under control!

I live in south central Mississippi, 10 miles form the Louisiana boarder.

I have a 28,000 gal. IG vinyl pool.
The filter is a Laser Sand Jacuzzi Model 250L 66 GPM
Pump is Jacuzzi 1.0 HP Self Priming (don't know if it's 1 or 2 phase)
Automatic in line chlorine feeder, Rainbow Lifeguard #320
Under water light
The pool structure and filter system is 9 years old with a new liner installed 1- 1/2 years ago. (i am the second owner)

A brief history:

When I moved to this house the pool was in terrible condition. It had been drained but had low standing water full of algae at the deep end and the liner was tearing away in many places. It had been that way for over 6 months.

January 2012 I had a pool company replace the liner. (I should have filled it with top soil and had a beautiful veggie garden by now!)

Not knowing anything about pools I just assumed they were doing the correct installation, and they may have. But I do however question that the pool was never scrubbed down, even the light (that needed fixing) was not cleaned before the new liner was put in.
From the first week the pool was up and running I had mustard algae.

I have done everything I was recommended to do from different people and companies all with different suggestions.........it ALWAYS comes back. Within 24 hours of trying to shock, and algaeciding (with high copper content algaecide, backwashing and rinsing) I have debris clumped around the bottom filer and in another 24 hours the algae strings starting to form. I have also done a sand cleaning.

Now, on top of that we were gone recently for 3 weeks, did not have anyone shock or adjust the pool chemicals and I have green algae on top of mustard.

I do not have the top notch test kit that has been suggested, but I do have these somewhat vague results from my cheep one:

FC #0
CC #0
PH below 6.8 (actually the color of the test strip did not compare with any on the bottle!)
TA #0 (same as above)
CH #250
CAY #) (same color problem as above)

The water is very clear with green algae on steps and shaded walls and clumps of mustard algae all over the floor.

H E L P P L E A S E!!!!
Thanks
Elaine
 
Welcome to the forum. :lol:

From your history, it's pretty easy to tell your chlorine has been woefully inadequate from the beginning. Algae won't grow in a properly chlorinated pool.

The advice on this forum always centers around teaching you what the chemistry means and then getting you to provide reaqlly accurate test results and lastly, we'll help you shock your pool into crystal clear, algae free condition.

The test strips are totally unreliable. To do BBB correctly, you have to learn the chemistry and then test VERY accurately.

read "The ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry" up in Pool School....it's about the best place to start. It'll cause you to ask more questions and there are hundreds of us here who will help you at every step.

If you do as we suggest, you will be in charge of your own pool and will never go to the pool store again.
 
Welcome!
wave.gif


Some inspiration:
a-little-encouragement-for-those-with-algae-and-new-to-bbb-t57137.html
frog-filled-green-swamp-to-oasis-work-in-progress-t48213-20.html be sure to look at page 2
before-and-after-t36785.html
a-final-picture-set-of-how-well-the-bbb-method-works-t33199.html

You can do this!

You're no stranger to throwing money at the pool, so throw a little more and go to tftestkits and order up a TF100 and the XL option (because the pool has algae). For a change, you'll be spending it wisely. :wink: I also recommend a speedstir, just because it makes it sooooo much easier. No one who has one regrets buying it!

Armed with your own test kit and the articles in http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/, you could very well be swimming in the clearest, sparkliest pool you've ever been in by June.
 
P.S. Do you think I need to change the sand in the filter??
Click to expand...
Virtually never. If the filter hasn't been opened for a few years, it's always a good idea to remove the top and peek in and see what you've got. Mine gets a bit of gunk that sits on top of the sand bed and (because I am a big sissy :mrgreen: ) I get rubber gloves and scoop off the stuff on top. That should do it...normal backflushing as needed will keep it pretty clean.
 
Hi Again!

I just received my test kit today, opened it, read everything and I want to ask about the first steps I should take.

(Since my pool was getting worse by the day, before I received the test kit I brushed, shocked and added an algaecide, ran the pump for 72 hours straight and repeated the shock and algaecide. Backwashed and rinsed the filter. The chlorine tube is full of tablets. My pool is clear, blue green algae-free, but still have traces of mustard and I'm sure in a few days more will be back. This has all been done in the last 4 days.

Do you recommend that I perform all the tests that are listed on the large white card in the test kit? And after I do those can I come back, tell you the results and get some advice as to how to adjust my chemicals??


Thanks and sorry to sound like a novice.......but I am!
 
elainerader said:
Hi Again!

I just received my test kit today, opened it, read everything and I want to ask about the first steps I should take.

(Since my pool was getting worse by the day, before I received the test kit I brushed, shocked and added an algaecide, ran the pump for 72 hours straight and repeated the shock and algaecide. Backwashed and rinsed the filter. The chlorine tube is full of tablets. My pool is clear, blue green algae-free, but still have traces of mustard and I'm sure in a few days more will be back. This has all been done in the last 4 days.

Do you recommend that I perform all the tests that are listed on the large white card in the test kit? And after I do those can I come back, tell you the results and get some advice as to how to adjust my chemicals??


Thanks and sorry to sound like a novice.......but I am!
Click to expand...
Oh dear... You've probably been adding more Calcium and Stabilizer via shock powder and chlorine tablets. :cry:

Yes, I would advise doing all the tests. Even though you're going to do the FAS-DPS (powder & drops) chlorine test, you should also get a look at the yellow color matching OTO test, just so you can see for yourself how accurate (or not) you are at matching colors.

If you get confused: extended-test-kit-directions-t25081.html
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Hi again!

I had to go out of town and just got around to testing my pool and I believe all I have is tap water in there :oops:

Here are my results competed 15 minutes ago (and after two days of non stop rain) and the steps I took:

FC - Never turned pink after adding R0870 powder as per instructions
added one drop R0871 as per instructions just to see what would happen, no change

CC -added R003 as per instructions - no change, stayed clear
TC - followed instructions although I had no CC reading - no change

TA - added 2 drops R0007 mixed
added 5 " R0008 turned RED NOT GREEN
added 4 " R0009 no change, stayed red

CH after adding 20 drops R0010:
added 5 drops R0011, turned light purple
added 9 " R0012, stayed light purple

CAY (I actually got a result!) 70

What do you suggest?????

Thanks!
 
Well then... doublecheck you didn't grab the wrong bottle of reagent when you did that TA test. If it really never turned green, you'll need to add some baking soda. What was the pH, by chance? That is really important.

Decide if you want to try the shock process at 70 CYA or not, adjust TA and pH, and commence bleach dumping. Instructions are in Pool School, how to perform the shock process.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply