Strategy/Order to attack algae

[Xenon]

Hey guys

After weeks of hard rains I guess my water has been diluted to where the SWG was ineffective. (Where does it go?)

Got a hint of green a couple days ago, last night I added bleach to FC 15 shock level (40 CYA).

This morning's readings on 25k gal plaster
FC 11
CYA 40
pH 8.1
TA 140
Salt 2200

So I know I need to add salt, acid and more bleach until it clears up. The question is whether I can do it all at once?
Bleach is going in now... should I go ahead and run up the salt at the same time too? Should I wait on the pH until the algae is gone or try to tackle it now?
Do I really need the "algae control" that the pool store is trying to sell my wife (before adding the salt)?

 

[Richard320]

pH first. Then run it up to shock level. Continue the shock process. If you caught it early, it shouldn;t take long.

Once you've passed all three tests to know you're done shocking, fill your sock with CYA and hang it in front of the return. Add salt and turn the SWG back on.

The cost of the bleach will be much less than the cost of replacing the burned out SWG.

 

[JohnN]

Just want to note that with a FC >10, the pH test can be inaccurate. It can read falsely high.

 

[linen]

Do I really need the "algae control" that the pool store is trying to sell my wife (before adding the salt)?

Not if you maintain an appropriate amount of FC for your cya level.

 

[Xenon]

Just want to note that with a FC >10, the pH test can be inaccurate. It can read falsely high.

Yeah, I panicked a little this morning...

Had my pH in the sweet spot yesterday then tested again this morning after maintaining a high FC overnight (and having a blue pool this am) and it the reading was 8.2+

I decided not to add any acid and wait it out until after work today, see if the some of the FC burned off in the sun and revisit it. Now I'm glad I did. I didn't remember that tidbit. There are lots of these

Follow up question: Pool store says I have high metal content in the water. In particular, copper. Is this something I should be concerned with? Best method to reduce it?

 

[duraleigh]

Partial drain and refill to reduce it. Do you know how it got there? It almost never naturally occurs.

 

[Xenon]

No idea. He said it could be from debris in the water (which I have some of some my Polaris booster quit) and tried to sell me "metal free" which would reduce it. I thought I'd check here first.

FC is down to 8 after a full day of sun. I brushed the pool again for any algae I may have missed last night. I think I'll bring it back up overnight then tweak the rest. Hopefully she passes the tests in the morning.

I should add the CC is .5 or less and clear

 

[jblizzle]

Debris would not add copper. Copper is usually either from the use of some mineral system or the use of certain algaecides ... neither of which we recommend.

 

[Xenon]

And I can promise you that I haven't added algaecide and have no mineral system at least since July of 2011 since I've owned the house. Then again, I've never tested for copper either, so I guess it could still be in there.