HELP ME!! Been trying to open for over 3 weeks

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lilgalfromin said:
I have put in 16 bottles of chlorine/bleach and just added lots of algaecide... If this dont work, i just dont know what else to do..
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Why algaecide? Who suggested that?

It works better as a preventative than as a killer, and some algaecides react (use up) with chlorine. Some also leave copper behind. I suppose if you don't mind green-hair...

The pool store had three weeks, you've given us all of a day before rejecting our method. I'm not encouraged.
 
AnneH said:
I feel your pain. Our pool looked similar not too long ago. What really helped us was to use a miraclear tab (put in its own sock) in the suction basket. The pool looked so much better in days, after being very green and cloudy. Everyday after putting in the tab, the filter was backwashed, and the backwash coming out was so green! I'm no expert, but why not remove some of the algae, pollen, ant parts, etc this way, and then shocking to remove whats left. I'm curious if the miraclear tabs are putting something undesireable into the pool,.....?
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The Miraclear seems to be just a soluble polymer resin based clarifier. Nothing undesirable but clarifiers are by and large an unneeded expense. Not saying it didn't help in your situation but you have it backwards when you say "why not remove some of the algae, pollen, ant parts, etc this way, and then shocking to remove whats left."

A properly working filter will clarify the water by trapping the debris. Live algae is not debris. Following the shock process as outlined in Pool School will turn that live algae to debris. Shocking is always the first step in clearing an algae problem. If it's not then you're just putting yourself on a treadmill to frustration. Any live algae filtered and backflushed will be replaced by the live algae left behind when you're below shock level.
 
Stop using algaecide and just use bleach. U need to know ur cya number so u know ur shock number and lower ur ph to around 7.2 before u start shocking and don't worry about the other numbers then just keep ur filter backwashed when pressure goes up and have patience grasshopper, it takes time. Mine took a whole month before I could see the bottom. Oh and scrub bottom and sides atleast once a day.
 
lilgalfromin seriously, have you read pool school? :)
It will all make sense. Read it several times to really understand it. Hundreds of people on this site have used this method and cleared up green pools.

It really does work. Richard is trying to help you not to have to use a lot of stuff that is not necessary and gets expensive. Chlorine/bleach really does work at killing the algae when you shock, brush and vacuum. He is giving you individual advice based on BBB and Pool School. He really is trying to help. :)
 
Hope it works! But honestly, check into these miraclear tabs you put in your suction basket (and no, I don't work for them, and there is probably similar tabs under different names). As they dissolve, they help all the particles (algae, pollen, etc) in your pool stick together and become trapped in your sand filter. There are only $10 each, and I'm sure I would have spent multiple times that amount to kill all that algae with chlorine. Why spend so much to kill algae when you can trap it in your filter and backwash?!
 
I have one question Im curious about. When originally I was trying to adjust my PH (which is normal now), I had put in muratic acid to do this.. My water turned blue, which was a great sign to me.. only to have it turn right back to green the next day.. Why did the meuratic acid do this? I just read pool school as well.. I put in 16 gallons of bleach/chlorine this morning... I know this will take days to see a difference, but so far since this morning, there has been absolutely no chance whatsoever.. not even the slightest... Will see what tomorrow brings..
 
lilgalfromin said:
I have one question Im curious about. When originally I was trying to adjust my PH (which is normal now), I had put in muratic acid to do this.. My water turned blue, which was a great sign to me.. only to have it turn right back to green the next day.. Why did the meuratic acid do this? I just read pool school as well.. I put in 16 gallons of bleach/chlorine this morning... I know this will take days to see a difference, but so far since this morning, there has been absolutely no chance whatsoever.. not even the slightest... Will see what tomorrow brings..
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Why did you put 16 gallons in and not 15 or 17? What did you base this on? In other words, have you used the calculator to determine how much to add?

Have you tested the Cl levels since you put the bleach in? The bottom line is assuming you even put enough in to achieve shock level it is likely by now the Cl has been consumed, you are below shock level, and the algae is starting to grow again.

If you read and understood Pool School, you should realize just putting in bleach in the morning and waiting to see what tomorrow brings is not a recipe for success.
 
Are you following the shock process or just blindly throwing bleach in the pool? First you need to get the correct test kit (link in my signature) and then follow the shock process (also in my signature). If you follow these steps, your pool will clear.
 

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I am really hoping you did NOT dump all 16 gallons of bleach in the pool at once! :shock:

Personally, I don't think you are serious about these methods on TFP. If you'd of read Pool School, you'd know that algaecide does nothing to kill off algae in a bloom which is what you have. Why isn't your pool clearing? Because you are not keeping up with it. You are throwing things at it and it's laughing at you while it's eating up all your money.

STOP! Take a deep breath... Now listen to me...

Buy a test kit.

Read Pool School Again.

Wait for your Test Kit.

Read Pool School Again.

Open your Test Kit n Go Check Your Water.

Read Pool School Again.

Report back to us your water results.

When you shock a pool, it's not a one time thing. (I still hope you did not BOMB the pool with all that bleach). You find out what your CYA level is in the chart in Pool School and run your finger across to the shock level. You raise the chlorine to that number. Let's say it's 15ppm as an example. Once you add the chlorine, you check it after 2 hours and if it falls to 10ppm, you raise it back up to 15ppm. You do this several times a day until night falls because sunlight consumes chlorine. Once night falls, bring it back to 15ppm and go to bed! Get up before the sun does and check it again! If it's under 15ppm, add more chlorine. You must keep it at shock level until you stop losing chlorine at night! We are trying to explain to you that throwing chemicals in the pool cuz it says shock on the bag does not constitute the shocking process. It can take days!!! Do you understand?


We can not guide you to a trouble free pool if you don't read up in pool school and buy a reliable test kit so that we know what we're working with. This is to make you life easier!!! If you can't do that then have fun with the green monster.
 
I second Casey. If you want the help there are many experts and supportive people here but you have to be serious and take those steps. If you do?.........you will have a sparkling clean wonderful pool to enjoy AND YOU will be in control of your chemistry....not the pool store! I was so dumb about pool chemistry until I found this site. Now I understand my part and take care of it.
 
+4 to what casey said.
And to reiterate - algaecide is really more of a PREVENTATIVE, it simply doesn't kill algae at the same rate as good old chlorine. Plus, the algaecide is consuming the chlorine you are adding. Its simply wasting money. So skip it...
 
as a newbie here i just want to say, the chlorine is all you need is true... We didn't close our pool last year (in NYS) and this spring it was dark brown, full of leaves and sticks, and a dead squirrel . We did nothing but take the squirrel out with a shovel, skim the top with the net, pour in 12.5% choriine (which is also what our pool store recommended btw) and kept skimming with the net, and vacuuming the bottom (after i could see it.) this process was what our pool store told us to do, we asked about other things that might help and they said no, just keep the Chlorine higher than the strips can read.

it really only took 3 days before we could see the bottom (it was still cloudy green), and about a week before i was brave enough to jump in and finish the vacuuming from inside. (we also have a severely undersized sand filter with undersized lines for our pump) and this was using test strips. I didn't follow the method here for testing until after I cleared the water once and it started to get a little cloudy again (thats when i finally bought a real test kit so that the $100 in bleach didn't go to waste)

if adding nothing but bleach worked in my pool, it will work in every pool.
 
frustratedpoolmom said:
+4 to what casey said.
And to reiterate - algaecide is really more of a PREVENTATIVE, it simply doesn't kill algae at the same rate as good old chlorine. Plus, the algaecide is consuming the chlorine you are adding. Its simply wasting money. So skip it...
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Plus most are copper based and could lead to metal problems. Looking at one of the OP's posts: "I had put in muratic acid to do this.. My water turned blue, which was a great sign to me.. only to have it turn right back to green the next day" could indicate this.
 
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