Another year, another green swamp

[run53]

My father in-law has a loop-loc cover and insists on closing his pool on 9/1 and opening on Memorial Day weekend. I keep telling him that he will continue to open to a swamp each year if he continues to follow this schedule. I guess he doesn't care much because I am the one who gets to clean up the pool each year from the knowledge I get here. By the way, I have the same cover but close in October and open in early May. My pool is always clear when opened.

Anyways, I have a couple of questions, but first, his readings from my TF-100 kit.

CYA 10-15 (not quite sure on this, so I am shocking with bleach using the higher number)
pH 8.0 (taken before shock)
TA 50
Hardness 170

I've kept FC at or above 12 for 3 days and now the water is milky gray with still quite a bit of Crud that settle to bottom. When brushed up, some still looks alive, so i am keeping things at shock level. I can only see bottom in shallow end. I need to get pH down, but will deal with that after water is clear.

Question #1: I want to raise the CYA but he is still backwashing a couple of times a day (sand filter). In the Boston area, we are expecting a 90 degree heat wave by the weekend and even if the pool is clear by then, I am concerned about a low CYA level. So, I want to start adding CYA today. Does this make sense?

Question #2: Regardless of how clear i get his pool at the start, it inevitably gets a case of yellow mustard (I assume) algae even though the water stays clear. I know we don't promote algecide here as a fix for algae, but do you think he should be using it as a preventative? If so any suggestions as to what he should use?

 

[JasonLion]

1) Add CYA by putting the CYA in an old sock and tie the sock so it hangs in front of a return jet. That way you can backwash as much as you want to.

2) If you have to, you can raise your FC target level a little to keep mustard algae away. That is more effective than algaecide.

 

[run53]

1) Add CYA by putting the CYA in an old sock and tie the sock so it hangs in front of a return jet. That way you can backwash as much as you want to.

2) If you have to, you can raise your FC target level a little to keep mustard algae away. That is more effective than algaecide.

Thanks Jason, I will start adding the CYA tonight. I'm not sure it will be helpful for the pending heat wave, but I need to start at some point. Just didn't want to waste the stuff with all the backwashing.

I read somewhere on this forum that if you put the granules in the stocking, they will dissolve faster if you massage the stocking under water. I tried this in my own pool and sure enough, it went through the nylon stocking quickly. I noticed a white powder going into the water. However upon closer visual inspection, I also noticed tiny little granules being dispersed into the water along with the white powder. I am just wondering if the massage method really buys anything in terms of quicker dissolving as opposed to just letting the stocking hang in front of the return?

 

[BoDarville]

I am just wondering if the massage method really buys anything in terms of quicker dissolving as opposed to just letting the stocking hang in front of the return?

My experience in my pool has been that the CYA in the sock dissolves a bit faster by properly hanging it in front of a return (vs. placing in the skimmer and giving it an occasional squeeze) so it is constantly being agitated by the stream of water coming out of the return. But either method will get the job done. Regardless of the application method, it still takes about 5-7 days for all of the newly added CYA to register on test results.

 

[run53]

But either method will get the job done. Regardless of the application method, it still takes about 5-7 days for all of the newly added CYA to register on test results.

So, during those 5-7 days that it doesn't register on test results, is the newly added CYA still effective? The real question is, should I use an estimated CYA value during those 5-7 days when trying to determine shock levels?