I developed an algae bloom for the third time this spring

[linen]

Re: I developed an algae bloom for the third time this sprin

Clickable link in my post (same link as Richard posted).

R-0012 is the solution used in the cya test.

What iftestkit are you using? Both the k-2006 and the tf100 use the same reagent r-0013

Sorry about that, I made a mistake in my post and corrected it after you looked. You are right we mean the R-0013.

 

[stoney65]

Re: I developed an algae bloom for the third time this sprin

Clickable link in my post (same link as Richard posted).

R-0012 is the solution used in the cya test.

What iftestkit are you using? Both the k-2006 and the tf100 use the same reagent r-0013

Sorry about that, I made a mistake in my post and corrected it after you looked. You are right we mean the R-0013.

I'm sorry too, I totally missed your post a while ago. Your link works. Well, not totally, I DID reply to it

 

[stoney65]

Re: I developed an algae bloom for the third time this sprin

TfTtestkits sells it, see the link in my signature

p.s. note you have about a 10-15 minute working life once the reagent is mixed with the solution or water.

One more thought it is important that the water be around room temperature when you do the CYA test, for some reason cold water effects it.

Pool water is a nice 85º today and had been at least 75 since I got my new test kit. With this test kit, I'm now able to do cya tests. Unfortunately, I can't seem to get a good reading. I find it distasteful that I'll have to replace all my water and start over again.

 

[linen]

Re: I developed an algae bloom for the third time this sprin

I find it distasteful that I'll have to replace all my water and start over again.

Understandable...once you have your cya down around 50 ppm, you should not have to do it again if you follow the methods taught on here. By the way, the number one pool problem that new posters have is high cya, so you are not alone if that is any consolation.

 

[stoney65]

Re: I developed an algae bloom for the third time this sprin

I find it distasteful that I'll have to replace all my water and start over again.

Understandable...once you have your cya down around 50 ppm, you should not have to do it again if you follow the methods taught on here. By the way, the number one pool problem that new posters have is high cya, so you are not alone if that is any consolation.

Not much, but thanks So, after I fill my pool I should go back to trichlor tabs to get the cya back up? Theoretically, if should be almost zero. Or would adding cyanuric acid be better/ cheaper? I have several bags of baking soda now and I think 3 boxes of 20mt borax. 6 gals of 8.25 bleach and will get some 10% now I see is cheaper doing that. Heck, I might as well order 100 lbs of boric acid while I'm at it. i made my diy aerator today.

 

[linen]

Re: I developed an algae bloom for the third time this sprin

I would recommend using bleach for chlorine and cya granules for cya. Each of those really only changes one important parameter where trichlor change four (FC, cya, ph, TA). In addition, raising cya using trichlor can take awhile, and while cya is low, you either need to dose more than once during the day, or keep your FC at a very high level, in both cases to protect against getting to low FC due to the daily high loss to the sun.

 

[Isaac-1]

Re: I developed an algae bloom for the third time this sprin

As it stands now, you may not have to fully replace the water in your pool (in general we do not suggest fully draining pools if you do not have to), vinyl liners have a habit of lifting up and getting wrinkles if fully drained, it is best to always leave at least a foot of water over them. This may meaning doing multiple partial drains to get your CYA level down to the manageable range. Let me say that another way there is no reason to start over from scratch with all fresh water, you just need to replace some fraction of it, then switch to chlorinating with liquid chlorine / bleach, or possibly invest in a SWG (salt water chlorine generator), later on from time to time you may need to raise your CYA level a little due to water loss (splash out), at that time you could use up some of your remaining supply of trichlor to achieve this, or simply add a measured amount of straight stabilizer.

 

[stoney65]

Re: I developed an algae bloom for the third time this sprin

As it stands now, you may not have to fully replace the water in your pool (in general we do not suggest fully draining pools if you do not have to), vinyl liners have a habit of lifting up and getting wrinkles if fully drained, it is best to always leave at least a foot of water over them. This may meaning doing multiple partial drains to get your CYA level down to the manageable range. Let me say that another way there is no reason to start over from scratch with all fresh water, you just need to replace some fraction of it, then switch to chlorinating with liquid chlorine / bleach, or possibly invest in a SWG (salt water chlorine generator), later on from time to time you may need to raise your CYA level a little due to water loss (splash out), at that time you could use up some of your remaining supply of trichlor to achieve this, or simply add a measured amount of straight stabilizer.

Seems to me that without knowing exactly what my Cya is, draining almost all the water would be using less water than a series of drains and refills.

 

[zea3]

Re: I developed an algae bloom for the third time this sprin

Since you have a vinyl liner pool, it is safer to do a series of drain and refills to prevent damage to the liner. If you try to drain it all at once you run the risk of floating the liner (ground water builds up underneath and dislodges the liner), or liner shrinkage (liner left in the sun too long without water may shrink and/or become brittle and more prone to tears)

When you drain you need to leave at least 1 foot of water in the shallow end to prevent floating the liner. If there is a high water table in your area you may need to leave more in the pool. If your refill water source is slow and would take days to refill the pool it would be best to do the small drain and refill cycles to prevent the liner from drying out and shrinking.

 

[stoney65]

Re: I developed an algae bloom for the third time this sprin

Since you have a vinyl liner pool, it is safer to do a series of drain and refills to prevent damage to the liner. If you try to drain it all at once you run the risk of floating the liner (ground water builds up underneath and dislodges the liner), or liner shrinkage (liner left in the sun too long without water may shrink and/or become brittle and more prone to tears)

When you drain you need to leave at least 1 foot of water in the shallow end to prevent floating the liner. If there is a high water table in your area you may need to leave more in the pool. If your refill water source is slow and would take days to refill the pool it would be best to do the small drain and refill cycles to prevent the liner from drying out and shrinking.

I put in a 250 cya level in the pool calculator. If says to drain and replace 80% of my water. Still no sun here. Going to try a quadruple cya test to see if I can get a good number. Any recommendations for a indoor light source that may not be optimal, but still adequate?

 

[SkyKid]

Re: I developed an algae bloom for the third time this sprin

That's what they meant r-0013 for cya test r-0012 is for calcium test
Here's a link to the standard solution
http://tftestkits.net/R-7065-CYA-Standard-Solution-p34.html

 

[Butterfly]

Re: I developed an algae bloom for the third time this sprin

Any recommendations for a indoor light source that may not be optimal, but still adequate?

Snippet from Extended Test Kit Directions in Pool School:

................Cap and then shake the mixing bottle for 30 seconds.
Stand outdoors with your back to the sun and hold the view tube at about waist level. If sunlight is not available, find the brightest artificial light you can.
Looking down into the view tube, slowly pour the mixture from the mixing bottle into the view tube.
Continue pouring until all traces of the black dot at the bottom of the view tube completely disappear, even after you stare at it for several seconds, or you fill the view tube..........

 

[stoney65]

Re: I developed an algae bloom for the third time this sprin

Since you have a vinyl liner pool, it is safer to do a series of drain and refills to prevent damage to the liner. If you try to drain it all at once you run the risk of floating the liner (ground water builds up underneath and dislodges the liner), or liner shrinkage (liner left in the sun too long without water may shrink and/or become brittle and more prone to tears)

When you drain you need to leave at least 1 foot of water in the shallow end to prevent floating the liner. If there is a high water table in your area you may need to leave more in the pool. If your refill water source is slow and would take days to refill the pool it would be best to do the small drain and refill cycles to prevent the liner from drying out and shrinking.

So, if I drain and refill 50% and if my Cya is really 250 to start with, my Cya after the first round should be 125 and after a second 63 and then 25% should bring it down a little below 50?

 

[harleysilo]

Re: I developed an algae bloom for the third time this sprin

Since you have a vinyl liner pool, it is safer to do a series of drain and refills to prevent damage to the liner. If you try to drain it all at once you run the risk of floating the liner (ground water builds up underneath and dislodges the liner), or liner shrinkage (liner left in the sun too long without water may shrink and/or become brittle and more prone to tears)

When you drain you need to leave at least 1 foot of water in the shallow end to prevent floating the liner. If there is a high water table in your area you may need to leave more in the pool. If your refill water source is slow and would take days to refill the pool it would be best to do the small drain and refill cycles to prevent the liner from drying out and shrinking.

So, if I drain and refill 50% and if my Cya is really 250 to start with, my Cya after the first round should be 125 and after a second 63 and then 25% should bring it down a little below 50?

That seems like a decent questimate.

 

[rdhetrick]

Re: I developed an algae bloom for the third time this sprin

Hi,

The last sentence of your first post has me a little concerned: "but so is using 6 gals of bleach every 6 days."

With a 32k gal pool, using the methods taught here, you will most likely end up using about one gallon of bleach every single day to maintain the proper FC. There are other options like, higher concentration liquid chlorine, SWG, automatic liquid injection systems, but the fact remains that "something" will have to add a non-stabilized amount of chlorine everyday.

Is this something you've considered and are willing to live with?

 

[stoney65]

Re: I developed an algae bloom for the third time this sprin

Since you have a vinyl liner pool, it is safer to do a series of drain and refills to prevent damage to the liner. If you try to drain it all at once you run the risk of floating the liner (ground water builds up underneath and dislodges the liner), or liner shrinkage (liner left in the sun too long without water may shrink and/or become brittle and more prone to tears)

When you drain you need to leave at least 1 foot of water in the shallow end to prevent floating the liner. If there is a high water table in your area you may need to leave more in the pool. If your refill water source is slow and would take days to refill the pool it would be best to do the small drain and refill cycles to prevent the liner from drying out and shrinking.

So, if I drain and refill 50% and if my Cya is really 250 to start with, my Cya after the first round should be 125 and after a second 63 and then 25% should bring it down a little below 50?

That seems like a decent questimate.

Well, the good the good news is I finally got a decent though not optimal reading. The bad news is, it's worse than I thought it'd be 4x80=320 shoot! !!

 

[stoney65]

Re: I developed an algae bloom for the third time this sprin

Hi,

The last sentence of your first post has me a little concerned: "but so is using 6 gals of bleach every 6 days."

With a 32k gal pool, using the methods taught here, you will most likely end up using about one gallon of bleach every single day to maintain the proper FC. There are other options like, higher concentration liquid chlorine, SWG, automatic liquid injection systems, but the fact remains that "something" will have to add a non-stabilized amount of chlorine everyday.

Is this something you've considered and are willing to live with?

Problem is, there's not much of a choice-- either $175 for water replacement or 58 days of bleach and beyond. My water is so pretty blue now, it's a shame to drain it.

 

[rdhetrick]

Re: I developed an algae bloom for the third time this sprin

The point I was trying to make was that after you get your CYA down to a manageable number, then you will be using about a gallon a day, and the way I read your first post was that using six gallons in six days (gallon a day) was out of the question.

Maybe I misunderstood your first post.

 

[stoney65]

Re: I developed an algae bloom for the third time this sprin

The point I was trying to make was that after you get your CYA down to a manageable number, then you will be using about a gallon a day, and the way I read your first post was that using six gallons in six days (gallon a day) was out of the question.

Maybe I misunderstood your first post.

6 gals in six days is what I'm using now,. It was my understanding from what I've read here that lowering the cya should lower chlorine usage too. I haven't been asking bleach every day, but historically about the last month since I've been using bleachers to, I've found my test to be maybe .6 on the evening of the third day. I put in 2 gals-test the next morning has been 5 this morning it was still 3.(2nd day), so, is really les than a gal/day. I think 7 saw a post last night that said they were only putting in a half to 1 gal/ week.

 

[rdhetrick]

Re: I developed an algae bloom for the third time this sprin

Typically, pools with the recommended range of CYA loose 2 to 3 PPM chlorine each day. For your 32k gallons, you will need to use one of the following each day:
133 oz. of 6% bleach
97 oz. 8.25% bleach
66 oz. 12% bleach
9.3 oz. trichlor (pucks)
15 oz. dichlor (powder)
18 oz. cal-hypo (powder 48%)
SWG

Any option except for the liquid chlorine (bleach) or SWG add other things that cause the problem like high CYA and high CH. That is why we recommend liquid chlorine or a SWG except for some very unusual cases.