have had trouble with algae...

[Golddlocs]

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Please start your own thread when you have questions Butterfly

Hello I am new to this forum and i have had trouble with algae in the past and i found this thread.

This weekend I had algae and I shocked the pool and scrubbed pool and water cleared up levels were ok had grandkids play in the pool. the next day ,my water was cloudy so I tested with sticks and the ph was low so i added baking soda to raise ph still low I added ph up, the ph according to sticks my ph is ok but my water is still a little cloudy.

Last night I ordered the tf-100 so I am waiting for test kit so I am afraid to add chemicals until I get good test results and it is also pouring rain here in NY and we are expecting as much as 2.5 inches so should I wait until rain stops and hopefully test kit will have arrived or should I put algaecide in the pool now.

Also should I stop putting those stabilizing tablets in the floaty thing and stop using powdered shock just use plain bleach from walmart? I did purchase soda ash and borax after attending your pool school am I on the right track? Thanks for your help sorry post is so long. :?

 

[zea3]

Hi, welcome to TFP! Stop using the tablets in the floater, powdered shock, and do not add algaecide. The algaecide does little to clear up algae once it has begun. Stick with liquid bleach from now on. Go ahead and add a regular size jug of bleach once a day and keep the filter running until the test kit arrives. Once you have your test results post them here and we will help you decide what to do next.

 

[Golddlocs]

Ok thank you

 

[Golddlocs]

Hi I received my tf-100 test kit today and here are my numbers i hope i did this correctly
Fc= 2.85
No cc
TA=150
Calcium yes calcium hardness=80
CYA=100
Ph= 7.6
The cl and br test the water turned a reddish orange and i tested that twice.
I have been adding a gallon of bleach everyday and running pool 24 hours a day and today i ran the robotic cleaner and the filter on the cleaner had a little green which was remainder of algea on pool floor i presume.The water is looking better close up just slightly clouded and i mean really slight. What should i do next? Thanks for your help
And i have not been using rubber ducking tablet floater or powdered shock :-D

 

[Richard320]

Hi I received my tf-100 test kit today and here are my numbers i hope i did this correctly
Fc= 2.85
No cc
TA=150
Calcium yes calcium hardness=80
CYA=100
Ph= 7.6
The cl and br test the water turned a reddish orange and i tested that twice.
I have been adding a gallon of bleach everyday and running pool 24 hours a day and today i ran the robotic cleaner and the filter on the cleaner had a little green which was remainder of algea on pool floor i presume.The water is looking better close up just slightly clouded and i mean really slight. What should i do next? Thanks for your help
And i have not been using rubber ducking tablet floater or powdered shock :-D

If the OTO test turned orange, you're up in the 18 zone on FC. Maybe higher. That doesn't match the FAS-DPD (powder) test at all.

You probably ought to repeat that FAS-DPD test. A refresher.

[center:zm4c1apx][youtube:zm4c1apx]PHQG4tgQsFE[/youtube:zm4c1apx][/center:zm4c1apx]

Actually, there are more tests on that youtube page, so you might want to retry the CYA test. After you take a reading, pour it back in the mixing bottle, give it another shake,, and try again. Do it several times, until you start getting several readings that match.

 

[Golddlocs]

It didn't turn orange with the powder stuff that was with the liquid drops in the basic test i did all the tests in the
kit.

 

[duraleigh]

Ricahrd320 is suggesting a math error on your FAS/DPD chlorine test....I agree.

 

[Golddlocs]

I just came from having water tested the results are as follows
Tc=10
Fc=10
Ph=7.9
Ta=130
Calcium hardness=75
Stabilizer=200

 

[Golddlocs]

What should i use to control algae now that it is gone i don't want to add more bleach, my chlorine levels are pretty high?

 

[Richard320]

What should i use to control algae now that it is gone i don't want to add more bleach, my chlorine levels are pretty high?

The FC levels will go down over time. When they get to the target zone for your CYA, you will need to add more.

How about some test results and some pictures?

 

[duraleigh]

If you have your own test kit, why did you go somewhere to have your water tested?

 

[Golddlocs]

Because when i tested the chlorine with the basic kit that came with the tf-100 kit the chlorine level seemed extremly high and i wanted to confirm that it was extremly high. I then looked at the you tube video and those directions were confusing compared to the directions in the test kit. That test kit isnt as easy as I thought. i am sure itnisma matter of becoming proficient at it.

 

[Golddlocs]

Ok when i get home i will post pics and test again. the water looks great! I have been running my pump more and that seems to be helping. I went from 24 hours down to 18 hours a day. I was going to try 12 hours a day but i am away on vacation for 5 days and i did not want to come back to algae. Before i was only running it 8 hours and that could have been why i ran into the algae problem.

 

[duraleigh]

Pump run time has almost nothing to do with algae. Chlorine kills and prevents algae. Pumps clean your pool.

 

[Golddlocs]

Really i just thought if water was not moving algae built up faster. But thats good to know i'll just keep up with the chlorine levels keep pool clean and i should be good the water looks great!

 

[Golddlocs]

Algae is back again arrrggh
Here are my test results using test kit tf 100
Fc=11
Cc=1
Tc=12
Cya= 100
Ph=7.8
It seems like i am putting a lot of bleach in the pool to keep algae at bay. What chlorine level is too high? And why is algeacide bad?

 

[GuinnessPhish]

The first thing you need to do is partially drain and refill your pool. With a CYA of 100, you need to get down to a CYA of 30 ideally.

That means you need to drain 70% of your pool. Do that first, and then you'll have to shock to 12 instead of 39.

pool-school/chlorine_cya_chart_shock

 

[Golddlocs]

Just to clarify the cya is preventing my chlorine from staying in the water. So with not enough chlorine the algae will continue to return? Once i drain the pool and fill it up add chlorine until the fc=39. Am i on the right track?

 

[PridgNYC]

Once you drain and refill your pool you need to check CYA levels to determine shock levels. Different CYA levels have different FC and shock levels that need to be maintained. The problem with CYA is that even though it protects FC from the effects that would normally cause it to vanish from your pool very quickly under direct sun. That same protective effect prevents it from destroying what you need it to attack. So you need higher FC levels for the same benefit.

In other words, CYA protects the Chlorine in the pool by binding to it. While it is bound, it isn't protecting your water. This is a constant ongoing chemical process, a fight, if you will, between protecting FC from the effects of the sun and making it available to destroy biologic organisms in the water. The more CYA you have, the more bleach you need to have in order to have enough FC to keep ahead of biological intrusions.

 

[Golddlocs]

Also reading BBB for beginners it says "If you have a SWG or get extreme amounts of direct sunlight on the pool, adjust CYA to between 60 and 80. Otherwise adjust CYA to between 30 and 50"
My pool is in the sun no trees any where so shouldn't i be in 60-80 range not 30 :?: