waterbear said:
Thanks for your time and reply. I am now understanding. Please help me as time permits I am not letting this pool beat me.
Algae or to much chemicals?
- Thread starter Eric
- Start date
Thanks for your time and reply. I am now understanding. Please help me as time permits I am not letting this pool beat me.
As a fellow Intex pool owner i strongly ( very strongly ) suggest upgrading the filter size. Mine came with the B filters( for a 14K gallon pool). The filters cannot possibly keep up with the flow, and they really don't catch alot of algae.
I added a hayward sand filter/pump, and my life got suddenyl better.
For what it's worth, these guys KNOW what they are talking about, if it can be cleared, they can help you clear it.
I added a hayward sand filter/pump, and my life got suddenyl better.
For what it's worth, these guys KNOW what they are talking about, if it can be cleared, they can help you clear it.
Eric said:
Good!!! Did you put in a new cartridge? Or a new filter pump? LOL
Your next investment, a necessary requirement to maintaining complete CONTROL of your pool, is a good test kit. Either a Taylor kit, or the one that gets RAVE reviews on here PLUS personal assistance (not some outsourced person in who knows where) is the TF test kit that DURALEIGH sells. I highly recommend it. I hestitated getting one last year when I joined this site, only because I had already spent SOOOO much money on pool store chemicals that they told me I needed. I just couldn't tell my hubby that I was buying a test kit and spending MORE money.
But its worth it, the piece of mind that you are doing everything right and you KNOW exactly what your pool water chemistry is. Especially the clorine levels. If you have to shock about 5 and you don't know what your level is, your just guessing and that can do more harm than good.
Anyway, sounds like your doing o.k., keep testing, keep chlorine up, keep filter. Post any questions here, with updated test results....
No worries!!! :-D
Just the filter for now. :-D I will consider a new pump later. I agree I have to get a better test kit. Like you said its just more money. 
I see you added your equipment to your sig...
The intex site says your pool is just under 4,500 gallons....I don't know if that's correct tho.
The intex site says your pool is just under 4,500 gallons....I don't know if that's correct tho.
That is what the fill capacity is. I guess if you filled it to the brim it would be 5,000.
Here is a picture taken today of the pool. Color is the same for the last week and a half
To answer your very first question, yes, that's algae.
I hate to sound like a broken record but you really need the good test kit and a better filter. If you have to wait on the filter, please get the test kit.
But, if you are going to get this cleared with the filter you have, you have to have patience because it will take longer with your smaller pump than it would with a larger one.
I hate to sound like a broken record but you really need the good test kit and a better filter. If you have to wait on the filter, please get the test kit.
But, if you are going to get this cleared with the filter you have, you have to have patience because it will take longer with your smaller pump than it would with a larger one.
I do understand the need for both. I just spoke to a "Pool store" and they said since my FC has been above 3 for almost 2 weeks the algae is dead and that what I see is dead algae and it needs to get cleared out. He suggested I turn off the filter and see if it settles. He also said the filter is only designed to catch debris down to 20 micron and to add a flok to help with the clean up as my filter is returning to much to the pool.
If all the algae is dead, a sand filter will clear the water after a week or so (unless it isn't working correctly). Have you backwashed the filter recently?
JasonLion said:
He has a cartridge filter, the small intex kind. I suspect it's undersized and contributing to the delay in clearing....
Ah, sorry. The Intex filters are fairly awful and can take a very long time to clear the pool. A floc treatment is quite a bit of work but it can clear up the water overnight.
Since yesterday evening I have put in 4 jugs of bleach (6%). Around 7 PM Central after 3 jugs I could actually see a hint of the bottom. :-D So I went ahead and changed the Cartridge filter which was the dirtiest I ever saw it. One thing I noted is that it was also a different brand and I wondered if it had a lower micron filtration so I put one of those back in. I also swept the pool and added the fourth jug of bleach. However, the pool is now cloudy again. I hope it clears up again over night. I was really excited to see the last step on ladder. Any words of wisdom?
If I should use floc what can I expect and why is it hard work?
If I should use floc what can I expect and why is it hard work?
My guess is vacuuming the pool stirred everything up and that is why you can't see the bottom. Also, my experience with the Intex filter (I had a similar pool about 7 or 8 years ago) is that flow will bypass the cartridge once the cartridge gets clogged, causing the water to cloud. I'm sure someone much more experienced than me will weigh in, but...my recommendation is to keep the chlorine levels high (15 ppm or so) to completely kill the algae and brush daily until you can clearly see the botom of the pool. Then, vacuum using a siphon or other method to remove the water rfom the pool during vacuuming to ensure the dead algae is removed. Something that worked well for me when I had the intex was blocking the filter return to the pool, disconnecting the filter discharge hose and directing it into the yard, then using the filter as the vacuum by shoving a vacuum hose into the pool suction line....all of the return water is discharged into the yard instead of the pool which prevents putting the dead agae back into solution. Keep this cycle up and eventually your pool will be crystal clear :-D .
Hope this helps.
Jim
Hope this helps.
Jim
wow great idea on using the pump as a vaccum. Update: I can see the bottom much better. Still a bit cloudy but I was able to use the garden hose vaccum with a hose attached today and could see the debris on the bottom for the first time. I continue to add a lot of bleach I do not want this algae to come back.
I live in southern Missouri and we have been getting a ton of rain lately. Should I be concerned with my pool lapsing back?
I live in southern Missouri and we have been getting a ton of rain lately. Should I be concerned with my pool lapsing back?
Just curious if you added water from a well into your pool and then shocked it? Could it possibly be the shock reacting to the metals? I had to add the metal out stuff before shocking and it made a huge difference.
austinsmom01 said:
When there are issues with metals, the water is almost never cloudy, usually it is extremely transparent and colored. Cloudy green water is nearly always algae.
What about the muck on the bottom of the pool? It's not slimey and is more of a brownish color. It makes the water dingy (you can see through it fine) but once you brush it or try and vacuum it up, it turns the water into a soupy mess.
All at TFP who took the time to help and to those who are responsible for this invaluable website THANK YOU.....
My pool is clear. It only got to this point after the bleach took hold. I just put in literally tons of bleach :-D.
My little cartridge filter needs cleaned a lot but I really have spent very little time each day on the pool. I just check my levels and keep it chlorinated.
Family loves the clear water so again thank you for helping me and showing me how to save money.
I learned two additional things I would like to share.
1. I have a new name around town... and that is "POOL BOY" (which I am proud of by the way)
2. Dont go out before or after work in dress cloths to try and fix pool water problems while using bleach.
My pool is clear. It only got to this point after the bleach took hold. I just put in literally tons of bleach :-D.
My little cartridge filter needs cleaned a lot but I really have spent very little time each day on the pool. I just check my levels and keep it chlorinated.
Family loves the clear water so again thank you for helping me and showing me how to save money.
I learned two additional things I would like to share.
1. I have a new name around town... and that is "POOL BOY" (which I am proud of by the way)
2. Dont go out before or after work in dress cloths to try and fix pool water problems while using bleach.