Trying to do it myself and need some direction.

[ross7693]

I'm new to this board and looking for some help and direction. I am in Arizona and had an inground pool built last year. We had the company that built it service it every week. We had some minor problems last year but this year we've had nothing but problems. The pool would turn green every week and we get algae constantly. The pool is about 15,000 gallons and the pool company puts 2 tabs of chlorine in and 1 cup of shock every week. I know that's not enough and we keep telling them but they refuse to change. They were out this week on Wednesday and my pool was full of yellow algae Thursday night. I fired the pool company and am trying to take care of it on my own but I'm a bit lost. I took the water in to be tested on Saturday morning.
Here were the levels:
FC- 0.0
PH- 7.6
Total Alkalinity- 120PPM
Calcium Hardness- 500PM
Cyanuric Acid- 100PPM
Total Dissolved Solids- 100PPM

I don't even know what most of this means except for the fact that there is no chlorine and that the CYA is way too high. I was told that I'm going to have to drain the pool but that it could wait until Winter. On the instructions of the pool store I put in a bottle of Algeacide and a 10lb bucket of shock. I've also filled the chlorine dispensers with 5 tabs of chlorine and ran the filter constantly for about 36 hours. I'm not seeing a difference in the algae yet.

I'm really frustrated because everyone I know who has a pool puts some chlorine in there and never has a problem. We have nothing but problems. I'm sure there's more information that you'll need so just ask. What should I do? Should I keep dumping chlorine in? Should I drain it and start over?

 

[htownjeeper]

How big is your pool and where are you located?

 

[ross7693]

My pool is about 15,000 gallons and I'm located in Phoenix, AZ. It gets full direct sunlight in the morning. The pools been running about 88-89 degrees this summer.

 

[Smykowski]

Welcome to the forum!

First, start by reading Pool School (link in upper left corner). Nearly everything you need is there. It's a lot of information, so expect to be lost until the 4th or 5th time through.

Second, you have to buy a good test kit. It's not an expense, it's an investment that will pay for itself many times over in the first year (see my signature for my experience).

Third, how does your water look now? If it's at all cloudy, you will have to SLAM it (hint: see Pool School for all the details), which is very hard to do with a CYA of 100 (or more, since pool stores screw that one up most frequently). Is draining and refilling an option for you? Once you get your kit, you'll want to see how your fill water tests to see if that's a good idea.

Fourth, go back and read Pool School some more.

 

[jblizzle]

Welcome to TFP!!!

Please add your pool details to your signature and location to your profile as described HERE as it will help us help you.

If you spend some time reading the forum and reading Pool School you will quickly see that you can certainly take control, but you have to take the time to learn. Start at the top:
ABCs of Water Chemistry
Recommended Pool Chemicals
How to Chlorinate Your Pool

To do this, you really need to get yourself one of the Recommended Test Kits. So order that (TF-100 is the best value) and while you are waiting, keep reading and asking questions.

Your problem is that the pool store does NOT understand the CYA/FC relationship. All the pucks and powders (if Dichlor) you are using are adding stabilizer (CYA) and chlorine (FC). The FC is consumed, but the CYA builds up. As the CYA gets higher, you have to keep the FC higher to avoid problems. At this point your CYA is already WAY too high and you will likely require replacing water to get back into the recommended range.

Then, you will need to SLAM the pool to eradicate the algae. [slam:29w60rko][/slam:29w60rko]

 

[ross7693]

I'm reading through everything. I've got it all printed up and I'm highlighting important parts so I can take it home and have it as a reference. It sounds like the first thing I need to do is drain and replace some of the water. How much do I drain out? Do I drain it all? I also don't understand why the pool store sold me the shock and chlorine tablets to use in the pool if they have stabilizer in them and my stabilizer is already too high? Should I be pouring straight chlorine/bleach in there now?

 

[jblizzle]

I also don't understand why the pool store sold me the shock and chlorine tablets to use in the pool if they have stabilizer in them and my stabilizer is already too high?

Well, because either they do not understand the CYA/FC ... OR ... they are looking to keep making money by selling you more stuff when that does not work.

The pool stores are notoriously bad at testing ... especially CYA. In order to know how much water to replace, you need to know what your current CYA level is. The test maxes out at 100, so who knows where you are at. If you have a good kit, you could do a diluted test to get a better estimate.

After you get the CYA in range, you certainly will want to switch to just using liquid chlorine / bleach as your daily FC source and through the SLAM process.