Frustated with Pool guy

[Jermocide]

Hey Guys,
I've been redirected to this site so many times in researching Pools. I had to dig deeper. Now I'm intrigued in the TFP method.
I'm a new pool owner and pay a guy to only take care of the chemicals. My pool has been starting to look bad, algae on the walls now creeping to the floor. Once easy to brush off now it's a battle I can't win. I believe it's Mustard algae. I feel like the Pool Guy does nothing especially since it seems my FC is 0.
Time to take things in my own hands with the help of this site and the TFP method.
Please forgive me as I don't have all my accurate tests at hand but will tomorrow.
Just received my Taylor K-2006 test kit.

My water looks good and clear but as I said the walls and spa have become impossible to keep clean.
Here is what I have so far.
FC - 0 tested with Taylor kit as well as strips
CC - ? Can't seem to test because I can't get sample water to turn pink.
pH - Good according to strips, will test with taylor kit this afternoon
TA - Same as pH, good according to strips
CYA - 65

Questions:
What is my first step?
Should I just get the FC up to recommened 7 acccording to chart and attempt to keep it there?
I plan on going and buying some bleach at the store right after work.
Is my CYA going to be OK? Sounds like 40 is recommended.
I'm excited and anxious, Time to say goodbye to Leslies and pool guy.
Again sorry for the lack of info at this point but will update as soon as possible.
Just looking for an immediate action I can do starting this evening.
Thank you All!

 

[JasonLion]

Welcome to TFP!

You have visible algae so you need to SLAM the pool. Instructions on how to do that are in the How To section of Pool School, see the link at the top right of every page.

CYA at 65 isn't ideal, but probably not worth bothering with just at the moment. Higher CYA levels will mean that more chlorine is required to fight algae, but it should be manageable. The main thing is to stop using forms of chlorine that add more CYA to the water (dichlor and trichlor) least CYA go up even more.

 

[jblizzle]

Welcome to TFP!!!

If you add the 5 drops for the CC test and it stays clear, that means you do not have any CC which is good.

Here are some links to help get you started:
Defeating Algae
Turning Your Green Swamp Back into a Sparkling Oasis
SLAM Process

Also since you need to SLAM and only got the K-2006, you should likely go ahead and order some more of the FAS-DPD reagent (R-0870 and R-0871) as you will run out quickly (especially since your CYA is high so you will need to hold the FC up around 26ppm which will take over 50 drops for every test).

 

[Casey]

Get rid of that Pool Guy!

Buy a good amount of bleach.

Run your pump/filter and check the pH before you start the SLAM and if it's high, bring it down with Muriatic Acid.

SLAM pool to 28ppm and hold it there. BRUSH! BRUSH! BRUSH! your pool!

 

[Jermocide]

Thanks for the helpful replies! I'm ordering the Reagents today.
I was afraid I would have to SLAM. The instructions seem pretty clear. I'll make sure th Ph is good before I start.
Questions:
What is a typical SLAM procedure look like for an 8-5 M-F worker?
Should you start early on Satuday, such as 8am and keep checking every hour and add bleach as needed to keep the level constant until dark.
Then start early Sunday and repeat. Then M- F keep FC level at high end?

How do you know when the SLAM is complete? Site says when water is clear and CC is 0.5, currently water is clear and CC seems to be 0. Just algae on walls.

When is it safe to swim again?

Thanks again! You guys are awesome!

 

[Richard320]

Thanks for the helpful replies! I'm ordering the Reagents today.
I was afraid I would have to SLAM. The instructions seem pretty clear. I'll make sure th Ph is good before I start.
Questions:
What is a typical SLAM procedure look like for an 8-5 M-F worker?
Should you start early on Satuday, such as 8am and keep checking every hour and add bleach as needed to keep the level constant until dark.
Then start early Sunday and repeat. Then M- F keep FC level at high end?

How do you know when the SLAM is complete? Site says when water is clear and CC is 0.5, currently water is clear and CC seems to be 0. Just algae on walls.

When is it safe to swim again?

Thanks again! You guys are awesome!

Welcome!

I'd start the minute I got home Friday. That gives time for it to work with less sunlight degrading the bleach and get a second (or third) dosing in before bed. Hint: you can bring the sample inside where the light is better. The more often you replenish the bleach, the faster the process goes. I believe it was two years ago a guy turned a green pool clear in a three day weekend, but he was willing to set his alarm and get up every two hours.

Algae on the walls means the water is not clear - or it won't be, as soon as you start brushing, which you should be doing during the SLAM. When it's all eradicated, you'll stop losing bleach to killing it, so you'll pass the overnight loss test then. If anything's still growing, its unlikely you'll pass the test.

It's safe to swim all the way up to the SLAM level for your CYA. Personally, I'd stay out until the SLAM was done and the FC started to taper down, but that opinion could change if its triple-digit temperatures outside.

 

[Jermocide]

Thanks Richard! I think I'm ready for the battle.
Just got to stock up on the supplies.
Anybody get any odd looks when purchasing so many bottles of bleach?
Might look like you are trying to clean up a crime scene.

 

[duraleigh]

Anybody get any odd looks when purchasing so many bottles of bleach?
Might look like you are trying to clean up a crime scene.

Absolutely! Some of our best posts on this forum are from members who just got back from Walmart with a trunkful of bleach!!

 

[Isaac-1]

I would suggest you take photos so you can see your progress, we would like to see it too.

Ike

 

[Casey]

I just bought 12 boxes of Borax for my pool! I was waiting for the comments but didn't get any! I was disappointed! lol

 

[Richard320]

I just bought 12 boxes of Borax for my pool! I was waiting for the comments but didn't get any! I was disappointed! lol

Borax? Why? It's bleach you'll be wanting. I hope that was a typo.

Borates are totally optional, and should only be added after everything else is balanced and the pool is clear. You'll be loading up the filter and losing a lot of water to backwashing so it doesn;t make sense to add borax just to flush it out again a day or two later.

Oops, wrong guy. Good catch, Jason.

 

[jblizzle]

I dont think you noticed who you were responding to.

 

[zea3]

Just a reminder for Jermocide, the 3 criteria for a completed slam process are:
1. water is clear
2. CC is .5 or less
3. You have passed the overnight chlorine loss test . To double check you should run the oclt two nights in a row.

 

[Casey]

Borax? Why? It's bleach you'll be wanting. I hope that was a typo.

Borates are totally optional, and should only be added after everything else is balanced and the pool is clear. You'll be loading up the filter and losing a lot of water to backwashing so it doesn;t make sense to add borax just to flush it out again a day or two later.

Oops, wrong guy. Good catch, Jason.

lol

Good luck SLAMing Jermocide! BRUSH!!!! that pool!!! :lol:

 

[Jermocide]

Hey Everybody,
Here is a link to pictures of the pool.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/22257491@N08/

Hopefully I setup the URL and Flickr correctly.
The water is crystal clear. It has been since I moved into the home in January.
It has just been the last 3 weeks when the yellow staining or algae appeared and it is very hard to brush off.
It use to be that the kreepy krauly would suck it right off. Now I can barely get it off with a brush.
I added 220 oz of 8% Bleach last night. 40 min later the test strips indicated 5 to 10ppm of FC.
This morning the test strips showed about the same. I think that is good.
Sorry for using the test strips, its been a time issue lately and I just started using the Taylor kit so I'm a bit slow.

I live in Southern California and right now there are major Santa Ana winds. I come home the last couple of evenings and the pool has a layer of **** on it. It's like a small hurricane came through.
I have to clean all filters and go around about 3 times with the net. Not to mention cleaning up the yard with all the fallen branches etc.
So time has been a bit of an issue.

So my water has never been cloudy, which confuses me as I would think the algae would cause cloudiness.
My Kreepy is always on. Is that OK? Or should I rotate? One day run the Kreepy then one day only the skimmer?
I'm going to use the Taylor kit tonight to make sure PH is good then pump up the FC to 26.
It seems as the FC remains pretty stable without me having to pump bleach in every hour.
I'm going to try and maintain a 26 for a couple days.
You think this sounds like a good plan?

BTW Had my first experience purchasing 6 bottles of bleach at Target. Of course was asked about and explained the whole chlorine thing.
She thought it was crazy that I would put bleach in a pool.

 

[savagesix]

That is a sweet pool! I wish I had a more tropical area around mine like that, lush!

Stay on the method, it works. I am on my second year of pool ownership and have yet to buy anything other than a basketball hoop at the pool store. Opened my pool last week to crystal clear water with just some dirt on the bottom. Half a jug of MA and a jug of bleach and we are up and swimming. It really is that easy.

Looking forward to more pictures.

J.

 

[anonapersona]

You might check the price at Leslie's for liquid shock, which is 10% bleach. I find it a better deal than regular bleach.

 

[Jermocide]

Hey Everybody,
Just wanted to post an update. I Slammed my pool over the weekend and it's amazing.
I can't even believe the results. I have a shallow area about 6in high that had bird poop that I couldn't get off even with a wire brush.
It's now gone as well. I never knew it could look so amazing.
What satisfaction it is to be able to do this on your own with such amazing results!
Thanks Thanks Thanks to the forum and the help I got here.

 

[Isaac-1]

It is just nice to see another convert

 

[Casey]

uhhhh.... have fun with that sparkly oasis this summer!