It's been green awhile

[schrody]

Hello from a new poster and thanks for all the wonderful posts and topics in here!

I may be in over my head but I've been reading through numerous posts to get back on track. I'll start by saying I may have used a few unnecessary chemicals that the pool store chain up the road has recommended...and my pool has been green since last October. After numerous shocks ($300 worth?) I started thinking it was the filter and 5 days ago ran ZeoSand Cleaner through per the instructions (the ZeoSand is 1 1/2 years old). Then on Monday it was recommended that I use Leslie's Super Floc. So Monday night it went in, ran the pump for 2 hours, turned it completely off as the instructions say for 12-48 hours...and here I am with pump still off.

Also of note, when Leslie's tested the water Monday my CYA was 100, pH 7.4, TA 100, FC 0. I currently only have a basic OTO(?) test kit but ordered the Taylor K-2006 on Monday. The CYA is too high because I've been using dichlor and trichlor.

So my new plan (and where I could use some confirmation) is to start vacuuming to waste today. This will continue getting leaves off the bottom and also to lower CYA. Then in a couple days when the new test kit arrives I'm planning to follow JasonLion's "Turning Your Green Swamp Back into a Sparkling Oasis." I have twelve pounds of cal-hypo 73% as of right now (and plenty of dichlor/trichlor which is apparently useless to me). For the rest of what I need I'm planning to try out bleach for the first time.

Any other thoughts or questions that I may be forgetting (or just completely clueless on)?

Thanks!

 

[Swimgirl]

If you are planning on using your cal-hypo, you need to know your calcium hardness level. If it's too high, you can get calcium scaling, even with a vinyl liner pool. But if the level's good, cal-hypo is not a bad choice, as the only thing it adds is calcium.

Since Leslie's uses Taylor chemistries to check the CYA level, the most they can check to is 100. Your CYA might actually be higher than that. Vacuuming to waste in order to have to add water to dilute the CYA is a good idea. You also might want to drain some out of your pool, to below the skimmers. Anyway, if your CYA is over 100, it will not go down as fast as you might think it would.

 

[ckoch1969]

Switch to bleach completely until you get it clear. I'm a new convert and my water was crystal clear after about 7 days. Didn't add anything but bleach and kept my TC way up there CYC/Shock table level until water cleared. I'm new and definately a believer in BBB.

 

[schrody]

Thanks for the tips! I vacuumed to waste today and still have the hose running to get back to normal fill level. I'm attaching a picture of the starting point and can only hope to update it soon! SPS confirmed the test kit order Monday evening...so as soon as it arrives I'll post the figures and get started (all over again).

[attachment=0:19e308wc]scale1.JPG[/attachment:19e308wc]

 

[Hotrod30]

It's green OK.

I'd go out tonight and buy 9 gals of bleach (6%). Once I could start my pump (do not add bleach without the pump running)' if it is tonight, I would pour 5 gals in the pool. Tomorrow morning before I went to work, I would pour 2 more gals of bleach in while keeping the pump running and also backwash the filter.

Tomorrow night when I got home, I would start the hose putting more water into the pool. After supper, I would vacuum to waste (even thou you can't see bottom). After I vacuum, I would keep putting water into the pool until it gets an inch or so above normal level. While waiting for that, I would start brushing the sides and bottom after I added another 2 gals of bleach; keeping the pump running 24 hours-a-day and backwashing the filter when needed.

Your new test kit should get to you soon. If not, vacuum, backwash, brush and add bleach.


Of course, I believe in a high chlorine level to KILL.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

If your CYA is really 100, the 5 bottles of 6% bleach (assuming they are the small jugs-96oz) will raise your FC to 20. For CYA that high, you would need your FC to be much higher, the pool Calculator recommends 25, the CYA chart recommends about 40.

But either way, I don't think you need to wait for your kit to arrive to begin. You would be playing it safe to get the filter going, pour in at least 5 small jugs of 6% (if not 6 ) and start killing the algae. As you backwash and replace the water the CYA should begin to go down to a more managable number. Ideally you should get it below 60, you'll need less chlorine that way. I agree with the above post, I wouldn't use the Cal-hypo till you know what your CH number is. By the time your kit arrives you'll have begun the kill process and you'll have a trouble free pool sooner rather than later.

 

[Hotrod30]

You would be playing it safe to get the filter going, pour in at least 5 small jugs of 6% (if not 6 ) and start killing the algae.

That's why I wrote gals. Bleach comes in to many sizes to say jugs.


If that was really my pool, I would have dumped in 5 gals of 12% chlorine from the pool store; run my pump 24/7; over filled the pool and vacuumed to waste atleast twice and brushed the pool twice-a-day until my test kit came in. But since it is his pool, I wrote bleach (6%).

 

[schrody]

Darn it, I didn't read close enough either and just bought 9 small (96 oz) bottles of bleach. Anyway, I ran the water too long last night before remembering to cut it so I'm going to start the day sending more to waste. When the level gets right I'm going to make a quick run to Leslie's for another reference test before I start. I'll need to sit down for a minute with my pump manual to figure out how to get it 24/7...the best I've been able to get it to work is 22 hours a day.

BTW - When they checked it Monday my CH wasn't too bad so I should be safe trying to use the 12 lbs cal-hypo at some point. I'll verify that (CH) too. And I also haven't seen liquid chlorine at the pool store here...unless they keep it in the back.

Thanks!

 

[schrody]

Even with all the water replacement so far, CYA is still 100 (or greater).

Test results from Leslie's
FC: 0
pH: 7.6
TA: 100
CH: 250
CYA: 100
Phosphates: 100

Heading out to pour 6.5 small jugs in.

 

[Hotrod30]

Cloudy water might give you a wrong(wrong is kind of a bad word, maybe I should have said alittle off) CYA reading also. When you get you test kit and do the CYA test, filter the test pool water with a coffee filter first.

Also, when you are wasting the overfill water, I hope you are vacuuming to waste at the same time. Every time you vacuum to waste you are getting rid of live/dead algae and lowering your CYA alittle.

As soon as your kit comes in, post the results so the people here can help you. Mention that the test results are from your test kit and that for the CYA test, you filtered the water.

 

[Hotrod30]

Also, for my VF pump, in filter cycle one I use the times of On at 9:00AM and Off at 8:59AM. In this mode, all safety features are inservice. Filter pressure is set at 25lbs. Clean filter pressure is 8lbs.

I use one turnover per day but I lie about the pool gals. My pool has about 30,000 gals but I tell the pump that I have 60,000 gals when I want to filter out stuff at the beginning of the season. Right now the pump thinks I have 35,000 gals pool and is running at 24 gpm at 275 watts.
My chlorine feeder (set at 1/2 gal per day) and pump are running 24/7.

I know that the pump will do alot of things but I'm happy with this setup right now.

 

[Swimgirl]

The Leslie's near where I live keeps their liquid chlorine in the back. (It's 10%). I just had to ask for it. :-D But it was $4.00 a gallon. Bleach figured out to be cheaper, and also the local Lowes, Home Depot, and some grocery stores sold the liquid chlorine for less. All those stores carried it in the pool supplies section.

Yeah, with a calcium level of 250, you will be able to get away with using the cal-hypo for awhile.

 

[duraleigh]

Cloudy water might give you a wrong(wrong is kind of a bad word, maybe I should have said alittle off) CYA reading also. When you get you test kit and do the CYA test, filter the test pool water with a coffee filter first.

The existing turbidity of cloudy pools has been discussed at length......a-discussion-of-cya-turbidity-t8639.html?hilit= discussion

If you suspect interference of the test from cloudy water, simply fill up the view tube with pool water only and see if you can still see the black dot. Details are contained in the referenced thread.

 

[texaspoolnewbie]

Thanks for the tips! I vacuumed to waste today and still have the hose running to get back to normal fill level. I'm attaching a picture of the starting point and can only hope to update it soon! SPS confirmed the test kit order Monday evening...so as soon as it arrives I'll post the figures and get started (all over again).

[attachment=0:14dwaea2]scale1.JPG[/attachment:14dwaea2]

Well it is a TX thing this week...I am in DFW too; will get my kit Monday. We have a mess here, ours is from turning everything off to fix a busted pipe. The bleach will work, got us out of it once before and here we are again

 

[texaspoolnewbie]

Darn it, I didn't read close enough either and just bought 9 small (96 oz) bottles of bleach. Anyway, I ran the water too long last night before remembering to cut it so I'm going to start the day sending more to waste. When the level gets right I'm going to make a quick run to Leslie's for another reference test before I start. I'll need to sit down for a minute with my pump manual to figure out how to get it 24/7...the best I've been able to get it to work is 22 hours a day.

BTW - When they checked it Monday my CH wasn't too bad so I should be safe trying to use the 12 lbs cal-hypo at some point. I'll verify that (CH) too. And I also haven't seen liquid chlorine at the pool store here...unless they keep it in the back.

Thanks!

You are better off with bleach, no luck finding 12% at pool stores either. I would focus on bleach right now. Last time I did the tango with Leslies for weeks, 2 steps forward 1 step back...once I found this place and did the bleach my numbers just went perfect and my pool cleared...I believe the Leslies Dude was a little surprised as I am sure what he was selling me was not meant to work that well LOL Then I told him thanks for his time, and let him know what finally did it...the

I wouldnt trust the Leslies numbers at all and especially not the reccommendations they make. I had a guy tell me my CYA was 100 (which is the highest they can get) then turn around and try to sell me CYA raising chemicals!!!

 

[Hotrod30]

Cloudy water might give you a wrong(wrong is kind of a bad word, maybe I should have said alittle off) CYA reading also. When you get you test kit and do the CYA test, filter the test pool water with a coffee filter first.

The existing turbidity of cloudy pools has been discussed at length......a-discussion-of-cya-turbidity-t8639.html?hilit= discussion

If you suspect interference of the test from cloudy water, simply fill up the view tube with pool water only and see if you can still see the black dot. Details are contained in the referenced thread.

Then don't use a coffee filter. Test normal and see how close you come to the numbers from the pool store. Then post your numbers and let the people here see what you have and which way to go.

 

[schrody]

texaspoolnewbie: I found 10% 128 oz. at HD for $3.59 (not as good as the Kroger sale of 6% 96 oz. at $1.50 but much better than Kroger's regular price of $2.19). Leslie's did not have any in the back.

Hotrod30: It sounds like your pump is almost the same as mine although I can't find a model number. I think mine is the Pentair VF high performance. Anyway, I can't set 9:00 - 8:59a because it will default back to something else. It's currently set to start at 1:00 am and stop at 11:00 pm. I do have the gallons set correctly for my pool size but set it to 2 turnovers per day. Before I added chlorine it read 275 watts, 18 gpm, 1600 rpm. Now its 350, 18, 1800 and the water is already a lighter shade. Oh, and the clean filter pressure is set to 12 lbs.

So if I put in 7 (96 oz) bottles of 6% just before 11am, how long should I wait before adding more without being able to test it? I just finished brushing it.

Thanks for the advice thus far!

 

[Hotrod30]

I would put two jugs (96 oz, 6%) in tonight and one jug (96oz, 6%) in the morning. Friday night I would vacuum normally (thru the filter) and keep adding one jug (96oz, 6%) in the morning and one at night until the test kit came. Keep backwashing the filter when needed and when you have some time, brush sides and bottom.

Since no one is swimming in the pool right now, and if the test kit doesn't come by Sat. night (around here FedEx delivers Sat.) I would throw in 2 jugs Sat. night. By Monday, you should have the kit.

Your FC has to be up there inorder to kill the algae and even tho you are kind of flying blind on the amount of chlorine to use, keep pouring the chlorine in.(calulator says one 96oz of 6% will raise your FC 5ppm) Filtering, vacuuming, brushing and chlorine is the only way to defeat it.

 

[schrody]

Strangest thing happened. I added a gallon of 10% last night and backwashed the filter then set it to back to filter mode and came in for the night. When I went out this morning the water was below skimmer level and the pump reads "Priming Dry." Not sure what went wrong but now I'm filling it again and obviously it hasn't been circulating for awhile.

 

[Hotrod30]

Strangest thing happened. I added a gallon of 10% last night and backwashed the filter then set it to back to filter mode and came in for the night. When I went out this morning the water was below skimmer level and the pump reads "Priming Dry." Not sure what went wrong but now I'm filling it again and obviously it hasn't been circulating for awhile.

You lost water some how and when the pool level got below the skimmer the pump lost its prime. If I were you, I wouldn't start the pump until I could spend time with it. After you get the level back up and the pump going, you are going to have to look around for a leak. First thing I would check in the waste hose for discharge. Since you lost alot of water, there should be signs of it somewhere.