I need help

[mastiffs08]

I'm posting here because I have no clue what to do about my pool. I live in the Northeast so I know the pool should be closed like yesterday but I have been dealing with a cloudy, green tint pool for awhile now. I don't want to close the pool until the water is clear. I have gone to the pool store and they say just add shock and vacuum and the pool should clear up. A month later same problem and the pool hasn't been clear. When I add shock the FC would stay at 10 for about 2 weeks without adding more. They test the water and its fine. I tested my water today and I got : pH 7.2 FC is 5 Alk 80 and stabilizer is 30-50. I use the strips. The filter runs at night for 8 hours. When I first had the problem I would run the filter for days. I backwash the filter everyday. For awhile the water would be green when I backwashed but now its clear. I vacuum the pool every other day and brush it too. I'm not sure what the problem is because when I brush the floor, you don't have to scrub, its like a dust, just mixes into the water in a cloud. But the stairs were covered in green film. I'm attaching some pics so someone can please help me.

 

[Guest]

Sounds like either pollen or mustard algae. Mustard is very hard to kill, pollen is not much of a problem. Test strips are not reliable so your test results are suspect also, particularly the CYA test, Also, you did not post calcium hardness (strips only test total hardness, btw, which is NOT what we are interested in). Just because you have a vinyl pool does NOT mean you can ignore calcium hardness. If it is too high or too low it can cause water balance issues or lead to more foaming. I would suggest by starting with a full set of test results NOT from strips.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Hi there,

I'm going to throw this out there. I think your CYA is higher than your strips are telling you. I used to use strips and it always resulted in a 30-50 reading. My CYA was actually over 100 at the time, and therefore I didn't have enough chlorine in my pool to keep it trouble free (see the chart in my sig). So I would recommend at the very least having the pool store confirm your CYA reading with a proper test, or purchase a test yourself (which would be more accurate) like the TF-100 or a Taylor K-2006.

If you could edit your signature to include your pool specs and equipment so that we can see what kind of filter/pump combo you have, if it's inadequate and it is only pollen and the filter is the problem...

IDK, the pics it sure has the look of algae. I see you are using a floater, another reason for me to suspect your CYA is higher than 30-50. What do you normally have your FC running at on a daily basis?

 

[spishex]

A few things:

- Sounds like your filter could use some attention. How long's it been since you cleaned it or replaced the sand?
- Take the automatic cleaner out. It's not going to help the algae problem, especially with a dirty filter, and will only slow down your water flow.
- Speaking of water flow, be sure your return is properly oriented. Often times this kind of algae problem shows up in pools without main drains because returns are pointed straight up in the air.

Without proper circulation and filtration this algae will feel very comfortable in your pool.