Algae & bad test strips

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B

bubbaj

Member
May 18, 2023
8
Middlebury, CT
Pool Size
25000
Surface
Vinyl
Took the cover off my in ground pool a few days ago and found it filled with algae. Worst I've ever seen. So I shocked it with cal hypo and put in some algaecide. Vacuumed as best I could and then brushed everywhere. I'm sure I missed a lot because I couldn't see a thing. Tested the water and found no chlorine! So i added more. Over a few days I added triple the amount required for my pool and then realized that the test strips I was using were bad!

Why you ask, didn't I think of that earlier? Because last year when I opened the pool, no matter how much chlorine I put in, it hardly registered and then was totally gone really fast. That lasted for a few weeks, and I was never really certain what the cause was. So I thought the same thing was happening again.

So now the water is cloudy white. It's clearing ever so slowly. I ordered a TF-Pro which will be here tomorrow. I'm sure all the algae is dead now with all that chlorine in the pool. I just hope I can get it clear and clean and with a safe chlorine level in time for having the family over next Memorial day weekend.
 
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Hi MK
I didn't add any more chlorine as you suggested because the new strips I bought indicated FC was really high. Anyway, kit arrived yesterday and I tested today as it was pouring all day yesterday. Here are my results:
FC 1.5
CC 3.0
PH 7.5
TA 70
CH 200
CYA 50

So I plugged these numbers into PoolMath and it suggested I add 3.7 gal of bleach shock. My liquid shock is sodium Hypochlorite (12.5%) so I selected bleach. I hope that is correct. It also suggested 7.7 oz of PH Increase to bump PH up to 7.6. How does this sound to you.
Water is cloudy and I can only see about 5 feet deep max. It's slowly getting better. I have high hopes to have it usable by next weekend. Looking forward to your comments.
 
You need to follow the SLAM Process. Read the article.
Lower the pH to 7.2. Then add the liquid chlorine (bleach) to get to 20 ppm FC. Maintain that level of FC by testing and adding every few hours. Not less than 3 times per day.
 
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bubbaj said:
Is that possible it gets used up so fast?
Click to expand...
Yes, it is possible. It confirms you have something organic in your pool. Test and add liquid chloring every hour when possible and you'll be well on your way to being ready for Memorial Day.
 
I have passed the OCLT! Something I thought would never happen 2 days ago. FC dropped 0.5 overnight. So I guess I can allow the FC to drop to normal levels now. My only issue left is that the water is cloudy and my sand filter is not clearing it much at all. I add a little DE to it, and it will collect some dirt then but without the DE, the pressure does not rise. Also, the surface has little white foamy circles on it. I attached a pic. Not sure what that is.

So to address the filtering issue, I'm going to attempt to clean the sand by sticking a garden hose into the filter and filling it with water to rinse out the gunk. I'm kinda surprised it's having this problem because I used the HTH filter cleaner last fall before I closed the pool. I won't do the cleaning until tomorrow as I'm waiting for the O-ring for the filter to arrive. I'm afraid that if I don't have one here, I'll need it and then my filter will be down, which will not be good. Hopefully I'll be able to get this water clear by Sunday.
 

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Congrats on passing the OCLT! :goodjob:

bubbaj said:
My only issue left is that the water is cloudy and my sand filter is not clearing it much at all.
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Sand filters can be a bit slow. Be patient. As for those spots on the water, what brand of chlorine or bleach were you using?
 
Does your pressure rise after backwashing the filter? Sand is slow as has been said and probably doesn't need deep cleaning at this point.

I'd wait till after all SLAM criteria is met and your pool has cleared so when you clean it it will be more worth the trouble.
 

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bubbaj said:
I have passed the OCLT! Something I thought would never happen 2 days ago. FC dropped 0.5 overnight. So I guess I can allow the FC to drop to normal levels now. My only issue left is that the water is cloudy and my sand filter is not clearing it much at all. I add a little DE to it, and it will collect some dirt then but without the DE, the pressure does not rise. Also, the surface has little white foamy circles on it. I attached a pic. Not sure what that is.

So to address the filtering issue, I'm going to attempt to clean the sand by sticking a garden hose into the filter and filling it with water to rinse out the gunk. I'm kinda surprised it's having this problem because I used the HTH filter cleaner last fall before I closed the pool. I won't do the cleaning until tomorrow as I'm waiting for the O-ring for the filter to arrive. I'm afraid that if I don't have one here, I'll need it and then my filter will be down, which will not be good. Hopefully I'll be able to get this water clear by Sunday.
Click to expand...

You’re not done yet. The OCLT is only one criteria to end the SLAM. Crystal clear water is the next one. Keep the chlorine at SLAM level, you can safely swim in it as long as you can see the bottom of the pool.

And make sure to never trust test strips again. 😉
 
woodyp said:
Does your pressure rise after backwashing the filter? Sand is slow as has been said and probably doesn't need deep cleaning at this point.

I'd wait till after all SLAM criteria is met and your pool has cleared so when you clean it it will be more worth the trouble.
Click to expand...
After a backwash, it settles in at about 15 psi and then never goes up unless I add a little DE. Then I'll have to backwash again in a couple of hours.
 
Bperry said:
You’re not done yet. The OCLT is only one criteria to end the SLAM. Crystal clear water is the next one. Keep the chlorine at SLAM level, you can safely swim in it as long as you can see the bottom of the pool.

And make sure to never trust test strips again. 😉
Click to expand...
I still need to keep the chlorine high even though it did not consume any overnight? Well, can't see the bottom yet. Only about halfway to the bottom. It would be safe to swim in with FC level @ 18?
I'll never use test strips again. I really like the TP-Pro. Really easy to get very accurate numbers. Only downside is, I'm having bad flashbacks to high school chemistry class.
 
bubbaj said:
I still need to keep the chlorine high even though it did not consume any overnight? Well, can't see the bottom yet. Only about halfway to the bottom. It would be safe to swim in with FC level @ 18?
Click to expand...
Yes, you need to continue the SLAM. Print this out, read it three times, keep it with you. Read the success criteria. Paper copy really helped me. Link-->SLAM Process

It is safe to swim up to SLAM level FC. It is NOT safe to swim if you cannot see the deepest part of the pool. No Bottom See? No Swim.
 
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