Algae Bloom with new SWG pool

[Hotroadking]

Recently converted to SWG and for about 3 months things have been on point.

In FL, high temps, pool in screen area, faces North but gets sun all day. 20K pool.
Lots of Rain and sun, so the story goes, it's the rain.

This week we've had an algae outbreak, first since having SWG installed.
Testing from the pool store (no kit yet but ordered) is attached, for some reason the pool
is showing both TC and FC at Zero, PH is slightly high at 8 Stabilizer shows low.

Pool went cloudy and then bam green/yellow next am.

Phosphates at 2500, of course a remover was suggested but I've held off after coming back here

Looking for advice, so far added two jugs of Chlorine from Pinch a Penny, best local price, over
the past two days, brushed, let run last night, cleaned filter today which was full of algae, now
have pool running again with pool cleaner and main drain working.

Suggested attack and what to use would be appreciated..

Thanks!

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum!
While you are waiting on your test kit, add 5 ppm FC worth of liquid chlorine / plain bleach to your pool each evening with the pump running. This will replenish the FC lost each day to the sun and also inhibit any algae in the water from growing further.
What test kit did you order?
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry.

 

[Newdude]

Hey HRK !!! Just another day at the office for the stupendous folks here at TFP. Things happen. We fix them. Rest assured, we got you.

 

[Texas Splash]

Testing from the pool store

Unfortunately, that pretty-much sums it up. We'll help you through it though once your kit arrives. Be sure to update your signature. See ours as examples. Welcome to TFP!

Pool Care Basics Archives

Your one-stop shop for all things TFP to include: ABCs of Water Chemistry, Recommended Chemicals/Levels, Test Kits, Troubleshooting, and much more!

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Hotroadking]

Thanks for the response, The TF-100 is the kit, read much of the tips from other threads, my concern is
how the pool went from stable to zero FC in a week, it has been clean and clear, adding only stabilizer
and calcium hardener. The test shows 3700 PPM of salt, the SWC seems to be operating, opened it up
and see no blockage or anything that needed cleaning but rinsed it out anyway, it's only a few months old.

Control panel is showing it is producing chlorine, so why the zero reading. If there is 3700 ppm salt and the
unit is running 8 hours a day, why would FC and TC be zero.... could it be that the SWC can't keep up with
the demands of this pool in the summer, even though it's rated for 40K gallon pools. Or perhaps it's really not creating
chlorine?

 

[Texas Splash]

so why the zero reading

Much depends on the CYA and algae content. Algae (cloudy water) tears up chlorine. A bad CYA reading from the pool store and you're FC/CYA are never balanced properly. Good job on the TF-100. That is the best step you could take.

 

[Newdude]

We will get the answer once the kit comes. Either the heat and UV zapped your CYA so the FC went low / burned off too quickly, or adding the stabilizer raised the FC needed to get the job done.

It happens. We got you now and once it’s clear we will hatch a plan to keep it that way.

 

[Hotroadking]

Thanks, that's the thing, once its figured out why, then we can keep the attack on it going.

Probably won't see the kit until after the holiday, so for now the goal is to get it clean for
the kids/grandkids weekend...

 

[Newdude]

that's the thing, once its figured out why, then we can keep the attack on it going

Trust me, you’ll be your own pro in NO time. There is no learning like doing and the SLAM is a crash course in advanced chemistry. Pool School will ‘click’ so much faster. Keeping it good afterwards is a joke with only a little bit of effort. But. That parts on you. An ounce of prevention whoops a pound of cure.

 

[Hotroadking]

Waiting on Kit, but need to clean it up for Labor Day so have to rely on Strips and Pool Store
FYI the store I use isn't pushy on chems, and I've bought equipment from them for years, know
the manager, testing is pretty solid, will confirm when kit arrives, but Kids are on way for weekend
so it can't wait on the kit to fix it.

Been Slamming it with LQ, scrubbed walls, ran Vac, cleaned filter, will clean it again today.
Water looks much better... So do the numbers.

Numbers are TC=6, FC= 6, PH=8, Salt=3400, CYA = 60

Pool looks to be recovering,