Algae HELP!

[Al G.]

Hey guys, new to the forum. I've read through all of the sticky: threads in my quest for a clear pool but I'm still coming up empty.

A little background: I am a CPO through the NSF and have managed semi-public pools for 6+ years now. I've defeated algae several times but never something this bad.

I told a friend who decided to re-open his pool after 2 seasons closed that I would help(mistake )

We pulled the cover off to find a swamp: 12"+ of leaf debris, active frog life complete with tadpoles, dead mice, squirrels, etc.

We drained the pool half way just to get the cover off and start scooping out the debris and aquatic life. Filled, balanced, shocked, and shocked, and shocked.

To make a very long story short, as of today here are my numbers:

30,000gal
FC 25ppm+ (off scale diluted to 1.8ml) CC 0.0, PH 7.6(at last check, sample is bleached out now) Alk 110, CH 240 , CYA 60ppm.

I've maintained those numbers to the best of my abilities for the last 8 days, new filter sand at day 2, scrubbing every day, replaced the spider gasket in the vari-flow valve today because I randomly decided to check it and found it was falling apart.


I swear the water is more green than when we started. The pool smells like a load of white laundry haha. WHY WON'T THE ALGAE DIE!!

Thanks

 

[RobbieH]

You appear to be doing it in the right order.

1. Get the organics out
2. SHOCK

What are you using to chlorinate?
Is the pool still drained halfway?
How is the filter reacting, are you having to backflush much? Is it running 24/7?

 

[257WbyMag]

Welcome to TFP!

Assuming that you truly do have greater than 25 ppm FC in there and your CYA is 60 ppm, the only thing that you need is to brush lots and run that filter, backwashing as needed. What sort of test kit do you have?

 

[duraleigh]

Clearly, you are awarded "Username of the Month" and it sounds like you are doing all the correct things.

Stay the course.....there really is no alternative. It will happen if you keep applying the chlorine.

 

[Al G.]

I'm using a Taylor K-2006 test kit, Cal hypo powdered shock, the pool has been full since day one of treatment with half fresh(tap) water, filter running 24/7 18psi, highest it's gotten is 22psi but keep in mind the spider gasket was junk on the multi port valve so I'm HOPING this has something to do with the ongoing problem. Maybe the water was diverting to Recirc? I only thought to check it today because I was out of ideas. My friend must think I don't know what I'm doing by now, but I've made all the right moves!!

What do you guys think about using the 007 sodium thiosulfate as a chlorine reducer in my PH test? I think I read that here but didn't want to believe it since I think it will give me a false high reading?

 

[257WbyMag]

Clearly, you are awarded "Username of the Month" ...

Heh heh! Now I get it. That is a great username!

 

[Bama Rambler]

You could add thio to reduce the chlorine but it will change the pH itself so I wouldn't worry about it.

I bet you've found and fixed part of the problem by replacing the spider gasket. That could certainly allow water to bypass the filter media.

 

[Al G.]

Well 24 hours with the new spider gasket and it's a little less green. More of a greyish green, but not the milky grey I was hoping for. I got the same color with the old gasket though so I'm not jumping for joy yet. I'm going to bring down the CYA level because if I'm in this thing for the long haul chlorine is going to get expensive. Thank you for all your answers.

Here's a question, do the strip style PH tests get affected by high chlorine? I know the PH must be edging higher because of the cal hypo and I'd love to adjust it. Even a ballpark estimate with a strip test would be better than nothing if I know it's not a false reading.

 

[froggybabies]

If you are still having a problem with a green pool with extended periods of high FC levels and it doesn't seem to be getting better, maybe check for iron? I had our dark green pool at 20+ FC for a week, did an overnight loss test and passed. I was at the point that I was considering we had some sort of super-algae that the chlorine wouldn't kill. I was completely puzzled because I knew there was no way that algae could survive that long at such a high chlorine level. Finally, I grabbed a bucket of pool water, added some Vitamin C tablets, stirred it around a few times and instantly the water changed from a yellowish green color to crystal clear. After much self-flagellation, I picked up a sequesterant and got the water back to blue.

PS-Love your screen name!

 

[Al G.]

I know we had metal in the water, as a matter of fact I have done 2 full doses of Metal Out with some results in color change, but in my experience metal creates a translucent bright green color. This is a cloudy, murky brownish green color. As a matter of fact, the neighbor has crystal clear green water that is most definitely metal and he keeps adding liquid shock. I won't tell him he needs metal out because he already laughed at my efforts and said "it never takes my pool more than 3 days, you must be doing something wrong." Meanwhile he's getting pool-stored to death. It was trash day yesterday and he had all sorts of empty jugs on the curb lol. Am I mean? hahahaha