Algae in newly opened pool

Jump to latest Follow Reply
C

cdncr90

0
Jun 10, 2017
10
West Seneca, NY
We just opened our pool and it is crawly with algae (see picture).

Background:
2 years ago this happened, we ended up dropping a grand or more in chemicals to continually shock the water but nothing worked. The pool place even gave us a round of free chemicals because they felt so bad that we had to keep coming back! It would kill the algae, only for it to return again in a week. Finally we just drained the pool, completely washed everything including the filter, replaced the filter sand and refilled the pool. We switched chemicals from Baquacil to SimpleBlue. That seemed to work, but by that time it was the end of the season. We put extra shock in it when we closed it up for the season.
Last year it was completely clear when we opened it. We have the pool renovated and they put in a new liner and replaced the loop loc cover. I asked if we needed to shock it extra before closing it up, like we had the year before, but they said it wasn't necessary and the chemicals in there already were enough... Well all of the algae is back again!!!!

Should we try to shock it, or just switch chemicals again to chlorine or salt water? Do you think it's something we're doing wrong when we close it, or is it something in our water?

I added pictures of the all chemicals we have and what the pool currently looks like.
HELP!!
 

Attachments

  • 19105113_10156363427049698_1001244937_o.jpg
    19105113_10156363427049698_1001244937_o.jpg
    98.3 KB · Views: 107
  • 19073338_10156363923384698_1242162955_o.jpg
    19073338_10156363923384698_1242162955_o.jpg
    40.8 KB · Views: 106
  • 19073067_10156363939514698_204944567_o.jpg
    19073067_10156363939514698_204944567_o.jpg
    97.1 KB · Views: 105
Hello and welcome to TFP! :wave: You have quite a story, and unfortunately those in the industry have really led you astray. A baquacil pool requires a significant conversion process to convert to chlorine, and as for Simple Blue, I'm afraid that may have introduced copper to the water. Neither scenario ends well. All of the products and $,$$$ invested was like chasing your tail with no great results. So what now?

Take 100% control of your pool & water now. Start as follows:
1. You MUST have a proper test kit. (No store tests, no strips, etc). We recommend either the TF-100 (link below) or Taylor K-2006C. You'll understand why once you receive it. With the TF-100, consider the XL Option and "Speedstir". Very nice product.
2. You have so much contaminants, metals, and miscellaneous junk in that water (based on the products you listed above), I would highly encourage a partial water exchange. That is important to ensure any baqua and Simple Blue (copper) products are reduced so that the chlorine can do what it's designed to do.
3. Once you receive one of the proper test kits noted above, let us know and post a full set of test results (after the partial water exchange).
4. How much water to exchange? In this case, as much as you can, but no lower than about 18" - 24" from the bottom. You never want to completely drain your vinyl pool.

In the meantime, don't add anything else. It's green, and you can't adequately treat it until the test kit arrives. It should only take 2-4 days. Then post a full set of results. In the meantime, read/bookmark all the vital links you see below in my signature. You'll use them. We'll also help you with more details and questions once the kit arrives. But for now, the test kit is extremely important.

You've spent way too much money already. The proper test kit and some bleach will be the most you'll spend now, along with a few minor things from time to time like muriatic acid, baking soda, etc. Hang in there and stick close to TFP. We'll get you fixed-up. :)
 
Thank you so so much, I've been reading through some already (it's actually my mom's pool but I've been assigned to figure out the best solution moving forward).

I've been told my timeline is off, I'm not sure how much of a difference it makes but here is the right one: 4 years ago was when the last bloom was and they switched from Baquacil to SimpleBlue, 3 years ago everything was fine, 2 years ago they never opened the pool due to a leak in the filter line, last year they renovated the pool but there was no algae. This new liner is supposed to be treated so algae doesn't grow (right... -_-)

-Is it ok to stay with SimpleBlue or would it be better to switch to salt or chlorine? Since I'll be doing this whole process anyway haha. My mom really wants a salt water system but my stepdad says he doesn't like the taste
-My mom is worried about chlorine fading the new liner. She said it's guaranteed to not fade from the sun, but she's not sure about chlorine.
 
If it were me, I would stay away from the Simple Blue if it's the same product I'm seeing in other threads that utilizes copper. Once that copper is in ... it's in. You'll know if there's too much copper in the water if you add chlorine (bleach) and the water turns a pretty, clear emerald green, yellow, or combination of the two based on liner tint. Chlorine is generally the best sanitizer and easy to find locally (bleach). When used correctly, it's perfectly safe for swimmers and the pool/liner. See the Chlorine/CYA Chart link below.

But to follow our proven methods, you really need to be able to test water at home with one of those test kits noted above. With the correct kit, you cut the cord from pool techs and stores who seem to pull your money like wisdom teeth.
 
You need to stand on your ground and ask your parents to trust you with the information TFP is giving you. Tell them that what they where doing is what got them this green monster. If after we get you clear they want to go back to the old ways, then is up to them, but trust me, after they see how clean the water is with TFP methods they wont change.

As for the Kit it is imperative you buy one, the store test and guess strips wont get you nowhere but spending more. If not just buy it for them as a gift and they will thank you later and yes the kit will work with salt or regular pool.

Felipe
 
You'll want to see THIS PAGE for the test kit(s). The TF-100 is a great value. From there you (or your parents) can order the salt test kit later if you convert to salt. But you don't have a Salt Water Generator (SWG) yet correct? So that wouldn't apply. For your green pool, I would recommend the TF-100 and include the "XL Option" (more reagents) and the magnetic "Speedstir" to help you mix.

As for the store testing, it's inaccurate at best. Seasonal (poorly trained) employees, poor lighting, testing in a hurry, and advice based off of in-store or industry recommendations trying to sell you overpriced products (as you've already experienced. I can guarantee you ..... take a water sample to the store and get the results, then go back the next day or two days later and compare. Vast differences. The only way to take 100% control of your pool is home testing. It's not hard and the money for the initial set-up in a fraction of what you have already spent (or will in the future) following pool store advice.
 
Add about 1/2 a Gallon of bleach every day and recirculate water. Make sure you keep all those chemicals out of your parents hands, they will be very tempted to use them. Just plain regular bleach. When you test kit arrives post results and you will be on your way very fast.

Felipe
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Yes regular household bleach(no splashless or easy poor) or pool bleach, I believe simple blue has copper in it and you dont want to add anything else besides bleach(chlorine), CYA or muriatic acid. CYA and Muriatic Acid will be added after the test results.

Felipe
 
I just got home and they're shocking it... I guess they went to the pool store with a sample of water and are doing what they tell them to do.
It's in a picture in my first post. I think it's chlorine. I never knew you could use bleach in a pool haha I thought they were different.
We're on the same page now and they won't be doing anything else. But, should the filter be on for the shock? Does it need to stay on 24/7 or can we turn it off at night?
My mom wants to convert it to a salt water system after all this, do they need to buy anything extra?
 
Filter should be on 24/7 until the water is clear, then it should run 8-12 hours a day. Chlorine is just bleach in a higher concentration. A salt water system uses salt to convert to chlorine, so the only way you'd taste it is if you put too much salt in the pool to start it up. I think if you can clear up the pool using TFP methods, then add a saltwater system, they will have a much easier and low maintenance, sparkly pool. The only reason you get algae is because there is not enough chlorine in the pool to fend it off. There are no magic liners or anything like that.

There is so much to learn at first when you've been trusting the "professionals" at pool stores, but once you know it, you KNOW it! And your pool will be the gem of the town. Tell your parents to trust you, and all you need is $100 for chlorine. (you'll have money left over). If you can't get it clear with our help, then let them go spend $1,000 at the pool store - and still not get SPARKLING results!

Check out Richard's inspirational links and see what TFP can do!

Recovering my old inspirational links
 
Good morning,

First off, I commend you for helping your parents with their pool. I would agree with all the advice given so far, but I am concerned about the willingness from your parents to give you the space and patience they are going to need in order for you to be successful. I understand where they are coming from, most of us here started trusting pool store advice until we reached a tipping point and needed an alternative.

The problem is that mixing advice from pool store and methods here are going to undermine each other. To do TFPC properly you're going to need some time to get pool set up right. You have to wait for test kit before you can even start. If CYA is too high from all the stuff the pool store has sold you, then you may need to do partial drain. Once you start attacking algae it may take several days to clear up and you're going to use more bleach than you expected for SLAM.

I say this not to deter you from doing TFPC. Instead I highly recommend it, because once you take the initial time to set up your chemistry correctly, you won't have these bigger problems every couple of years. Managing a pool becomes so easy, that some of us look for problems just so it's not boring.

The reason I do give all those warnings, is that I'm concerned that if the actual pool owners don't share your enthusiasm to make change, it's likely they won't have the patience to allow you to get it done right. If you start, and they go to pool store because they don't trust the method or impatient it's going to undermine the method and end up wasting more money and your time.

So while I don't recommend using the pool store advice, its really the only option until you have buy in from the pool owners.
 
I totally agree. I think there was a communication break, my mom and I were on the same page initially but my step dad wasn't. So instead of my mom telling him what was going on, he just started doing what he knows. (My mom asked me to research, but then didn't tell him that she had asked me). We're all on the same page now, and the kit came in today :) I'm going to start testing the water, it does look a lot better already compared to what it was before. They drained the pool and put chlorine in it the last two days, the filter has been circulating 24/7 and I've been scrubbing the sides.

Are there any pointers for testing? The kit is a lot bigger and more intimidating than I thought it'd be haha
 
Did you have any CYA added to this pool? Add enough CYA to get to 30 ppm. Might need to add in 10 ppm increments if you do not know what was in the pool.

Lower pH to 7.2 using muriatic acid.

SLAM ---- based on a CYA of 30.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply