For the past couple of months I've had a recurrent algae problem. The algae is orange-brown, so I assume (?) it's probably mustard algae. I use the TFP algae treatment to the T, then find a couple of weeks later that I notice it growing back. This has happened 2-3x in a row now. I keep thinking: "I must have missed something -- maybe I didn't scrub enough on the tile or in the skimmer or somewhere else..."
So I just raised the FC level to about 35. (My CYA is 50.) I'm brushing the pool daily.
Today I noticed something interesting. My pool has an underwater light (see http://imgur.com/a/RQ6fV). It's held in place by just one screw (at the top) -- don't know where the bottom screw ever went. Well, I noticed some algae around the outside ring of the light...and...(drum roll)...I noticed that the light was slightly rotated and not centered, so there's a crack of an opening, allowing water to enter the cavity behind the light.
What are the odds that I've got an algae outbreak behind the light?
I can't get to the light without diving in the pool.
Now, this gets a little tricky from here. I'm in SoCal, but the temps are now cold at night -- my pool isn't heated, and the water temperature is in the 60's. It would be uncomfortable for me to get in the pool, unscrew the light, bring it above water, and thoroughly scrub out the cavity. Not impossible, but uncomfortable. (Usually my family won't swim in the pool if it's below 80!) Do any of you swim in the 60's?
So what do I do? It's now approaching winter, and the earliest we might have swimmable temperatures will be April. But I'm thinking it's not wise to leave a major algae bloom behind that light for six months...
Any thoughts?
So I just raised the FC level to about 35. (My CYA is 50.) I'm brushing the pool daily.
Today I noticed something interesting. My pool has an underwater light (see http://imgur.com/a/RQ6fV). It's held in place by just one screw (at the top) -- don't know where the bottom screw ever went. Well, I noticed some algae around the outside ring of the light...and...(drum roll)...I noticed that the light was slightly rotated and not centered, so there's a crack of an opening, allowing water to enter the cavity behind the light.
What are the odds that I've got an algae outbreak behind the light?
I can't get to the light without diving in the pool.
Now, this gets a little tricky from here. I'm in SoCal, but the temps are now cold at night -- my pool isn't heated, and the water temperature is in the 60's. It would be uncomfortable for me to get in the pool, unscrew the light, bring it above water, and thoroughly scrub out the cavity. Not impossible, but uncomfortable. (Usually my family won't swim in the pool if it's below 80!) Do any of you swim in the 60's?
So what do I do? It's now approaching winter, and the earliest we might have swimmable temperatures will be April. But I'm thinking it's not wise to leave a major algae bloom behind that light for six months...
Any thoughts?