Clear Blue Water but still new algae everyday

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Other options may include using garden hoses and pool vac hoses to create a siphon if you have enough favorable elevation change on your property. If you have anyone in your life that is a Crossfit addict, just come up with a Workout of the Day that involves filling buckets and marching them across your property and dumping them until they've moved 1,000 gallons each. Let them invite their Crossfit friends. Sit back, smile.

The sub/sump pump (rental/borrow if you don't have one) may be best, just be sure to do a fresh water flush after you're done with the pool water.
 
My new K-2006 arrived today, but unfortunately I left it in my office at work. Will bring it home tomorrow and check the CYA with the new kit. If CYA is still so high, I will drain pool with a sump pump, at least 1/3 and add new water. I'll check the CYA after that, and if it is okay, will SLAM the pool. Hopefully, it won't be end of season before I get this thing in balance.

Thanks for all the help.
 
Once CYA is 70-80 we can SLAM Process it and hopefully have it trouble free ASAP. We've won thousands of times before, and we do love our success stories! You're great to work with and I have no doubts.
Fast reminders: glance not stare, sun at back, waist height, pour back in drop bottle and re-pour/measure same mixed test water may times, if you get over 90, follow step 8
For quick reference:
https://www.troublefreepool.com/content/220-CYA

 
Woah! You've started! Okay, then let me just bring up a few quick things:

1) draining pools always has some risk, if you have any documentation from the original installers, follow it and ask any questions.
2) don't drain your pool down below the local water-table or you run a high risk of the pool being damage or popping out of the ground. If you live in an area that floods easily or has wet ground a lot - this needs special attention!
3) Did you use PoolMath to predict how much you need to drain to obtain the desired end CYA? You may find that doing multiple partial drains will be required
4) if you live in a high water table area, we have procedures for pumping water from the pool and adding water to it at the same time we can link to
5) Some pools have hydrostatic ground valves for utilization when draining - do you have any?
 
BattleOfYakima said:
Woah! You've started! Okay, then let me just bring up a few quick things:

1) draining pools always has some risk, if you have any documentation from the original installers, follow it and ask any questions.
2) don't drain your pool down below the local water-table or you run a high risk of the pool being damage or popping out of the ground. If you live in an area that floods easily or has wet ground a lot - this needs special attention!
3) Did you use PoolMath to predict how much you need to drain to obtain the desired end CYA? You may find that doing multiple partial drains will be required
4) if you live in a high water table area, we have procedures for pumping water from the pool and adding water to it at the same time we can link to
5) Some pools have hydrostatic ground valves for utilization when draining - do you have any?
Click to expand...

Holy cow, I had no idea, and I am way down the road. I have been draining the pool for a day, sending the hose down the hill. I got in the pool today and scrubbed down the walls again. We are now refilling the pool.

I don't know about water tables, etc., however, local water towers a literally across the street behind the neighbors house. I live very high up in the hills.

I logged on tonight to ask for help in the next steps. I can only hope I haven't done anything to hurt the pool.

When I get the water back in the pool to a level that I can begin running the pump, what is the next step? I assume test the chemicals and begin introducing chlorine back into the pool?
 
bjsbuds said:
I live very high up in the hills.
Click to expand...

Ignore everything I said, that's good news for you :) most people in hills would be quite safe for 1/3 drain

After you fill and circulate for 30 mins, you can test FC and bring up to the appropriate level based on [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA].

Since you can't test CYA without a lot of daylight at your back, you should base your FC on your CYA prediction from PoolMath after plugging in how much you drained. I don't know if I'm explaining this well, let me know if I made sense.

If FC is under 10, also test PH. If not 6.8-7.8 you can adjust if you have chems on hand (but not within 20 mins of bleach addition). If FC over 10, skip ph test.
 
I rushed that post before bed - here is a better version :)

Given that you are in the hills, unless you have been getting a lot of rain lately and the ground on your property is soggy, I don't have any reason to think you're running a significant risk draining the pool down 1/3 or so. According to PoolMath, if your CYA was 110 and you drain 36% out, replacing it with rain/hose water, that would lower your CYA to 70. If your CYA was 120, a 1/3 drain will lower it to 80. So bottom line is, you need at least 1/3, but definitely not more than 42% drain.

After the drain-refill is complete:
1. Circulate water for 20-30 mins, remember to open air bleeder a little before flipping the power since there will be a lot of air in the lines
2. Test FC and CC.
a. If FC is less than 10, test PH, post result. then add enough bleach/chlorine to get to at least 9 and up to 11.
b. If FC is more than 10, don't add any bleach/chlorine, post result

Assume your CYA to be 80 until testing reveals what it really is. According to [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA], your new target FC is 9-11 which is why I said that FC target.

If you've got algae in there from before the drain, you'll still need to SLAM Process, but hold off on that until we verify PH and CYA.

Questions?
 
Water back in the pool, pump running since morning. I tested the water tonight, here are the readings:
FC - 0
PH - 8.0
TA - 110
CH - 210
CYA - 55 (tested twice)
Salt - 2,100 (can't be right)

Put four gallons of shock in pool tonight. Will test again in the morning.
 

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Congratulations!!! How exciting! This pool will be so much easier to maintain!!!

Yep, always round CYA up to next increment of 10, so you're at 60, which according to [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA] means your new SLAM FC value is 24, with target FC when the pool is healthy being 7-9.

According to PoolMath, raising your FC from 0 to 24 would take 4 gallons of 10.5% bleach, which is often labeled as "liquid pool shock," but is really just 10.5% bleach.

Your PH is a little high, do you happen to have any acid on hand? Remember not to add it within 20 mins of adding bleach and to pour really, really slowly, and to let the fumes blow on you.
 
Put four gallons of chlorinator at 10% strength last night. Tested the chemicals this morning.

FC 0.2ppm x 2 = 0.4ppm
CC 0.2ppm x 2 = 0.4ppm
Ph 8.0
Acid Demand Test took 2 drops
TA 110
CH 180
CYA 50
Salt 11x200 ppm

Added two bags of salt tonight. IC-40 is flashing like crazy. Red light is flashing. Green salt lights are flashing.

I have been fighting this for a month. I know I am being dramatic, but filling in the pool with dirt seems like I pretty good idea right now.
 
Turn off the SWCG when adding salt. You do not want a high salt content slug of water passing through a SWCG that might try generating.

Take care.

- - - Updated - - -

Use 10 ml sample for the FC test. Divide by 2 the number of drops to clear. Saves reagent.
 
Good morning,
Back still seeking advice. Just tested pool again and I can't keep chlorine in the pool. Readings today:
FC - 1
Ph - 8.0
TA - 110
CH - 170
Salt - 3,000

Pool Math target is 1,000. How do I know if that is correct? If yes, does this mean I need to turn off the SWG, or turn very low. Since I don't have any chlorine in the pool, I do not understand why Salt is so high.

I have attempted to attach the Pool Math results. But, it says to add 112 oz. of bleach at 6% and 60 oz. of stabilizer by weight. Does that sound right?

Screen Shot 2018-05-26 at 10.04.11 AM
 
FYI - there is no link to a Screen Shot.

What PoolMath target is 1000?

You need to maintain your FC based on the [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA].

Your title states algae. Are you clearing a pool or setting up your SWCG?

Want to get things back on track --- take care.
 
Well the pool was opened over a month ago. It was a green swamp. We put a case of chlorine we purchased at a local pool store, along with stablizer. It went from green to cloudy. But, I could never get the chlorine in order. Another case of chlorine, readings always zero within a day. Scrubbing walls, vacuuming floors. Another case of chlorine. Drained the pool by 1/3. Added a couple bags of salt. A few days later, chlorine reading zero. Pool looks great and clear, but readings suggest otherwise.

I actually read the Pool Math tutorials again.
 
You need to follow the SLAM Process process. It is a process that you must test and dose with LC several time per day to keep your FC at SLAM level based on your CYA.
 
Thank you for posting the rest results. Your CYA of 50 is actually really good right now, but yes, at some point in the near future, not now, we'll add stabilizer.

For now - do you have any muriatic acid or dry pool acid on hand to lower the PH? In PoolMath, if you make sure your gallons are correct, and put 8.0 in the "Now" column for the PH row and the put 7.6 in the "Target" column for the PH row, then press "Calculate" it will tell you how much of each type of acid is required. Keeping the PH between 7.2-7.8 makes sure your bleach/chlorine is extremely effective.

On the FC side of things, since your pool is always losing FC to the sun, to leaves, bacteria, algae, etc. if your pool is using more than your IC40 is generating then you're on the expressway to algae if you don't add more FC using bleach/chlorine.

According to [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA], for your CYA of 50 you really want to bring your FC back up to 8 whenever it goes under 6. To really make sure you've gotten rid of all the algae and bacteria from the swamp, our SLAM Process process suggests you bring your FC up to 20 using bleach and keeping it there until you pass all three SLAM Process ending criteria listed on that page. Our members find that after SLAM Processing a swamp, their pool becomes very predictable and they can dial in the SWG and/or bleach additions and keep their FC in their target range very easily - without many, if any, surprise FC drops down towards zero.
 

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