Good morning all! I was directed to this forum through a reddit user for any and all pool related questions. I currently am helping my in-laws with their pool and we are struggling with the tail end of an algae bloom caused by their previous pool company's negligence. I do not have the accurate pool chemistry readings yet as I am currently waiting on my test kit. But the water is clear when not agitated, cloudy when brushed and minimal algae compared to what I've seen on the forum. I was recommended to SLAM the pool and have already read through the posts regarding the procedure. My biggest question is, since the system is cartridge with no waste setting, is it okay to vacuum through filter or invest in a separate pump to vacuum water out of pool?
Clearing pool of algae
- Thread starter moisesalmaraz
- Start date
Hey Moi and Welcome !!!
The model in general is flawed. The pool loses FC daily from the sun and needs to be fed daily like a pet. Or doubled up every other day. The once a week service simply can't perform what the pool needs other than a weekly dump and pray. Or. They use tabs which raise the CYA over time, needing more FC to do the same job, so it quickly spirals out of control.
It's totally fine to use the filter and then clean the carts. We reccomend cleaning at 25% over baseline psi, and if the carts are big enough, it may go the distance if it's only a light bloom. FL is the land of risky dink filters though, so you may need to clean it often
- Jul 17, 2019
- 4,071
- Pool Size
- 13000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Welcome, just a couple of questions:
- What test kit did you order?
- How do they normally vacuum?
- How do they normally chlorinate?
- While you are waiting on your test kit, are you adding chlorine daily? If not, you should add 5ppm of chlorine on a daily basis to keep the algae in check. If you tell us how big your pool is, we can tell you how much liquid chlorine to add.
I had a feeling since anytime I saw them it was a dump and run. I'll just have to get my in-laws on a schedule with the maintenance once we get eliminate the algae. I appreciate you taking time to help answer my questions. Gives me confidence that we can do it!
1. I went with the TF Pro after reading the recommended test kits off this website.
2. Currently I vacuum
3. Chlorinate once a week as I can only make it to their house on the weekends
4. I am leaving the chlorinating to my father in-law as we live half an hour away and my work times are random. We measured it once but since forgot, but somewhere in the range of 8k gallons. I'll have to remeasure once I make it back to their house.
Last edited:
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,341
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Be kind to your father in-law and get a SWG to automatically chlorinate your pool.
www.troublefreepool.com
Salt Water Chlorine Generators
Salt Water Generators are designed to produce small amounts of chlorine continuously. This is perfect for day to day use and reduces work for the homeowner.
www.troublefreepool.com
What would the cost be to convert a roughly 8k gallon pool to a salt system?Be kind to your father in-law and get a SWG to automatically chlorinate your pool.
Salt Water Chlorine Generators
Salt Water Generators are designed to produce small amounts of chlorine continuously. This is perfect for day to day use and reduces work for the homeowner.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,341
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
A Circupool RJ30+ would cost you $1,100 + installation + $50 worth of salt. Installation is pretty easy and many folks DIY it.
Net out from that cost what you would spend on liquid chlorine for 3 or more years.
Compare and Review Saltwater Chlorine Generator Prices and Features | DSP
www.discountsaltpool.com
Do you have any automation?
How is your pump controlled?
What model pump do you have?
Welcome to the forum 
My suggestion would be to give him the kit and learn together how to test and what the tests mean.
From years of anecdotal posts on this forum, "fixing" other folks pools with our methods OFTEN doesn't work. Sorry to be a wet blanket. We teach a very precise method of pool care that is difficult to manage from a distance.
If you can get him involved you have a chance. We will certainly help but you have a difficult path ahead.
My suggestion would be to give him the kit and learn together how to test and what the tests mean.
From years of anecdotal posts on this forum, "fixing" other folks pools with our methods OFTEN doesn't work. Sorry to be a wet blanket. We teach a very precise method of pool care that is difficult to manage from a distance.
If you can get him involved you have a chance. We will certainly help but you have a difficult path ahead.
My plan is exactly that, for us to learn together. Once the test kit comes in we'll start with that then work with him to learn the chemical side of it. I appreciate the honesty and hope to further my knowledge with this forum.
It's hard to get people out of old habits but both of you will never look back if he sticks with it.
All of us will help!
All of us will help!
Appreciate the kind words, gives me confidence that we'll get it figured out!
- Jun 1, 2018
- 16,025
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
The pool eats chlorine every day (generally 2-4ppm/day give or take ) - this is why the once a week method doesn’t work. If there is no device to feed the pool (swcg or liquid chlorine feeder) then someone must manually do it or things will go south again if the fc is allowed to fall below minimum for its cya level.
The services generally use large doses of chlorine at their visit to attempt to make up for their deficit then load the pool up on tabs for the week to try & make it through to the next visit. The “Dump & run” you mentioned, its a feast then famine situation.
This works until it doesn’t…
the tabs add cya so the necessary fc target to keep the pool sanitary keeps moving higher and higher & any algae that is cleared up by their “shock” or other chems is just beaten back not actually eradicated so it rears its head again in short order.
FC/CYA Levels.
www.google.com
The services generally use large doses of chlorine at their visit to attempt to make up for their deficit then load the pool up on tabs for the week to try & make it through to the next visit. The “Dump & run” you mentioned, its a feast then famine situation.
This works until it doesn’t…
the tabs add cya so the necessary fc target to keep the pool sanitary keeps moving higher and higher & any algae that is cleared up by their “shock” or other chems is just beaten back not actually eradicated so it rears its head again in short order.
FC/CYA Levels.
How to Chlorinate Your Pool
Before chlorinating your pool, you should know these simple tips. Learn the best way to add chlorine to your pool.
www.google.com
Thanks for taking time to reply. I will be working with my FIL on learning to test as well as making a chart based off the pool math app on how to properly balance the water based on the necessity of each chemical. I was thinking of trying to keep it at 5ppm regularly so if there is a day where it can't be tested and balanced, at least we have the buffer of it not getting to below 1ppm without us knowing. Would it be necessary to shock it if we keep it maintained at a consistent chlorine level? I've read about people shocking the pool once a week to help keep the algae at bay.
Those are the folks that aren't maintaining a proper sanitation level based on their CYA level, and factoring the daily loss of that part of the season. They need to over correct weekly, and it's a dump and pray. It never ends well although they may go a spell thinking it's working great.
This is truly helpful! I will make a print out and keep it with my test kit as reference. My final question before I get to SLAMing the pool this weekend, is our current cartridge filter done for or can it still be used after we get the algae cleared up? I've seen that cleaning it with a 20:1 water acid mix helps. Just wondering if there's anything that can be done to save it. Thanks again to everyone for the help and encouragement!
They should clean after with a hose. (or at 25% psi rise if before the end of SLAM, and after SLAM).
With proper chemistry free of floccs and such that gum them up, you can get 10 years from carts. The bands are the usual fail point and once gone the pleats collapse or rip. Until then, they're good.
With proper chemistry free of floccs and such that gum them up, you can get 10 years from carts. The bands are the usual fail point and once gone the pleats collapse or rip. Until then, they're good.
Perfect, thank you for all your help! I'll use all this information and learn alongside my FIL to prevent this from happening again. Looking forward to more wisdom from this community 