I just uncovered my pool yesterday and it was AWFUL !!! The bottom and walls are filthy !!! It is algae i assume. I don't know where to even start. What is the quickest and easiest way to start my cleaning process?
Disgusted
- Thread starter LisaHess
- Start date
NCNate74
0
Take readings with a good kit, not test strips:
CYA-
PH-
TA-
FC-
CC-
Brush/scoop out any solid debris. Clean your pump and filter. Start your pump and filter. Use the pool calculator (https://www.troublefreepool.com/calc.html) to determine how much chlorine, baking soda, soda ash and stabilizer you need to add. Stay away from pool stores and their chemicals. Go slow with your chems...too much is a bad thing (CYA).
Ask questions! Post photos!
I will tell you, it didn't turn green overnight and it will take time to clear. But, we can teach you how to get it sparkling and keep it that way for a lot less money than the pool store.
Avoid the desire to run down to the local pool store and ask them. Not much credence is given to pool store testing around here. While you would think that a "professional" would be the best, unfortunately in most cases it is quite the opposite. Between employees who blindly trust the word of chemical sales representatives and high school kids working in the pool store for the summer you end up with poor results from their testing. But, what can you do?? We base our pool care system on accurate testing and only adding what the pool needs, when it needs it. To do that you need your own accurate test kit. Order a TF100 test kit and at least include the XL option. That will give you what you need while you are clearing the pool, and probably enough reagents for a couple of years normal use.
While you wait for it to get delivered, you have a homework reading assignment. Start with ABCs of Water Chemistry and Turning Your Green Swamp Back into a Sparkling Oasis
Avoid the desire to run down to the local pool store and ask them. Not much credence is given to pool store testing around here. While you would think that a "professional" would be the best, unfortunately in most cases it is quite the opposite. Between employees who blindly trust the word of chemical sales representatives and high school kids working in the pool store for the summer you end up with poor results from their testing. But, what can you do?? We base our pool care system on accurate testing and only adding what the pool needs, when it needs it. To do that you need your own accurate test kit. Order a TF100 test kit and at least include the XL option. That will give you what you need while you are clearing the pool, and probably enough reagents for a couple of years normal use.
While you wait for it to get delivered, you have a homework reading assignment. Start with ABCs of Water Chemistry and Turning Your Green Swamp Back into a Sparkling Oasis
I was once in your shoes 6 years ago, and didn't know the first thing about pools. In 6 years I've opened crystal clear for 3 and literally a black swamp with frogs in it one or two years and green this year. This site will teach you how to fish, no pun intended instead of handing you one, like the pool store. You will learn the BBB method and SLAM method here, and will never enter a pool store and spend hundreds of dollars on chemicals ever....
Grab a pack of skimmer socks for $15 bucks It will reduce your frequency of cartridge filter rinses. Since the water is that dirty, the skimmer socks and cartridge filters will probably load up every couple of hours or so. I just cleared my pool of green algae in 4 days. Run the pump after 5 pm. Electric rates typically decrease in evening non peak hours depending on your utility provider.
So assuming you have your pump
set up and running. Line skimmer basket with skimmer sock. Record starting clean psi. Should be between 8 and 11 psi typically.
Another thing to be aware of. If using skimmer sock, when it gets loaded up, it may induce air into the system since the fine debris you are trapping creates a vacuum lock of water flow. Enough build up of trapped blocked debris in your skimmer basket and water suction, and it may crack the the top of your skimmer basket. Not the skimmer unit itself, but just the basket. They are like $8-$12, and handy to have an extra. So its good to check that sock every hour or so, and rinse. If you lose psi or water prime, open air relief valve on filter unit until water comes out.
The sock and filter clears the water, and the Chlorine sanitizes it. 3 things diminish chlorine. Sunlight, too low CYA, and debris and organics in pool like green or yellow algae.
First start with the CYA test. You want to shoot for 30-50 ppm to render you're chlorine effective. Start with 30 now. If you are lower than 30 ppm CYA bring it up by using the pool calculator on this website to determine how much stabilizer to add. If you are higher than 50 CYA ppm then you need to drain some water, and add some fresh water as this is the only way to remove CYA or Cynuric Acid.
Second step. Go to Wal-Mart or store of choice and pick up either 6% regular bleach 8% concentrated bleach or 10% pool chlorine. Get a case of it. The pool calc will tell you in ounces how much to add in percentages depending on gallon size of pool. Bleach or pool chlorine is expressed in Sodium Hypochlorite. **STAY AWAY FROM SHOCK PACKETS, OR CHLORINE TABLETS FOR NOW AS THIS WILL RAISE YOU'RE CYA OUT IF RANGE, AND YOURE POOL WILL EVENTUALLY REQUIRE MORE AND MORE CHLORINE TO SANITIZE.
Once you have established a CYA of 30 ppm on the low side of the range, you want to start the TFP process of SLAM. Sanitize Level Adjust Maintain. Determine the current FC or Free Chlorine of pool, input into pool calc, and set a target range of FC between 15-20 ppm. Determine current PH of pool water. Shoot for 7.2 PH for pool SLAM. Add expressed amounts of Borax or washing soda to increase or raise PH. Or use Muratic Acid diluted 1 quart at a time to lower PH. Pour muratic acid, SLOWLY OVER RETURN JET. USE RUBBER GLOVES. VERY IMPORTANT!! Pour desired % and ounces of bleach into pool. Allow to circulate for at least an hour. Measure FC again and confirm 15-20 ppm. Confirm PH 7.2 to 7.4
Run pump until skimmer sock clogs. Rinse, wash, repeat.
Check FC levels every 8 to 12 to 24 hrs. It should be going down due to chlorine eating organics in pool. Add chlorine again to to maintain target level of 15-20 ppm.
Water should be changing daily and gradually in clarity from green, to clear green, to cloudy blue, to hazy clear, to crystal clear.
Here are some examples of good numbers you want as a baseline to start with once you get you're test kit
FC Free Chlorine 15-20 ppm for SHOCK OR SLAM (Shock is a high chlorine level, not a product.)
Once crystal clear maintain 4-8 ppm FC.
TA ( Total Alkalinity) acceptable range
60-120 ppm. 90 being ideal. Baking soda to increase.
CH (Calcium Hardness) The amount of calcium in your water. Acceptable range 60-500 with anywhere from 60 to 250 being ideal depending if you have vinyl liner, gunnite, or plaster pool.
CYA 30-70. 30-50 being ideal.
PH 7.2 to 7.8 acceptable. 7.2 for SLAM and 7.4 to 7.6 for swimming. Borax or washing soda to raise, and muratic acid or PH Minus to lower.
CC or Combined Chlorine. You want your Combined Chlorine to be 0.5 - 0. This is the chlorine that the organics in your pool is working on.
TDS or Total Dissolved Solids. That's another subject.
I use triple filtration on my pool. I filter with Skimmer Sock, pump cartridge filter, and what is known as a Duda Diesel Bag on my return jet to trap all the finely suspended particles in the water. Mine bag is in 5 micron. My cartridge filter is 10 micron.
Here is the eBay link to order one. Its a pool hack people here use. Order it in polyester felt heat treat 4x14 size. 5 micron or 1 micron. When you get it, cut off the ring, and attach the bag to a 90 degree elbow with a hose clamp. It will load up very quickly depending on how much gunk you have in the pool, and you will probably have to power rinse it inside and out, by turning the bag inside and out until the water runs clear, every hour or so. You will know when it is clogged with crud. Your psi will probably jump to 20 psi or so.
Welded Industrial Filter Sock Bags Plastic Ring Flange Water Liquid Oil WVO Fuel | eBay
- - - Updated - - -
Do you know what type of filtration system you have? Sand, Cartridge Filter, or DE?
Grab a pack of skimmer socks for $15 bucks It will reduce your frequency of cartridge filter rinses. Since the water is that dirty, the skimmer socks and cartridge filters will probably load up every couple of hours or so. I just cleared my pool of green algae in 4 days. Run the pump after 5 pm. Electric rates typically decrease in evening non peak hours depending on your utility provider.
So assuming you have your pump
set up and running. Line skimmer basket with skimmer sock. Record starting clean psi. Should be between 8 and 11 psi typically.
Another thing to be aware of. If using skimmer sock, when it gets loaded up, it may induce air into the system since the fine debris you are trapping creates a vacuum lock of water flow. Enough build up of trapped blocked debris in your skimmer basket and water suction, and it may crack the the top of your skimmer basket. Not the skimmer unit itself, but just the basket. They are like $8-$12, and handy to have an extra. So its good to check that sock every hour or so, and rinse. If you lose psi or water prime, open air relief valve on filter unit until water comes out.
The sock and filter clears the water, and the Chlorine sanitizes it. 3 things diminish chlorine. Sunlight, too low CYA, and debris and organics in pool like green or yellow algae.
First start with the CYA test. You want to shoot for 30-50 ppm to render you're chlorine effective. Start with 30 now. If you are lower than 30 ppm CYA bring it up by using the pool calculator on this website to determine how much stabilizer to add. If you are higher than 50 CYA ppm then you need to drain some water, and add some fresh water as this is the only way to remove CYA or Cynuric Acid.
Second step. Go to Wal-Mart or store of choice and pick up either 6% regular bleach 8% concentrated bleach or 10% pool chlorine. Get a case of it. The pool calc will tell you in ounces how much to add in percentages depending on gallon size of pool. Bleach or pool chlorine is expressed in Sodium Hypochlorite. **STAY AWAY FROM SHOCK PACKETS, OR CHLORINE TABLETS FOR NOW AS THIS WILL RAISE YOU'RE CYA OUT IF RANGE, AND YOURE POOL WILL EVENTUALLY REQUIRE MORE AND MORE CHLORINE TO SANITIZE.
Once you have established a CYA of 30 ppm on the low side of the range, you want to start the TFP process of SLAM. Sanitize Level Adjust Maintain. Determine the current FC or Free Chlorine of pool, input into pool calc, and set a target range of FC between 15-20 ppm. Determine current PH of pool water. Shoot for 7.2 PH for pool SLAM. Add expressed amounts of Borax or washing soda to increase or raise PH. Or use Muratic Acid diluted 1 quart at a time to lower PH. Pour muratic acid, SLOWLY OVER RETURN JET. USE RUBBER GLOVES. VERY IMPORTANT!! Pour desired % and ounces of bleach into pool. Allow to circulate for at least an hour. Measure FC again and confirm 15-20 ppm. Confirm PH 7.2 to 7.4
Run pump until skimmer sock clogs. Rinse, wash, repeat.
Check FC levels every 8 to 12 to 24 hrs. It should be going down due to chlorine eating organics in pool. Add chlorine again to to maintain target level of 15-20 ppm.
Water should be changing daily and gradually in clarity from green, to clear green, to cloudy blue, to hazy clear, to crystal clear.
Here are some examples of good numbers you want as a baseline to start with once you get you're test kit
FC Free Chlorine 15-20 ppm for SHOCK OR SLAM (Shock is a high chlorine level, not a product.)
Once crystal clear maintain 4-8 ppm FC.
TA ( Total Alkalinity) acceptable range
60-120 ppm. 90 being ideal. Baking soda to increase.
CH (Calcium Hardness) The amount of calcium in your water. Acceptable range 60-500 with anywhere from 60 to 250 being ideal depending if you have vinyl liner, gunnite, or plaster pool.
CYA 30-70. 30-50 being ideal.
PH 7.2 to 7.8 acceptable. 7.2 for SLAM and 7.4 to 7.6 for swimming. Borax or washing soda to raise, and muratic acid or PH Minus to lower.
CC or Combined Chlorine. You want your Combined Chlorine to be 0.5 - 0. This is the chlorine that the organics in your pool is working on.
TDS or Total Dissolved Solids. That's another subject.
I use triple filtration on my pool. I filter with Skimmer Sock, pump cartridge filter, and what is known as a Duda Diesel Bag on my return jet to trap all the finely suspended particles in the water. Mine bag is in 5 micron. My cartridge filter is 10 micron.
Here is the eBay link to order one. Its a pool hack people here use. Order it in polyester felt heat treat 4x14 size. 5 micron or 1 micron. When you get it, cut off the ring, and attach the bag to a 90 degree elbow with a hose clamp. It will load up very quickly depending on how much gunk you have in the pool, and you will probably have to power rinse it inside and out, by turning the bag inside and out until the water runs clear, every hour or so. You will know when it is clogged with crud. Your psi will probably jump to 20 psi or so.
Welded Industrial Filter Sock Bags Plastic Ring Flange Water Liquid Oil WVO Fuel | eBay
- - - Updated - - -
Do you know what type of filtration system you have? Sand, Cartridge Filter, or DE?
Take a deep breathe, look at your pool and say out loud "I own you, you are my pool and you will bend to my desires". Then order a test kit, get in pool school and lets start a clean up party!
Hello and Welcome to the forum!
The remedy for algae is a SLAM Process, but you will need a proper test kit that includes a FAS/DPD chlorine test. SLAM stands for Shock Level And Maintain.
How do you currently sanitize (chlorinate) the pool, how do you test, and how often do you test?
Dom
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