Green/yellow water in small intex pool

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bryher

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Jul 11, 2018
14
Phoenixville
Hi all,
I have an above ground intex round, 10' diamater and 30" deep, seasonal pool. I've had amazing success over the years by getting an oversized intext sand filter (3000 GPH, 0.75 HP). Always maintained a crystal clear pool for several years, until now. Definitely seems to be algae as I covered it for a weekend and it cleared up alot. I'd love to try some simpler techniques before the full blow SLAM method I've read here. I know cutting corners isnt the best but might work before getting an expensive test kit and chemicals for such a small pool.

I keep on top of FC and keep it quite high, like 5ppm or more. I dont think it dipped during this time. My simple test strip kit shows numbers in normal ranges, I think. Alk is around 120ppm, PH at 7. Only thing I ever add besides chlorine is baking soda to keep ALK up (my son got horrible irritation once). I surface skim and vacuum all the time (I know vacuum for a 10' pool).

Only thing thats changes recently is this, could it be the cause: I replaced a bending intake hose that was really restricting the filter flow. Two things happened. First flow increased a ton, really nice. But the seal with the new hose isnt great and causes air bubbles. I need to seal better. Could either of these contribute to increased algae growth?

Was going to just dump in bleach over the next few days or just drain, clean and refill before I found this site.

Any advice? thanks!
 
Thanks, I'll do that. Dump, clean and refill. We're going away on vacation in a week so it will be good timing anyway. Thanks for the tip on the test kit. I always had droppers but then read some articles that said strips were better.
 
What do you use to chlorinate? If tablets, your CYA (stabilizer) level will rise over time to a point at which your chlorine is no longer effective. This is why we add only the amount of CYA that is desired, then only use liquid chlorine, which contains no stabilizer, to chlorinate.
 
jeffchap said:
What do you use to chlorinate? If tablets, your CYA (stabilizer) level will rise over time to a point at which your chlorine is no longer effective. This is why we add only the amount of CYA that is desired, then only use liquid chlorine, which contains no stabilizer, to chlorinate.
Click to expand...

Man I have alot to learn :) I never even HEARD of CYA until today reading on this forum. I can see that happening. I use 1 inch tablets in a floating dispenser. It does seem like sometimes my chloring is very high but the water isnt as clear as I'd think.

So, for a pool such as mine - smaller, seasonal - what would you all recommend the minimum maintenance kit/routine? Not thatr I mind spending $$ for the right stuff or the time, but also dont want to waste my time measuring and dosing when in the past 7-8 years its been just the 1 inch tablets and only recently baking soda.
 
Contrary to what we normally advise, for a pool of that size you can get by with a simple 6-way HTH drop test kit for about $25.


At this point I'd drain and refill the pool. That's going to be quicker and cheaper than trying to eliminate the algae you already have. Purchase some conditioner (CYA) and use the Pool Math app to determine how much to add to reach 30 ppm.

Then only use liquid chlorine from now on to chlorinate your water. Regular laundry bleach is fine, just not the scented or splashless kind. Target 3-5 ppm and dose daily to stay in that range. You can safely go as high as 12 ppm and still swim, but never let it drop below 3 or you'll be inviting green water again.

If it does ever get out of hand, simply drain it and start over again. But if you stay on top of the chlorine addition, that shouldn't ever happen.

Only use tabs if you're unable to dose chlorine for a few days, like in the event of vacation. They have their legitimate use, but daily use leads to the problem you find yourself in now.
 
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Ok. Just got back from a week vacation. Drained pool before I left. Just ordered the 6 way test kit that should be here Monday. Ordered some CYA that will be here on Friday. Will next pickup a batch of chlorine bleach from Costco as well. And then will clean pool as noted in the guide and refill.

Start from scratch. The right way.
 

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