Help, Pretty Please?!! New Pool Owner Overhwhelmed by Mustard/Black Algae...

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In order to double check your CYA result, pour the water mixture from the test tube back into your mixing bottle and repeat. Repeat with sun at your back, sun from the side, no sun, ....
This way you get comfortable reading the result without waisting any chemicals.
 
You are on the right track! Your pool will be purrfect in no time!

I have some links for you that I share with new pool owners. Some of it your might have read but I don't want to leave any thing out just in case you have not seen it:

Print these out:
Pool School - Basic Pool Care Schedule

Pool School - Recommended Levels

Bookmark these:
Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals

http://www.troublefreepool.com/calc.html

Pool School - ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry

Make sure to ask any and all questions you might have no matter how small! We have all been where you are at one point.

It is safe to get in the water when your FC is just a tiny bit below SLAM level for your CYA level. That way you can get those lights out and clean behind them. I have a feeling you are going to be VERY surprised at all you find back there :(

:hug: we got ya!

:kim:
 
Okay! I will wait for sun to re-test the CYA! And Heikejohn, thanks for the recommendation of re-using the water in the test tube to pour & re-pour. That makes total sense - my head is so jumbled I didn't even think of that!

Max2k, using the SLAM article shock chart, I thought my recommended shock FC level was 24 since I have a SWG (albeit non-functioning at the moment). Is that incorrect? Of course, that was also when I thought I had a CYA reading of 60 from Leslie's. If my CYA really is less than 20, I guess that will dramatically change the recommended FC level? The chart doesn't address SWG pools with under 60 CYA.

If I re-test in the sun and the CYA is truly low, do I add the cyanuric acid during SLAM or do I wait until SLAM is completed? Also, is there a downside to using liquid as opposed to granular other than it being more expensive?

The first OCLT was conducted this morning at dawn, but I'm unsure if it might have been affected by rainfall (it rained intermittently throughout the night). I don't know if my initial testing early yesterday evening was off at an FC of 15, but last night I tested the water before bed and the FC was higher than my initial test:

FC: 17
CC: 0.5-1 (I couldn't tell if the water "cleared" at 1 or 2 drops)

This morning:

FC: 15
CC: 0.5 (the pink tint definitely cleared at one drop)

Of course its just my luck that as soon as I get my test kit in along with a replacement salt cell, this particular region of Texas decides to act more like Seattle (and is forecasted to remain rainy for over a week)! Arg!

Kimkats, thank you so much for the links - I have seen/read/used them but to have them outlined like you have with suggestions to print/bookmark is very helpful! :) Also, I got in the pool on Saturday & took out one of the lights (there are two in the pool) to scrub. There was a little bit of brown-ish algae/buildup on the back of the light fixture and it was scrubbed around the niche (black algae definitely came off around the edges). I wasn't able to get the fixture in the deep end off and I will wait until my husband & I can help one another (although the exterior & edges of the light has been vigorously scrubbed). Taking the light out was a breeze but getting it screwed back in was a task only because it was difficult to make sure that the screw lined up with the hole!
 
Okay, CYA test done. Since its been raining and only 77 degrees outside, I collected pool water and brought it indoors to let it sit in case the water temp was low. After about 30 minutes or so I went outdoors, I followed the instructions (filled to the bottom of the label with pool water and then to the top of the label with the R-0013 regeant) then shook, waited 30 seconds, shook again and poured into the test tube. Even outdoors, I got the same results as last night - I can see the black dot even with the mixture all the way to the top of the test tube. No matter which way I stood, I could still see the black dot.

So, should I add cyanuric acid today or wait until the end of SLAM?
 
Was the sun out when you did the test outdoors? The lighting is extremely important and overcast/cloudy weather is too dim for an accurate result.

No reason to bring the sample to room temperature now as the water is surely warm enough now for the CYA test, but it is important to do that in when the water is cold (say in the winter).

Since you are SLAMing you can use the top of the chart to determine your SLAM FC level.

Once you finish your SLAM and pass all 3 criteria:
CC is 0.5 or lower;
You pass an OCLT (ie overnight FC loss test shows a loss of 1.0 ppm or less);
And the water is crystal clear (no signs of algae).
 
The sun was not really completely out but it was "bright". It's been dreary/cloudy/rainy all day so I waited until the rain stopped and the sun was "peeking" out - it would have been bright enough for sunglasses - would that be enough for an accurate result? I guess my concern would be adding cyanuric acid if the pool doesn't need it since its hard to get rid of.

The rain is pouring down now and its back to dark, dim & dreary. As if this weren't confusing enough for a freshman pool owner, Mother Nature just had to throw a wrench in things!
 
Yeah, it sucks that you guys are getting so much rain lately. Just do the test when the sun comes out. Your FC levels are dependent on this results, so it is important to do it correctly. As stated before, your CYA is lower than what the pool store says, but hard to say by how much.

Keep your FC at 10 for now (assuming you at least have a CYA of 20) until you can get an accurate CYA result. This is enough to keep the algae from getting too bad. Having FC levels above SLAM levels wastes bleach, so best not to shoot too high for now.
 
The sun came out briefly this afternoon and I re-tested the CYA. I got the same result - I could still see the black dot with the water all the way up to the top of the tube. It didn't matter which way I faced (back to the sun, facing the sun, etc.). Either I am doing something wrong (but I'm following the directions to a "t") or the CYA has to be low.

Suggestions on when to add the cyanuric acid? Now? After SLAM is complete?

Thanks!
 
You likely don't have much if any CYA in the water. I would add enough to shoot for 20, retest the day after it's all dissolved and go from there.
 

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Sounds like you are nailing the test! For right add enough CYA to bring it up to 20. We want to go on the low side just in case there is a little bit in there that is not showing on the test. It is almost impossible to test below 20 so........

Put the CYA in a sock (like you wear) and hang it in front on the return OR you can squeeze the sock to help it dissolve faster You can also hang and squeeze as you are able.

No matter how you get it in there you will set you levels in Pool Math with a NOW of 20 for you CYA and go from there.

Once all of the CYA is dissolved wait a day (pump running) and do the test again.

:kim:
 
Well, that settles it. You don't have any CYA. You need enough CYA to protect the chlorine from being burned up by the sun. You should target 30 for now while you SLAM. Pool math at the top of the page will tell you how much you need. Post back here if you need help verifying your results. You can get CYA at big box stores, Wal-Mart, the dreaded pool store or from a place like Amazon. The product key words are stabilizer and conditioner. Liquid is more expensive than the granular.

SLAMing is about mainintaining a FC level at the appropriate level for your CYA. For a CYA of 30, your target should be 12. Pool School - Chlorine / CYA Chart

Brush daily with a stainless steel algae brush and backwash when your filter is 25% above the clean pressure (you need to add your filter type to your siggy).

SLAM until you pass all 3 criteria: Pool School - SLAM - Shock Level And Maintain The more frequently you test and adjust FC the faster this will go... it shouldn't take too long because your pool isn't swampy.

After the SLAM you should target for a CYA of 70 or 80 for your SWG. I'm pretty sure you got in this predicament because of the low/no CYA and the FC generated was quickly burnt up in the sun.
 
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Thanks for the responses!

Okay, I went ahead & purchased the liquid "conditioner" CYA from Leslie's. I wasn't intending to step foot in there again, but I had already racked up several $5 "rewards" considering the ungodly amount of money I spent on unnecessary chemicals so I figured I'd use them up on the CYA. I emptied out the two skimmers and poured in enough to bring it to a CYA of between 20-30 (I guess it will depend on if there was no CYA in the pool or just a tiny bit that wasn't detectable). Any advice I should follow from here? Specifically, I guess I'm curious since it's liquid, should I retest for CYA sooner than a week? Do I still have to wait a week to backwash since it was liquid CYA (not sure I'll need to, but just in case)? And, lastly, should I wait to continue the SLAM until I am able to measure the CYA or do I just assume that the conditioner brought the CYA to 30 and adjust the SLAM level to 12 immediately?

As for the filter type, the previous owners told us it is a sand filter. They left a binder full of manuals, but there is no literature about the filter type. The top of the filter is controlled by a Pentair TM-22 Valve. I'll update the siggy now!

Thanks again!
 
Okay, just an update here!

After adding the CYA, which brought me up to 30, I completed SLAM (the water passed the OCLT two nights in a row despite rainy weather) and then I brought the pool up to Mustard Algae shock levels for 24 hours. During MA shock levels, I gave the pool a good scrub one last time in addition to throwing in the pool tools and floats to disinfect them. The MA shock ended yesterday morning at an FC of 17. The CC reading was 0.5. I did not add any bleach whatsoever yesterday. The rain broke in the evening and I installed the new IC-40 salt cell. It seems to be working! As per the startup instructions, I set the output on the cell to 60% and left it overnight (still in service mode). When I took the FC reading this morning, it was at about 15.5-16. The CC appeared to be at 0 as the water did not turn pink when adding the regeant. Happy with the results, I turned the system back to "Auto" and reduced the SWG output to 40%. I'm planning on testing again this evening and adjusting the output from there. However, I do have a question on the SWG - is the "cell" light supposed to light up steady green all of the time or only intermittently during the time it is set to be on? For example, if I have it set to 20%, should the "cell" light indicator light up only 20% of the time or should it always be on)? Currently, the cell light is not flashing, but it cycles on & off throughout the day. I've read the manual but it does not seem to specify.

From what I understand, PH testing is unreliable during high chlorine levels. Is that correct? During my testing yesterday, it read high at 8.2. Calcium Hardness was 300 and Total Alkalinity (which I'm hoping was done correctly as I conducted it a few times to try to get it down) appeared high at around 140. So, I added 24 oz of muriatic acid. I'm guessing I'll need to add even more the get the TA down? Should I wait until the chlorine levels come down to re-test?

I also need to bring up the CYA more, so I am planning on doing that as well.

The pool looks great & I'm hoping I can keep it that way! Thank you again, SO MUCH!
 
Yeah, you pass the OCLT!!!!!! As you have surmised, the next order of business is getting your CYA levels back up to 70 or 80 so it can protect the FC generated by your SWG. It is best to add this in two stages so that you don't over shoot your goal. You should put the stabilizer in a regular old sock and hang it in front of a return or you can put the sock in a skimmer. Give the sock a few squeezes a day. I even tied mine to a my noddle while floating and squeezed it often... that really sped up the process. Sorry if you know this, but I figured repeating is better :)

I don't know enough about your brand of SWG to answer you question on the lights... hopefully someone will be along shortly to help on that topic.

The PH test shouldn't be run when your FC is 10 or higher... the rest of the tests are okay to run at your FC levels. The TA test can turn yellow or light pink at higher FC levels. You can add extra R-0007 when the FC level is very high to help prevent the dye from bleaching out.. Pool School - Total Alkalinity

Here is an article detailing how to lower TA. Basically you lower PH between 7.0 and 7.2, aerate so PH can rise, add acid to bring PH back down to 7.0-7.2, repeat, etc. Pool School - Lower Total Alkalinity

Every SWG pool has its happy place regarding TA, so it will take some trial and error to dial it in.
 
Just an update here! Chlorine levels are good now & the IC-40 seems to be working properly. I've decided to address one "reading" at time. Currently, I am working on getting the CYA up after which I will address PH & TA. I added CYA this morning (liquid poured into the skimmer basket) and I am wondering how long I need to keep the SWG switched off at 0%? The Pentair manual says to wait 24 hours after adding salt but it does not address how long to leave the cell switched off for other water balancing chemicals. Does anyone know how long to keep the salt cell switched off after adding liquid CYA?

I called Pentair to ask about the "cell" light coming off & on intermittently and they said that is how it is supposed to be.

The FC has dropped down to 8, so as soon as I get the CYA under control, I'll address TA & PH!

Everyone have a wonderful weekend!
 
Now that your Fc is lower than 10 what is your ph? Ph should be your number one priority if it is high.

You can assume your cya levels are what you were aiming for and you can test it after about 24 hours.

I don't know how long you should wait to run your swg after adding the liquid conditioner to the skimmer. I prefer to add liquid conditioner to the pool and brush it around. I personally do not add chemicals to the skimmer.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Just did a test on PH & TA. PH is reading high at 8.2 (or above) & TA is still high at 130. So I added 65 ounces of muriatic acid and will retest again in 2 hours. My goal was to bring the PH down to 7.1 to lower the TA and then keep aerating with the pump, fountain, swg, etc. in order to bring the PH back up.

Next time I add liquid CYA, I will add directly to the pool & brush to avoid adding it to the skimmer. Question - do you just brush the general area where you added it or do you brush the entire pool?

Thanks!
 

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