Help!!!

[Bbaggett]

I need help! For 3 weeks I have worked on an algae infested pool. I’ve put in a bag of shock everyday pretty near everyday for the past week. And have vacuumed with the intex pool vac and the next day after letting it filter there is still algae on my pool floor and the vacuums just stir it up and only vacuums a little bit of it. Suggestions. Drain some it and shop vac it? I’ve heard of the slam method. Please explain.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Hello Bbaggett! Welcome to TFP.... sorry its under such circumstances though.

Any time you add a granular product to your pool (those bags of "shock" you used) you are either raising your stabilizer CYA level or your calcium. If your CYA level is too high, you need extraordinary amounts of Free Chlorine to compensate.

What that means is it sounds like you have been adding the wrong product and causing yourself more grief. Liquid Chlorine is what you should have been using, along with good testing to determine how things are coming along.

Do you test your water?? Here at TFP we believe in owner testing, and each owner should know their:
FC
CC
pH
TA
CH
CYA
Salt if applicable

Can you tell me those levels??

How big is your pool? Do you want to fix your water or drain and start again?

Maddie

 

[Bbaggett]

I’d prefer not to drain. Afraid of ruining my liner. I’ve been testing with the Clorox app it has most of the levels you asked about except the one I keep seeing CYA. My pool is 22x52. I’m new at this because last year I had perfect water all year long. The hurricanes and winter has got me struck with the “algae blues/greens” so I might sound like an amateur because frankly I am But in answer to the question I’d rather fix my water.

 

[Flying Tivo]

You need to get a proper Test Kits Compared and you are right about not fully draining a liner pool. There are other methods that can be used.

Draining - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[magiteck]

Hi and welcome, Bbaggett.

First, breathe. If you’re ready to take control of your pool, we’ve got you. Everyone here is more than happy to teach you how to clear up your algae and then take care of your pool in the easiest, most cost effective way possible.

First things first. You need a good test kit, capable of measuring CYA and chlorine above 10ppm. The two kits we recommend for that are the Taylor K2006-C, or the TFTestkits TF100 (which is a better value). The required tests typically can’t be found in stores so you’re stuck ordering online.

Depending upon your CYA level, you might need to do a partial drain/refill to get that down to a reasonable level. But we need to find out your CYA level first. Then, you’re going to need to complete a SLAM Process.

So here’s your homework:
1. Get a test kit ordered, so you can have that in a few days.
2. While waiting, add a gallon of liquid chlorine (either liquid “pool shock” — Pool Essentials from Walmart or HDX from Home Depot are popular choices — or plain household bleach, no “low splash” or scents or other additives) to the pool each day. That should keep things from getting worse.
3. Read through ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry and SLAM Process. That will give you some insight into what we’re working toward.
4. Once you get your test kit, do all the tests and post up your results here. From there, we’ll advise what to do next!

 

[magiteck]

To add - it’s also super helpful to the experts here if you can complete your Signature with details about your pool - above ground/in ground, size/material, pump and filter type, etc — and any other important info like water restrictions.

Refer to mine at the bottom here as an example. (If you’re on mobile, turn your phone sideways to make it appear.)

 

[Teald024]

Hello and Welcome to TFP!!
With 11k gallons, I wouldn’t want to drain all either. An issue I see is that adding a bag of “shock “ a day may have made things worse. What shock product have you been using?
Magitek gave you some good advice. Without knowing your CYA, we can really advise a plan for you.

 

[CrystalRiver]

Just one more note, since you mentioned Clorox - all of their products have additives that are harmful to your pool. Stick with plain, boring, non-Clorox, additive-free household bleach if you can find it, or one of the pool chlorinating liquids mentioned upthread. The pool chlorine is usually about 2x stronger than household bleach and a better bang for your buck, anyway. Stay away from any "7-in-1" type products as well - just plain old chlorine.

 

[Lilypad]

Liquid pool chlorine can be found at Home Depot, Lowe's and Walmart. Some local pool stores carry it also. As advised, the test kit is the most important thing. You need to know what's in your water in order to proceed wisely. Bags of shock and tabs contain chlorine, but also CYA (think of it as SPF sun protection for chlorine). As the chlorine is used up by contaminants and the sun, the CYA is left behind. It builds and builds until you can't get enough chlorine in to be effective. You end up draining and refilling. Liquid chlorine doesn't have CYA. Testing your water with the recommended kit lets you keep that balance and the result is a sparkling algae-free TFP pool.

Ask any questions! There are tons of great people here with an amazing depth of knowledge who are more than willing to share. Welcome to TFP!

 

[YippeeSkippy]

If you've ever used the Clorox XtraBlue chlorine or shock products you've also been adding Copper to your water. Copper can cause stains to your pool as well as the old blond hair turning green trick. Your mention of that Clorox app makes me wonder if your problems might be complicated by those products?

I dislike any phone app picture tester because just like on a computer- the colors often don't relay properly. The reason we want folks to have a proper test kit is so that we know exactly how the test is performed and what the results look like. And they give you exact number levels to each chemical test. None of that "between 50-100" type answer.

Maddie

 

[Dtkokay]

To repeat what others have said, you need to get a real test kit so that you can measure your current water chemical levels. If you don‘t know where you are, you’ll have no plan to get to where you need to be.

If you’re willing to get a test kit and be open minded, people here will be very happy to walk you through the process to get your pool under control.