High chlorine but algae?

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Renee1

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Jun 6, 2016
61
Jackson, NJ
I've had a trouble free pool for years now, thanks to this website. This is the first time in a long time I've had to ask a question because I'm having a problem I can't figure out how to rectify.

My pool has high chlorine (10), but is starting to grow algae. The other numbers are below:

CC= .5
FC=10
pH=7.4
TA=70
CYA=40


Confession: We had a child getting married this summer and were super busy so for the past two months have been using tablets instead of daily liquid bleach as we had been doing in the past. I still tested every day and the numbers were fine until about a week ago when they started to creep up but I just was trying to adjust the chlorinator. I am especially watchful of the CYA and that is also fine.

What do I do? Turn the chlorinator off and use liquid shock?

And since I'm asking, there has always been a discrepancy on the ideal levels for pH, TA, and CYA so if anyone can chime in with those that would be great. The website and the pool math app don't say the same thing.

Any help appreciated..thanks

Renee

I have a 33,000 gallon inground vinyl liner pool. We are in NJ.
 
Do an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test to rule out any issues.
Be sure to remove all tabs from the chlorinator beforestarting the OCLT.

pH in the 7's and TA 60-80 is fine.
In NJ, a CYA of 40-50 in summer should work well for a non-SWG pool.
 
Nature is shedding one last hurrahs worth in our latitude right now. I had to vacuum my pool twice in 2 days due to the dust on the bottom.

Overnight Chlorine Loss Test. If you lose FC overnight, it's algae and not pollen or whatever dust is falling. If you pass the OCLT, it's environmental and will pass. Make sure to remove the tabs as Gene said, or you risk passing when you really failed.
 
Algae happens when proper sanitation happens. Perhaps you have a 10 FC now, but without regular testing, what was it a few days ago or a few weeks ago? Once you get algae into the pool, it requires the SLAM Process to get rid of it. Just having good FC keeps it from getting worse, but it's not enough to eliminate it.

It's all about the FC/CYA Levels.

You can keep the chlorinator going until the pucks are dissolved, then discontinue, but really 40 CYA (if accurate) is not a problem. If you have 10 FC now, SLAM level is 16, so you're under the necessary level to completely irradicate the algae, but are able to hold it at bay (keep water from going green, etc.)
 
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Renee1 said:
Hate to pester, but can I just shut off the chlorinator?
Click to expand...
If it's a couple seasons old or more? I wouldn't trust it to be fully off. The acid in the tabs usually eats away at the ports and we'll eventually be it's downfall. It probably doesn't shut completely off anymore and you risk adding a FC or two to make you think there was no loss.

If you don't want to remove the half used tabs, **and you're maintaining a 10 FC** wait them out a couple of days and then test.
 
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