Is Black Algae sometimes not controllable?

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I agree with Dave. Black algae isn’t going to just go away during the summer without significant effort several times a day.

If you have any algae at any time, your pool does not have enough chlorine.
 
My advice is to assume it is NOT black algae.....which is treated quite differently than most others. Black algae normally appears in grout lines nooks and crannies, is JET black but smears to a dark green color if you rub it flat onto a sheet of white paper.

Until you get your kit, add 1 gallon of regular household bleach every afternoon or evening (no additives) ......it'll hold things at bay and probably will start to clear the pool. Run your pump 24/7.

Take test results from your kit and post them up like this
FC=xxxx
CC=xxxx
pH=xxxx
CH=xxxx
CYA=xxxx

Once you get those posted up, we can take a look at them and suggest a course of action. Please read "The "ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry" up in Pool School and then read the SLAM article. It will be fairly easy to get your pool crystal and keep it that way if you follow the methods we teach.
 
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Hi there Dobe :)
Just a warning here about using a pool guy- do not let him add any chemical to the pool without first checking here, ok? We don't want to have him adding copper laden algaecides or other potions that can actually cause problems for your pool.

Until your test kit arrives the only thing your pool needs is *Liquid Chlorine* or Chlorine gas if the pool guy uses that? Either one of those is strictly chlorine and no other tag a long chemical you don't want. For example, to make "chlorine pucks" or granular chlorine products the manufacturer *must* add another chemical product to the chlorine to make it solid. They usually use stabilizer (CYA) or less often calcium. Without you keeping track those tag a long chemicals build up something awful in the water or on your pool surface and cause you grief.

Please--> Ask questions please of ANYthing we say and doesn't make sense. I'm long winded and babble a lot.... :sneaky:

Maddie :flower:
 
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Since the OP has been using a pool guy, who somehow has been wrangling this outbreak each Spring, whatever it is, and since the TF doesn't include metals, do you all think he needs to test for metals? (I hesitate to introduce how that gets done around here, unless you experts agree.) If the pool guy has been pouring in junk, would it be valuable to know what, for your analysis of his first test results?

YippeeSkippy said:
I'm long winded and babble a lot.... :sneaky:
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She thinks she's long-winded. Well that's just adorable... ;)
 
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Wow! I'm glad you guys are here to help. I received the TF-100 Kit and the Smart Stir from TFP. This is more confusing than I thought it would be.

I should probably take this slowly so I'll start with the daily test instructions. I'm trying to figure out what appears to be an inconsistency in the instructions.

1. Main Daily Tests instructions

Fill both sides of "test block". Add drops (0600 and 0014) to Yellow and Red side. "Shake Well".

2. Instructions in the Daily Tests Blue "3-way OTO Test Kit". Same instructions except says "Invert to mix (DO NOT SHAKE).

"Shake Well" Vs "DO NOT SHAKE" (in Caps). I'm not sure how to reconcile these 2 instructions.

Also, I bought the Smart Stir. When is it used?

The pool looks great today and has looked very clear for the last 6 months. The algae problems usually begin in mid to late April.

Thanks for your help
 
Post all your results and the experts here will take you from there. Like this, in this order:
FC = XX
CC = XX
pH = XX
TA = XX
CH = XX
CYA = XX
They like to read the results like that, in columns...

If you have specific issues or questions about any of the tests, please don't hesitate to ask. We've heard it all, and we were all, every one of us, equally, un, challenged when we first opened our kit.

The FC, CC, TA and CH tests make use of the SpeedStir.
 
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Oh, be sure to add your kit and SpeedStir to your signature. We look for that info there, to know what you have for testing.
 

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So, now to answer your question. It doesn't matter if you shake well or not. The pH test or the chlorine test (both in the comparator block) will work just fine as long as they are mixed. Don't overthink these tests they have a lot of leeway and are designed to be used by a wide spectrum of pool owners.

I don't know what "other" pH test Dirk refers to but the K-1000 kit is an essential part of the TF-100 as it has the only pH test in the TF-100. The other half of the comparator block is an OTO chlorine test and can be extremely helpful to many who use it regularly
 
The K-1000 OTO FC test comes along with the pH test. While you are doing the pH test it does not cost you anything to also do the FC side.

The OTO FC test can give you a quick binary check of whether you have chlorine in your pool or not. Once you do it enough you will see what the normal color is for your normal FC level. If you don't see what you expect then break out the FAS/DPD test and see what your numbers are. Otherwise you saved yourself FAS/DPD reagent which you will go through quickly if you do FAS/DPD chlorine tests every day.

Yes, The instructions between TFT and Taylor conflict. I would follow the Taylor instructions to cap and invert a few times and not really shake.
 
Its pretty rare for me to use the K-1000 test kit for chlorine, but on occasion I do.
Sometimes I use the chlorine side to test *if* i have any chlorine (it will be yellow...darker the yellow the more chlorine there is in the water) but I don't necessarily need to know *how much* chlorine. If I needed to know an exact amount I use the FAS-DPD test from my TF-100.

Maddie :flower:
 
Thanks. Lots of good information!

As I've said my pool has looked clear for the last 6 months. It's still clear although I noticed 1 very small area (10" by 10") in the spa that's starting to turn greenish. I swept the algae off that small area. In the attached photo it's the area in the middle of the photo next to the blue tiles.

There's many areas in the pool that are stained from past algae. At the moment they look like the area in the photo. No algae. In a few weeks they'll turn green. Then the entire pool will start filling with algae, in spite of my pool guy dumping chemicals into the pool.

Since I'm trying to prevent a problem that doesn't currently exist, what do you suggest I do now?

Thanks.
 

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I would imagine a SLAM is in your near future if you have algae. When you add chlorine to your pool you are killing some of the algae but not all of it, that is why it comes back quickly. You are making sure you never let your FC drop below minimum levels correct?
 
The reason I bought the TF-100 and Smart stir was to avoid the need to Slam. As I said in my 8:45 post this morning the pool looks clear but I noticed a bit of algae attached at the bottom of the spa (which is part of the pool). Water flows between the spa and the main part of the pool.

The photo I attached shows the scarred area where algae started accumulating in the last few days. I cleaned off the algae. I guess the many scarred areas of the pool bottom and steps (where algae was a problem in the past) are still very susceptible to algae returning?

For the first time I just filled the "chlorine only" container to 10 ml. I put a heaping scoop of 0870 powder and swirled it. It did not change color, which apparently means no chlorine! The pool guy was last here on 6 days ago. I'm guessing the chlorine evaporated since then?

What should I do?

Thanks
 
dobe12 said:
The reason I bought the TF-100 and Smart stir was to avoid the need to Slam
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Using them daily, and adding chlorine per PoolMath will all but remove you ever needing to SLAM Process.

However. You can’t go back and daily test/add the water that’s there. You will need to SLAM to start fresh. Get some FC in there pronto. Perform an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test and SLAM if need be. But on the plus side. The TF-100 will help there too as the only way to get reliable FC results over 10. So you have that going for you, which is nice.
 
I also just did a PH test. I've attached a photo of the results. Not sure what the results mean.

Unfortunately, for reasons I've mentioned before, I'm not going to have time to do everything that was just suggested. Overnight Chlorine Loss and Slam. Can I start adding chlorine and see what happens? As I said the pool looks clear now but it's obviously not good that there's no chlorine.

How much chlorine do I add?

Thanks.
 

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You need to invert the comparator block a few times to mix it. pH is high but that is better than low. Enter a full set of test results into Poolmath and add the acid needed to lower pH to 7.2. Then follow the SLAM Process
 

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