My pool water is starting to go off the rails!!!

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M

meestahmarc

Well-known member
Jun 7, 2018
160
Paramus, NJ
Pool Size
32000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
Hi - thank you for taking the interest to read and support his community. I have had great help thus far on the pool equipment side.

My pool has been open about 5 weeks now. Here are the details:
35,000 gallon Anthony Pool
DE Filter Hayward 4840
Test Kit: Lamotte ColorQ 7 (digital)

Pool water has been very good up to this point. But recently is going off the rails

Up to this point, I shocked the pool when I opened it and have been using the 3" Trichlor pucks (I know my CYA will increase with this). Have also been using a maintenance bit of Algaecide 50 (Home Depot stuff - which HAD seemed to be doing ok until recently). My CH has been on the lower end (160-180). PH always been in range and I have been able to keep my FCL between 1-5ppm (I know this forum suggests higher depending on my CYA). CCL has always been low and well below 0.5.

Here are some weekend details:
8/9/2018
FCL: 3.82
TCL: 4.55 *CCL was higher than usual
PH: 7.1
ALK: 71
CH: 179
CYA: 60
Notes: I noticed that some Algae was on the bottom and sides of the pool, light yellow that brushed easily. I wasn't sure if this was alive or dead, since I have been using Algaecide. I vacuumed it up with the Polaris. I felt my PH and ALK were low, so I added a bag of Sodium BiCarbonate (13lbs) and 5lbs of CH, both of which I thought were small/med amounts to move things in the right direction.

I retested the next day and PH was now 6.8 (huh). I thought it should have gone up since I increase the ALK. Algae seemed to still be visible - SO I decided to shock the pool. I have not been shocking it weekly b/c I was having good results and thought this was probably overkill (waste of chemicals). I added 4lb of granular shock mixed in buckets of water around 5pm (cloudy outside)...

The next day - the Chlorine was still high. I thought it would have burned out since it was shock and not stabilized...

My reading about 18 hours after the shock was:
8/12/2018
FCL: 8.45
TCL: 9.12
PH: 7.5
ALK: 75
CH: 227
CYA: 78

thoughts - next week I will be off from work with the kids home - if the pool isn't good to go - my kids will be mad! :)

Thank you
 
You need to follow the SLAM Process process to eliminate the algae. You need a FAS-DPD test kit for FC to do that.

You have allowed your FC to fall below the minimum based on the [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA].
 
what are my other options vs using the Trichlor pucks which increase my CYA. Might have to do it now, but the ideal of draining half my pool and refilling from my well is NOT appealing to me at all.

I had a green swamp in the pool, the 4lbs of shock cleared it up. My small bit of algae this time is nowhere near that level. Looks to be dead already and the pool is clear to a touch cloudy from the remaining shock.

Thanks
 
You can SLAM if your CYA is really 80. Takes lots of liquid chlorine.

You need to stop using trichlor now regardless. Your CH is low (the ColorQ is rarely accurate with that test by the way) so you could try using cal-hypo. You will drain some water soon for winter.
 
Liquid chlorine - bleach. Use PoolMath to guide you on how much.

But you need to eradicate the algae, unless you plan to just have it until you close and deal with it in the spring.
 
I know you live by this SLAM process, but I don't have that much algae... really wonder why a round of shock and algeacide 60 won't know it out. seems odd.

- - - Updated - - -

Also - I suppose what confuses me, is that Liquid chlorine is not stabilized, so won't it just burn away really fast unlike these other chlorines.

I will admit, I have a lot to learn. I know that... and know this will take me years to get down - but I am up for the challenges to come.

THANK YOU
 
You can do what you want, it is your pool. We will provide guidance on the TFPC process. If you do not want to follow it, go ahead.

Take care.

- - - Updated - - -

You have a CYA level of 80. Your water is OVER stabilized right now for a non-SWCG pool. So you do not need to add any more stabilizer/CYA.

Please read Trouble Free Pool School
 
understood... appreciate the comment about me being overstabilized - makes a lot more sense now.

I know Bleach is Bleach, but anyone have a good source to buy? Costco? Other? Assume I do not need some name brand stuff.
 
Buy Liquid Chlorine from a pool store in re-fillable jugs.

Bleach in stores has a date code. Julian date. Get the latest date you can. Turnover in Walmart and Food stores is high, fresh bottles, but check.
 

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meestahmarc said:
I know you live by this SLAM process, but I don't have that much algae... really wonder why a round of shock and algeacide 60 won't know it out. seems odd.
Click to expand...

It might seem odd, but let's put it this way, you want that algae ELIMINATED completely right?

Doing a SLAM will accomplish that.

a round of shock and algecide 60 is only a temporary fix...you want a permanent one so it won't come back
as it does for those that shock occasionally and follow pool store advice.

Plus adding algecide when you already have algae is just wasting money...it's merely a preventative measure
best employed when closing for the winter.
 
You can use household bleach (no scent, not splashless, no fabric protection) and is normally 6%. Walmart calls it 'cleaning bleach'. Some Walmarts may still have Pool Essentials Chlorinating liquid (10%). Home Depot and Lowes carry liquid chlorine (10%). Some pool stores sell liquid chlorine. In your area I believe you have something called Ocean States Job Lot. Many members use their liquid chlorine.
 
Leslie's has their own (well, Blue Whale) 12% liquid chlorine in 4 pack, one gallon jugs that I buy and use. Nothing wrong with buying from Leslie's if you already know what you want, and the price is comparable.

Also they give a small veteran / law enforcement discount as well.
 
thank you all. makes a lot more sense now and seems I was using the wrong Chlorine for weekly maintenance. I will make the adjustment and use the trichlor only when/if I need to get my stabilizer up, otherwise I will use the unstabilized chlorine.
 
Pool has been perfect again. Using chlorine from Lowe's, 10 percent... Stabilizer is going down slowly with evap and rain... All numbers are spit again, with cya, around 60... But not adding more. Thanks all again.
 
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