Persistent algae, please help!

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Kantolapool said:
Does the DE add extra filtering ability?
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Yes, it does. But you must have time to babysit the filter. It can plug up quick.
Kantolapool said:
Does it usually take this long to get rid of algae?
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Not an unusual length of time. Every pool is different. If you get two OCLT to pass in a row let us know.
 
Just to confirm - ladders, stairs, other hiding spots for algae have been inspected and cleaned?
 
So I'm on day 12 and getting tired. And running out of money. Every day I look in the pool hoping to see nothing but sparkling water and I see white patches of dust. Do you think I need to spend a few days where I check the chlorine level every hour or 2? I just don't understand how I continue to see dead algae every day when the free chlorine level is so high and matched to the pool math calculation for my cya. The sun does burn it off fast in the midday, but we get it right back up there and it's never dropped below 13. My current cya is 43, so I have to stay at 17. Would it make sense to stop swimming for a few days and just raise the free chlorine really high and kill the algae for good instead of messing around or do I need to just check more frequently and keep it from dropping at all? Thanks for your help!
 
Ok, we scrubbed the heck out of the stairs and the slopes to the deep end. Did have chlorine loss overnight and the water is the cloudiest I've ever seen in our pool. I'm hoping that means we stirred that algae up good. We are up to 6 tests so far today and have had to add chlorine a lot because it is super hot and sunny here. We just keep brushing and hoping crystal clear is in our future!
 
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It can take awhile, the closer you keep chlorine to the SLAM level the faster it goes, so if you can check the level every 2 hours and add chlorine it will go faster but you will use more product... Keep it up and you will be a pro in no time and your pool and family will be happy :)
 
Check your skimmer, grout lines, and if you have a cage over your pool check the screen and supports for algae. In my case, I had algae on the pool cage supports over heads. It would rain, run off the supports, and right into the pool. Took me a while to find this and eliminate it. Also found algae in our skimmer in a small crevice.
 
Update: This is day 18 of our SLAM and the attached pics are what I discovered this morning. More white dead algae but then orangey stuff that looked like a new mustard bloom. UGH! My cya has been dropping since I started with it high and have been vacuuming to waste every day and replacing with new water. I figured that would get the dead algae completely out and help me lower my cya so I don't have to use so much chlorine to keep up the SLAM. So my cya tested below 30 for 2 days so I was keeping my free chlorine around 12 according to pool math. Last night when I went to bed it was 13 and this morning it was 13 at the far end of the pool and 11 by the steps where I found the lovely orangey gunk. I also have seen a few waterboatmen which I know are bad news.
My question is: how does algae even grow at such a high free chlorine level? Seriously, we have been manually vaccuming once and brushing multiple times each day. We have cleaned all the water line grime around the pool with a magic eraser. I can't think that it would be in my connecting hoses with all the high chlorine flowing through those constantly (haven't turned my pump off either in 18 days!!!) I can vacuum it all out each morning and have been able to swim almost every day except for 2 when it was too cloudy.

Today I added some stabilizer since the level had dropped below 30. My water looks lovely and not a bit cloudy like it had been last week and I have tested 3 times so far today and added more chlorine.

All we can come up with is that maybe our liner is so old (we don't know how old, but guessing 10-15 years) that the wrinkles in the bottom are where algae likes to hide and grow a bit in between when I add more chlorine. I have noticed that my liner is bleached white when it used to be a light blue. Maybe it's time for a liner replacement?

But for this season, what if I bring my free chlorine level up to 30? The Taylor booklet that came with my test kit says algae is killed at that level. I don't think I can financially afford to keep running my pump 24/7 and adding this much daily chlorine for the rest of the summer otherwise. What do you think?IMG-2829.JPGIMG-2832.JPG
 
Do not raise your FC above SLAM level based on your CYA. It will do your liner no favors.

Folds in the liner can hold algae, etc. Clean them if at all possible.
 

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I agree, sounds like your problem is around the ladder.. can you get inside of it and clean it? take it out and get after it with pure 10% chlorine... with the ladder out of the pool do you still have lower FC level where the ladder was?
 
Thanks, good idea. We took the stairs out today and will clean them and leave them out a few days. I'll check if the free chlorine is still different by the stair area too. How about pool hoses from pool to pump and back? Should we replace those or is there so much chlorine running through we don't need to worry about it?
 
I also have a theory that we're seeing more algae blooming because our ph and total alkalinity have kept rising over this almost three weeks and are inhibiting our chlorine. We have well water so all that replacing of water when I vacuum to waste has the effect of adding more high alkalinity water to the mix. I realize the ph test may be off due to the high free chlorine, but it tested at a bright pink 8.0 and the TA was 250. Think I'm off base?
 
pH has little effect on chlorine when CYA is in the water. TA has no effect on chlorine effectiveness.
 
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