Stumped and it's a Saturday night with no pool stores open

[hlthcr2000]

OK, I just joined two minutes ago and am obviously doing everything wrong, like trusting the pool stores. The contractor who refinished our pool has given me advice that isn't always right, too and I don't know what to do now.

Pool is concrete, plaster replaced two years ago, and size is maybe 15,000 gallons. Color is dark grey, in full sun. Mid-Atlantic States location.. DTE filter, no heater.

Two years ago, I had our plaster replaced on a concrete pool. Last summer I ripped my shoulder brushing scale 2 X a day and finally loaded up with a Jack's magic cure and fixed it at the end of the season. As part of that mess, I drained half the pool and a week later the Ca was back where it started (700s). In retrospect, I think I had it too acid (at contractor's recommendation) for too long and just dissolved the plaster. resulting in high Ca.

This year, I was hoping for a worry-free summer. Instead I am battling green algae for the past month or more. No pool is worth surgery
Now, I have high cyanuric acid (90) and high calcium (510).
Phosphates is 300
Both free and available Cl were 0 yesterday when tested at Leslie's.

I was told to continue to use stabilized pucks in the floating dispenser and shock with 1 gallon of liquid Cl since both Ca and CYA are high. That is only abut 13% so I can't see how that is sufficient. I added a gallon, tested with reagents 1 and 2 (don't have a better kit) and it still showed zero Cl so I added another gallon and later a third gallon. So far since 9 am I have added 3 gal Cl. Also, a couple of cups of algaecide.
I have back washed 3 times today - every time pressure reaches 20.

Question for a Saturday night when no one is open, what now? Add more liquid CL? Leslie's said I didn't have chlorine lock with the test results they showed but earlier in the week, the hardware store's HTH pod tester said CYA was so high I should drain half the water to dilute.
Thoughts? Thanks.

 

[tim5055]

First, Welcome to TFP!!

My first suggestion is to stop going to the pool store. Their only response it to sell you something.

Secons, no more algecide! Algecide is a preventative product. It does nothing (or very little for active algae, read teh small print on the back of the bottle).

There is no such thing as chlorine lock!! It is a made up term that pool stores use when they sold you too much stabilized chlorine (3" tabs and Dichlor shock) and your chlorine is over stabilized.

So, where do we go from here? I will tell you, it didn't turn green overnight and it will take time to clear. But, we can teach you how to get it sparkling and keep it that way for a lot less money than the pool store.

Not much credence is given to pool store testing around here. While you would think that a "professional" would be the best, unfortunately in most cases it is quite the opposite. Between employees who blindly trust the word of chemical sales representatives and high school kids working in the pool store for the summer you end up with poor results from their testing. But, what can you do?? We base our pool care system on accurate testing and only adding what the pool needs, when it needs it. To do that you need your own accurate test kit. Order a TF100 and at least include the XL option. That will give you what you need while you are clearing the pool, and probably enough reagents for a couple of years normal use.

While you wait for it to get delivered, you have a homework reading assignment. Start with ABCs of Water Chemistry and Turning Your Green Swamp Back into a Sparkling Oasis

 

[chiefwej]

And as for the pool, you are probably facing a partial drain and refill at the very least and many gallons of bleach or liquid chlorine. If you want to keep it from getting worse, I would add a couple gallons of plain unscented bleach each day until the test kit arrives. Make sure it is full strength at least 8.25%. This may be a waste of time and $$, if you end up having to drain it.

 

[Demegrad9]

Sorry for your situation.

How did Calcium Hardness get so high so quickly? Have you tested the hardness in your water source? I wouldn't think Chadds Ford, PA would have extremely hard water, but maybe. Have you been using any shock product that contain calcium?

CYA of 90ppm is manageable when you water is clear because you simply have to maintain FC level of roughly 10-12ppm. But if you've already got algae, it's not recommended to SLAM with CYA that high. So it looks like you're in line for further drain and filling to get CYA down to about 40ppm. From there you can clear up this pool with a proper SLAM.

 

[aussieta]

and rip that floater out of there asap

 

[jeffchap]

Ignore everything right now but CYA and FC. Get some chlorine in there pronto. Use pool math to determine how much, and use only unscented, non-splashless plain chlorine bleach. You can get it from the laundry aisle in any big box store.



Target at least 36 ppm. That's going to take a lot of bleach because your CYA is so high. If you can do a partial drain and refill to lower it to 30 ppm, you will require much less bleach.



Maintain FC at that level and then read our Pool School articles regarding performing a SLAM. That's what its going to take to clear up your pool,and you will also need to purchase one of recommended test kits, either the TF-100 or K-2006, to perform it properly (el cheapo OTO test kits only measure FC up to 5 ppm, and test strips are totally unreliable and therefore worthless).



Do not use any more solid forms of chlorine, either powder or tablets, as they will only drive your CYA level even higher.