Odor in Pool after Algae Treatment

[TerGerKub]

I've been having algae form on the walls regulary over the past couple of weeks. Went to the pool store and bought an Algecide Concentrate - dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride (I now know that was a BIG mistake after reading this forum).

Started by adding 2 lbs of HTH shock and swim; one hour later added about 14 oz of the algaecide (recommeneded initial dosage of 5.2 oz / 10,000 gallons). This was the process recommended by the pool store. Water cleared up over the next 24 hours. 2 days later went for a swin and noticed a strong 'chlorine' like smell - sort of like choramines. Talked to the pool store and they recommended shocking again. Added 1.5 lbs of zappit last night. Current water tested tonight as follows:

SWG ~24,000 gallons in ground GUNITE / diamond brite plaster
FC 5 pmm Hardness 280 ppm
TC 5 ppm Alkalinity 135 pm
CC 0 ppm Cyanuric Acid 100 ppm
pH 7.4 Salt 3100 ppm

Still have a strong odor and can't help but think its from the algaecide as I never had this problem before nor ever used this product before. Does anyone have a theory on the cause of the smell? is the pool safe to swim? and anything i can do to get rid of the ordor? (I am considering partial draining and refilling over the next couple of days)

[PoolDoc]

Yeah, when you combine chlorine with other things, like cheap algaecides, it stinks.

Also, you need to avoid HTH products; they've gone over to the Dark Side, and sell blended goop after the manner of BioGuard/AquaChem/PoolTime. Unless you really read your labels carefully, and know your ingredients, you'll end up with a mess.

Just use bleach to clean up. But with a CYA level = 100 ppm, you REALLY need to read the Best Guess page, linked in my signature!

[TerGerKub]

Thanks. In regards to using bleach - are you referring to shocking or maintaining chlorine levels? I have also began to drain / dilute with fresh water to work the CYA down to a more resonable level. Thanks for your help.

[PoolDoc]

Thanks. In regards to using bleach - are you referring to shocking or maintaining chlorine levels?

That's sort of a 'distinction without a difference' - the pool biz likes to treat them separately, so they can sell you BOTH "chlorinator" and "shock", often with the same ingredient in each.

We use "shocking" here to refer to raising the chlorine levels higher than 'normal'.

[CarlD]

Think of "shock" as a verb, an action, not "stuff". That way you'll always know what you are doing.
I shock almost exclusively with Liquid Chlorine (Same as bleach only twice as concentrate). I currently don't have ANY Cal-Hypo or Di-chlor in the house, and only a tiny bit of 1" Tri-chlor tabs.

I went into my favorite pool store yesterday (the one where they actually do NOT sell calcium boosters to vinyl pool owners) and asked for CYA. Kid didn't know what I wanted. "Cyanuric Acid. You know, Stabilizer". "What do you need it for?" he asked. I said "Are you kidding me? I know EXACTLY what I need it for." Then he went into a song'n'dance about how people use too much (true) and how I shouldn't buy more than one lb. I said "Look, I know how to use this stuff and even how to run a high chlorine pool." Pretty funny.

Carl