Chem log, to see....

[RedwingT]

Charlie I have been dealing with basically the same thing when it comes to the algae for about the last month. I've succumbed to keeping it covered unless we are going to be using it and chl at 30 for the last week. I vacuum out the algae before use and with the chl levels that high I seem to be keeping it at a minimal. It's not a huge problem, nor has it ever been this summer, but it is there in some of the wrinkles and a bottom seam. No slime at all either. Someday's I think it's just dirt and I'm going mad! lol But it has to be algae because when it's disturbed it disappears. Not to mention the brown filter I just changed a few days ago. Those Unicel filters sure do a whole lot better job then the Intex ones! Next year I am getting a bigger filter/pump that's all there is too it. I'm also going to invest in a solar cover so come this time next year the water isn't so cold you don't want to go in it!

Good luck and congratulations on the promotion. :)

[Charlie_R]

Thank you.

One of the problems we have with these Intex pools, is the flaps at the seams. When I take ours down this fall, I am seriously considering cutting the flaps as close to the heat welded seams as possible. Maybe this will discourage algae from hiding where we have trouble getting to it.

I ordered the 2500gph from Amazon this morning. As noted in my last post, the 1000gph leaves much to be desired.

since I've been battling this algae, I've been brushing the pool twice a day, and that seems to be helping. Keeps the water stirred up for a short while, and maybe brings more of the algae into contact with higher concentrations of chlorine.

[Charlie_R]

New pump arrived today. Installed it this afternoon. What a HUGE difference! Instead of a lethargic circulation from the original pump, I now see water moving all the way around the pool. Now to buy the Unicel carts for this new pump.

Oh I guess I'll need another update on my pool chart... to Intex 633EG pump and filter unit.

[RedwingT]

I think I need to look around Ebay and Amazon to find one. Does the one you bought have a timer on it? I ask because I came across one labeled as a 633T but in the product description it is model #56633EG. I was just wondering if the "T" stands for the timer? It say's 2500 GPH, not sure if its the same one as you have.

Pretty great price too! (I love free shipping!)
I run my pump (637R) now 24/7 and still have probs. I can only imagine the algae bloom if I didn't!

*After reading more I see I would need the conversion kit-Did you order that also or did you use the DIY method? How difficult was it to convert? I seen some used PVC pipe and had no problems as apposed to using the adapters with leaking and loosing suction. I know nothing about plumbing, so I am at a loss! lol *

Those Unicel filters are by far superior to the Intex ones. You will notice a difference the first time you use them.

[Charlie_R]

Here's the one I ordered: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005QIYMNM/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00 As far as I can tell, the T would be for Timer, yes. The EG seems to mean Electronic timer, with GFCI.

It came with new bulkhead fittings, valves and hoses, and suction/return screens. Good deal for the money!

All that is required for you to use the larger fittings is remove the smaller ones that the 637R needs, and CAREFULLY cut the hole larger to fit the new fittings.

We did ours without a partial drain, by using a large plastic bowl held to the side of the pool while removing the old. Then covered the hole from the outside after enlargement long enough to get the inside portion of the new fitting to the hole. Then the bowl back over the hole, and tighten the ring nut to the fitting, with the valve in place on it. Didn't lose more than a few gallons of water this way.

Yes, I'll be buying the Unicel carts next payday. These Intex branded ones, you can almost see through the filter material, it's that thin. Lets a lot of fine material blow through.

One of the things I really like about the 633 is it's a pressure feed to the filter, instead of a suction through the filter. If I can find a good spot on my filter canister, I'd like to add a pressure gauge, maybe two. One before the filter, and one after. Call it a differential gauge set-up. There actually are gauges made for this purpose, but would require a bit of small tube plumbing, and those gauges get rather expensive.

Agreed on the algae thing. After only one day with the new pump, the much superior water flow had helped kill the algae I do have. Swept the pool several times today, and each time less of the brown crud settled back out. With the smaller pump, it seemed like the brown crud increased.

I don't think you will regret buying the larger unit.

[RedwingT]

Thanks for the info! I love the bowl idea, very clever!

I haven't decided if I'm going to order now or wait until next year. I'm kind of afraid if I don't order now the price will be back up beginning of season thou.

I don't know that I have the confidence to be cutting the holes bigger. I'm going to think about it for a few more days before making my decision. I know it's necessary if I want better flow/circulation as I'm confident that is why I can not totally get rid of this algae. I'm also taking the pool down Labor Day Wknd so would only be using the new pump for a week or so. Not sure that justifies ordering now.

I'm assuming the skimmer that came with your pool isn't adaptable to the new pump fittings? I love the skimmer and use it daily since all of a sudden out of no where we are having a Flying Ant invasion! Started a week ago and it happens almost exactly the same time every day. They land in the water faster than I can hand skim them out, VERY Strange! Every cpl of days I clean out my filter and put it back in. You wouldn't believe the amt. of ants that are in there. The first time I changed the filter out and left the dirty one sitting outside, the next day I went to throw the filter away and as the ants were beginning to dry out they began to fly away. That was even after I poured bleach thru the skimmer the night before I pulled it to help with the algae problem.

I'm not even using my SWCG since I drained, moved and refilled the pool. I just finally got the water balanced in the last cpl of wks and just couldn't justify dumping 120lbs of salt in for maybe 4 weeks of swimming. Those bags are heavy and kill my back, hands and wrists which are already messed up from redoing this pool the second time. Like once wasn't enough! I wish my body was still as young as my brain thinks it is. lol

Ok now I'm just rambling! Thanks again for the info and I'm glad the conversion went well for you & good luck I hope this is the answer to your algae problem.

[Charlie_R]

I think it would be a good idea to order the pump now, and have it on hand for next year. When you set it up again, you can do the conversion before filling.

The bulkhead fittings have two sets of threads inside the pool, so all the inside things will still work with them.

[Charlie_R]

Ok, this is getting annoying. Since I am having a constantly recurring loss of cl overnight, I took it to 35ppm last night. First test this morning showed 25.5ppm, for a loss of almost 10ppm. This is ridiculous. So I am going to try 50+ppm, and risk a bit of liner fading.

It is important to me that I learn to get it right, because this may be the only time I drain for overwinter.

As noted in previous posts, The liner will be cleaned up of as many flaps of extra liner as I can safely do, giving algae less of a place to hide. Those flaps along each seam are difficult to clean out, and keep clean. And may be the source of the recurring problem.

Anyone have any thoughts/feedback?

[Charlie_R]

Ok, I've got the FC up to 50, and I actually have measurable CC of 1, along with a chlorine smell to the water. It would appear that anything less is just holding it down to an "it's still here" level. We'll see how much I lose overnight.

[aylad]

If you smell it, then it's working on something! :) Might want to check it again before you go to bed, because if you're smelling it, then you've already lost some to CC.....

[Charlie_R]

Just came back in from my morning check. Even with the cover on, I could smell the chloramines. Some people say that chloramines smell just like bleach from the bottle, I think they need to do a comparison smell test. That would open their eyes, quite literally! The two don't smell anything alike, at least to me.

Anyway, on to the results:

FC=47, so dropped 3 overnight. The results posted last night were the final, about an hour after I dosed and covered the pool.
CC=1, so combined with the odor, means I'm hopefully getting a handle on this, finally!
No need to do a pH test, wouldn't be accurate anyway, with the chl level.

[Charlie_R]

I guess I'm going to have to take it to +shock+ levels. Still losing 3 - 6 ppm overnight. Either that or use some other algacide.

This stuff just won't go away!

[RedwingT]

I've been keeping cl in the 30+ppm range for about a wk. According to the Best Guess Chart with a CYA reading of 40. I give up on getting rid of it totally. I'm taking down the pool in 10 days and will just keep my cl at 30+ until I drain. When it's time to drain I plan on draining halfway maybe a bit more and adding an algacide, letting it sit for 24 hrs. to make sure anything still growing is dead. Finish my drain, scrub, dry and pack.

Strange thing: Since I started using this solar cover my cl has increased by 1ppm daily. I haven't added anything since Tuesday! My CC is still at 0.
No increase in the algae either. The whole situation has left me shaking my head.

[Charlie_R]

RedwingT,

Sounds like a plan. Wife wants the pool kept open for a few weeks into September. Her sister will be in town, and we will still have swimming weather at least until then.

So I'll at least keep the algae to a manageable level, until S-I-L is gone.

To all Mods -- Thank you so much for being here with common sense advice for this pool noob. I really don't know what I would have done without everything you guys do to help people like me. I've learned so much here! I am now absolutely certain that next year will be so much better. Your advice about the K-2006, and Unicel carts is RIGHT ON THE MONEY! Keep pushing those items! (Now if I could change my siggy to show that I have the K-2006, and the 633EG pump, and Unicel C-5315 cart.)

Re: Unicel Carts:

Vacuuming through the filter with the Intex, blows a lot of the fines back into the pool. No so with the Unicel! Definitely worth the extra cash for them. One note though -- Intex has apparently changed the end hole sizes on the B carts to match the A & C carts. Makes it a pain to install the Unicel carts, as the end holes are 1/16" smaller than the Intex. However, once installed, you KNOW there isn't any leakage around the stubs in the case and lid.

With the change from the 637R to the 633EG, comes a better system. The 637 is a suction filtration set-up, meaning the water goes through the filter before the pump, while the 633 is more like industry standard of pump through, so you get a pressure feed to the filter.

[Watermom]

I'll add your requested changes to our "to do" list for you.

[Charlie_R]

Finally. Measurable CC level. Could it be the first round took care of the more noticeable green algae, and left what would appear to be mustard algae to take over? I've had to bring FC up to above 70 before I could get any apparent action.

This morning, first test FC 48, CC 0. Dosed with 1/3g 6%. Second test 1.5h later, FC 52, CC 0. Dosed with another 1/3g 6%. Third test 2h later, FC 64, CC 2. Dosed with another 1/3g.

It could be either the WM bleach has been sitting in the warehouse too long, or it is being eaten up at a rather high rate. I would have expected a lot higher FC with these doses. However, I now have a very strong CC odor around the pool. As noted earlier, NOT the same odor as a newly opened bottle of bleach, even given the highly concentrated vapors from the bottle.

I just hope the FC can return to normal before mid Sept, when S-I-L arrives.

[Charlie_R]

Either I'm not testing right, or I have one heck of a chlorine demand. Just tested, right before vacuuming, results showed FC 48. Another 1/2g of bleach added after retesting to confirm the results.At this rate, I'll have gone through 6 g just this weekend. Oh well, bleach is cheap compared to what a pool store would be doing to me!

If I could, I'd drain it and try again next year, but not my decision.

[Charlie_R]

Another pair of anomalies noted. My TA has been dropping, is now down to ~70, and I'm seeing a lot of small air bubbles coating every wet surface. Are these normal for running close to +shock+ levels? Or are these a byproduct of the algae being killed?

[Charlie_R]

Ok, another huge drop overnight. FC went from 75 down to 62 this morning. So I guess I must be doing something.....

[Charlie_R]

Ok, got word from S-I-L that she's not going to have time to play in the pool, and others from her family aren't going to be making the trip for the family gathering. So I now can go ahead and drain the pool.

I'm going to let the FC level drop below 35, before actually draining.

I'll take the water down to 3"-4", heavily dose the remainder with bleach, then scrub the heck out of it. Also will be trimming the algae hiding excess flaps of liner seams from the inside of the pool. I do have a question, since I am taking the pool down, should/could I use a copper based algaecide in the clean-up?

[Charlie_R]

Oops?

Draining the pool has again been postponed.

Did a full set of tests today, since we'e had ~6.5" of rain in the last week ( Isaac, etc ).

FC is finally back down to 10, and no, I didn't kill the mustard algae. Had the FC up to 90 for a week, and still lost too much overnight, with no real effect on the crud in the pool.

CC as always remained at 0.0

TA has taken a nosedive, is what I think would be too low at 40.

pH appears to be hovering around 7.2, also a bit low.

CH has dropped to ~120.

CYA has been diluted from ~90 - 100 to ~70.

I have been given permission to try building a wood fired heater this weekend, as a test for how much heat bundles of newspaper and wood will add to the water. From the looks of these tests, I'd say I need to bring TA and pH up a bit before attaching the heater to the pool, since it will be made primarily of copper tubing.

As to the algae, I'll just keep it vacuumed up off the bottom of the pool for now, until we do actually close the pool, then will to the thorough cleaning.

The question still remains on the use of algaecide when I clean the liner. 3 - 4" of water + 1/2g bleach + 1/2 gal algaecide. Does this sound right?