Help!!! Pool is green. Bad!!!

[ganny76]

I have algae out a wazoo!! Free Chlorine is 5.5 ppm, CC is .5, PH is 8.0, ALK is 70ppm, Cal is 80ppm, and CYA is 58 ppm. What should i do?

[ganny76]

Went ahead and dropped 6 gallons of bleach in and swept it like crazy.

[jwhouse]

You need to get your chlorine levels up and keep them up until the pool clears. With a CYA of nearly 60, your chlorine levels need to be between 15 and 20 ppm. Give the chlorine a chance to work and then brush it real good.
This is really a basic overveiw of what should be done till someone with a better knowledge of what shoud be done can address your post. Just remember, as PoolDoc says, if you're not winning the battle with algae, you're losing. There is no middle ground so be sure to keep your chlorine levels high until ALL the algae is dead.
Good luck!

[ganny76]

Tested water this morning and chlorine was running 12.5. Went ahead and added another 6 gallons of bleach this morning. Supposed ti br rainy all day with no sunshine.

[jwhouse]

Stay on top of it. You may have to check it a couple or more times a day and add more bleach to ensure the chlorine levels don't drop. 12-13 is still too low with your CYA level so every time you let it drop below 15, you're going to be playing catch up and all the bleach you've used will have been wasted.
You will also want to test each day just after the sun is off the pool completely and then again in the morning just before the sun hits it to check your overnight CL loss. Ultimately, you want your loss to be .5 or less.

[ganny76]

Should i go ahead and add some more stabilizer also? I know i need to bring my ph down also. Do you know how much acid to add?

[jwhouse]

Don't add any stabilizer.

Read this thread on using muratic acid to lower your PH: http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?13111-Using-Muriatic-Acid-to-Safely-Lower-Your-Pool-s-pH&highlight=lower+ph

Lower your PH, keep chlorinating to get rid of the algae then worry about all the rest.

Also, what type of pool do you have? Is it gunnite, fiberglass or vinyl and how are you testing your water? Do you have a K-2006?

[ganny76]

Its a vinyl pool. I am using the k-2006. Read the link. I will add 1/4 gallon of acid, wait an hour and recheck. Thanks so much.

[aylad]

keep in mind that your pH will read falsely high when your chlorine levels are at shock level, so get it in range of 7.0 - 7.8, but don't lower it too much until the shocking process is over so you know for sure that you're adjusting based on true numbers. Otherwise, jwhouse has you on the right track :)

[ganny76]

Algae is starting to die and clear up. Checked the chlorine level today and it was 41. Yikes. Didnt add any bleach today. Just swept real good.

[PoolDoc]

If you would, complete the Pool Chart, and I'll put the data in your signature, after checking the volume calculations:

Pool Chart Entry Form (http://goo.gl/cNPUO)

Sounds like you're doing well, though.