New 12 x 24 AG pool with algae [Archive]

Bladex

07-12-2013, 05:46 PM

Hello im new here just like to say hello .i recently just bought a 12x24 x52 inch pool and now having a slight green and cloudiness with it ,not sure why . I had a 24 ft round x52 inch pool and no problems at all with it . So i guess my question is why , all my lvls are where they should be at any ideas ? Thanks for all the help

PoolDoc

07-12-2013, 07:00 PM

now having a slight green and cloudiness with it ,not sure why

Why do you have algae? Simple: you didn't maintain adequate chlorine levels. Read the Best Guess page, linked in my signature block, for an explanation of what "adequate levels" are, why, and how.

all my lvls are where they should be

Probably not. Way more than 50% of the time, when people tell us this, they are badly mistaken.

+ If you don't have a K2006 (or K2005 or HTH 6-way), you do NOT know what your CYA (stabilizer) levels are. Strip testing for CYA is horrendously erratic.

+ If you have CYA > 50 ppm, and do NOT have a K2006, you cannot measure the chlorine levels you need.

+ If you have CYA < 50 ppm, and have not been checking and adjusting your chlorine levels daily, they probably got too low.

+ Meanwhile, let's assume you have about 8,000 gallons (12 x 24 x 3.75 x 7.48gal/cft). That gives you a PF of 15. One gallon of PLAIN 8.25% bleach (Walmart, etc) has about 0.7 lbs of chlorine gas equiv, so a gallon will add 15 x 0.7 or about 10 ppm of chlorine to your pool. Add one full gallon this evening.

+ Purchase a cheap local OTO / phenol red test kit (yellow / red drops) and begin testing. Make your chlorine gets pushed up into the DARK yellow range each evening. Test your pH when the chlorine is lower (just before adding the evening dose of bleach), then make sure it stays between 7 and 8. Maintain the dark yellow for at least one week after all algae and slippery side walls are gone.

+ Order a K2006, so you can test your CYA level AND maintain adequate chlorine levels, per the BG chart.

Good luck!