Green Water

[MaxxFusion]

While I was away this weekend my water turned green. I was only away for a couple days but my water is completley green.

So anyway where do I start? What chemicals can I use to kill the alge and get the water clear again.

I have a 24' AG pool and dumped 2 gallons of bleach in to start.

Thanks,
Frank

[Watermom]

Post some current water testing results from a drops based kit and somebody here can help you clear it up.

[MaxxFusion]

Any paticular number that are more important than others? Obviously the Chorline level will be very high?

Should I leave my filter on overnight?

[Watermom]

Yes to running the pump 24/7 while you are clearing the pool. We really need a complete set of results - especially chlorine, ph and cya levels.

[MaxxFusion]

CL is too high to register
PH is about 7.8 or a touch lower
CYA is 30

[aylad]

Run your chlorine up to 15 ppm, hold it there by testing and adding bleach 2-3 times daily, keep your pump running while doing this, backwashing as necessary. You also need to be brushing daily. Keep this up until the water goes to cloudy blue, then let your Cl level drift back down and keep your filter running to clear out the dead algae.

Janet

[MaxxFusion]

Thank You. This morning my water is a translucent green and the Cl was pretty high. I dont know how to tell if its 15ppm or not I just know that its high. Probaly right around there.

I will brush and clean my cartridge when I get home today.

[aylad]

You need to get a drop-based test kit and test your water....."probably right around there" won't clear up your pool.

Janet

[Watermom]

Jan is right, you need a good test kit. Most of us use the kit that Ben sells at the sister site to this forum at www.poolsolutions.com. In the meantime, you can get higher readings with your kit by diluting your sample. Mix one part pool water and one part distilled water, test as usual and then multiply the result by 2. If you need to go higher, one part pool water and two parts distilled and multiply results by 3, etc.

[MaxxFusion]

You need to get a drop-based test kit and test your water....."probably right around there" won't clear up your pool.

Janet

I do have a drop based kit that will allow me to do a multiple of test. The CL reading will only go up to 5ppm though.

I came home today and the water is cloudy and tested the CL It was on the low side at about 1ppm so I added more bleach. i still need to clean the walls.

[mbar]

Here is a way you can test higher than 5. Just be sure to test often, and add chlorine back to shock level each time - the more consistant you are the faster the pool will clear.

Here's the Jen-You-Whine CarlD Shot Glass Method!;)

1) Get a shot glass (like you use to mix drinks).
2) Get a gallon of steam distilled water--most mass-market drug chains stock it, and many supermarkets.
3) Mix one shot glass full of pool water with one shot glass full of the distilled in a clean container (like a Pyrex measuring cup).
4) Fill your test cell to the line with the mixture. Add your drops and take the reading.
5) Whatever you read, double it. If it says "3ppm", you have 6ppm. If it reads "5ppm", you have 10ppm.
6) If it's STILL seems like the chorine's too high to read, go to step seven....
7) Mix 1 shot of pool water with TWO shots of distilled water, and re-run the test using that.
8) Now TRIPLE your reading--if it reads "3", it's 9. If it reads "5", it's 15ppm.
9) Going beyond two shots of distilled to 1 shot of pool water is possible (3 shots, quadruple your reading) but you lose accuracy fast. Still if it's the best way of reading chlorine, then you have to do it.

CAVEAT: ONLY use this method to measure chlorine levels. Do not use it for the other tests you run, and do not use it with the FAS-DPD powder test--that goes to 50 to 100ppm of Free Chlorine anyway.

There you have it!

[MaxxFusion]

mbar,

Thanks for the breakdown.