Algae, vacuum to waste,..etc

[chuck9997]

This subject has been discussed many times here.. I think I have read every post. I wanted some fresh thoughts.. (thanx for your help).

Perfect water for 5 years in a row.. using the methods (bleach,..etc) and test kits recommended here. Then this summer.. stuff in the bottom.. settling into the little liner crevaces of my 24ft AG pool. Not granular.. when you touch it.. it clouds up and goes to nothing in the water. It is dark in color. I went through all the speculation that it was dirt, dust, pollen,.. etc etc. Most recently thought it was sand.

I will save you all from reading my long(er) reasoning.. but I now don't think it's sand.. I am pretty sure it is algae. (dead or alive)

I am going to go back to the basics.. and shock the pool.. to 15-20ppm (my cya is 40).. maintain this for several days.

My questions are:
Will this dissapear with proper shocking and pump running continuosly?
Must I vac to waste? (did that once..it comes back.. and takes a bunch of water)
Will the algae (dead,..if I kill it).. get filtered out eventually?

Thanks for any response.. This year I have gone through many emotions with the pool. Hate, disgust,.. nerve racking.. Guess I am paying for those 5 years of easy. But really,.. it shouldn't be this way.. should it?

[JohnT]

Vacuuming to waste is primarily for when there is so much stuff in the water you'd constantly need to stop to clean the filter.

[Sprocket]

Here's a thought . My area of the country is very dry atm . So the sparrows are busy using my pool for a bird bath :( . Around the outside on the bottom of the pool were the solar blanket meets the sides and the top rail is alot of bird poop .

I mean alot , they really love this 24 ft birdbath .

I did take the solar cover off over the weekend and 3/4 went to live somewere else , were they could get a drink and bath .

===

Donno if you problem is algae but it sure don't sound like the green stuff I used to get .

Does the cord on the temp meter get a slight green color ? Bet not , the sand dimples you talk about should have "hard" spots of green etc . Plus my stairs would get that "green" were they were screwed together etc .

gl
sprocket

[shadowman]

Sounds exactly like what I was experiencing earlier this summer with mustard algae. I didn't get rid of it until I shocked to 25-30 PPM (cya = 80) and held it there for over 24 hrs with the pump on around the clock. I definitely vacuumed to waste since the sand filter wouldn't catch it. I followed that with PolyQuat 60 and I have had pristine water ever since.

Good luck!

[chuck9997]

Sounds exactly like what I was experiencing earlier this summer with mustard algae. I didn't get rid of it until I shocked to 25-30 PPM (cya = 80) and held it there for over 24 hrs with the pump on around the clock. I definitely vacuumed to waste since the sand filter wouldn't catch it. I followed that with PolyQuat 60 and I have had pristine water ever since.

Good luck!

Thats what I am trying.. My CL level was at 5ppm,.. so I put in 12 quarts (4 - 3 qt bottles) of 6% bleach.. a little while ago (just as the sun cleared the pool).. Now running the pump 24hrs. I'll check the CL level in a few hours.. and in the morning.

[chuck9997]

I might have a problem.. I will not be here tomorrow.. for 12 hours.. Should I toss in extra bleach in the morning.. to make sure the CL level doesn't fall too far before I get home?

[chuck9997]

I checked the CL this morning = 18 .. I put 3 qts of 6% in.. just to bump it before the sun came up.

My wife checked about noon.. it was 14 (if she did it right).. I had her put in 3 qts.. Guess the sun is really burning up the CL during daylight.

I will prob not be able to check again.. until about 7pm.. i expect it will drop some.. will this mess up my treatment?

[mbar]

No, you should be fine. Just make sure you put it in when you get home - no stopping to eat, no stopping to say hi to the family :D Just kidding. You should be fine - as long as there is chlorine in it now you are right on track. Just put it in when you get home, taking it back to shock whenever you can is the ticket - it won't get messed up waiting a little while. You just don't want the chlorine going down to 0. Have a good night:)

[chuck9997]

I don't want to say too much too early.. and jinx the end result.. However.. tonight (Sat) my pool water is the clearest I have seen it this summer. I am letting the CL get back to a normal range.. (after 3 days and nights of shocking) and I'll get in and vac to waste Sunday.

The weird stuff in the bottom.. is there (haven't vacuumed since the shock).. but it doesn't seem like it looked as yucky as before.. and it didnt seem to multiply as days went by. I think its all dead.

I am thinking (hoping).. after a vacuum to waste.. the substance in the bottom (mentioned in the first post).. will be history.

Even with the water just looking so crystal clear.. I, again,.. realize I need to get back to basics.. test at least 3 or 4 times a week.. and keep my CL around 6. Starting to like my pool again.. Can't wait to get in tomorrow and vacuum.. It will look so great!

Thanks.

[mbar]

Yep, taking a couple of minutes a day will keep your pool clean and clear:) The stuff on the bottom of the pool is dead algae:D, it should vacuum up easily.

[MaryAnnB_AL]

I am having exactly the same problems. We have experienced extremely high temps and dry weather here in the south. On top of that last week our pump motor went out. We were already fighting a minor algae problem. Then going a couple of days without a pump put it over the edge I guess. We have shocked, vacuumed ...2 days later it's back. Yesterday we vacuumed and added 60% algacide. This morning it's back again. I've maintained a clear pool for about 5 years and I am totally frustrated.
Any suggestions as what to do next?

[mbar]

What are your chemistry numbers? If you don't get the chlorine up high enough for your cya, and hold it there till the chlorine holds overnight, then the algae isn't getting completelty cleared - so as soon as the chlorine isn't high enough to keep killing it - it starts to multiply again - and you have "visable" algae. Post your numbers and we can help you clear it up completly.