New member and pool owner needs help.

Hi All,

Recently got a new 24' round above ground pool w/ sand filter & 1hp pump. The pool gets just about full sun all day and during the summer we saw pool water temps in the 90's.

Since day 1 I have had an unholy problem keeping the levels in the pool correct. Using the 'opening' kit the pool company gave me didn't seem to make a dent in chlorine levels or pH. Many trips to the pool store have just left me more confused than ever. One salesman says, USE THIS.. the other says USE THIS, FORGET THAT. And what I am now left with is a pool that was swamp green and after weeks and weeks of shocking, algaecide, vacuuming and backflushing, is finally an ocean-y blue green. The pool is about 48" deep and at the edge I can probably see a foot down then nothing. Have the filter running all the time trying to get it clean enough to close.

I am annoyed and tired of trying to get this pool clean. Short of draining the whole thing I am at a loss of what to do next. And calling a pool company is becoming a more and more likely (but unwanted) option.

Over the winter I plan on replacing this sand filter with a DE filter as I have heard they are the best at filtering problems like algae out and being my pool is in full sun algae will always be a problem.

Please any suggestions/guidance you can give will be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Jon

Hmm-m-nh. As we say here, you've been "poolstored"! Not a fun way to start off as a pool owner.

OK. Some misconceptions:

#1 - You do not have to have problems with algae -- most pools are in full sun, and hardly anyone who's a regular here has frequent problems with algae.

Speaking for myself, in 25 years of maintaining very large (>100,000 gallons) commercial pools, I've had a pool turn green on me, during the swim season just twice. Both cases were related to circulation problems. I have had some problems with mustard algae, but not to the point of affecting pool function or use. And, a home pool is not subject to the treatment limitations that restrict me.

#2 - If you stay away from pool stores, until you learn to ignore most of their treatment advice, pool chemistry is not terribly difficult or complex. Most experienced 'BBB method' pool owners spend less than an hour a week testing and treating their pool, and less than $60/month treating a pool the size of yours.

The 'BBB method' is all about learning what matters, and what doesn't and using only the chemicals you really need, and nothing more. In your case -- though there are other alternatives -- you need a LOT of plain 6% household bleach from Walmart and a cheap OTO/phenol red drops based test kit from Walmart. Once you get the kit, and can tell us what your levels are, you'll need either some plain 20 Mule Team borax from Walmart (if your pH is low) or some dry acid (pH Minus, etc.) from Walmart or your pool store (if your pH is high).

Then, you'll need a good testkit, and once we have the results from that, you *may* need some stabilizer, or you may not.

Regarding your filter, it's common for sand filters on above ground pools to be too small, and to be matched with pumps that are two big. You can operate a pool that with, but it makes algae cleanup difficult. So, when you send in the test results, it would be good if you can also send in the make and model numbers of both your pump and filter.

So . . . do this:

#1 - Go buy 25 gallons of plain 6% household bleach. Your pool is about 12,000 gallons, so that is about 125 ppm total chlorine.
#2 - Buy 1 gallon of DISTILLED (not: bottled, spring, crystal . . .or anything other than distilled) water from Walmart
#3 - Buy your OTO/phenol red kit and order a Taylor K2006 kit* (Amazon link below)
#4 - We don't know what your pool's stabilizer level is, so add chlorine in the EVENING. Add 5 gallons of bleach at a time.
#5 - The next morning test your chlorine: if the OTO is not orange, add 2 more gallons.
#6 - Also, test the pH, before adding bleach. If the OTO is yellow, simply test the pool water. If the OTO is orange, mix the pool water 50:50 with distilled water, and test the pH of the mix.
#7 - Report your results here. But the pH needs to be between 7 and 8. if it's close to 8, buy some dry acid and add 1 lb. If it's close to 7, buy borax and add 1/2 box.
#8 - Take a water sample to one of those pool stores, and have them test the water. IGNORE all the results EXCEPT stabilizer (CYA). Post that info here. Do NOT buy any of the stuff they recommend.
#9 - That evening, test again: if your OTO is orange, brush the pool and add 2 more gallons. If it's yellow, add 4 gallons. If it stays clear, add 6 gallons.
#10 - Repeat. If you do not see a definite color change in two days, post that info here.
#11 - As soon as you get the K2006, test your pool water -- including stabilizer -- and post that info here.

Given that you have an AG pool with a sand filter, you should allow 2 weeks to get the pool half way clear. You'll be able to kill the algae within 2 days of getting the K2006. You may be able to do it sooner, if your stabilizer level is not high. By the way, DE filters are NOT very algae-compatible: live algae can stop them up almost instantly!

Keep in mind that it is MUCH easier and cheaper to avoid algae, than to treat it. The chemical use you're going to have over the next few days is NOT typical. Clearing a bad algae infestation can consume as much chlorine as a summer of normal use.

Do NOT let the pool store sell you stuff -- almost anything they can sell you will cost $$$ *and* slow down the cleanup.

* You need a complete drops-based pool test kit, with melamine based stabilizer testing, and FAS-DPD chlorine testing. There are several available. LaMotte has one, but it's over 2x as expensive as the Taylor model.

Darnit, I just typed out a book reply and hit the wrong button to post! Gah.

Thanks for the info PoolDoc.. I will start this weekend and report back.

You'll be fine with a sand filter. It does a very good job keeping the pool clear. If you maintain your chemistry consistently, you won't have to worry about algae that needs filtering out. All of the moderators on this forum have sand filters and are perfectly satisfied with them. They are the easiest to maintain. Some of us use a little 'DE Trick' to help our sand filters. You can read more about it in the following link. Adding DE to a Sand Filter