Filter and Bleach

Hello, I'm currently trying to get rid of an algae problem in my 24ft above ground vinyl pool with a cartridge filter system. We had a leak in the pool and the cover was taken off during the fall. The cover was left off all winter and has been filled a couple of times. We find the leak about three weeks ago, but obviously, since the cover has been off all winter and fall, we have an algoe problem. My question is, during the process of adding bleach to the pool, should I have my cartridge filter in or should I just run the water through the pump and filter without the cartridge? Also, when adding the bleach, should I pour it through the skimmer or pour it into the water? I'm sure I'll have more questions since this is my first time dealing with my pool this way, so any help will be appreciated!

Hello, and welcome to the forum!!

The bleach that you're going to add will kill the algae, but the filter is what will actually remove it from the water. So...leave the filter in, but be aware that as the algae is caught in the filter, the pressure is going to rise, probably pretty frequently, so you'll have to keep an eye on your pressure and clean off the cartridges as the pressure rises 6-8 psi. Many people find it helpful to have a spare cart, so you can replace it and clean the one that was removed.

When you add the bleach, you can add it to the skimmer ( pump running, of course!) or to the water, either one. I prefer to add it straight to the water, so that it spends as much time as possible working on "junk" in my water and not what's on the filter already, but that's up to you. Make sure that if you add it straight to the water, that you stir the water around well so that concentrated areas of bleach don't come in contact with your liner. When I add bleach to my pool I generally add it into the return stream, because that will also help dissipate the bleach fairly quickly.

You'll need to keep the pump and filter running as much as possible--24/7 is optimal--but watch the filter pressure so that you can keep those carts cleaned off. Run your chlorine up to "shock" level (have you checked your CYA level? YOu'll need to know what it is before you know what your chlorine level should be......) and keep it there by testing and adding enough bleach to get back up to that level. YOu'll need to hold that chlorine level at shock until the pool clears up and until you're not losing any chlorine overnight.

If you have questions, let us know!! :)

First off, thanks for the initial information! I have been reading this site for a while now, and was hoping to never have to ask any questions.... lol I just checked my CYA, and it's reading as if there is none at all. I'm guessing this is because of the leak I had in the liner and having to refill the pool. My chlorine level is also reading at 0 after about 6 gallons of bleach over the last 2 days. I'm really not sure on what my next step should be. Should I get my CYA level up first before adding more bleach?

You need to keep adding bleach to the pool in order to kill off the algae--if you stop now, you'll have wasted the time and bleach that you've put in over the last few days!!. In the meantime, go ahead and add some CYA (follow label directions for about a 20 ppm dose for your size pool) into an old tube sock and suspend it in front of one of your returns so it can begin dissolving. It can take a few days for it to completely dissolve, so don't bother to test for it again for at least 4 days. If you'll give the sock a squeeze occasionally, it will help dissolve it faster. Eventually you'll begin to see your chlorine demand go down--both with the killing of the algae and the presence of the CYA, but for the next few days you'll need to keep adding it frequently to continue your battle with the algae. Make sure that one of your doses is at night after the sun is off the pool--that way the chlorine will just be working on the gunk in your pool and not lost to sunlight.

Janet

Thanks for all of your help Janet. I appreciate it! When I'm adding my doses of bleach, how much should I use for each? I've been adding around 3-4 gallons per day. Should I divide that up and add 1 1/2 gallon in the morning and then another 1 1/2 at night? Sorry if some of the questions seem silly, but I want to make sure I'm doing this the right way.

Are you able to add bleach both morning and evening? If so, great! Since you don't have any CYA right now, a good shock level for you would be around 10ppm. In your pool, each quart of 6% bleach will add a little over 1ppm of chlorine. So, each time you test, add enough bleach to get the chlorine back up to around 10ppm.

What kind of test kit are you using? If you haven't already done so, order a Taylor K-2006 or 2006C from the Amazon link in either mine, Ben's or Janet's signatures.

By the way --- no question is silly. If you don't know something, the only way to find out is to ask.

I last added about 10ppm of bleach last night around 9:00 after using the tube socks to add the stabalizer a few hours earlier. There wasn't much sun today, so when I checked the chlorine level after work, it's still reading close to 10ppm. The water is still a milky blue, but hopefully, the chlorine level staying up is a good sign.

I've only had my pool for 4 years, but I've always used the Bac Pac chlorine system, shocked the water every week or so, and added algaecide weekly. Can I substitute adding the bleach as needed for the Bac Pac system?? It seems as if that would definitely save a little money doing it that way.

I have a 6 way test kit for my pool, but I will probably wind up ordering one of the Taylor kits from your Amazon signature.

I really appreciate all of the help I am receiving. It makes me feel a little more comfortable trying something different when trying to balance the pool water.

Looks like "Bac Pac" is just a high-priced trichlor cartridge used in conjunction with a Frog 'mineral' ( = copper) system.

For now, you can use bleach. BUT, you need to know what your chlorine levels are AND what your stabilizer levels are. You can get a good idea on chlorine, even high levels, with an OTO kit. But the CYA pad on test strips isn't accurate enough to provide useful information . . . so you either need a K-2006 or a K-1721 CYA only kit. I'll paste links in tonight or in the morning -- I'm still working on them.

By the way, you do NOT have to 'balance' your water in a vinyl above-ground. The only thing carbonate alkalinity does for you is help stabilize your pH. But, cyanurates and borates ALSO do that. Fix those first, and THEN, if you find your pH is unstable, you can worry about adding alkalinity. Otherwise, don't.

AND . . . you don't need calcium at all. Period. Even a little. If you have it, it's not hurting anything, but it's not helping, either.

1. Get rid of the algae, while
2. Making sure your pH is between 7 and 8, then
3. Decide on a sanitizer method: bleach, dichlor, trichlor, AND
4. Adjust your CYA and borate level accordingly.
5. Finally, do any other tweeking . . . IF it's needed.

Here you go on the kit options. None of these are likely to be available locally, but you can buy them at various places online, besides Amazon which is were the links below go.

Complete K-2006 kits; the 'C' model has 2oz bottles instead of 3/4 oz, so it has almost 3x the # of tests for 1.5x the cost.

http://goo.gl/upe0i <-- K-2006 /===============/ K2006C --> http://goo.gl/iI53r

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You can use these to supplement your existing kit:

http://goo.gl/o4tTv <-- K-1515 FAS-DPD /==/ Taylor K-1721 CYA test --> http://goo.gl/nrryQ