algae control question

Hi y'all,
I am a newish pool owner (this is our third summer), and I am trying to become less dependent on my local pool store. Don't get me wrong - the guys there are great, very helpful, and I have NEVER felt like they are trying to push unnecessary chemicals at me...but they are a forty minute drive away, and I feel like I'll never really understand my pool if I always get them to tell me what to add, and when!

So I have ordered the test kit recommended on the PoolSolutions site (Taylor K-2006), and it should arrive any day now. Once I have my lovely accurate readings how do I know how much of everything to add? Are there charts somewhere that list it all? Where is this magical place, and how do I get there?

My biggest issue is the outbreaks of what may be mustard algae we get every summer, but earlier in the year than most people get them in this area. I have been told this type of algae is much harder to beat with just chlorine (certainly the first year we had it shocking it didn't do a thing), and have used No-Mor Algae algicide successfully...but the PoolSolutions site says this shouldn't be necessary. This year's first (and hopefully only) outbreak happened despite the water chemistry reading as totally balanced...with test strips, and simple OTO test kit. I'm going around in circles here.

Other general info (that eventually should end up in my profile, I guess?): 25 000 gal custom vinyl freeform pool with SWCG system, half in shade and near pine and oak mixed forest (I'm guessing this is why we get the mustard algae).

Thanks for any info you can give me!
Alison

Hi Alison, and welcome to the Pool Forum!
As soon as you get your kit, run a full set of numbers and post them. It is really impossible to help much without those numbers. For now, what readings do you get with the OTO kit? What source of chlorine have you been using? Any idea what your CYA reading was when you closed in the fall? It would be good to know that to compare it with your current reading.

What kind of filter do you have and what size of pump?

Hope the kit arrives soon. We'll be here and ready to help!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Watermom

Hi Alison, and welcome to the Pool Forum!
As soon as you get your kit, run a full set of numbers and post them. It is really impossible to help much without those numbers. For now, what readings do you get with the OTO kit? What source of chlorine have you been using? Any idea what your CYA reading was when you closed in the fall? It would be good to know that to compare it with your current reading.

What kind of filter do you have and what size of pump?

Hope the kit arrives soon. We'll be here and ready to help!

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Thanks watermom. I'll post the numbers when I get the kit. But is there somewhere that lists "if your pH is x and your pool is y gallons, add z ozs of muriatic acid to change it to pH 7.6"? (just an example). I feel like I have seen this somewhere...other than the back of the package of whatever chemical I am holding! I guess what I am looking for is a collection of tables for each of the main chemicals we use.

Alison

Yes, there's one at thepoolcalculator.com, but I like the Beachcalc linked at this thread better: http://richardfalk.home.comcast.net/...achCalc262.exe

Janet

That's the one I like better, too.

Richard hosted it, but Michael Smith (mwsmith) wrote it.

Thank you for the replies! I have a salt water system so the poolcalculator.com link is closer to what I was looking for...but I was actually hoping to find good old fashioned tables that I could print out, laminate and keep handy! (I am pretty old school about such things.) I can't figure out an appropriate search term to hunt for them. Perhaps I need to find a book about pool maintenance? (But so much would be wrong...)

Or maybe I need to spend an hour with poolcalculator and run a bunch of variables.

Any ideas?
Alison

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Originally Posted by alisonquilts

... But is there somewhere that lists "if your pH is x and your pool is y gallons, add z ozs of muriatic acid to change it to pH 7.6"? (just an example)...

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It's interesting that you use pH as an example in that pH has got to be the least predictable value we measure in pool care. pH is affected by many interactions in the pool and trying to calculate the affect of a treatment is rough estimation at best.

Your K-2006 does have an answer to this: it includes Acid and Base Demand Tests. These let you measure the amount of treatment you'll need to adjust pH. It works like this: Measure pH, if it's low, add Base Demand counting drops until pH is where you want (Acid Demand works same way) - look up number of drops of treatment in the tables in the book that comes with K-2006 and find treatment dose.

The book has tables for other treatments as well - This may be what you're looking for.

Treat the doses you get from these tables as loose approximations only. They are helpful in determining how much of a chemical to buy and have on hand but less useful when it comes to actually treating your pool. At most, use half of any recommended dose, let it mix, measure, redose. This way (measure, dose, measure, dose, ...) you can avoid the inevitable see-saw of chasing numbers.

The other end of Big Dave's answer is...after testing your water on a daily basis for awhile, you'll learn the pattern of your pool...(ie. One jug of bleach adds "x" amount to MY pool, one pint of acid drops MY pH by "x" amount, etc.)

Everybody's pool is a little different.

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Originally Posted by BigDave

The book has tables for other treatments as well - This may be what you're looking for.

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Don't use the book that comes with the Taylor kit. It is not helpful and will lead you astray. That was one reason Ben used to sell kits so that he could leave that book out of the kit as it causes lots of confusion.