pink algae and other problems

So I have a inground vinyl liner pool that is 35,000 gallons with some problems. I apparently don't know what I am doing. I have a rather large pink algae problem (the pink/purplish bacteria), it was this spring on all surfaces. it didn't seem to be going away with opening shock or subsequent shocks (I thought I was keeping at around 10ppm, but now am not completely sure). So I went off half cocked, read some things on the internet (not this site) and put several bottles of bromine tablets because I thought I was dealing with chlorine resistant bacteria. That has seemed to work after multiple scrubbings and latest bromine application (4 days ago). At this moment the pool doesn't look bad. But after discovering this site I now realize I screwed up with the bromine. I also discovered that my CYA is sky high (way over 100, maybe even twice that) and that is playing a part.
My levels that I checked this morning were as follows:
FC - 3.5
CC - 3.5
CYA - >>100
Ph - I didnt get a chance to check this AM, but its been running low on test strips like 6.8 or so
Alkalinity - again didn't get a chance to check level today, but its been running low

My question is this. Do I have to drain my pool? I know it would kill 2 birds with one stone (the high CYA and the bromine ions), or could I continue to shock the pool and maybe drain some water to try and lower the CYA? My pool gets full sun by the way for 12 hrs. Thanks for any help!!

You can run a high CYA pool, and just adjust your chlorine levels to compensate. Take a look at the "best guess chlorine chart" linked in my sig. However, I'll have to let Ben answer your question about the bromine.

What type of testing are you doing? We don't find test strips to be reliable--we highly recommend that you get a drop- based kit(see the test kit link in my sig, too). The K-2006 is a good kit that will accurately test most everything you need.

Don't panic; do all the following instead:

1. Get a cheap OTO testkit (or a Walmart HTH 6-way if available)
2. Raise your chlorine to the orangish-yellow range (~20 ppm)
3. Compete the PF Pool Chart, to allow us easy access to your pool info:

Pool Chart Entry Form
Pool Chart Results

4. Look at the test kit info page in my signature, and order a K-2006
5. Brush your pool thoroughly.
6. Check into the cost of having your pool professionally drained. (It's tricky to drain a liner pool without ruining the liner.)

Do not panic; a few bromine tabs are not going to make or break things. (How few was it?)

Thanks for the replies! I do have the Taylor complete kit, i sometimes use the test strips for quick reference, but I have the Taylor kit.

"Raise the chlorine to 20ppm" - how long should I keep it at that level? Is that 20ppm FC or TC?
my Ph is better than I thought it was - its 7.2 when I checked this morning (with the Taylor), not that does a lot for me.

It was 3 bottles of the walmart type (http://www.walmart.com/ip/HTH-Spa-No...blets/17043664) over the course of 2 weeks.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by matthew64

It was 3 bottles of the walmart type (http://www.walmart.com/ip/HTH-Spa-No...blets/17043664) over the course of 2 weeks.

---

No wonder. You ended up with a false chlorine reading. If you have any left, use them in the toilet tank -- they're not bad for that. (And, it will get rid of them safely!)

Read the Best Guess chart; with a CYA>100, 20 ppm will be the level to hold till we've determined what your actual CYA level is. By the way, it's perfectly safe for swimming -- after you've cleaned up the 'algae' (which is actually bacteria!).

what do you mean until Ive determined the actual CYA level? My Taylor kit only measures CYA to 100 (but it was much higher). How long would I need to keep my chlorine level that high vs draining the pool?

Draining the pool is a very tricky business on liner pools. One best left to pros.

You can use dilution to measure CYA higher than 100: Mix 1 part pool water and 1 part tap water (tap water has no CYA), measure the mix for CYA and multiple by 2. If that's still too high to read (mix measures over 100) mix 1 part pool water to 2 parts tap, measure and multiply by 3.

alright so tonight:

FC-21.5
CC- 3
pH - 7.2
CYA - 300 (at least, using the dilution method (x3) it still wasn't quite to the 100)

So what are my options? continue to run the chlorine at high levels for the foreseeable future or drain the pool? Did that much bromine seal my fate? My wife and I were talking, I think if we have it drained (professionally), we probably would just go ahead and replace the liner as its a year or two from that anyway. I don't really don't want to do this if I don't have to, but that CYA level is not going to be fixed anytime soon with "splashout" and the bromine is in there.

An unrelated question, when I am logged in to the website I can't seem to browse the site other than my post here, when I log out I can access the whole site. Is this a setting I should be changing or do I not have the privileges? Thanks for all the help!

I've upgraded your membership, so some of the problems should be resolved. We've just been hammered with new traffic since just before Memorial day.

You have two options:
1. Drain now, and lose the use of your pool for a month or so.
2. Try to run the pool as is till fall. It may not work, but I'm guessing it will.

If you want to try to run it, you need to
1. Brush the pool completely.
2. Tell me what your water LOOKS and SMELLS like, and what the status of the pink 'algae' is.
3. Do a 24 hour chlorine test, testing at 7pm, 7am, and again at 7pm. Tell me the results AND whether the day was sunny. Make sure the chlorine level is at least 20 ppm when you start.
4. Tell me -- as best you can -- the weight of the bromine tabs consumed in the pool.

Using bromine in an over-stabilized pool is a potentially effective alternative to running FC levels between 15 and 40 ppm. If you add borax to 60 ppm, you can possible go somewhat lower, and can run the pool successfully over the summer.

Ok so a 24hr chlorine test my results were:

6/7/12 7pm
FC - 21.5
CC 1.5
pH - 7.2

brushed the pool because the pink algae was returning (see below)

6/8/12 7am
FC 21.5
CC - 1

6/8/12 7pm
FC 8
CC 2

So my chlorine loss (use) was 12 ppm in 12hrs! But its a complicated story. I was attempting to do this 24hr test several days ago and had gotten as far as checking 7pm and 7am (FC was around 20 unchanged overnight), but I then had a family emergency and had to go out of town and did not touch the pool for 36hrs. 36hrs later when I did check it the FC was 14! So it had only dropped 6ppm over the course of 2 sunny (these were all sunny days) days! BUT the pink algae had returned and so spent 2 hours scrubbing the pool (again) and got it up to 21.5ppm for my 7pm check. Today the FC is much lower, the pink algae maybe looks somewhat better after scrubbing and the bottom of the pool is cloudy. Most of the time the water is clear, smells chlorinated but not too powerful.

Its obvious that the pink algae is not inhibited by anything less than 20ppm.

The weight of the bromine tablets were 5lbs (total over a course of 2 weeks).

I feel like my pool has the plague!