newbie fighting algae

Hello,

Thanks for this great site!!!!

My pool worked fine until I left town on vacation, came back home and had algeae. shock/vacuum, clear up for a day and then all over again. Found this site..now using 3 b's.

Starter last night

readings....

TC/TB....slightly above 5/10
PH.....7.5
alk....140
cya...110

poured in 1 gallon of bleach 6%...filter running 24/7

this am

TC/TB.....way above 5/10
ph.....7.5
alk.....190
cya....100

my test kit only reads up to 5/10 so not sure what the level is but it IS high to combat the cya (as I understand from all my reading here). alk not a real issue since vinyl AG pool.

Is there a way to calcuate what the TC really is using my test kit from hth at walmart?

Do I need to vacuum to waste as the algea settles to the bottom and keep scrubbing the walls? daily or when?

thanks for an aweseome site..

Hi,
There is a way to approximate how much chlorine you have. Mix equal parts pool water with steam distilled water, mix well, then test from that sample. read your results, and multiply by 2. If it's still too yellow to read, then try 1 part pool water to 2 parts distilled water, test, read, then multiply by 3. You will lose a little accuracy with each dilution, but it'll get you in the ballpark.

That being said, with a CYA level of 110, you need to get your chlorine up to 25 ppm and keep it there until the algae is dead. Brush your pool daily and keep your filter running 24/7 while this is going on. Once the water goes to cloudy blue, then you can let your Cl drift back down, but with a CYA that high, it never needs to go below 8 ppm, or your inviting algae back.

And just to clarify a point in your post, alk IS an issue, even in a vinyl pool--it's calcium that you don't need to worry about, unless it gets over 400 or so.

Welcome to the forum!

Janet

Thanks,

I am currently draining the pool to help reduce the amount of CYA, using the program I downloaded from this site, so hopefully that will help my cya level as well.

update....

I have finished the water change out...drained 1/2 of it out and refilled...

tc/tb...3/6
ph......7.5
talk....150
cya....38


yes, I am happy about these numbers...pool looks good. Do I need to raise the chlorine again though to ensure algae is gone???

I'm no expert but have a good idea what the experts will tell you. With algae you need to maintain shock levels until the chlorine holds over night. When it does this, it means the chlorine isn't being consumed by anything in the pool and the algae is dead.

Even though you water looks good after a 1/2 drain and refill, you won't know if all the algae is dead until your chlorine holds over night. If it doesn't then you will most likely end up right back where you started if you don't keep up with the chlorine at shock levels.

You'll need to check the water a few times a day and add chlorine as needed to keep it at shock levels. Up and down with CL levels is a no-no.

Good luck.

Russell

I'll second what Russell said....and add that you need to keep your pump running 24/7 until the water clears.


Janet

Hey Gang,

Just wanted to update...pool looks great, cl level is holding, water is CLEAR!!!!! Which is just amazing. I'm sold on Bleach.

This has got the be the best find on the internet all year long!!!!

thanks,