Newbie, I think I know the answer but....

Several problems with the pool and a support items hopefully a couple can get worked out here.

I have a DE filter hayward pro grid (?) couple years old and a Hayward Northstar pump and a anthony pool made in the early 60s with 1.5 inch pipes(?). Not sure the size of the filter but I put about 12 blue cups of de after removing the filter assembly to hose off. Pressure is about 12-15 PSI at the tank.

Now here is the problem, I have kreepy krauly that seems to be working great. Dirty and a bit cloudy pool, with some algae that floats and clumps together, making it look like floating dog poo. The kreepy krauly works great at first and pressure is at 15 psi, but after about 15 minutes the filter pressure jumps to 25 psi and the kreepy krauly stops moving until I back wash it and start over.

Is it live algae? If so, live algae will clog a DE filter fast. Kill the algae first. Give some more info about your pool (type of pool, volume, size of pump) and give some current water testing results taken with a drops-based kit. Then someone here will try and help.

Welcome to the Pool Forum, by the way!

Pool is about 18k gallons so it is not a big pool. Gunite and plaster pool. I have to figure out how large of a filter I have. As for the algae I think most is dead now. but what is there is greenish brown and looks kind of like diarrhea, when you try to scim it off with a net it breaks off into pieces and goes right through the net.

As for a test I have yet to do one yet.

I just went back outside and back washed it again. what comes out is white and not discolored. pressure is back down to 13-15 for the time being. I only put 2 scoops of de this time since I'm running out. Pool looks fairly clean except for the floating algae, and it being cloudy. I'll just use the skimmer to see if I can get the floaties out.

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Could my Grids be plugged up and need a acid wash? If so why would the tank pressure be so low (13-15 psi) when I start off with a fresh charge of DE?

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Or maybe my pump is bad? But why would it go to 25 psi?

As Watermom pointed out, DE filters clog almost instantly when live algae is present; you have to add enough chlorine to kill ALL before you are going to get adequate filter performance. With a gunite pool, there's no problem with high chlorine even if you have no stabilizer.

So do this:

#1 - Add 7 gallons of plain 6% household bleach tomorrow morning, and
#2 - Add 10 gallons of plain 6% household bleach tomorrow EVENING.

Meanwhile, if your filter has a valve with a "Recirculate" setting, use that, till the algae is dead.

So when do i know if the algae is really dead?

I'll be getting a couple gallons of liquid chlorine this morning.

If the picture will upload this is what it looks like today after about 6-7 back washes
.https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-O...mage001-ed.jpg

Hopefully by months end i will be able to take a dip in the pool.

EDIT by mod: Send your pics to poolforum AT gmail DOT com and reference the URL of this thread and we'll get them added

Duh, I just noticed you said bleach and I'm used to using the 'bleach' and 'chlorine' as one in the same. Can I go with liquid chlorine and will I use the same amounts?

Thanks

You can use liquid chlorine. Unless it is also 6% (and I doubt that it is), you'll use different amounts. Tell us the percent sodium hypochlorite and we can calculate a dosage for you. An easy rule of thumb that may help you judge is that in 10K gallons, the percentage of chlorine will add that amount of ppm to your water. Example -- in 10k gallons of water, a gallon of 6% will add 6ppm, 12.5% will add 12.5ppm, etc.

ok my

FAC is 0
TAC is 0
PH is 7.8
TA is 80
CYA is 20
TDS is 700
Phosphates is 0

I added some acid right now to change the PH

Quote:

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Originally Posted by healthservices

FAC is 0
TAC is 0
PH is 7.8
TA is 80
CYA is 20
TDS is 700
Phosphates is 0

I added some acid right now to change the PH

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Hint: the FAC = 0 is what's most important in that list.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Watermom

You can use liquid chlorine. Unless it is also 6% (and I doubt that it is), you'll use different amounts. Tell us the percent sodium hypochlorite and we can calculate a dosage for you. An easy rule of thumb that may help you judge is that in 10K gallons, the percentage of chlorine will add that amount of ppm to your water. Example -- in 10k gallons of water, a gallon of 6% will add 6ppm, 12.5% will add 12.5ppm, etc.

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I'll have to take a look, if I remember correctly Chlorine is not that much more and is at 10% I have some powder shock and chlorine, and currently put three lbs in the pool at the request of the pool supply center. so I'll do a check again later tomorrow.

The Kreepy Krauly is staying on now and has stayed moving for 3 hours now. Yay!

It is usually best to either follow the advice here on the forum or that of the pool store. Sometimes trying to do both makes it difficult to get a pool cleared up and get the chemistry balanced. What kind of powder shock did you add?

Sorry, Power Powder Plus?

Trying to get an idea as to what do when going with liquid chlorine (or bleach) as I have no idea how to use it.

What is the ingredient in the powder?

Using bleach is easy. Your needed chlorine level is based upon your CYA level. (See the Best Guess table in my signature below for more about that.) I use bleach exclusively. Each evening I test and add a little bleach. My CYA is usually around 35-40, so I keep my chlorine between 3-6ppm based on the Best Guess chart. So, when I see what my cl reading is when I test in the evening, I add enough bleach to get back up to 6. That's all there is to it. I am diligent about testing and don't let my chlorine levels get too low. If you do, you risk an algae bloom and then have to shock up to the needed level shown in the Best Guess chart. Very easy. For reference to help you know how much bleach to add, each quart of 6% bleach will add about 0.8ppm of cl to an 18K pool. So, while your CYA is 20, you'll need to keep your chlorine between 3-5ppm all the time except when you are working to clear it. Then, your shock level will be 12ppm.

You may want to bump your CYA up just a little. 20 is pretty low. We usually suggest around 40-50. Some powdered shocks have CYA in them, thus the reason for my question about the ingredients of the powder. If what you used was dichlor, then that would have added some additional CYA. If your powder was cal-hypo, then it wouldn't have and you'll want to add a little CYA separately. We'll decide that after you tell us the ingredients.

Thanks,

Calcium hypochlorite is what it says on the package

OK. That doesn't add CYA. For now, keep your chlorine at about 12ppm while you are working to clear this up. After its under control, then you can bump the CYA up a bit. Ask more about that at that time.

For now, test as many times per day as you can (no such thing as too often) and each time, add enough bleach to get back to 12ppm. The more consistently you can do this, the faster it will clear. Run the pump 24/7.

Sounds like a plan thanks.

Well the pool is clear and the algae is gone. Just have to deal with all the other issues. Currently the pool is at

FAC 0
TAC 0
pH 7.6
TA 80
CYA 25
TDS 800
Phosphates 0

It still does not want to hold the chlorine for very long. Guess I still need to bump up the CYA

Thanks

How often are you adding bleach and when you do so, how high are you taking the cl level?

I added 3 lbs of powder chlorine yesterday afternoon. This reading is this morning. I then added conditioner this morning to raise the CYA I have not added chlorine/bleach or tested yet. I'm thinking of adding the chlorine at night, hopefully it will last a little longer.

What kind of powder chlorine? Ingredients, not product name, please. And, how high did the 3 lbs. you added take the chlorine? How much conditioner did you add today and how did you add it?

Calcium hypochlorite is what it says on the package

I was at target last night so I grab three bottles of Bleach ($2.99) and poured it in the pool last night. I just tested it right now and it is

FAC 3
pH is 7.6
TA is at 90
CYA is at 45
Phosphates are at 50

You need to be testing and adding bleach more often than once a day if you are having trouble holding FC. Test in the morning and evening and afternoon if you can and each time add enough bleach to get back to 15. Each gallon (4 quarts) will add about 3.4ppm of chlorine. You've got to be consistent with this. Test and dose as often as you can.

All the other numbers look fine.

I'll have to wait until the kit shows up, right now I'm just taking it to the local pool supply store to test. based on the reading being three hours old what do you think I should be adding if using bleach?

In the meantime, can you go to Walmart and pick up a cheap OTO/Phenol Red (yellow and red) kit? It will only read chlorine levels to 5 but you can force it to go higher with a dilution method described here: Testing Without a Good Kit

Focus on the testing and just bleach for now.

Uploaded the pool picture of some remaining mustard algae, and edited it into the original location, but I'm putting it here, too.
.https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-O...mage001-ed.jpg

Health services, if you've got an "AFTER" picture, I'd love to have it.

Ben