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I did not cover my pool this winter and did not maintain the water either. Its pretty green but not sure what lies at the bottom. Wondering if it would be easier if i just drained the water and started fresh or if i could clean the water without emptying my pocketbook. Thanks for any help you can give me.
Intex ultra frame round agp 20x48 (holds ~9400 gallons based on calculations which im not sure are accurate)
intex krystal clear 635t 1500gph
If you can drain and refill for less than $120, it may be a good idea.
The alternative is to
1. kill the algae
2. raise the chlorine and stabilizer to a point where the chlorine will 'hold' for several days
3. turn the pump off and let it settle. (a floc may help)
4. vacuum to waste via siphon.
If you're interested, I'm going to be putting page on how to do this -- I think there's going to be a LOT of need for that this season. But draining and refilling is definitely easier.
Thank you! I will be looking for the page. Another question you might be able to answer I still have the original pump/filter system that came with the pool. Do you have any suggestions as to upgrading. Saltwater system??....bigger filter/pump system??? once again, thank you!!
The bigger pump/filter system DEFINITELY works better.
We haven't heard enough feedback on the salt system to really have a good idea.
Ok, so here is what i have done. I tested the water right off the bat without adding anything. I still have a simple ph and chlorine tester from walmart(thinking i will break down and buy the taylor testing kit this year). Chlorine was not registering(it measures up to 5-10) and ph was off the charts, bright pink but didnt look like it would be much above the 8.2 mark (it measures up to 8.2). I ran the pump for about a day without adding anything then added 2 bottles of liquid chlorinator ~10% last night. I checked it this morning(with my cheapo kit) and the chlorine was above the 5-10 mark as well as the ph which looked about the same color as it had when i first tested it. THe water is no longer green but cloudy. I took a water sample to my local ace store and got results from them but some of the values they couldnt get readings. I listed the printout info below. I had my water tested there last year and didnt have trouble with readings, although my ph was fine and cya had a reading so i knew how to adjust it. I didnt worry about the hardness reading cause i didnt think i should. Last year was my first year to put the pool up also. Thanks again for any advice you can give me.
total alkalinity: 0ppm
ph: ERR HI, result is high
calcium hardness: 82ppm
cyanuric acid: ph correction error
free chlorine: 6.3
said to retest ph after alkalinity as been properly adjusted
cyanuric acid level is error
Did your walmart have any 6-way test kits in stock? Some stores do (mine did) and it's a heck of a lot better than relying on the pool store.
Ok, if you're going for a clean up in place (no draining), do this:
KILL the ALGAE
1. Add plain 6% bleach each evening, as needed to keep your OTO kit in the DARK yellow / orange range.
2. Take the cartridge OUT of the filter. Order new cartridges, if you have none.
3. Test your pH BEFORE adding more chlorine, when OTO level is medium yellow to clear. If your pH is above 8.0, add ~1/4 gallon of muriatic acid at a time. (see link in my signature)
4. After the pool turns cloudy gray or blue, BRUSH the pool completely, to stir up any algae on the bottom. But, add bleach just BEFORE brushing. If the pool turns green after brushing, add another 2 gallons of bleach.
5. Continue till the pool is cloudy blue or gray even after brushing.
REMOVE the ALGAE
You have two options here: you can vacuum to waste, using a siphon. To do so, you'll need a vac head, pole, and hose that will reach from the center of the pool to the ground outside the pool. OR, you can filter it out. The Intex filter cartridges do NOT work well for this. I just spent an hour on the phone with Unicel's national product manager, and he assures me their cartridges should work much better than the OEM ones, AND that two cartridges should last all season. (Intex says to discard their cartridges every two weeks!) To use the filter method, you need (2) new Intex cartridges, a covered 5 gallon bucket or trash can, and some TSP.
Here's the process:
1. Install new cartridge
2. Remove when flow drops; install 2nd cartridge
3. Hose off the dirty cartridge
4. Mix 3 gallons of water with 2 cups of TSP. Add 1/8 cup of bleach.
5. Put the dirty cartridge in the mix, and cover.
6. When flow begins to drop, remove cartridge from soak, and hose off.
7. Place cartridge in bucket fill with fresh water for 15 minutes (you don't want TSP in your pool!)
8. Remove and rinse again. Install rinsed cartridge in filter.
9. Hose off dirty cartridge, and restart process.
Here are the products you need:1lb Savogran 10621 Trisodium Phosphate (TSP) @ AmazonYou should be able to get TSP locally at Ace Hardware or Lowes, if you prefer. Often it will be in the paint section. However, if you try to buy the Unicel cartridges elsewhere, be very, very careful. Some imported cartridges are being sold as Unicel replacements, but the descriptions are being written very deceptively.
Unicel C-4607 Replacement Filter Cartridge (Easy Set Size A or C) @ Amazon
Thanks for the prompt reply. I do have a few questions in regard to your post.
You mentioned to remove the cartridge. Do I leave it out for the algae killing process?
What is TSP and what does it do?
Do I need to use it each time I hose off my cartidges after the algae removal process or just for this process?
+ Yes, leave it out while killing algae. It's not going to live algae well, and it will stop up and interfere with circulation.
+ TSP = tri-sodium phosphate, an industrial detergent (no suds) good at removing pool goo from filters.
+ Yes, rotate the filters. You can save the solution, and use it multiple times. So long as you only put a little bleach in the mix, you can leave the dirty filter in the mix, till you're ready to finish cleaning it and using it to replace the cartridge that in the filter. You might want to get something like a Rubbermaid Brute trash can and lid, and simply leave if filled with cleaning mix and cartridge all season. The link goes to Amazon, but it will probably be cheaper if you can find it locally, especially since you have to buy the lid separately.
Thank you so much for your prompt replies. You have been very helpful. Hopefully this is my last question of the day. I have a hth 6 way kit from walmart but have run out of the cya testing. Do you know of a refill for that? Im assuming I dont need to test until I get this algae problem rid of but I thought I should get it ordered so I will have it on hand. Thanks again!
Online only -- I've got links for a large bottle on the test kit info page link in my signature.
I need to post pictures but you can refill your CYA bottles by flipping the dropper tip off, filling the bottle, and then popping it back in.
Ok.....one more question!!! Will the tsp/90 phosphate free, substitute work?
It might; I don't know.
In general, the TSP / STPP substitutes are FAR less effective than the phosphate products. If you concerned about phosphates in the wastewater . . . fertilize your garden with it, when you're done. But if you get a good garbage can, and spray off your cartridge before soaking, and add 1/8 cup of bleach with each cartridge . . . I don't know a reason why you couldn't use the same solution all summer. You'll probably need to add another cup of TSP mid-season, though.
retested yesterday evening
chlorine: 0
ph: >8.2
then added 1 gallon 10% liquid chlorinator, 1.42 galon 6% bleach, ~1/4 gallon muriatic acid
tested again this am
chlorine: 5-10
ph: between 6.8-7.2
btw, i have been running pump 24/7
Should I be adding Stabilizer to keep chlorine in?
We don't know if you have any CYA, you probably don't but until you get the refill...
Do test and add chlorine as often as possible so it doesn't go low.
Ok so the water is now milky blue before brushing, but after brushing turns greenish/brownsih until everything settles. Is the algae dead?? I still have the oto kit. Will it actually turn orange if my chlorine is high enough?
I don't think it is all dead yet from what you are describing but it is hard to tell what is going on without testing numbers. Really high chlorine will turn an OTO chlorine test orange.
what test numbers do you need?
We really need a CYA reading since necessary chlorine levels are based on it. Do you have one?
Unfortunately not. I ordered a replacement bottle and the shipping estimate is Thursday May 17, 2012 - Tuesday May 22, 2012 :(
Were you ordering the 16oz bottle through Amazon? (I'm asking because I need to get some idea about shipping these products. With a ship date like that, whatever company you are buying from is selling out of Taylor's stock, not their own. I'd rather avoid recommending sellers who do that, if there are other options.)
Ben
I ordered the 2 oz from amazon, same seller as the bigger bottle. Amato industries. Was going to get the bigger bottle but i am going to buy the taylor kit and figured i wouldnt need that much cya for a while.
OK. I'll have to keep that in mind.
Thanks.
Tested water this pm
Chlorine: out of testing range, orange in color
Ph: 7.2
I did not add bleach since chlrone appears high. Plan is to check in am and add bleach if chlorine is betwEen 5-10 ppm or lower. Is this correct? Also, how much bleach do I add to adjust the ppm for my size pool?
Each quart of 6% bleach will add about 1.7ppm of chlorine to your pool. Keep an eye on your pH. If it goes any lower, you'll need to add some Borax to raise it.
Costo,
How is your water looking, and smelling? (The Mark 1 visual test, and Binary Olfactory Analysis, reveal things that would otherwise require a $200,000 lab to detect.)
It looks cloudy blue before I brush, after I brush brownish/greenish. Doesn't smell bad. Can usually smell the chlorine. Tested the water this am. Ph ~7.2. Chlorine dark yellow (past the 5-10 mark). I then added a big bottle of bleach ~174oz I think).
Until it is no longer greenish when you brush, keep the chlorine high AND do your brushing simultaneously with your adding chlorine. You should NOT brush, if the chlorine is low. You may want to dose, brush, re-test, and re-dose if the chlorine level has dropped.Quote:
Originally Posted by costo
I have been testing then dosing if the range isnt dark yellow or orange then brushing. Sounds like I need to retest after I brush. Should I do this immediately after I brush or let it settle a bit then test? I have actually done this several times a day when I have time to stay on top of it. I was looking into getting a better pump. Do you think this could be an issue in my situation?
Just tested water again 2:00 pm. Chlorine: 0. Ph: 6.8.
Btw, my ph was 6.8 yeaterday evening instead of 7.2
Just now added 4.26 gallons, brushed the pool then rechecked. Chlorine: orange, ph was high, around 8.2. Looks as though the ph is fluctuating based on chlorine.
How much Borax are you adding at a time? You have a small volume pool. Do smaller additions instead of big ones on Borax so you don't overshoot.
4.26 gallons of bleach should take your chlorine up to approximately 29ppm. I wouldn't suggest going that high.
I haven't been adding borax because my ph has been fluctuating so much. I lowered it with the muriatic acid. It then appeared fine but since has been between 6.8-8.2. Guess I was adding too much. I need to recalculate next time I add. My shock level should be between 15-20, right??
Shock level is based on CYA level. (See the Best Guess Chlorine Chart in my signature below.)
I am unable to check my cya at this time
When your chlorine is that high, your phenol red test results are meaningless, because the phenol red indicator is converted chemically to a DIFFERENT indicated, chlorphenol red.Quote:
Originally Posted by costo
So should I trust the ph results when the chlorine is at lower range of 5-10 or not even worry about the ph until I get the algae killed
You can trust it when your chlorine is below 5ppm.
With a Taylor kit -- K2006, K1000, or HTH 6-way -- you can trust the pH test up to 10 ppm. As far as we know, that ONLY applies to Taylor kits.
Tests this am. ph: 6.8-7.0 chlorine: ~1-2....this after i shocked it to 29 based on ppm calculations. I cant believe it dropped that low overnight. I did add about 1 cup or less of borax and 11.375 quarts bleach. I brushed the pool after adding the bleach and borax. I do have some cya ordered to test that but I feel like I am wasting so much chlorine!!! I did finally break down and buy the taylor 2006a kit you have linked to. It does seem to be doing better although I just hate wasting all the chlorine!!!! Once again thanks for the info!!
You're not wasting the chlorine -- short of draining the water, there's no other way we know of to remove the ammonia or urea. This fall, though, you want to make a decision to EITHER maintain the water all winter (pretty easy once it cools -- you just can't forget!) OR to drain, store, and refill next year.
At this point, even though you aren't "wasting" chlorine, you are getting to the point where it would have been cheaper to drain and refill. On the other hand, if you were to buy the Intex salt system (Intex 54601EG Krystal Clear Saltwater System) @ Amazon. . . you probably are getting close to the point, where you wouldn't have to add salt, since all that used up chlorine, turns into salt.
Add some more borax, though. You don't want your pH that low, while you are cleaning up that mess.