For forty years...

My family has owned two pools in forty years, so I am no stranger to the operation of maintaining a pool.

Last summer I COULD NOT get the algae out of our 21,000 gallon chlorine pool. I have my suspicions that my soon-to-be ex-husband was sabotaging it by throwing a handful of fertilizer in the water.

The weekend his adult daughters were visiting I almost had it 'not green'!!! I would like to try again to clear it up and would like to know how much chlorine bleach I should be adding at start up and as the summer goes on...I had hoped to switch to salt water but refuse to do this until I get the algae OUT.

It has a vinyl liner that is slightly oversized, as it has wrinkles so I think pumping some of the water out would be safe...does anyone have a schedule I could follow...brush the pool, vacuum the pool...every day....chlorinate at night....any suggestions would be appreciated!

First thing we will need to be able to help are some good water testing results taken with a drops-based kit. No test strips or as we call them 'guess-strips.' Then, tell us exactly what all you have put in the pool meaning ingredients and not just product names like 'shock.' Tell us what kind and size of pump and filter you have. Then, somebody here can try and help you get this pool cleaned up!

Welcome to the Pool Forum!

We want to help you keep the pool 'in control' while you learn more. So, right now, go get a cheap OTO/phenol red drops testkit, and 16 gallons of PLAIN 8% household bleach from Walmart. Also get the HTH 6-way drops kit, if available.

As soon as you have the bleach, add 2 gallons that EVENING. The next evening, test with one or both kits, report results and water appearance, and add another gallon. It's MUCH easier and cheaper to avoid algae, than to clean it up!

. . . and order the K2006.

. . . membership upgraded.

. . . and thread finally moved to correct section.

Thank You..I purchased a test kit and my ph was normal for two days and then went sky high with the need for acid....I will get more bleach and post again. Thanks so much.

CAUTION: pH tests will NOT be reliable when the OTO chlorine is in the very dark yellow or orange range (> 10 ppm).

Under such conditions, test your pH by mixing 1/2 cup of pool water with 1/2 cup of distilled water (@Walmart) Test this mixture. Adding distilled water does not change the pH enough to matter, but you can NOT use tap water or anything except distilled or deionized water.

I have a Tagelus TA 60 filter with new sand, summer 2013...Pentair HiFlow 6-way valve... and a pump that works well...great filtering and water flow. I have brushed it once a day, and I run the filter through the night (about eight until seven in the morning) Tonight I put in three gallons of bleach. I could see that it was turning from a darker green to an apple green but I cannot keep the chlorine level high enough by adding one gallon of bleach each evening....it does nothing...meanwhile the ph is 8.2, however was at 7.6 until just a few days ago. Help me!!! I cannot go another summer with a swamp!!! I spent at least a thousand dollars last year at the 'pool store' adding everything of this and that...no luck. I am still suspicious that the ex is throwing in a sprinkle of fertilizer...but cannot prove it. PLease tell me what to do next...this is so annoying. Thanks!!!

We're spinning our wheels here. The instructions I gave you on 5/27 assumed your response on 5/28

Complete these 2 forms, so I have enough info to advise you.

http://pool9.net/pf-pool-form/

http://pool9.net/pf-hist-form/

Well, I purchased fifty pounds of chlorine granules and a box of shock...added an extra packet of that last night...so three packets of shock total....one packet is the equivalent of 10, 000 gallons....put in three (more than suggested) will test later and post.

Salt *is* chlorine. Salt systems -- actually Salt Water Chlorine Generators -- are just a METHOD adding chlorine. The SWCG converts chloride from sodium chloride (salt) into chlorine (hypochlorous acid)

Susanne. We are trying to help but we still don't have a complete set of current numbers. Without that we can't really do much for you. Have you ordered a K2006 kit? If not, what kit did you buy?

We have no idea what the ingredients are in the granular chlorine or shock that you used. Cal-hypo? Dichlor?

There was a reason that Ben recommended that you use bleach. It is because until we know what your numbers are, it is the thing we know that you can use without having unwanted side effects.