Opened pool and problems...

[chumpy36]

I opened the pool this year a bit late and discovered a pretty nasty mess of algae underneath the cover. It was mostly brown and pretty disgusting..

I got the pump going and immediately put in a gal of polyquat algaecide. I waited a day then shocked the pool with 4 lbs of shock. Things immediately starting looking a bit better but I've stalled now. The water is pale green and very cloudy.

I can't seem to keep enough chlorine in it. I'll shock and after it has mixed I only get around 2ppm of Chlorine. PH was a little high at 7.8 but I used ph down to get it to around 7.2. Total Alkalinity is very high (260ppm). I've never had a reading this high before. Usually it is low at pool opening and I have to add baking soda.

So here's what I've tried...

I've shocked three times
I've used water clarifier in the hopes of getting the cloudiness out but two applications haven't seemed to help.

When you add the shock the water foams a lot but like I said, it generally does not hold chlorine very long.

Kind of at a loss... Do I need to lower the TA? If so, won't I lower the PH too much since it is about normal?

How do I get the water clearer? Is the cloudiness the carbon dioxide in the water from the High TA or is it algae?

I have a Taylor K-2006 on the way but right now I just have the more basic taylor tester.

Thanks

Jason

[Watermom]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

A few questions.
-- What volume is the pool?
-- What type of pool?
-- What are you using to shock with?
-- How often are you adding chlorine?
-- What is your calcium hardness reading?
-- What is your CYA (stabilizer) reading?
-- Is there anything else you have added to the pool?
-- What kind of filter do you have?

The key to clearing algae from a pool is to sustain a high chlorine reading based on your CYA reading. The more consistent you are, the faster it will clear. Can't recommend how much chlorine to add without knowing some of those answers. Regarding your TA, don't worry about that right now. You can fix that after you get the pool clear. You should also be running your pump 24/7 right now while trying to clear this up.
Repost with the requested infor and somebody here can help you.

[chumpy36]

I opened the pool this year a bit late and discovered a pretty nasty mess of algae underneath the cover. It was mostly brown and pretty disgusting..



I have a Taylor K-2006 on the way but right now I just have the more basic taylor tester.

30k gallons
Vinyl
Dichlor granulated shock in 1lb bags
I have been adding it each day in recommended dosage (3 lbs)
unknown (my k-2006 kit is on it's way)
Unknown
I have added clarifier
Sand filter

Thanks for the reply. I'll have the pool store test water tomorrow for the missing info...

[Watermom]

OK. We especially need to know the CYA reading. Is that what you used for your source of chlorine last year as well? If so, it may be that your CYA level could be really high which in turn would require you to shock to a pretty high level in order to kill the algae. For a 30K pool, what does the dichlor package say that 3 lbs. will take the chlorine level up to?

[chumpy36]

This is a new type of shock this year.. but last year's was dichlor as well. According to package. 1 lb of shock will raise the chlorine level 1 ppm per 10,000 gals - So am I understanding that right to say that 3lbs of shock is only going to raise my chlorine 1ppm in my 30k gal pool? Sounds like this is gonna be an expensive proposition..
J

[PoolDoc]

The behavior of your pool is consistent with what happens when bacteria 'eat' your stabilizer over the winter, and leave ammonia and urea behind as their 'poop'. It will be hard to tell for sure, till your K2006 arrives, but for now, if you ACT as if that's the problem, it won't hurt.

When you go to the pool store . . . do NOT buy all the stuff they will tell you to get. Do NOT worry about alkalinity, total hardness, or especially, TDS. Don't even worry about 'fixing' your stabilizer (CYA) level yet.

1) Stop the dichlor for now. Make sure your pump is running 24/7
2) Stop all OTHER additions of chemicals, especially algicides, clarifiers, 'boosters', enzymes . . . and everything else a poolstore might want to sell you.
3) Get a Walmart (Lowes, etc.) cheap yellow & red drops kit -- orthotolidine, turns yellow when chlorine is present -- and test your pool.
4) Buy 20 gallons of 6% plain household bleach
(wear dark glasses and a trench coat, if you want to avoid being recognized by the cashier ;-).
5) Buy 6 boxes of 20 mule team borax.
6) Test your pool with the yellow / red kit. If the pH is below 7.6, add 2 boxes of borax SLOWLY to a skimmer with the pump running and the skimmer basket in place. (If below 7.2, add 4 boxes)
7) Add 10 gallons of bleach after 6pm this evening. Test after 15 minutes
8) Test your pool around 8 pm, and again tomorrow AM
9) Report results.

If algae have 'eaten' your stabilizer, it could take a LOT of gallons of bleach to convert the ammonia to nitrogen gas. BTW, a gallon of bleach and a pound of dichlor add about the same amount of chlorine to your pool. 10 gal of bleach will add about 20 ppm of chlorine. 3 gallons / lbs is only about 6 ppm -- NOT enough.

Do not get impatient -- it will take awhile. Getting impatient and adding more 'goop' will actually SLOW things down, not speed them up. The mistake (letting the pool go green) has already been made; do not make another by trying to clear things up really quickly.

As we say here, you'll need a lot of P.O.P. to get this fixed, and if you won't use POP, you end up using lots more time and $$$.

Ben

P.O.P. = "Pool Owner Patience"

[chumpy36]

Ok, that all sounds reasonable... but if the problem is no stabilizer then shouldn't I add some? Or is it the fact we don't know for sure and adding at this point might be a bad idea?

I do have a taylor deluxe testing kit that has CL, PH, TA etc tests so I can test as you suggest... but a question... why do I want to raise the PH? Right now it's at 7.2 which I thought was where you wanted it?

I'm testing water today and I will do as you suggest above and will report back

thanks for the help

J

[CarlD]

No, don't worry about CYA (stabilizer) just yet. You have to kill the algae and metabolize the ammonia, and stabilizer just slows it down.
The Borax will also add borates to your water which helps inhibit algae growth, too.

You WILL need stabilizer, but that's to keep the sun's UV from breaking down the chlorine too quickly, and for a few other issues. For now? Not yet. You cannot go wrong following Ben's advice.

Carl

[chumpy36]

ok, got the water tested...

FAC 3.0
TAC 4.0
Calcium Hardness 190
CYA 25 (they say too low)
TA 200
PH 7.4
copper 0
iron 0
TDS 850
Phosphates 1000


One question about the Borax. It only came in one size box. It's fairly large. Is this the size box suggested above?

I'll do what is suggested and report back tomorrow.

Thanks!

J

[PoolDoc]

20 Mule Team Borax, 4# 12 oz -- that's the only size I've ever seen.

Add chlorine this PM, test, and test again in the AM.

No rush, but you will be needing at least a gallon of muriatic acid. (Lowes, Home Depot, etc.) Pick it up when it's convenient. I'd recommend you get a heavy garbage bag, and put the acid inside THAT when you carry it in your car.