Dubosity's Thread: Lost in Cloudiness/Mustard Algae Hell

[Dubosity]

And thank you, Ben, for taking the few moments you had to respond! I'll check and see if Walmart has the Polyquat. Is the OTO/phenol red different than the phenol red reagent that comes in the Taylor test kit?

Also: I don't know if this is significant, but I've NEVER been able to get an accurate chlorine reading. I do know that right now it is really, really high (since we just added 2 gals yesterday).

Ugh. I had a bad feeling about adding the Yellow-Out and I did it anyway. When will I learn to trust my gut?

[PoolDoc]

Just got back, trying to hurry through things and get users upgraded and posts moved.

But . . . Taylor pH test is fine -- however you do NEED the OTO chlorine test. It's not very precise, but it's very dependable. And, given your difficulty with chlorine readings, we need the info from a DEPENDABLE test.

Ben

[Dubosity]

Hello again,
I was able (finally) to find the OTO chlorine test. It is definitely an orange result...and it has stayed orange even after 5 minutes. (Does this mean my combined chlorine is also really high?)
I cleaned the filter this morning. It had a lot of green in it, but not quite as much as previously.
The pool looks very blue, no green tinge, and pretty clear (though still just a bit cloudy in the deep end). I do see about 6 circular spots of what I believe is mustard algae right in the middle of the shallow end; when I brushed them, they plumed up and dispersed.

I could not find Polyquat, without other ingredients (like clarifier) added. :-( I went to 3 different stores...Walmart, Lowes, and Pinch-A-Penny pool supply. Any suggestions? Do you think I still need it?

I await your response with bated breath. :-)
Thank you!!

[Dubosity]

One more question: Is it safe to swim?

[PoolDoc]

Orange just means your chlorine / bromine is high -- doesn't give you any info about what kind. However, under your circumstances it's probably mostly "free".

As long as you keep it high and your clarity is increasing and the spots are getting smaller and there's no 'green' on the filter . . . you can probably just maintain chlorine levels and let the rest go.

Can you swim safely? Yes.

But . . . those levels may be hard on swimwear. So wear old swimsuits, or if your fences are high enough, you can skip them altogether. The chlorine won't hurt skin. It may be irritating to your eyes (or not) -- won't hurt to find out -- just don't open them underwater if it is.

But, go ahead and get a Taylor kit (Amazon link in sig), since you've still either got to drain to lower CYA OR run sustained high levels of chlorine to compensate for the CYA. If you haven't read the "Best Guess" page (link in sig) yet, it would be a good idea to do so.


Ben

[Dubosity]

Thank you! I did read everything I possibly could on this site...there's some REALLY great info here!
I'm concerned about keeping such a high chlorine level because I won't be able to get an accurate pH read...and because swimming nude isn't always an option.Based on what I read in another thread, I was thinking about losing the pucks and chlorinating with bleach (or non-stablized tabs), in an attempt to reduce the CYA (over time) rather than draining and refilling. Is that, in fact, an option for me?

[Watermom]

Stopping the pucks will not lower the CYA. The only way to lower it is to exchange water. Having said that, you do need to stop using the pucks, though. Otherwise your CYA will continue to climb and you certainly don't want that. Definitely go with bleach. Like Ben said, if you don't want to do a partial drain and refill, you can just run higher than normal chlorine levels as outlined in the Best Guess chart in my signature below. You have to do one or the other. Otherwise, you're never going to get this pool under control. High CYA without high chlorine = algae blooms that never go away for good.

[Dubosity]

I don't know if I should keep this thread going or start a new one. Forgive me if I've chosen incorrectly.
My husband is pushing back on the use of bleach AND whether to drain/refill. His arguments are 1) we spent $80 on the bucket of trichlor tabs and we have enough to last the rest of the season 2) we're currently renting the house and don't know how whether we'll end up buying it or not, and 3) it's going to cost at least $100 to partially drain and refill. I have 3 questions:

1) If I drain/refill enough to bring the CYA to 40-60 ppm, can I go on using the trichlor for the rest of the season? (I"m in N Central Florida where the season can run through the end of Oct.) Will the levels rise back that fast?

2) If I'm able to convince him to go with bleach, how do I know the amount needed for my 30K gal pool and how often it must be added? (I realize I would be maintaining a different level depending on whether we end up renewing the water.

3) If we decided not to exchange the water, so that I need to maintain about 8 ppm of chlorine, how do I reliably test the pH? Can I count on the directions in the Taylor kit (ie, dilute the sample with tap water before testing)?

Sorry to be such a pain. I did try to glean everything I could by reading through just about every post on the site, but I didn't really see anything that specifically answered these questions. Thanks for your patience.
Debra

[madwil]

1- each 10 ppm of chlorine from pucks gives I think 6 ppm CYA, or stabilizer; it can add up really fast, trying to maintain FC high and such- I would save the pucks and only use when leaving for several days, like vacation, and use bleach for daily maintainance
2- 1 gal, 6% bleach will add 2 ppm FC to your pool approximately. At your CYA level, you need to keep it I think 8-12 range; if you hit 12, it'll probably go down 2-3 points each day to sunlight (how much you lose increases as your level increases. at CYA 100, I think you lose 20% in full sund; but every pool is different, this is just a guess on my part!)
So 1 gal bleach a day, maybe... (I use 1.5 gal every 3-4 days with CYA 30)
3- At FC 8, you should be able to get pretty good pH readings- its above 10 that the FC really screws with the pH readings. So you monitor pH as your chlorine goes down, add acid/borax to adjust, and add your chlorine; Don't let your FC below 8, though; it's an invitation for algae blooms at your CYA...

[PoolDoc]

I were in your situation, I would

#1 - Buy the Taylor kit -- you MUST have a way to test high chlorine levels
#2 - Use your tabs as you husband prefers BUT use my "Best Guess" table to set, and the Taylor kit to measure, your chlorine levels
#3 - Re-visit that decision if you end up with the house after the summer.

One caution: if you have the pool next spring, and let it get slimy this winter, you could open to an impossible situation in 2012. Stabilizer is sometimes biodgraded to ammonia, and with your high levels it would literally take 100's of gallons of bleach to get rid of the ammonia, if all the CYA were converted to ammonia.

Ben