Green, cloudy and foamy is no way to go through life, son

[davidb]

Thanks for the detailed reply. Sorry, yes CYA is 0, not CA. I will do the sock trick, add Borax, and keep chlorine high.

Yep, pool service did add algaecide!

[True Blue]

Algaecide caused my pool to foam a couple of weeks ago, too. Mine is smaller (only 7600 gallons) and I spent hours trying to scoop out the foam. I finally gave up and within a couple of days of adding bleach to get the high Cl reading, the foam was gone.

For a while, though, I was really afraid that I was going to look out the window and see the pool overflowing with foam!

[Watermom]

Yep, pool service did add algaecide!

That's what I thought.

By the way, run the pump 24/7 while trying to clear the water and also while you are trying to dissolve the CYA. Good luck. Keep us posted.

[davidb]

So after a week of keeping FC high and running pump continuously, foaming problem has not returned and water is beginning to clear. But clearing is going s-l-o-w-l-y and pool appearance is still unappealing. Do clarifiers help, or do I just need to be patient?

TH 100, TC 5-10, FC 5-10, pH 7.2, TA 120, CYA 0 (now starting to add this)

[Watermom]

Is the pressure on your filter rising? Are you having to backwash? Try adding a little DE to your sand filter. Many of us do it, It may help you filter this out better. More about it here:

http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=3742

Did you ever find out how big your pump is? Some AG pools have a pump that is too big and too powerful and it just forces stuff through the sand without actually filtering it out.

[davidb]

Filter pressure is steady. Pump is 3/4 HP, should be ok for 20,000 gal IG pool? The DE idea sounds great.

[CarlD]

You need to be patient. There's nothing that will speed it up. You've been fighting foaming from one "magic potion"--algaecide.

We rarely ever suggest that someone add anything beyond the B-B-B basics...bleach, borax, baking soda, muriatic acid and CYA(stabilizer). The two most common additions to the list are Dry Acid in lieu of Muriatic (safer and easier to use) and one algaecide: Polyquat (a type, not a brand).
If people have special problems, like metals, we may recommend something. But everything else? Throw it away!

Carl

[davidb]

This is just a belated follow-up to report success with pool problem. I found $3/gallon 12% bleach at BJ's (and see it now at Ocean State Job Lot) and have used it generously. Pool finally cleared and has stayed clear. I have tried to maintain CYA but sock approach is not keeping up. Just added DE to sand filter and the water sparkles, although this may be my imagination. So thanks for all the great advice that was both effective and economical.

Now I am trying to summon the courage to deal with the metal stains......

[Watermom]

I'm not sure I know what you mean by " I have tried to maintain CYA but sock approach is not keeping up." Once CYA is added, it pretty much stays in there all season. What is your volume and how much CYA have you added? Are you using any stabilized chlorine (Trichlor tabs or dichlor shock powder) and what is your CYA reading?

[davidb]

I have added about 8 lbs of CYA a pound at a time using the sock method for a 20,000 gal pool. I have seen (or thought I saw) an increase to a level of "30-50" using a color strip but then a reading of 0 several days later. Perhaps I am mis-reading the strip. I have used 2 lbs of dichlor shock powder only once when we went away for a weekend, otherwise it has all been bleach.