Algae and now ph issues

[ComeShareACupofTea]

18' round 48" high AGP
Sand filter (that can handle a 24' oval)

I posted a week or so ago that we had just opened the pool for the season (late starters!). It was bad, loads of gunk on the cover got into teh water, tadpoles were swimming, frogs were croaking.

Discovered the BBB method this year and are willing to give it a go. We cannot afford the test kit yet, but took a sample to Leslie's and it showed all was well except CYA. We added some. The water got better but still was a bit cloudy/milky.

Then last week we had two days with more swimmers than usual and on Saturday we woke up to a green pool. I've been vacuuming and scrubbing the walls every day, the walls are staying pretty clean but the algae on the bottom is yellow/green and 'powdery' it reminds me of spring when the trees drop their yellow pollen and everything is covered with yellow dust.

We've added 1.5 gallons of bleach 2x yesterday and 3x today and now the ph on the test strip is bright pink, aka way high. How did that go wonky on us?

I know, I know, buy a good kit...we will...soon.

Any suggestions?

[PoolDoc]

No suggestions, without test results.

There is no "bright pink" on the pH results of any test strips I've ever seen. If you can't get the K2006 now, you need to go to Walmart and get a cheap OTO / phenol red test kit, and use that. With chlorine, pH and CYA values, it should be possible to manage an above ground pool.

[ComeShareACupofTea]

Bought the test kit this afternoon.
Added 3 qts bleach last night and again this morning, it's looking a lot better, but still has a hint of green/cloudyness.
Here are the results:
Chlorine: 5
Ph: 7.2
Alk: 50
Hardness: 60 (what's this for?)
CYA: didn't even get cloudy to test...black dot was clearly visible at bottom of vial, though the test strips show some is present, we added some last week. We do have a leak near where the water comes back in after filtering, so we end up adding some water every day, perhaps that is affecting the CYA?

[PoolDoc]

CYA: didn't even get cloudy to test...black dot was clearly visible at bottom of vial, though the test strips show some is present, we added some last week.

The CYA test on 'guess strips' is the worst of the lot -- you should ignore that reading. Essentially, you have no CYA. You'll need to keep dosing EVERY night, till you get some in the pool. If you got a Taylor K2006, do not test for a week -- there are only 3 - 4 CYA tests in that kit -- since it takes that long to dissolve what you put in. If you put it in via the filter, and then clean the filter before a week of circulation . . . you lose the CYA. If you are running your pump on a timer, it can take even longer than a week.

[Watermom]

Keep adding bleach. Test as many times per day as you can and each time add enough bleach to get back to about 10 or so. I estimate your volume at about 7000 gallons. In your pool, each quart of 6% bleach will add about 2ppm of chlorine. Use that as a reference to know how much bleach to add each time you test. Run the pump 24/7.

Don't worry about the calcium hardness reading since you have a vinyl pool, but do keep an eye on your pH. If it drops any, you'll need to add some Borax to raise it up. You want it between 7.2-7.8. (Don't test pH when the chlorine is high or you'll get a false reading.)

Do us a favor, please. To make it easier for us to help, if people will create a signature line with their pool specs, it keeps us from having to reread through posts to find out basic information. You can create a signature by clicking on 'settings' in the upper right-hand corner of the homepage. In your sig, please put type of pool, volume, type of filter, size of pump, whether or not you have a SWCG or any water features and the fact that you do or do not have a K-2006. Thanks!

BTW -- I deleted your other post since it was pretty much duplicate information.

[ComeShareACupofTea]

Thank you both, yes, I'll get some CYA and add it..."dose it every night" hmmm, how much do I add? If I only test once after a week how will I know how much to add? The Walmart test kit I bought came with two tests for CYA, I used one today.

Also, will adding some of the pool salt make the water more gentle on the skin? My dd has sensitive skin and after a few days of regular swimming the backs of her knees become red and rashy. (After a swim in a hotel or YMCA pool her whole body breaks out!).

We'd love to switch to a SWG but couldn't swing the expense this year.

Thanks,

[PoolDoc]

+ Dose bleach nightly.
+ Add CYA via a suspended sock.
+ Don't add salt to a AG pool, unless you don't care about the warranty . . . and are pretty sure your pool will survive the added corrosivity.
+ Borax is supposed to have some effects like salt, without as much corrosivity. It would require ~7 boxes + several gallons of muriatic acid, if you want to pursue that, but there's no guarantee it will help.

BTW, sensitive skin tends to equal non-oily skin. If she'll rinse off with fresh water as soon as she comes out, and then apply lotion, it will probably help. (My wife taught water aerobics for 10 years, so we know the 'tricks'.)

[Watermom]

Not only just dose bleach nightly, but you need to check your chlorine nightly. You don't need to test the CYA again until a week after you add it. Also, test pH at least once per week.

[ComeShareACupofTea]

Day three of a crispy clear pool!
Have not had a chance to get to Leslie's for the CYA, checked at local Walmart and True Value, no luck. We'll be over that way tomorrow and will pick some up.
So far, I've added about 4-5 qts of Walmart's Great Value Bleach each night, tested in the am and the Chlorine was still at 5 (highest it will go on the Walmart test kit). Tested again around 4:00 p.m. and the first day zilch, today .5, so that's good huh? Especially considering it's been disgustingly hot and humid in CT the past several days...100 degrees!
Once I get the CYA established that should last longer, right?
Bleach at Walmart was $1.47/3 qts. Hoping I won't need to add one a day once I get the CYA level better.
We're also running the filter constantly. We used to have it on a timer to run four hours at night when electricity is cheaper, perhaps that was our biggest problem...'cuz we've rarely ever had a consistently clear pool. Somewhere hubby heard that a pool our size should be fine on four hours a day, but maybe not.
The best part is we're not waking up to a layer of yellow 'dust' on the pool floor.

[Watermom]

Yes, once you get some CYA in there, the chlorine will last longer. How much CYA did you add a few days back? I wouldn't let the cl drop to zilch or even 0.5 or you may end up with algae. Until you get to the point where you have a CYA reading of around 40ppm, you should be testing and adding bleach at least twice per day and maybe even in the afternoon if you are home, and each time add enough bleach to get back to 5ppm. Each quart of 6% bleach will add 2ppm.

BTW -- until you get a better kit, you can force your kit to read higher by using a dilution method described below. It is not super accurate, and not meant to replace buying a good kit, but it is better than nothing.

Testing Without a Good Kit

4 hours a day of pump time is not enough. Typically, most pools need 8-10 hours per day. You can split into two 4 or 5 hour sessions if you want. When you add the CYA to the filter, though, you'll need to run it 24/7 for at least 4 or 5 days while it is dissolving.