When do you add a maintenance dose of algaecide?

[Watermom]

For what it's worth -- I never use algaecide. I watch my chemistry closely and make sure I maintain adequate chlorine. Thus, no algae. If you are diligent about testing and maintaining proper levels, then you really don't need algaecide.

[famousdavis]

Watermom, at what levels do you keep your free chlorine? And do you shock your pool only when you've got > 0.5 CC, or do you shock regularly? Finally, what's your pool temperature?

Thanks for your 2-cents. I'm learning, making decisions on how I want to maintain our new pool. This forum has been very helpful!

[Watermom]

My pool is too hot right now --- about 92 or 93. We've had a string of hot days around 100 and extremely high humidity. Cooler today. "Only" 95. I'll leave the solar panels off and the solar cover off for a few days and drop the water temp a few degrees. Fortunately, we swim in the evenings rather than the daytime, so it actually feels pretty good. But, that would be too hot for a midafternoon swim on a hot day!

I keep my FC between 3-6ppm and I seldom shock my pool. I think I did one time this summer and that was because there were a couple of days where I thought somebody else was adding bleach and they thought I did it. So, my FC dipped too low and I shocked it. That doesn't happen too often. There are some summers where I never even shock the pool at all. It isn't necessary to shock as long as your CC is no greater than 0.5ppm and your FC stays in the range needed based on your CYA level.

Glad the forum has been helpful for you.

[chem geek]

Polyquat is also a mild clarifier so if you are shocking to kill algae then the Polyquat can help clear the pool faster IF you have poor filtration such as with some sand filters. Of course, adding some DE to a sand filter is another way to improve filtration and if one truly wants to use a clarifier there are stronger ones one can use (such as GLB Clear Blue). In general, clarifiers are not needed.