Help a CANUCK

[CANUCK]

Hello,

Came home yesterday to find a few yellow lines at the bottom of the pool, i suspect it is algae. Had my water tested yesterday and the following is what they provided:

Free Chlorine: 3 ppm
Total Alkalinity: 80 ppm
pH: 7.3
Calcium Hardness: 220 ppm
Stabilizer: 60 ppm

I vacuumed the pool and scrub all the algae, removed my cartridges and sprayed them and used cartridge cleaner overnight. I shocked the pool with bleach last night (3 liters) and ran the pump all night but no cartridges in the filter. My pool is 16 x 28 kidney shaped and I suspect that it is 65,000 l or 17,000 g.

Today, another yellow line. Pool water was tested at another pool store and results as follows:

Free Chlorine: 5.3 ppm
Total Chlorine: 5.3
Combine Chlorine: 0.0 ppm
pH: 7.7 ppm
Hardness: 170 ppm
Alkalinity (w/ stabilizer correction): 0 ppm
Cyanuric Acid: 85 ppm


Where do i go now? I put the cartridges back in the filter. Should I get algaecide? What concentration.


Thank is advance from the great white north.

Canuck

[PoolDoc]

#1 - Get a cheap OTO / phenol red test kit that you can use yourself.
#2 - Add 3 gallons or 12L of plain 6% household bleach in the late evening; then brush the yellow areas.
#3 - Test the following evening with the OTO kit; if the chlorine level is not DARK yellow, repeat dose and brushing.
#4 - Continue this for 3 days AFTER all trace of the yellow algae disappears.
#4 - Then read the Best Guess page, and use it to determine correct chlorine levels for YOUR pool.

[CANUCK]

Thank you for the response Ben.

I bought the bleach and the OTO test as you suggested. Did a test with the OTO and it is dark yellow at this time. Should I proceed with the bleach? Concern that my levels will go through the roof.

Thanks again,

Christian

[PoolDoc]

No, if it's very dark yellow, just hold off till you know what your CYA level is.

[SalemCastles]

Where are you located Christian?

[CANUCK]

Hi Ben - Well after posting my question i thought to myself, I’ve come here for help and now i am questioning the PoolDoc. I made the mistake of not waiting for a response (in a panic as we have a pool party this weekend) and added the bleach. I guess we can all wait to see what happens over the next 24 hrs.

Glen – We’re in Oakville. Where in Durham are you located.

[PoolDoc]

Well, chlorine that's too high is great for eliminating algae. And, it won't hurt your liner (or concrete, if that's your pool). It might bleach the color on your liner a bit, but that depends on the liner.

[CANUCK]

Can you believe that after the 12 liters of 6% bleach, OTO being as dark as a pale ale, I woke up this am to a yellow line at the bottom of the pool?
Ben – do I release the hounds and add another batch of bleach. My PH seems to be in the right area.
Suggestions?
Thank you,
Christian

[SalemCastles]

Glen – We’re in Oakville. Where in Durham are you located.

We are in Pickering now... I grew up in Mississauga (Erin Mills).

[CANUCK]

We are in Pickering now... I grew up in Mississauga (Erin Mills).

Same here. We lived by Credit Valley Hospital and went to Mt. Carmel!