Hello summer, hello algae, hello pool forum!

[True Blue]

Hi to all!

I decided to open the pool up today. As per usual, we already have an algae bloom going on. I connected everything, added water, started the filter, poored in a couple of gallons of bleach and used the pool/bag to clean the bottom.

About five hours later, I went to take the readings:

CYA - 0
FC - 11 ppm
CC - 3 ppm
pH - 7.5
Alkalinity - 70 ppm

I am hoping to get a handle on/conquer the algae in two weeks, as I will be leaving for most of the summer. I have some friends that will be coming to take care of the pool, the house, etc, and hope to be able to just explain the upkeep (they've helped before) and not have to help them learn to fight the algae bloom.

What recommendations do you have? I know that I need to get the CYA up and I thought that I'd buy a small container of dicholoro tabs for that. Is the pH a tad high and the alkalinity a tad low?

[Watermom]

Your pH and alk are both ok but if you are going to use trichlor tabs or dichlor powder, you need to keep an eye on pH as it will drop. Having said that, right now while you are fighting algae, trichlor pucks are not the way to go. You cannot shock a pool to needed algae-fighting levels with tabs.

I have a feeling that you are going to find that it is going to take a LOT of bleach. Did you have a CYA reading when you closed the pool? Pools that close with a CYA level and open to none and have a high CC typically have the same scenario going on that we frequently see in the spring. Bacteria "eat" CYA over the winter and "poop" out ammonia. It takes a lot of bleach to break down the ammonia. Keep hammering your pool with bleach and try and keep the chlorine high. Also, run your pump 24/7 and keep an eye on your filter pressure.

After you get your pool cleared up, you can bring the CYA up.

Good to see you back this year!

[True Blue]

Thanks, Watermom.

So you'd recommend not to worry about the CYA until the algae is gone? I thought that I'd be killing two birds with one stone in using the pucks. But I'll stick with just the bleach. Am I right in thinking that I want to maintain a 15 ppm FC with no CYA?

Also, my pressure guage appears to be...malfunctioning. It shows a pressure of 42 psi...in my hand. When I screw it in and turn the pump on, it goes up to 56 psi. I figured that the difference meant that I was actually running at 14 psi. Thoughts?

[BigDave]

Get a new guage. That one's done.

You need to keep your FC above 10 with 0 CYA.

Pucks don't dissolve fast enough to fight algae. You can use granular dichlor to bring your FC to shock level and add CYA at the same time. Trouble is, as your CYA increases so will your target shock value.

If you use nothing but dichlor to bring up your CYA, according to The Pool Calculator, you'll need 5 or 6 pounds of dichlor to reach a CYA between 40 and 50. Each pound of dichlor will raise your FC by almost 9ppm and your CYA by 8ppm.

If you want to do this, buy the dichlor and some borax as dichlor will lower your pH.

Run the filter 24x7.
Be sure there's no chemicals (other than pool water) in the filter or anywhere between the skimmer and the filter.
Add a half pound of dichlor slowly to skimmer.
Test FC, CC, and pH as often as possible, at least twice a day.
Each time FC gets back near 10, add another half pound.
Whenever pH gets near the bottom of your test, adjust it up with Borax.
After 1.5 lbs total dichlor, add another half pound each time FC gets near 12.
After 3.5 lbs total dichlor, add another half pound each time FC gets near 15.
After 5 or 6 pounds total dichlor, switch to chlorinating with bleach and maintain your shock value of 15.
If at any time during this process, your water clears up, and you have 0 ppm(or nearly 0) CC, and you lose less than 1ppm FC from sundown to sunup, maintain shock value for one more day then let the FC drift down to normal levels for your CYA level as found in Ben's Best Guess Chart. Test for CYA after fourth pound of dichlor to be sure we aren't way off with the pool size.

[aylad]

If the pressure gauge is not returning to zero when the pump is off, I don't think I'd trust it--it may be okay but who knows for sure? I do know that replacing a faulty gauge is MUCH cheaper and less hassle than removing sand to repair a filter problem caused by not backwashing frequently enough!!

Yes, you need to maintain 15 ppm FC with no CYA....you're already on the right track!!

[True Blue]

I think that I can follow that plan.

I will certainly get a new pressure gauge. I am not sure what happened to that one. It was working when I took it off at the end of the season and stored it in a box in my house that went undisturbed all winter.

[True Blue]

It's raining here today, but I did go out and check my readings this morning. I decided to use my old OTO kit. It showed about 1 ppm FC, which I expected. What I did NOT expect was it to show my pH at 8.2. That surely is in error, as it was 7.5 with my Taylor kit yesterday and all I've added to it was bleach. I know that bleach is basic, but I've not added enough to bring the pH up that high!

I did add another 1.5 gallons of bleach to bring the FC back up. I'll be purchasing the dichloro later today and will use that. Oh...once there is a break in the rain, I'll go out and test with my Taylor kit.

The water is already looking better. It is switching from the swamp look to a cloudy blue-green, which is not all that unappealing, except that I know that its a combination of dead and living (but soon to be dead) algae.

[True Blue]

I just tested the pH again, this time with the Taylor kit, which only measures to a pH of 8.0. The color was off the chart (bright red-purple, certainly above the 8.0 mark).

Again, all I've added is bleach and tap water (which I tested to be about 7.6)...and now the rain.

What would cause the spike in my pH?

[BigDave]

Did you test FC and CC with your k-2006? What were the results?
How are you collecting the water sample? I try to take the water from about elbow depth - hold the sample tube upside down until my arm is in up to the elbow.
The pump is on and mixing the pool , yes? Did you collect the sample near where you dosed the bleach?

[True Blue]

Did you test FC and CC with your k-2006? What were the results?
How are you collecting the water sample? I try to take the water from about elbow depth - hold the sample tube upside down until my arm is in up to the elbow.
The pump is on and mixing the pool , yes? Did you collect the sample near where you dosed the bleach?

I do the collecting method that you speak of, upside down, well beneath the surface. The pump is/has been running. I did collect both samples near where I dose with the bleach, but the first sample this morning was at least 14 hours since I last added anything.

I did not do a FC and CC test with the Taylor kit. I'll do that in a bit, as the rain is supposed to be ending soon.