Hello summer, hello algae, hello pool forum!

[BigDave]

I don't know about the pH, you've got a lot of chemistry going in your pool and pH is difficult to predict. But, we do know how to measure it and how to adjust it. As you're near the bottom of your pH scale, you need to raise the pH with Borax. Half a box slowly in the skimmer with the pump running, let it mix a couple hours and measure it again. As you'll be dosing with dichlor, we can guess the pH will drop as the chlorine is consumed so let's aim for a relatively high pH - 7.6-7.8. Another reason for somewhat higher pH while getting rid of amonia is that the intermediate CCs may be less noxious at higher pH. But do try to keep it in range.

[True Blue]

Well, I'm just now starting to get the FC to somewhat stay and my CC is dropping. I lost about 3 ppm FC last night and about the same since this morning. CC was 1 ppm each time. Also, I now have some CYA with the addition of the dichlor that I have used. I am to 40 ppm CYA. My pH is was continued to bounce a bit, as I didn't have any borax and have been too busy to run to the store for a few days (20 minute drive one way to get borax), but I have some now.

The water is still very cloudy and since this morning has had a white splotchy film on it. I can't quite tell if it is some sort of foam or not. Any ideas?

[True Blue]

Anybody there?

[chem geek]

Just keep the FC at shock level for your CYA level and run the pump 24/7 so that the filter can help clear the pool. Don't worry about the film/foam. It should dissipate as the water clears up. Shocking is a process, not a one-time event.

[True Blue]

Just keep the FC at shock level for your CYA level and run the pump 24/7 so that the filter can help clear the pool. Don't worry about the film/foam. It should dissipate as the water clears up. Shocking is a process, not a one-time event.

I'm not worried about the film. I would, however, like to know what is causing it. I don't just do things because someone says, I'd like them to make sense to me.

I will surmize that one of the additives in the dichlor that I had been using caused it. Does anyone think that this is true or is there another answer?

[BigDave]

Anybody there?

Sorry I didn't see your post - Cub Scout Camporee, electronics are prohibited. Chem Geek is right, of course, stay the course, maintain shock level, brush, run the filter 24/7. Keep it up until you lose less than 1ppm FC overnight, have nearly 0ppm CC, and your water is clear. The keep FC at shock for one more day.

[True Blue]

Someone with a similar situation in another thread was encouraged to turn their pump off to see if the cloudy water would disappear, as suspended particles fell to the bottom. Should I do this? If so, how long would the pump need to be off in order to tell if this is the problem? Also, I assume that I would still be keeping the chlorine at shock levels, I assume just by adding it to several spots in the pool.

[True Blue]

Another thought...should I be operating at "shock" or "shock plus" levels? I originally started out with no cya, so a shock of 15 ppm was what I was using. Now, I have 45 ppm CYA and am running FC levels of around 18 ppm. Should I bump it up to over 30?

[aylad]

I think you're fine to leave it at the shock level that you're currently running--the "shock plus" is mostly for mustard algae. I don't know the source of the film that you're speaking of, but usually foam/film will not settle down to the bottom--it takes filtering and chlorine to remove.

Usually, we recommend that you leave the filter running until the algae is dead, and until the filter has taken out everything it can--and at that point, THEN try turning the pump off to see if the remainder will settle. However, in your case, I just noticed that you have a 1.5 hp pump on a 7600 gallon pool--that's a HUGE pump for that amount of water, and if your filter is undersized for that pump, you might be better off just to put the pump in recirculate mode until all the algae is dead and you're no longer losing chlorine, and then turning it off, letting it settle, then vac'ing it out. Have you and one of the equipment folks (mas985, Pooldoc, etc) talked about your filter/pump match already?