Quote Originally Posted by Rvjames View Post
It is going to be a hot day above 90 should I add couple more gallons of shock to maintain above 20ppm to be safe? The green is still evident the algae seems to be still alive in the water. What do I do?

Kids are disappointed that hey can't jump in tomorrow during the 4th party
OK, I'm going to give a bit of 'off-spec' advice. But please READ what I write VERY carefully, and make sure you understand. Here are the conditions my advice is based on:
  1. a CYA level of 90 ppm.
  2. that you will USE either an OTO (yellow drops) test kit OR the K-1515 to test chlorine levels before anyone swims.

OK. On to the advice:

Algae in pools creates 4 hazards:
  • Loss of visibility
  • Loss of chlorine
  • Slippery / slimy conditions
  • Hazardous organism growth
You can deal with the last 3 conditions with sustained high chlorine conditions AND by brushing and vacuuming, to make sure that there are not algal 'safe havens' created by piles of algae or goop.

So, here's the deal. If
  • you vacuum and brush to make SURE there are no piles of goo, AND
  • you maintain OTO orange or K-1515 20+ ppm chlorine levels today AND tomorrow, AND
  • you maintain chlorine levels BELOW OTO brown or K-1515 40+ ppm chlorine levels tomorrow, AND
  • you maintain constant EYEBALLS ON SWIMMERS with a continuous head count, AND
  • you warn people that new Lycra swimwear perish in your pool,
THEN, your kids can swim tomorrow.

The high chlorine will deal with the slime and pathogen and stop any NEW algae growth.

Caution: People are MUCH more chlorine-resistant than Lycra swim wear, so if someone shows up in a new Gottex swimsuit, that costs $10 per square inch of fabric used, you need to tell them to swim naked, or stay out of the pool. You can't even tell them to 'swim at their own risk' because if they do, they may end up swimming naked! Fashion Lycra has very poor chlorine resistance, at best. And Lycra swimwear, once the Lycra is gone, turns into loose nylon bags that will literally float off a swimmer. (Got some funny stories about commercial pools, but no time now!)

You might want to warn people to avoid swimming underwater with their eyes open; it may, or may not, be a problem.

But, you must, must, must watch the kids. I'm a former lifeguard instructor, and I hate going to pools or swimming areas where I see kids who are weak swimmers and who are NOT being watched closely. Add cloudy water, and my stress level goes through the roof. As a family (all lifeguards or former lifeguards), we avoid swimming where we'll see people swimming dangerously. I simply cannot relax and enjoy myself.

I would STRONGLY suggest having a dedicated parental 'watcher' who has NOT enjoyed any supplied alcoholic beverages, but who will constantly watch the kids while swimming. And keep the kids out, when no one's watching. Cloudy water is VERY often associated with drownings in shallow water.

But, if you can live within those guidelines, your kids can swim, not with perfect safety, but with what I consider to be an acceptable level of risk.