Algae!!!!

[Watermom]

I wondered if it might be the case when you said it was so cheap. You'll have to use a little more than twice as much as the recommended dose when using 6% bleach.

[PoolDoc]

Yes, instead of 3 gallons, you'd need 7. Surely, you have a Walmart nearby where you can get 6% stuff?

You need to remember that, with algae, if you're not winning, you're losing! When it recovers from your chlorine doses, it's as if you never added them. So essentially, if you don't add enough to kill the algae, you're simply wasting what you do put in.

[CarlD]

If you have a Leslies Pools nearby, their Dichlor is pretty good--they don't doctor it. So is their Trichlor tabs. It's pricy but if you cannot get sufficient bleach it's a reasonable alternative.

Please read our stickies on fighting algae. They DO work.

B-B-B is a process of doing what's simple, but what is effective. You CAN do everything with bleach (though I prefer the double-strength Liquid Chlorine--but it's the same thing). However, it doesn't mean you cannot use the other standard chlorine sources: Dichlor powder, Tri-chlor tabs, and Cal-Hypo powder. Just use them wisely.

[DEBKNTX]

Thanks so much Watermom for picking up on that, it's true, you get what you pay for!! I thought bleach was bleach, never knew it had a percentage!!! I picked up some real 6% last night at the Dollar General, now I should be seeing some change in the chlorine!!!

[DEBKNTX]

Thanks PoolDoc, yes I will get to the Walmart today and stock up on what I had been using before I got dazzled by the $1 price on that other stuff. I've had a lot going on here and my daughter in law had found this cheaper one at Walmart, I never thought to look at the ingredients but began to wonder why this did not work like it did the 1st time we did the bleach method.
Now the 20 Mule Team Borax and regular baking soda are all the same right? lol!!! I get the Borax at Walmart but the baking soda I get in a large bag at Costco's for a good price.

[DEBKNTX]

Thanks Carl, The mananger of Leslies is an idiot and I try not to go there when he is working, he messed me up on some parts to my pool by ordering the wrong part (that took the slow boat from China) even though I took the old part in with the part number and tht delayed repairing my pool all last year, so I now order parts online from a company called Aqua-man in Az, I get personal service from the tech, he knows all the parts to my pool , has them in stock and the prices are reasonable, shipping is ultra fast as well, ( at times I got next day delivery at regular price).
I sat down with my husband and went over all the instructions on algae on this site and now we both have a better understanding of what we are dealing with.
Thanks again for the forum and now that I am not going to be spending a fortune on products that don't work I can complete my membership next payday so I don't have to wait for my posts to be moderated, hehe!!

[Watermom]

Borax and baking soda are NOT the same thing. Borax is sodium tetraborate and is used to raise pH without affecting alk much. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate and is used to raise alk.

[DEBKNTX]

Watermom, I hope you get your power back soon, I feel so bad for all of you suffering in this heat with no power!!! Ours went out the other day for an hour and we were climbing the walls!! I cant imagine all this time you hav ebeen without, Prayers to you and all affected!!!

[Watermom]

Thankfully, it finally came back on after 7 full days of not having power and having 100 degree temps outside. Thank you for your concern. That is very kind of you.

[DEBKNTX]

I guess I worded that wrong, I know what borax and baking soda is for, just wanted to make sure there wasn't a particular % I had to use like the clorox needing to be 6% and was using 2.75.