Algae!!!!

[Watermom]

we bought several gallons of bleach at Walmart for $1 each and have stocked up

Look on the ingredient label. Does it say 6% sodium hypochlorite or some other concentration? I've never seen 6% bleach that cheap at Walmart.

[PoolDoc]

It's even cheaper in Chattanooga -- must be the cost of hauling that bleach up into those powerless and steep W. Virginia mountains. (The drivers may get hazard pay due to all the snakes!)

[Watermom]

This week I don't care if they bring cheap bleach up my steep WV mountain or not if they will just BRING THE UTILITY TRUCKS UP MY HILL AND GET MY ELECTRIC RESTORED!!!

Day 7 with no power and for the most part, no ice ......... but who's counting!

My parents had their power restored last night so we are hanging out at their house today using the internet and sucking up as much air conditioning as we can in preparation for going back home tonight to my house that is about 95 degrees inside. Outside temps are around 100. Been spending lots of time in my pool. Though dirty (since I have no power to run the pump and vacuum), the water is clean and clear and a place to get some relief from the heat. I just keeping dumping in a jug of bleach each evening. No green pool at my house! And, Mr. Ben, no snakes, either!

[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]

Actually it's 2.75%, will tht make a difference in how much to use? WE have put in 3 gallons a night and in 4 days have not seen an increase in the chlorine level.

[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.

[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!!!

[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.