Hello! I have an algae problem

[poolnoobie]

Hello everyone.

Our pool is an inground pool around 20,000 gallons I would guess. This is our first full summer with the pool and it's been touch and go. It looks great for a few weeks, then it turns green. We've always been able to shock it though and get it looking good again, except this time. It's bad green and my husband has shocked it, put algicide in it, and im backwashing the pump more often than normal and nothing is helping, its still green as ever!

What should I do first?

[aylad]

Hi, and welcome to the forum!

The first thing you should do is get a good set of test results, taken with a drop-based kit, no strips. A critical result that you need is the one for CYA, since that determines the level of chlorine you'll need to attain "shock" level to kill the algae. Once we know the CYA level, we can help you calculate doses of chlorine (we recommend bleach for this purpose) to reach and maintain shock level for as long as it takes to clear the pool up and get to the point where you can go from sundown one night to sunup the next morning without losing chlorine. At that point you can let the chlorine drift back down to "normal" levels, but again, that level will depend on your CYA level.

Don't add any more algaecide, and tell us exactly what you've added to the pool (ingredients, not product names like "shock". Also, if you can fill out this short form with your pool's info, it will help us help you better..
Pool Chart Entry Form

[PoolDoc]

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