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[PoolDoc]

Re-reading some of this, it's not clear to me: was the Algae Max and the Sink and Sweep added BEFORE, or AFTER you drained?

[CarlD]

Just a note from me:

Ben's advice supersedes mine: Follow HIS advice, please--he's more on top of the subtleties of chemicals I do not buy and do not use!

[Traxl]

Thank you for the replies

Here is a timeline...

14 Apr - AlgaeMax & 2 pounds of Shock PLUS
16 Apr - Sink & Sweep
18 Apr - Phosphorous Reducer & 5 pounds of Shock PLUS
26 Apr - Drained pool from 44" to 18" (Depth verified with tape measure)

The pool was running continuously from the 14th to the 16th, and again from the 18th to the 26th. While running, I always kept at least one 3" Trichloro-s-Triazinetrione in the skimmer.

The pool has one skimmer, one return jet, a 16" sand filter, and a 1 hp single speed pump.

The owner said he replaced the sand last summer, and had algae then as well.

Right now I have a 30 foot round, 18 inch deep green pond. I have skimmed the surface numerous times, and every time I go through the pool, more algae floats to the surface. I'm a little hesitant to add anything to the pool (including water) at this point.

The quantities added were: 32 oz of Algae Eliminator MAX, 16 oz of Sink & Sweep, and 32 oz of Phosphate remover.

Thanks again!!!

[PoolDoc]

Ok, that's a relief. Let's redirect then.


1. Do not add water.

2. Buy 12 gallons of PLAIN 8% store brand bleach (Walmart?), 2 boxes of 20 Mule Team borax (Walmart?), and 1 gallon of plain 31% muriatic acid (Lowes, other hardware store) with NO sudsing or foaming additives. Also buy a cheapo OTO / phenol red testkit (yellow/red drops)(Walmart) and a trichlor floater (Walmart). Also, you'll need a small bag of DE powder to test / help your filter. You may not be able to get it locally, but you can get it from Amazon.

3. Test the pH levels.

4. If needed, use muriatic acid to lower the pH to ~7.0 - 7.2, to keep any remaining copper from staining. Mix the acid in a 3 - 5 gallon bucket: add 1 gallon of water, then 1/4 gallon of acid, and then 1 - 2 MORE gallons of water. Watch out for fumes; wear gloves and glasses. Once the acid is diluted, it will stop fuming. Add the acid around the pool, then rinse off any splatters with a hose. Then, take a brush on a pole, and stir the water to mix.

5. Once the pH is below 7.4, begin adding bleach, in 4 gallon doses in the EVENING. Use your acid bucket to dilute 1 gallon of bleach with 1-3 gallons of water, and pour around the pool. Once all 4 gallons have been added, mix with a brush on a pole. Wear old clothes (bleach EATS clothes and glasses).

6. Repeat evening doses, till the algae is dead. Once it is, fill the floater with trichlor and put it in the pool. Begin siphon vacuuming the pool to remove the settled algae. Add more water as needed to maintain levels.

7. One day after the last bleach dose, test chlorine and pH. Report results here.

8. Once you've siphoned as much settled algae as possible, begin refilling. Once the pool is full, turn the filter to the RECIRCULATE position and turn the pump on.

Your 16" filter is MUCH too small for that pool. Odds are the pump is too big, and capable of forcing the algae through the filter. Once this happens, it becomes much harder to remove the algae. My guess is, the algae particles get broken up into very small pieces that are hard to filter -- but I have no proof of that.

Once the pool is operating, TEST the filter, by (a) turning the pump off and switching to the FILTER position; (b) turning the pump on; (c) adding 2 - 4 cups of DE powder to the skimmer, (d) watching the pool return to see if the powder blows back into the pool. If it does, promptly return the filter to the recirculate position. If it does NOT, you are good to go. The DE powder will help capture the algae, but will make filter runs very short.

The tiny filter is the reason why you need to remove as much algae as possible, before filling the pool. Every year, we have several new PoolForum members who try to clean up algae, but force it through undersized filters, using their oversized pumps, and as a result, end up with cloudy pools for as much as 3 weeks!

9. Probably, before you get to step #8, you'll have your K2006. Report complete results once you have them. You may want to watch the testkit video series here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...99CY_BQXE1Jx6s

[Traxl]

PoolDoc,

Thank you so much!!!!! I will gather everything soonest, and start clearing up the algae tomorrow evening.

Thank you again for all of your help!!!!!

[Traxl]

The process has begun....

When I started, the pH was higher than the test kit could show. Took two doses of acid, approximately 1/2 gal, and it dropped to ~6.8 - 7.2. The color seems to be in between the 6.8 and the 7.2 on the test kit. This may be a little lower than what PoolDoc recommended. I then added the 4 gallons of Wal-Mart bleach, and mixed for around 5-10 minutes.

I took a couple of pictures before I started today, and will take pictures as I progress through this ordeal.

Thanks again to PoolDoc and everyone else that replied. Hopefully this gets rid of the algae once and for all.

[PoolDoc]

You can send the pics to poolforum@gmail.com; include the thread #23086

Thanks.

[BigDave]

Ben is absolutely right. 18" of water is not deep enough to safely add the acid directly to the pool. Diluting it first in a better controlled environment makes sense. Sheepishly, I didn't post that here - telling myself that we were already pretty far off topic.
I will still stand by A->W (unless it's already quite dilute). FWIW I've seen a drop of water dance on a volume of HCL and I've seen it explode splashing HCL all around.