Fighting algae for the 3rd time!

[Olugly]

Ok guys, I'm at my wits end. I have a above ground pool (24' x 54") that I'm going crazy over. The water is cloudy with dead green algae. I've had the water tested 3 times and it always comes back good. I tried flocking agents. I even started draining the pool to start over but was told to never drain a above ground pool because the liner would shrink. So with a foot of water left I started refilling it. My ears are open.. Thanks!

[Watermom]

We'll need some good testing numbers to be able to help. (No test strips.) If you have green algae, it isn't dead.

Tell us what kind of pool you have, volume, and type and size of pump and filter. Also, exactly what all you have put in the pool. Not just product names, but ingredients. Then, someone here try and help you get this cleared up.

(If you don't have a good kit, get a Taylor K2006 or 2006C --- test kit link in my signature below.)

[Olugly]

It is a above ground pool ( not intex). It's a 24' round ( roughly 7700 gallons). It has a sand filter with it but I'm not sure of the size. I know it takes 4 bags of sand and stands about 3.5' tall. ( I can get more info tomorrow). In the beginng, the numbers were awful. I brought the numbers up to: ph7.5, alky 100, chlorine 2. Then I shocked the pool pretty hard. ( 2 lbs). Then after the numbers settled I added a algaecide ( copper was the main ingredient ) I believe the brand was Aqua chem?

It went from green to a aqua color but was extremely cloudy. I tried the flock listed in a previous post, followed directions and 48hrs later the was no change.. Decide to drain the pool. I got 3/4 of it drained when my local pool supplier ( 110 miles away) told me to stop ASAP and refill because the liner could shrink and cause me a lot more trouble. So now I have refilled it, vacuumed all the left over algae to waste. I have noticed some new algae forming.

Current numbers are chlor-0, ph 6.4, alk 60. I'm about to get ph/alky back to good readings and start over with anyone's advice.

Thanks!!

[PoolDoc]

1. Serious gallon calculation error:

24 round AG pool, 54" walls, 3.9' water depth:
12*12 (diam) *3.14 (pi) * 3.9 ft of water * 7.46 gallons/cft = 13,155 gal

2. Do NOT worry about alkalinity . . . till everything else is fixed.

3. Add one box of borax daily -- slowly, to the skimmer, with the pump running -- till the pH is > 7.2

4. Add (4) gallons of plain 8.% household bleach EACH evening. Brush the pool after.

5. Once all algae is dead, drop back to 1 - 2 gallons each evening.

6. If you have a 2 speed pump, run on LO. If you have a valve downstream of the pump, thottle it, till flow has slowed by 1/2. (AG sand pool filters are usually too small for the pumps. Pushing dead algae THROUGH the filter seems to break it up into particles too fine to filter.

7. After all algae is dead, do the DE test on your sand filter: read http://pool9.net/de-test/ (Links is not live yet -- but it will be by the time your algae is dead.)

8. Order a K2006 test kit (kit links in my signature) -- you WILL need one.

9. Do NOT add any more floc or other mystery chemicals.


Comments: Tell your pool guy, "Thanks!". He saved your liner for you!

Questions:
1. What is the make / model of filter and pump. (Model of pump, NOT motor, is usually on the wet end of the pump.)

2. What is the brand and product name of the floc used?

3. How are you testing?

[Olugly]

1. Thanks! I got the volume off a online calculator.
2. Ok
3,4,5. Ok. I'll see if I can find borax around here.
6. It's a one speed pump but I do have valves before/ after the pump/filter.
7. What exactly is a DE test of the filter? I read the sticky but not sure what DE is.

I'll have to get the rest if the pump/flock info tomorrow.
Hth 5 way test kit, but having water tested weekly at pool store

[Watermom]

You can buy 20 Mule Team Borax in the laundry aisle at Walmart.

Diatomaceous earth is a powder made from the fossilized skeletons of tiny aquatic organisms called diatoms. It is used as the filter media in DE filters (among other uses). You can get it from a pool store and possibly from a home improvement store although I am not certain about that.

Your 5-Way kit only allows you to measure chlorine levels up to 5ppm. The kit we recommend (Taylor K-2006 or 2006C) will read chlorine readings up to 50ppm. So, having this kit makes it a lot easier to clean up a pool since it is necessary to keep elevated chlorine levels while you do so. We have found through the years that pool stores typically don't always give accurate testing results.

[Olugly]

Update. I haven't thought about getting the filter info but the ph is 7.8 and I just added the 4 gallons of bleach.

[Olugly]

I got more time to post now. After a few hours of adding everything yesterday here were the numbers using the new recommended test kit. Chlorine was around 6, ph 7.4, alky was 100. Retested this morning, chlorine was 0, ph 7.1 alky 80. Added more borax and 4 more gallons off Clorox and brushed again

[BigDave]

Did you perform the CYA test? What's the result?

[Olugly]

Update. I go out and test pool. All numbers are good.. Water is blue, much clearer! I'm still looking for somewhere that sells DE to help filter the smaller things (I can see the bottom but It's not clear enough to see the liner patten) but I'll drop down to the 2 gal of Clorox today.