New pool new problems -- algae and iron!
This will be kinda long. Hello and thanks for taking the time to help us in need. I live in central MS and have a 20x40 vinyl liner rectangle pool with a 350lb sand filter, single skimmer, diving board and a fake wood deck all the way around. The pump is a Hayward 1 hp with a basket at the pump and an in-line chlorinator. Also have a Polaris unit that works.
I replaced both pumps 2 months ago. The liner is about 8 years old and needs to replaced soon. I have 3 teenagers that rarely use the pool and 2 labs that i have a hard time keeping out. This is a new pool to me but I have maintained a 28x36 for 7 years before this one with good results. I do have a Taylor test kit with the bigger bottles that is new this year and a few test strips. The filter pump is on a timer but i have removed the start/stop tabs for now.
We moved in at the end of the summer last year and the water was fine and remained stable and clear with minimal input from me until January this year. I don't have a cover and maintained the water all winter. I noticed the liner and all jets, stairs, and skimmer turning brown. Everything below the water level turned and i have been fighting that and algae ever since.
We had a lot of family problems this spring so i let the pool go because of no time to deal with it. I really started trying to clean it up about 5 weeks ago. Since that time I have battled with High ph and low alkalinity, persistent green algae on the bottom and have gone through 25 lbs of tabs, over 50 lbs of calcium hypo(68% and 78%) and 15 gallons of bleach, 25 lbs of baking soda, 4 gallons of muratic acid . I put in the natural stain remover 2 times with little success. and vacuumed to waste 2 or 3 times which was about half my water volume.
I went to my local pool store for help and what they suggested and sold me did work( for about 5 days). They suggested a floc and so i did. had to vacuum to waste 4 more times because of all the junk that fell and therefore another 20k gallons of water gone. I used the stored branded stain remover and metal control and that made my pool look as good as it ever has. Ph and alk were in line. It was blue and clear and all was great for 5 days. I took a picture this past Sunday 6/29 because it looked so good. Tuesday morning 7/1 complete reversal.
Now it looks exactly like it did before i spent over $300 at the pool store. I had to vacuum to waste again last night because of the layer of green on the liner and everything below the water level is stained again. Its an even stain like i dyed the liner a brown green color. Right now my fc and tc read at 4. ph is 7.6 and alk is 110. cya is 50 calcium is 200. I am out of shock and bleach. I have some acid, baking soda, 3" tablets, clarifier. I have some copper based algaecide but i am scared to use it because of the staining problem. I'm at my breaking point with this pool. Please help.
Last edited by PoolDoc; 07-12-2014 at 11:03 PM.
Reason: reformat for clarity
20 x 40 vinyl IG rectangle, 350lb sand filter, single skimmer, diving board, Hayward 1 hp, In-line chlorinator, Polaris pressure side cleaner.
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