BBB Fan with mustard algae in Intex pool

[CherieMc]

I have a 13,000 gallon Intex metal frame pool, 24" round, and have been utilizing the BBB method this summer with much success until recently. I live in northeast Florida, and it has been very hot with lots of rain, so everything got out of whack. Yellow algae, high ph at 8.2, TA at 110, stabilizer at 100pm, chlorine at 2. Not knowing what to do, I went to my local pool supply store. I dosed my pool with 3 oz. of pool acid added to water then into the pool, and I waited three hours and added two gallons of 10% chlorine and Stop Yellow 1 lb. I brushed the sides and bottom of the pool, and I cleaned the filter. After 48 hours, we are to add two more gallons of chlorine. Tomorrow I plan on adding 4lbs of baking soda. I have always run an Intex salt water system before, but I have not been able to clean the cells well enough with vinegar. Muratic acid will be tried tomorrow! I have a Hayward pump and Intex sand filter, but have not been able to get them hooked up, as my other half thinks the dinky cartridge filter should be enough. I felt like a traitor buying the Stop Yellow and 10% chlorine by the way.

[CarlD]

DO NOT ADD THE BAKING SODA!
It is to RAISE Total Alkalinity, which is already at 110. In fact, do not worry about anything but pH and FC levels at this point.

The Stop Yellow is probably a bad idea, unless its actually Polyquat 60% or Polyquat 30%. Even so, if it is Polyquat, what it WILL do is drop your FC precipitously, but that's OK.

The 10% chlorine is good (Liquid chlorine, I presume), but you MAY find WalMart 8.25% bleach quite a bit cheaper.

You need to get your pH down--test it when the chlorine is low, because high chlorine levels make pH look higher than it is, but at 8.2, it's high. Again, IGNORE TA for now. It doesn't matter if you use dry acid or Muriatic Acid to lower your pH, just as long as you get it back into the mid-7's. Muriatic Acid will work faster, but be careful. Do NOT breath the fumes, wear gloves and goggles, and I like to pour it into a 5 gallon bucket that's already pretty full of pool water first, so it doesn't collect and dissolve the liner. If it damages a bucket, that's not an expensive problem.

Good luck!

With your CYA/stabilizer at 100 you need to get your Free Chlorine level up to 25ppm at least, and keep it there till the algae is all dead.

[Watermom]

What kit did you use to get your numbers? CYA tests top out at 100 so a reading of 100 can mean 100 or any number higher than 100. Redo the test with a dilution. Take equal parts of pool water and distilled water and then run the CYA test again with that mixture and multiply your results by 2. Then, post that reading.

I'm not too familiar with Yellow Out, but there was a fairly recent thread where PoolDoc gave some information and advice in regards to using it. From what he told the other poster, you want your pH high while using it.

I can't link the thread here because as a trial member, you wouldn't be able to follow the link. But, if you will first log out, you'll be able to see and read the rest of the forum. Look in the section of the forum called "Dealing With Algae and Slime." I bumped up the thread I want you to read that is titled "Yellow Mustard Algae and Yellow Out."

Welcome to the Pool Forum, by the way!

[CherieMc]

Thank you Carl. I won't add the baking soda. I usually use the Walmart 8.25, and will return to this after this. The Stop Yellow is sodium bromide. The pool is blue but cloudy today, and I checked the filter, and it is looking clean.
Thank you for your advisement!
Cherie

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I used test strips, but then took a sample to my local pool supply, so those numbers are from them. I will be glad when I have access to all the threads, but my pool looks to be clearing up just fine at this point.

Thanks Watermom!

Cherie

[BigDave]

Please do not use the sodium bromide. It will create a chlorine demand that will be very hard to overcome.

[Watermom]

Please do not use the sodium bromide. It will create a chlorine demand that will be very hard to overcome.

She already did ............

I have asked Ben to pop in on this thread when he is able.

[CarlD]

Oh, Boy! It's going to take a LOT of chlorine to clear out that sodium bromide. Doesn't it gunk up the filter as well, or is that only the Baq conversion that does that? As I remember, the S-B will kill algae and make the pool clear very fast (good), but getting the S-B out so it maintains FC levels is going to take as long and as much chlorine as it would have anyway (bad). Could be wrong about this.

If she can get 12.5% 5 gallon carboys it may be what's needed. And she MUST get a proper test kit--at least the WalMart HTH 6-way drop test kit, but preferably the K-2006.

[PoolDoc]

@ Carl, WM: sodium bromide is converted to free bromine when you add a chlorine source, such as bleach. Ammonium chloride is the other "Yellow X" product; it combines with chlorine to form monochloramine. You have to destroy monochloramine before swimming, but you can swim in brominated pools just fine. The problem is, you cannot 'stabilize' the chlorine (bromine!) loss, so usage is very high.

@ All: the mustard treat thread is here: http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php/25757

"Stop Yellow" appears to be a Pinch-a-Penny product of the ammonia variety.

[CarlD]

I KNEW there was a reason not to add bromine to a chlorine pool.....