Another green cloudy pool

[aylad]

Are you just dumping chlorine in once a day? If so, your pool is probably not ever going to clear up. You need to get it to shock level, and KEEP IT THERE by testing/adding more chlorine 2-3 times daily. You also need to be brushing at least daily, and have your filter running 24/7, backwashing as needed.

Just a word of caution about algaecides--they are generally better at preventing algae blooms than they are at killing existing ones, and some of them tend to create more problems like foamy water.

Janet

[CarlD]

Leslies also has another kit:
Chlorine FAS-DPD Service Test Kit that includes the high-range FAS-DPD chlorine test. It's basically the Taylor 2006 but the one Taylor makes that's Leslie's branded.

Do not, NOT, NOT use "green algaecide". Your wife may think it's a magic bullet but there is no such thing in pool care. You will end up with more problems than you have now.

Follow Janet's advice instead. There is no better algaecide than chlorine. Since you don't have a vinyl or fiberglass pool, you can safely run your chlorine up much, much higher than Ben's shock level of 25ppm. This may buy you time if you cannot test 3x a day and add chlorine as you need it. Your pool will tolerate levels as high as 60ppm and may, as I said, buy you time before it drops below 25ppm.

But you won't kill the algae unless you hit that 25ppm mark.

You need one more ingredient, and it's vital: POP--for Pool Owner Patience. Full-blown algae blooms require a siege, not a blitzkrieg. It may take up to 2 weeks to clear your pool, but if you follow Janet's advice you should see progress in a few days. Progress, not completion.

[hulla]

Yes, I got the high chlorine test kit from Leslies. It says it tests from 0-20ppm. It comes with Taylor R-0870 powder, R-0003, and R-0871 FAS-DPD. Will this test past 20ppm?

I am brushing at least once a day and running the filter constantly. I can't backwash since I have a cartridge filter and no backwash valve.

This morning my chlorine tests at:

FC 21
CC 0

I will keep putting in chlorine.

Thanks for the responses.

[hulla]

Now my pool is clear blue. It is pretty but looks like food coloring. I can see the pool floor and drains fairly well now.

Is this the end point? Or should I keep the chlorine up until the blue goes away?

[bgray]

My recent experience and ample gut tells me that you should maintain shock levels until your water looks "right". I just went through a similar process with a cartridge filter. It's tough. I wanted to SHOOT anybody that uttered the words "... and then vacuum to waste".

One thing to remember: Keep your eye on the filter pressure. You are pushing a LOT of dead algae through there. When I was in the throes of my algae battle, I was cleaning the filter elements twice daily.

Hang in there. You're in the home stretch.