Newbie with ?'s (mustard algae) (Deb)

[debs_pool]

Comments and suggestions and encouragment requested AGAIN! Thanks to every one of who have responded to me by post or PM -- I appreciate you!
(P.S. Madty -- please clear your PM box! LOL)

So here are my NUMBERS FOR TODAY:

7/14/06 (tested w/Wal-Mart kit) (Woo-hoo - received email today to say Ben's kit has been shipped out to me! )

Cl: ORANGE / retested 1/2 pool water & 1/2 distilled water (yellow - kind of dark)
Also tested it with a Cl strip from my friend's janitorial supply place (best I can tell - it was in the 10 - 50 ppm range (guide went up to 200 ppm for the strip)

Ph: 7.3

TA: 150 ppm

CYA: no test (no reagent) (was 40 when tested by my local pool store 7/10)

Clarity of water:

[B]Shallow End: Clear -- but not "crystal clear"
Slope(s) to deep: Clear -- around edges -- could kind of see middle
Deep End: Can see sloped sides
Bottom w/main drain: can see drain but not clearly (but I think better than yesterday

I've been keeping the BLEACH bottles busy! I am planning on vacuuming to waste tomorrow morning (then I'll have to add tap water! or my pump won't run! LOL -- that's really not funny) -- and then keeping the bleach going again tomorrow. Today my grass was mowed -- so some dirt probably got in my pool too! Geesh! Is this a TEST OF POP?

I still have some Bioguard Sanitizer - Everyday Chlorinating Granules (Will I ever use these?) What do you do with "stuff that you got from the pool store before you found the pool forum?"

THANKS again for ALL your help! I appreciate VERY VERY much!

[debs_pool]

Woo-hoo! I got Ben's kit in the mail today!

My numbers are:

FC: 19
CC: 0
TC: 19
ph: 7.6
Alk: 160
Cal: 150
Cya: 40
Temp: 83.5
Tested about 4:15 CST

(I am going to post my 1st test #'s also in that thread.)

I believe this mustard algae is just about ALL GONE and the deep end of my pool is cloudy but I can see the main drain better.

I must have been keeping pretty consistent with the bleach and the high FC since I began this on MONDAY!

Do I continue? Can I decrease the bleach? But the main question I have is ... WHEN CAN I SWIM? WE ARE HAVING A MAJOR HEAT WAVE!!!!

Can we get in if we don't get the water in our eyes? And wash off right after?

THANKS TO ALL OF YOUR THAT HAVE HELPED ME! When I figure out how to take pics & post pics I'll send a shot so you can see what you helped me with!

[brent.roberts]

Sounds like you've won the battle, just got to clear the water and the war will be over.

The water is in pretty good shape. Should think about getting the alk down once you're swimming again and having some pleasure from the pool.

Have you been putting a bit of DE in your filter to help clear it. Get a bag from the pool store. Backwash and start filtering again ... not the pressure carefully.
Start adding the DE to the skimmer about a cup at a time until the pressure goes up 1 PSI. Walk away and leave the filter running. You'll see a big difference in the water in 24 hours.

I'd be thinking about putting the poly 60 algecide in about now too.

With the CC at 0 I think you could start to let the chlorine drift down over the next few days and then stabilize it to match you CYA.

[river-wear]

Just one question, Brent. What's DE?

[GraceByDesign]

DE = Diatomaceous Earth

[brent.roberts]

DE is as GracebyDesign pointed out, diatomateous earth.

This is a fine powder made of the shells of diatoms... little critters that lived millions of years ago. It has properties like charcoal, which is also used for filters. It is used as the filter media in DE pool filters and gives dramatically better filtering than sand.

Here is a great chart showing the differences
http://www.poolplaza.com/pool-filter-comparison-2.shtml

Dead algae are pretty small and sand filters do not do a great job of getting them out, so adding a bit of DE puts a thin layer on top of the sand and improves the filtering ability. It gets washed away when you backwash so if you like what it does, you need to add a few cups after each backwash.
DE is powder like and will blow around pretty easy, and is not good to inhale so use caution when putting it into the skimmer and watch where the backwash goes ... preferably down a drain.

[topless]

This is exactly the problem I'm having as well. (I'm not far from OK either)
I just ordered my test kit and my wife is heading out to pick up some extra bleach. I have fought mustard algae for the last couple of years.
I use 3" tablets, and if I understand what I've read, that could be part of my problem? I always have low ph and high total alky. I'm so tired of talking to young kids at the pool stores, who just don't know the answers.
I've put so much algaecide in my pool I'm afraid to swim and the algea seems to like it. Last year I used the Banish 2 times and the algae keeps coming back. I just used a quart of Leslie's Copper Algae stuff, let it sit for 2 days, vaccumed to waste, and this morning it looks just like before. At this point I'm ready to try anything.