When to use polyquat?

[littleHeidi]

I've been fighting green algae for almost a week now. I went to Walmart today and bought 15 gallons of bleach (again). I also picked up a bottle of the 60% polyquat - just in case. How long should I keep up the shock/brush/vacuum routine before it becomes necessary for me to add the poly? I wasn't keeping the level up to 12 at first but AM as of today. Hopefully, the 15 gallons will be enough to finally kill this mess. It's still light green and cloudy. I'm starting to get frustrated. (We used a mesh net this year to cover instead of the tarp like last year so it's full of silt and pine needles!) Thanks for any help y'all can give me!

[Watermom]

Forget the poly for now and just stick with bleach. I'm sorry you have been fighting it for a week. We have been advising you all along in your other thread to keep your chlorine level at 12 without letting it yo-yo up and down. When the level fluctuates, as you have found, it will not kill the algae. Keep hammering it with bleach and maintain the reading of 12ppm and you will get rid of the algae. Hopefully within a couple of days of following this advice, your water will clear up. Run your pump 24/7 while you are doing this.

Watermom

[littleHeidi]

This was just a general question about when it was best to use polyquat and when it was best just to keep up with the bleach. I only referred to my current situation (as already posted elsewhere) for some background information. Is using polyquat ever advantageous or just a way for the pool places to accumulate more (unecessary) money?

[Watermom]

Some people do add it as a preventative. Others don't. I never use it except at closing and then I put in a double dose. If you are diligent at testing your water and keeping your chlorine at the appropriate levels, then you don't really ever need polyquat. In my opinion, why spend the money on something you don't really need. Of course, that is only my opinion. Some people do use it and that is fine, too.

Watermom

[littleHeidi]

So, it won't kill algae already there, just prevent new algae growing? I see now. Thanks!

[JohnT]

(We used a mesh net this year to cover instead of the tarp like last year so it's full of silt and pine needles!)

Leaving organic material in a pool is a good way to stain the liner and may predispose the pool to future algae problems by increasing the water's phosphate level. You should vacuum or scoop out what you can. Brushing daily will also speed up algae control.

[mwsmith2]

If you are diligent at testing your water and keeping your chlorine at the appropriate levels, then you don't really ever need polyquat.

From what i've experienced in the past few years, this isn't always true. Two summers ago, I was on bleach. I kept slugging it in there, but had to add poly to keep the mustard down. I figured this was from the "yo-yo" bleach levels I was getting. Last summer, I installed a SWC. I was able to easily keep my Cl at a constant 5+. I still had mustard. CYA was at 40 or so. I kept having to brush the pool every week. I slopped a quart of poly in there and *poof* the mustard went away for the rest of the season.

Yeah, surprised me too. I figured the high Cl would take care of bidnezz, but it didn't. I think once your water temps get high, even Cl won't hold it down.

Michael

[littleHeidi]

Thanks for the tip, Michael. The label isn't real clear on whether or not it clears up algae you already have. Good to know!

[littleHeidi]

After fighting the algae for two weeks and being told on here to just keep pouring the bleach in, I decided to use the polyquat. The NEXT day my water was clear as a bell and all I had to do was vacuum the dead stuff up. From now on, I'm starting off with the polyquat and saving all that money on bleach. (We wasted about $100 or more JUST on bleach.) Thank you, Michael so much for giving the push to use it!!!

[duraleigh]

Little Heidi,

Your heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has tried to help you over the last two years is so overwhelming I am tearing up just a little

Dave S.