My pool looks like a swamp

[vanman2501]

I have a severe case of algae. When I opened my pool over a month ago it looked like a swamp. I brought my chemicals up to normal then started shocking it after two weeks and no improvement I started shocking very heavy. My chlorine is off the charts high and has been that way for over two weeks and the pool still looks the same. I have vacuumed everyday. I have spent a more money on chlorine and shock over the past 6 weeks then I normally spend in a year. I have been think about giving up and draining the pool cleaning it and starting over. In the 10 years I have had this pool I have never had this problem.

vanman2501

[Watermom]

Welcome back to the forum. Sorry to hear that you are having problems, but we can help you get it fixed.

Can you please post a current set of water testing numbers taken with a drops-based kit (no test strips, please) and let us have a look at them. Also, please tell us what type of pool you have and the volume. We also need to know exactly what all you have put in the pool -- meanining ingredients, not just "shock."

Then somebody here can better advise you.

[CarlD]

In this very section read the stickied thread "Green, Cloudy, Disgusting Pool? You have ALGAE!!!"

EVERYTHING you need to know is there.

[Chris1]

Just a suggestion...IF you have tried everything else found on this site, AND you have a cartridge filter, you may want to check your cartridges.

I had a similar problem about 8 years ago when I opened to a swamp--it was my filter cartridges. They just couldn't keep up with the enormous algae bloom I had that year. Of course, I probably helped destroy them with the amount of chlorine I had to use, along with the number of times I had to clean them--even after vacuuming to waste. We're talking SWAMP! The pool cleared very quickly after changing them.

A serious algae bloom is difficult to deal with, even if you don't have a cartridge filter. Mine originated from having a mesh safety cover. I love the fact that it's light weight and I don't have to pump water off of it in the winter, but the mesh lets in light and algae grows quickly here in the spring before opening. To alleviate this problem, I purchased a 'mesh mate' cover that floats on the pool water's surface--under the mesh safety cover. Since it's black, it blocks out the sunlight and eliminates algae growth. I open to a clean pool every spring now.

Hope this helps

[vanman2501]

I have an above ground pool. It is 24' round and has 52" walls water level about 48". It holds around 18000 gallons of water if my calculations are correct.
I have a sand filter.
I have been using bleach and super shock.
I use baking soda and borax.
My readings are
FC 15 now it's much much higher
ph 7.5
TA 90
cya 50

[aylad]

With a CYA of 50, you want to maintain your chlorine between 15 and 20 ppm for "shock" level. If you let it yo-yo up and down, it will take a much longer time to clear than if you consistently have it at or above 15, so testing and adding extra chlorine to bump it back up several times a day will help you get through this faster. Your TA and pH are good for right now. Take a look at your "super shock" ingredients--is it dichlor or cal-hypo? If it's dichlor, then I would stop using it for shocking and use bleach instead (keeping in mind that "shock" is something you do TO your pool, not what you do it WITH) so that your CYA doesn't rise anymore. There are certain situations in which higher CYA is beneficial but on the average, you need to keep it between 20-40 ppm because the higher the CYA gets, the higher baseline chlorine level you need to maintain to compensate and keep your pool algae-free. With a CYA of 50, you already are going to have to maintain at least 3 ppm chlorine at all times, and the higher your CYA gets, the higher that chlorine minimum goes as well.

If you'll keep it shocked, and keep your pump running, the pool WILL clear--just be patient and try to remember that it didn't get that way overnight, so fixing the problem takes time too. Before long it'll be crystal!

Janet

[Watermom]

A few questions for you:

What ingredient is in your super shock?
How often are you testing and adding chlorine?

Your numbers look good. If you are maintaining that high of a chlorine level and not letting it drift down before you shock it back up, it is gonna kill algae. If you let it yo-yo up and down, it isn't gonna work and that is why many people can't get rid of algae.

TA, PH, and CYA levels are good.
Re-post with answers to the questions, and we'll go from there.

[vanman2501]

I don't know what the ingredients in the shock was I bought two bottles to see if it would help but I used it and tossed out the containers. I went back to bleach since then. I have been testing and shocking it once a day. The chlorine seems to be holding well. I was surprised at that since in the past I always had trouble holding shock level when I had a bad algae problem. I just checked it and it looks the same as it did 6 weeks ago. I will be going out to do my nightly duty of vacuuming and shocking. I have to go out of town so it's on it's on for a few days. I will put a couple of chlorine tablets in the floater and open it all the way to hopefully hold the chlorine level until I return.

vanman2501

[Watermom]

You really need to test at least twice a day to see how much the chlorine is dropping between bleach additions. When you are testing each day, what chlorine reading are you getting before you add bleach? Are you running the pump 24/7? Is there any debris on the bottom that you can scoop out? If so, that will speed up this process.

[vanman2501]

The lowest my chlorine has gone is 10 but most of the time it was around 15. I don't know what is at the bottom since I can only see down maybe an inch or so. I have gotten some leaves out from vacuuming but not a lot.

vanman2501