It's not just Newbies Who Open To Algae!

[PoolDoc]

Take pictures!

Ben

[CarlD]

Take pictures!

Ben

I KNEW there was something I forgot to do!!!!!!

Carl

[Big Mike]

Hey Carl,

When you turned the pump on the first time, did you run it on filter or circulate with the overload of chlorine? I'm opening up to the same thing today and I'm trying to decide if I should filter right off the bat or wait and let the bleach start killing the green jello?

[madwil]

personally, even if not dead the filter can start trapping algae, and the FC will kill it in the filter as well as out; Backwashing still gets rid of whats in the filter!
I would run in filter, unless extended periods resulted in excessive clogging!

[AnnaK]

This happened to me this year as well. The ice was all thawed, there were leaves on the bottom, the water was very cold. The night temperatures were still below freezing and we couldn't possibly connect the equipment. Time passed, the weather stayed cold, and the next thing I know the water has that unmistakable green tinge. Oops! I dumped in 3 gallons of Clorox and swished it around with the brush. That weekend we hooked up the pump and filter, I gave it another jug of bleach, and hey, everybody is happy.

Since then, I brought the test kit up from the basement. FC was good and high, CYA was 0, TA was low. I'm running with trichlor tabs for now until the CYA is where I like it, added some baking soda, put in the steps, and the dogs have been swimming since the beginning of May.

Green water happens.

The pollen this year, though, my goodness! We have honeysuckle and autumn olive and the fluffy stuff they dump is awesome! I've had to stop using the socks for a while because they clog too fast and choke my pump. As it is, I'm having to empty the basket twice a day when I run the pump during the day.

This too shall pass. Soon it'll be warm enough in these parts for me to get in the pool. I can't wait!

[CarlD]

Well,I first had to add sufficient water to get the skimmer properly covered, then I turned it on to filter. The really big junk gets caught in the skimmer anyway, and the rest backwashes out. I'm now ready to put in another dose of DE and a skimmer sock. It was SO full of junk that a skimmer sock would have been clogged in about 7 minutes!

But the key first, last and always is lots and lots of chlorine.

[CarlD]

Today's numbers, 8 days after I opened to green slime.

19,000 gallons, Vinyl, AG, 40'x16' rectangular FantaSea, 200# sand filter, 2spd Hayward SuperPump, 1hp
FC: 4.5
CC: 0
TC: 4.5
pH: 7.4
T/A: 40
CYA: 20
CH: ?
Temp: Cold

My water is crystal clear now.
I used
8 gallons of LC (12.5%),
4lbs of Di-chlor powder (left over from last season)
1 Tri-chlor tab, and (left over)
filled a floater with 1" Tri-chlor tabs twice (left over)
1 box of Borax

Since I still have tri-chlor, which I'm going to use until CYA=30, my plan is:
Watch pH. When it hits 7.0-7.1 (from the Tri-Chlor), I will add a box of Arm&Hammer Washing soda. This will raise my pH and my T/A, which is nominally low.

I put a skimmer sock in today, so I don't have to backwash as much.

From my POV, I consider my pool water essentially perfect. I won't actively make adjustments, but I will passively do so.

Now all I need are a bunch of realistic looking rubber snakes to try to keep the birds from cr@pping in the pool, which they've done more in the last week then they have done in the last 5 years.

Carl