Spring start-up, new year with chorline, HELP!!

[CarlD]

Algaecide doesn't help. If Algae 60 is poly...<xxx> 60% and nothing else, it will drive your fc to 0, which is OK. However, other algaecides do more harm than good.

What you need is lots and lots of chlorine. Get your FC level to 12 and keep it there, checking 3x/day. Your pH is low so you should put in Borax to raise it. But for now, Bleach/liquid Chlorine and Borax are ALL you should put in. Don't worry about anything else till you break the back of the algae.

Carl

[Watermom]

Hi Digger! I was wondering about you the other day and curious if you would be back on the forum this year. Good to see you!

[Digger]

Oh yes, I am back! LOL! Thanks for thinking of me. I told my cousin about your site here, and convinced her to change from Baqucil. She talked to a chemist and they about had a fit when she said about straight chlorine usage. He said if you didn't get it totally right you could hurt the eyes of your bathers, etc. I just know I believe in everything on here, but hate to convince someone else, than if they did something wrong. She is changing from Baq. though, and is going to ask friends to help her that use chlorine. Anywho, I too was wondering about others here on the site. I guess I should of gotten on sooner. Time gets away quickly! Was it you who had bouts with cancer? I forget the backgrounds on others. Is your pool up and running. Each year I say I am going to be on top of it and have it up and running for a whole season. I just get into the gardening and put the pool off.

[Digger]

So Carl, I don't have to dump any water? I mean I will do a vac to waste to get algae and dirt out, and water will go out that way. But, I shouldn't worry about half empyting the pool and starting fresh? I just thought from the one post I read where the Cholrine level was 0, that they had a real problem? Also can I use the chemicals from last years test kit, will they be accurate enough? Do people have to get all new chemicals for in them each year? I always normally have problems with creeping PH, I never need to make it higher as a rule, if I remember right, I didn't check my notes yet, but isn't that what I used muriatic acid for? Should I possibly put chlorine in than check PH again, than add Borax if still needed than? How much Boxax do you add at a time ? Also what about the stabilizer. Shouldn't I get the chlorine level up first? Thank you SO MUCH!

[Watermom]

Digger,
Go ahead and start the bleach. You should take the chlorine level up to about 12 and try and keep it there. Test as many times a day as you can and each time, add enough bleach to get back to that level. Also, run the pump 24/7 while you are trying to clear this up. Backwash when your filter pressure rises 8-10 psi over clean filter pressure.

Your pH is a little low. Add about 1/3 of box of Borax slowly to the skimmer while the pump is running. See how much that raises it. You won't get an accurate pH reading when your chlorine is high. Test pH before adding doses of bleach. You are remembering correctly that muriatic acid is used to lower pH, something you don't need right now.

Don't worry about adding stabilizer (CYA) right now. Take care of clearing the pool first and add CYA later. Your test kit's reagents should still be fine as long as they were stored in the house over the winter.

You are remembering correctly that I am the one who has had cancer twice in the past 3 years. By the grace of God, I am currently in remission and praying to stay that way. Thanks for asking.

[CarlD]

No, I don't see a reason to dump water. You need to clean it and that's bleach's job.

Yes we all feel very lucky that our Lisa is better and in remission and able to educate us and entertain us (I can't wait for the new puppy stories to start! Our recent "puppy" was 10 months old and was, on the day we got him, able to stand up and look in my 14 year old's eye...but he was still a puppy, as two pairs of my wife's expensive Manolas and my youngest's sneakers attest to!)

Carl

[Digger]

I replied to both of your posts, either they did not post yet, or it was because my log in timed out? Anyhow for now, short and sweet like men like to text msg. LOL! Thank you so much,off to work on pool, have a wonderful day!

[Digger]

It has been crazy trying to get pool running, we needed bristles for pool head to clean, after returns for a few days, long boring story we finally got to START cleaning yesterday! Question? We vaqumed to waste until water level got down below skimmer, than I added chlorine. Our son in law who has somewhat more knowledge, plumber, understands pumps, etc., had a fit because I didn't get ALL the algae out! He said it would gum up the new sand in the filter. I know it is best to get out as much as you can, but I thought it was okay to let the chems start to do some work? He insists that I add more water and continue to vac to waste. Personally I understand, but...? Do you keep bringing the water levels up and vacuming to waste to get most of bottom debri out? Thanks!

[madwil]

The chlorine will kill the algae, and the filter will catch the debris and flush out when you backwash. It is best to get rid as much as practical- but you don't have to get every little piece.
It may cause your filter to need backwashed a couple times while completely clearing, but that is all!