How can I tell if I have algae?

[RaceAngel88]

Last evening the pool looked better, but not great. I vacuumed for the 4th day in a row and took a brush and scrubbed the walls down. I think I will bring the chlorine up to shock level for a few days just in case I do have algae. Last night my numbers were: FC=2, CC=.5, CYA=140, PH was at least 8.2--that's as high as my test goes. I added muriatic acid to try to bring the PH down. I added a gallon of bleach (8.25%) to start to bring the chlorine up. That's all the bleach I had on hand. This morning my numbers were: FC=19, CC=.5, and PH was still at least 8.2. I'll purchase more bleach and muriatic acid today. I think I'll try adding the DE as well, if I can find it. I live in a rural area with no pool stores. I'd like to have this pool looking good by June 18th for a BBQ at our house. How long should I keep the pool at shock level to ensure any algae is dead?

[swimdaddy]

I would like to here more from Teapot about bringing CYA down with high chlorine? That sounds interesting, never heard that before. Would be interesting to compare the cost of chlorine to the cost of a refill.

You could keep your CYA at 140, and your FC at 8-15 (probably on the higher side of that), but your shock level is more like 25ppm. Can I ask why your CYA is so high? What do you use in your pool. You shouldn't be using anything with CYA in it at this point.

I use DE in my filter, works pretty good, and I also occasionally use polyquat algaecide as a clarifier (maybe 2 times a year). BUT, the reason I have to do these things is my filter is too small. Way too small of a surface area and way to big of a pump. Everything gets pushed through and beaten into smaller particles (my theory), so you end up with a cloudy pool.

I had to order DE off Amazon, Clorox brand, came in a huge box and was pretty cheap.

I have never used the skimmer socks so I don't no how they work, I know some people on this forum like them.

[RaceAngel88]

Well, I think I made a rookie mistake (probably a number of them, LOL) and that's how the CYA got so high. I use Kem-Tek 007 Pool and Spa All-in-One Concentrated Chlorinating Granules (or at least I did until I found that the CYA had gotten so high). Now I'm only using bleach 8.25%. When I uncovered the pool and the dirt and debris slipped off of the tarp and into the pool, and I found that the water temp was already well over 60 degrees, I panicked and put the chlorinating granules in without testing the water first. The pool was over halfway full when I closed it last fall. Then I had to slowly fill it with well water because it's too hard on the well to run it and run it until the pool's full. So this process takes several days. In the meantime, the pump was not running because the pool wasn't full enough. So the chlorinating granules were not getting mixed up. They were concentrated in one spot. This is why I'm fearful that algae was starting to grow in other places in the pool. When I finally got the pool full and the pump going I tested PH and chlorine but NOT CYA. This was a mistake because I thought my chlorine levels were fine but they really needed to be much higher. I probably put too much of the granules in when I should've been using straight bleach. So... my cloudy water could be due to one of three things, or a combo of all of them: (1) possible algae; (2) the dirt and debris that got into the pool; or (3) the crappy, hard well water that I used to fill the pool the rest of the way.

[FormerBromineUser]

Our Home Depot carries DE. The brand is Pooltime.

[RaceAngel88]

I'm going to try the DE. I can't find it in the stores in my area (small towns). I could drive to Lincoln to get it but that's an hour and a half away, LOL! So I ordered it on Amazon. I'll start by adding about 1/8 of a cup of DE mixed in with pool water and watch the psi on the pump/filter. In the meantime, I keep vacuuming every evening but the water is still cloudy. It's a slow process. I'm still trying to get the chlorine up to shock level. I'm adding bleach and muriatic acid every night just before dark. The numbers this morning were: FC=22, CC=.5, CYA=120, PH=7.8. I hope I'm on the right track!

[FormerBromineUser]

Been thinking.... Can you bite the bullet and get your FC up to 30? ChemGeek has recommended that your shock level be 40% of your CYA. That would put you at 48. Yikes. Lots of bleach. So I am thinking 30, rather than 25 would help a little. Also, rather than only adding once a day, do it twice a day.

[RaceAngel88]

Yes, I can definitely do that. I was tempted to put more bleach in this morning when I found it was only at 22. I'm willing to put bleach in 2 or even 3 times a day if necessary to get rid of any potential algae. Once I've got it at 30, and can maintain that level, how many days do I keep it there? I assume it's safe for me to get in the water to vacuum it, etc. at 30, correct? I think it just has the potential to make clothing fade at that level.