algea in pool

[Watermom]

Your cya level is drastically different than before. We are always leery about pool store readings and test strips so I don't know which one to believe. Also, since it could be 50, I am now skeptical to tell you to shock up to 25 as we suggested before when we thought your cya was 100. Can you go and buy the drops based kit I suggested above and test the cya yourself? We put more faith in test results that we do ourselves. You should also run the cl test yourself and use the dilution method I described above. Then repost and we'll go from there.

[tara15]

ok....

i got the test kit with 5 drops and the strips as well to compare...i know you dont like the strips.

here are the results

total chlorine(by diluted it the way you told me to) 15 or even higher
cya 70
ph 7.2

test strip
free chlorine over 5
ph 7.6
ta 150
cya 100


ok so now what?

[Watermom]

I'm more inclined to go with the results from the drops based kit rather than teststrips, so we'll assume the first results are somewhat accurate. Keep your chlorine level between 15-20 for a few days. Test and redose with bleach as often as practical to take it back up to that level instead of letting it drop much. Run your pump 24/7. That should clear your pool. Keep an eye on your ph. Don't want it to go lower than 7.2.

Keep us posted how things are going.

EDIT: I'd still consider a partial drain to lower that cya level.

[tara15]

ok. so things are ok so far. pool looks a little less green i think. i backwashed this am and a lot of green came out so thats good. levels are still holding. ph is at 7.2 and i dont want it to drop so how much borax would i add to increase it if needed? I might just leave the cya alone for this season since only about a month or so left. once i get the pool blue and cleared up, do i still need to maintain a fc at 15-20? if so, is that safe for people to swim in? thanks

[Watermom]

PH is OK at 7.2, but if it drops any, add Borax slowly so you won't get it too high. I'd probably do no more than a fourth of the box at a time.

Keep your chlorine at shock level. Glad it is looking better - but keep hammering it with bleach. Test it at least 3x a day and each time, take it back up to shock level.

After the pool is cleared, keep the high cl for one extra day as insurance and then you can let it drop back down. But, with cya of 70, you'll want to keep it between 5-10 ppm all the time and yes, it is safe to swim in at that level.

[tara15]

ok...so ive been testing the water at least 2 times a day. the ph is staying at 7.2 and the fc is at least 15. i tried diluting it a little more and multiplying by 4 and it was still very yellow. the pool cleared up dramatically where it is now clear, but still a little green. ive been adding 1.5 gallons of bleach daily, backwashing daily and vacuming daily. I got up A LOT of algea. so, how much longer do you think before the pool is blue again? also, how do you guys feel about the phos free solution to keep algea from feeding? thanks for all of your help.

[duraleigh]

Tara,

I am pretty sure you are not using enough bleach. 1.5 gal daily will only raise your pool 6ppm. I don't know where your chlorine level is now but, if you'll post that, someone here will advise you on how much more to add so your pool will clear more quickly. My guess is the delay in clearing your pool is not getting your chlorine high enough.

Save your money on that Phos Free stuff...you don't need it....you need chlorine.

Oops! I misread your post. I see now where you say your Cl is around 15ppm. That's good. Be sure to check it again this evening and add enough to bring it right back to 15ppm...a little higher won't hurt....Did you ever determine a more accurate CYA level?