Stubborn algea - Cl is good, using algeacide ????

[WayneB]

Hello

I am a new pool owner trying to find my way......

I have streaks of yellow-green algea in my otherwise well balanced pool. I keep chlorine high (5+....any downside to that ??), ALK = 100, pH = 7.4
Hardness = 280. I have added 32 oz of algeacide for the past few weeks (startup levels), to no avail.

A workmate told me to place shock in a sock, and lay it on the areas of algea. All this did was turn the algea from yellow-green to drak blue.

What are the best types of algeacide ? I have just changed to 7% copper, and feel like that may have been a mistake.

Any advice for me ? Thank you in advance.

[PoolGuy]

Are you swimming in this pool with it at 5...?

Keep your pool at 1.5 to 3 ppm....as for the algae, use POLY-60. do not shock it no more,and make sure you clean thar fillter all the time,and it is running 24/4 for the next 3 days

[Julian55]

brush,brush,brush, close your skimmer line to increase suction on the bottom of the pool, if you don't have a main drain put your vac hose in the deep end and leave it there. if you have a cover leave it off for a few days

Copper algecide is good, but once you add metals to your pool you can no longer add granular chlorine to your pool directly, you must put it through the skimmer, the chlorine will stain now if it hits the plaster.

[Wayne B]

Pool Guy;

First of all thanks for the help........

Seriously what is wrong with swimming in 5+ chlorine ?? I am real concerned about keeping the chlorine high to manage this algae.

And by clean filter, you mean backwash ? Once a week ? I have only done it 2x this year, as the pressure drop is OK. Is the concern that the algae is in the filter ?

Lastly, why no shock ?.....

And do you agree with the other post about now that I have used copper, I risk staining ?

[user]

Swimming at 5plus chorine is toxic to people!

[Backglass]

Seriously what is wrong with swimming in 5+ chlorine ?? I am real concerned about keeping the chlorine high to manage this algae.

It probably wont hurt you long term (as long as your aren't drinking it!) but expect your skin to dry and your suits to fade considerably. I guess you could just swim naked and buy Lubriderm by the gallon. I wouldn't swim long or have my kids swim in a 5+ chlorine pool though.

And by clean filter, you mean backwash ? Once a week ? I have only done it 2x this year, as the pressure drop is OK. Is the concern that the algae is in the filter ?

You only need to backwash if the filter pressure is high. The algae in the filter are dead and actually (assuming sand) a filter with some junk in it "filters" better than a bed of clean sand. Sand filtering efficiency increases as the pressure goes up.

Lastly, why no shock?

Probably because you are already at high chlorine levels.

And do you agree with the other post about now that I have used copper, I risk staining ?

I avoid copper algaecide because I have enough problems with my hard well water. That being said, copper is the good ole' standard for killing tough algae however. After you have the problem licked, you can add some metal-out and remove the copper. IN the meantime add your chlorine in the skimmer to minimize any staining.

And Julian55 was right...brush, brush, brush. You want to scrub off the dead layers so that your algaecide and chlorine can kill the lower. protected layers. A couple times a day if possible...the more the better.