Never ending Algae!

Algae problems in swimming pool water.
Green (cloudy) water or slimy pool walls.
Black algae. Mustard algae. Pink or white pool mold.
rj-m

never ending algae

Postby rj-m » Mon 14 Aug, 2006 08:39

ok..chlorine is 4.0
cyneratic acid is 55
ph 7.4
alkalinity they said went from 110 to 0.. but as she wanted to sell me another 40 pounds of baking soda the owner said to wait and suggested they change the sand in the filter first..it is a Hayward Sand Filter which this is its 4th season..

Recommendations??


me

Re: never ending algae

Postby me » Mon 14 Aug, 2006 10:30

rj-m wrote:Recommendations??


pH is fine at 7.4, cyanuric acid (stabilizer) is okay. I seriously doubt alkalinity is 0 but we'll handle that later.

Here's what you do. Today is Monday, the pool is green and the party's on Friday. Go to the pool store and buy 8.5 pounds of calcium hypochlorite at 65% concentration. They may carry calcium hypochlorite but in a lower concentration, but try to get 65%. Accept no substitute, don't let them sell you anything but regular granulated 65% cal hypo. Don't let them sell you 'shock' or anything else. They may only have buckets of 10 pounds or whatever, that's fine, you'll use the rest next year. If you can't find 65% concentration write back with what concentration you got and I'll adjust the quantity you need.

When you get home from the store fill a bucket with hot water, dissolve about two pounds of that chlorine (about 4 cups if I remember) in the hot water, stir well and dump it in the pool water, not in the skimmer. Don't attempt to save time by dumping the granules in the pool water directly you may damage the liner. Repeat 4 times because you need 8.5 pounds in the pool. Ideally we should be doing this in the evening but time is short.

This will bring the chlorine level in your 33k gallon pool to 20 ppm. The pool will turn from green to blue within minutes (it's actually neat to watch) and from blue to grey then to clear in a few days.

Please write back tomorrow and let me know how things are progressing.
rj-m

Re: never ending algae

Postby rj-m » Mon 14 Aug, 2006 16:24

Ok.. going to the store to but this.. just want to make sure..this isn't dangerous to my liner if i follow your directions? Also.. will anyone be able to swim in it if the chlorine is this high ?..Thank you..


pH is fine at 7.4, cyanuric acid (stabilizer) is okay. I seriously doubt alkalinity is 0 but we'll handle that later.

Here's what you do. Today is Monday, the pool is green and the party's on Friday. Go to the pool store and buy 8.5 pounds of calcium hypochlorite at 65% concentration. They may carry calcium hypochlorite but in a lower concentration, but try to get 65%. Accept no substitute, don't let them sell you anything but regular granulated 65% cal hypo. Don't let them sell you 'shock' or anything else. They may only have buckets of 10 pounds or whatever, that's fine, you'll use the rest next year. If you can't find 65% concentration write back with what concentration you got and I'll adjust the quantity you need.

When you get home from the store fill a bucket with hot water, dissolve about two pounds of that chlorine (about 4 cups if I remember) in the hot water, stir well and dump it in the pool water, not in the skimmer. Don't attempt to save time by dumping the granules in the pool water directly you may damage the liner. Repeat 4 times because you need 8.5 pounds in the pool. Ideally we should be doing this in the evening but time is short.

This will bring the chlorine level in your 33k gallon pool to 20 ppm. The pool will turn from green to blue within minutes (it's actually neat to watch) and from blue to grey then to clear in a few days.

Please write back tomorrow and let me know how things are progressing.[/quote]
me
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Re: never ending algae

Postby me » Mon 14 Aug, 2006 17:23

rj-m wrote:Ok.. going to the store to but this.. just want to make sure..this isn't dangerous to my liner if i follow your directions? Also.. will anyone be able to swim in it if the chlorine is this high ?..Thank you..


No don't swim while doing this, in a few days the chlorine level will have dropped to a lower level, heck you'll probably be in the pool by Friday.

There is no damage to the liner if you dissolve the chlorine in the bucket first. It's 20 ppm total with your 50 ppm CYA. To put it in perspective when you do laundry and put a cup of bleach in with the whites you're putting in 600 ppm.
rjm-m

never ending algae

Postby rjm-m » Wed 16 Aug, 2006 06:34

Well I went to the pool store and they were all out of calcium hypochlorite.. told me to come back today..in the meanwhile they changed the sand in the filter..added 2 more bottles of algaecide and told me to run the filter all night.. I did so..backwashed it twice and it actually is looking better.. I can see a hint of the drain in the deep end this morning and the water is a much lighter shade of green.. When I backwashed the filter I could see the water it was backwashing was all green going to clear.. before the sand change it just kept looking clear. Should I still get the calcium hypochlorite? any recommendations would be appreciated.. you have been great through all of this!
me
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Re: never ending algae

Postby me » Wed 16 Aug, 2006 19:24

rjm-m wrote:Well I went to the pool store and they were all out of calcium hypochlorite.. told me to come back today..in the meanwhile they changed the sand in the filter..added 2 more bottles of algaecide and told me to run the filter all night.. I did so..backwashed it twice and it actually is looking better.. I can see a hint of the drain in the deep end this morning and the water is a much lighter shade of green.. When I backwashed the filter I could see the water it was backwashing was all green going to clear.. before the sand change it just kept looking clear. Should I still get the calcium hypochlorite? any recommendations would be appreciated.. you have been great through all of this!


I certainly would. It would do a quicker job than the algicide. Go with the cal hypo, backwash often and you'll be fine.

Let me know how things are going,
Guest

Re: never ending algae

Postby Guest » Sat 19 Aug, 2006 22:56

rj wrote:ok ..went back to the pool store.. a new pool store in fact jus to make sure the old one hasn't screwed up!.. checks the stabilizer, chlorine, copper, ph, alkalinity, ..something acid.. cyneratic? every single level is fine.. chlorine is a bit high..but after 4 gallons of shock, 2 containers of algaecide and 2 bottled of granular shock.. not a surprise! I added entire bottle of clarifier mixed with water.. let the filter run for 3 hours..turned it off for 3.. vacumed the pool, backwashed it 3 times today....it made a small difference but 6 hrs later.. pool is still green and cloudy! ..

i actually dove in the pool today to check out the main drain which I cannot see due to density of green and cloudiness.. there were a number of acorns which had fallen in but nothing it hasn't seen before.. picked up the pieces.. just dumped in another gallon of shock and finished off the clarifier..filter is running again..
I asked the pool store guy about putting in something to lower the ph and he did not recommed that? I'm afraid of making it worse.. HELP!! this is driving me crazy ..not to mention I have 120 people coming to my house on Friday for a big family party!
Guest

Re: never ending algae

Postby Guest » Sat 19 Aug, 2006 23:00

OHMIGOSH! I hate to say that your email made me laugh, but only because I have been in this same condition ALL SUMMER!!!! I have dumped $500 worth of chemicals in the hole (35,000 gals) and still today black grunge was again crawling up my walls and even some more mustard algae!!!
I don't know where it will all end. I will definitely run out of money and then where will we go? does it just keep getting worse if unchecked until it is finally a thick green mush?? Who can answer? Will it eventually die in cold weather? what is the answer?

rj wrote:ok ..went back to the pool store.. a new pool store in fact jus to make sure the old one hasn't screwed up!.. checks the stabilizer, chlorine, copper, ph, alkalinity, ..something acid.. cyneratic? every single level is fine.. chlorine is a bit high..but after 4 gallons of shock, 2 containers of algaecide and 2 bottled of granular shock.. not a surprise! I added entire bottle of clarifier mixed with water.. let the filter run for 3 hours..turned it off for 3.. vacumed the pool, backwashed it 3 times today....it made a small difference but 6 hrs later.. pool is still green and cloudy! ..

i actually dove in the pool today to check out the main drain which I cannot see due to density of green and cloudiness.. there were a number of acorns which had fallen in but nothing it hasn't seen before.. picked up the pieces.. just dumped in another gallon of shock and finished off the clarifier..filter is running again..
I asked the pool store guy about putting in something to lower the ph and he did not recommed that? I'm afraid of making it worse.. HELP!! this is driving me crazy ..not to mention I have 120 people coming to my house on Friday for a big family party!
SlimJim

Same Problem

Postby SlimJim » Sun 27 Aug, 2006 14:38

Sorry to hijack this thread but I'm having the same problem. I've been following the advice of ME. I had the water tested and here are the results.

16,500 gal pool
PH 7.4
TA 100
Calcium Hardness 200
CYA 60

I vac'ed the pool bottom to waste, backwashed the filter and added 5 lbs calcium hypo. I also added a product called Yellow Treet. It did not turn blue but turned darker green. This was about 5:00 in the afternoon. I checked the clorine at about 10:00 PM and the level was back to about 3ppm. I had no more cal hypo so I added 2 gal bleach just to get me through to today. Checked clorine this morning almost zero but the pool was looking better. Vac'ed pool to waste again and added 4 lbs cal hypo. This was about 1:00 PM today. Did not turn blue just darker green. Actually looked better before adding the cal hypo. I plan on checking again later this evening and hitting again with 4 lbs cal hypo if needed.

I believe I'm dealing with mustard algae. Am I on the right track or do you have any advice to offer?

Thanks for your trouble.
me
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Re: Same Problem

Postby me » Mon 28 Aug, 2006 09:41

SlimJim wrote:16,500 gal pool
PH 7.4
TA 100
Calcium Hardness 200
CYA 60

I vac'ed the pool bottom to waste, backwashed the filter and added 5 lbs calcium hypo. I also added a product called Yellow Treet. It did not turn blue but turned darker green. This was about 5:00 in the afternoon. I checked the clorine at about 10:00 PM and the level was back to about 3ppm. I had no more cal hypo so I added 2 gal bleach just to get me through to today. Checked clorine this morning almost zero but the pool was looking better. Vac'ed pool to waste again and added 4 lbs cal hypo. This was about 1:00 PM today. Did not turn blue just darker green. Actually looked better before adding the cal hypo. I plan on checking again later this evening and hitting again with 4 lbs cal hypo if needed.

I believe I'm dealing with mustard algae. Am I on the right track or do you have any advice to offer?

Thanks for your trouble.


The parameters (pH, alcalinity, hardness) are all perfect. The Yellow Treat product is sodium bromide and it creates a huge chlorine demand. You'll have to keep adding chlorine until the demand ceases, it may take a few more days. 4 pounds of 65% cal hypo is 20 ppm chlorine for your volume, which is a good amount of chlorine for this application. I would add the chlorine and test the level a few hours after (you'll probably notice it dropped a lot) and reapply. Brush the sides, backwash and you should be fine. I'd hold off on the Yellow Treat product, it creates more problems than it solves.
SlimJim

Thanks ME

Postby SlimJim » Mon 28 Aug, 2006 10:21

Thanks Me,

I added another 4 lbs last evening as I said I would. Pool is blue and cloudy with dead algae this morning. Still algae on bottom. I'm going to vac to waste again and add more cal hypo. Well, spend and learn with the Yellow Treet. Are all the Yellow products the same and a waste of Money? Am I correct that the only thing you need to get rid of mustard algae is ballanced water and extended period of extra high cal hypo?

Thanks again!
me
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Re: Thanks ME

Postby me » Tue 29 Aug, 2006 08:52

SlimJim wrote:Thanks Me,

I added another 4 lbs last evening as I said I would. Pool is blue and cloudy with dead algae this morning. Still algae on bottom. I'm going to vac to waste again and add more cal hypo. Well, spend and learn with the Yellow Treet. Are all the Yellow products the same and a waste of Money? Am I correct that the only thing you need to get rid of mustard algae is ballanced water and extended period of extra high cal hypo?

Thanks again!


Yes the best algicide/algistat (not sure about the spelling) out there remains chlorine. It kills just about anything. You'll need to maintain a high level of chlorine until all the algae is gone. Brush the sides, gently vacuum to waste. The pool will eventually turn milky with the dead algae in suspension but filtration and frequent backwashes will take care of that.

After that keep the chlorine level at around 5 ppm (with your 60 CYA) and you should be fine. A wee bit more than 1/3 cup of 65% cal hypo adds 1 ppm chlorine for your pool water. So say on a Monday you measure 3 ppm, you add 2 * 1/3 cup cal hypo. No more, no less.
SlimJim

Thanks

Postby SlimJim » Tue 29 Aug, 2006 11:16

Thanks for all the help. This morning the water is beautiful. Still a little cloudy but clearing up nicely.
me
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Re: Thanks

Postby me » Tue 29 Aug, 2006 19:13

SlimJim wrote:Thanks for all the help. This morning the water is beautiful. Still a little cloudy but clearing up nicely.

This is great news, congratulations on getting the handle on the algae. Forgot to mention in my other post that using cal hypo will cloud up the water, _temporarily_, so don't worry about it. (If you do it in the evening no one will notice).

Again great work on the water, congratulations. Hope you still have some good warm weather ahead of you in your part of the planet, I took out the steps in my pool just last weekend, the end of the season is already over :(

Best regards,
SlimJim

I Agree

Postby SlimJim » Sun 03 Sep, 2006 09:06

No, I think the season is over. I'll close probably today or tomorrow. The water temp is down to 80 and no one wants to swim with it that cool. The weather out look is real good for nice cooler days but not for warming the pool water. I don't see any sence in keeping it open. What better time to close than with the water clean, clear and beautiful?

BTW my brother-in-law just told my wife that he has an algae problem in his pool. Looks like I will be passing on what I've learned here and help him out.

Thanks again! Talk to you next season.

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