New Pool Owner Pool Has Been GREEN for a Month

[bamamelena]

Hi Ya'll!

We just bought our house in April, and we're new pool owners. I was so excited, and have enjoyed my pool, and even the work, until a month ago.

We started having algae, green algae, and I began doing what I knew. Brushing, adding Algaecide, vacuuming, backwashing, adding shock and tabs.

Gradually, it got worse. This morning I woke up to a totally green pool. It looks like Jell-o. Except really, really dark. You can't even see the bottom.

Here's what I have done in the past week:

Dumped 10 gallons of generic Clorox in...was told this was OK by several pool owners

I haven't been brushing much, for the pool store said that was just stirring it.

I tried to vacuum, but since I can't see, it hasn't helped.

We dumped over half a bottle of algaecide in this week.

I've been backwashing every single day.

We have a 12x25 and between 10-12,000 gallon pool.

This is absolutely driving me up the wall. I can swim in it, but don't want to. It's so nasty looking!

I can't see where the algae has 'clumped' up except on the stairs, due to it being so green.

We can't afford to put a WHOLE lot of money in it, but it seems like I've tried everything. The pool store keeps telling me, 'It's just due to the humidity, and rain. It will go away soon.'

It's been a MONTH of this. I'm really, really disgusted.

We live in Central Alabama, where it's hot and humid. We had rain off and on for about five days two weeks ago.

If I can provide any other information that I'm not thinking of, please let me know. I just really need some help. I hate to walk out my back door now, it makes me so angry/sad/upset..and that used to be my favorite place to be.

Oh, and before anyone asks, I don't know what the numbers mean. I have test strips,and I have the kit that you put under water, and it turns colors. I'm sorry, I'm just not that advanced yet.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help me figure out what to do with my Jello.

~Melena

[Backglass]

Hi Melena,

We can help you out, but we need some info first. We need to get a complete analysis of your water.

The best plan long term is for you to purchase a good test kit and learn to take your own readings (dont use strips as they are notoriously inaccurate).

Short term, take your water to the local pool store for a full test, and then post your numbers here (try to avoid being talked into buckets of chemicals until we see your numbers first).

After we see where your number are at, we can give real advice that will give you results instead of guessing.

Also...algaecide is a preventative...not a cure. Chlorine is your cure, but you may have other factors at play which are preventing it from doing it's job. The analysis will give us the real picture!

[Guest]

Thanks!

Here are my numbers from last week. I will be able to go to the pool store tomorrow afternoon, but in the meantime, these shouldn't be much different, except for the chlorine.

CYA 78
TA 128
TC 0.1
FC 0
PH 8.4
CH 106

I don't know what all those mean, except for the PH, FC, and TC. Oh, and alkalinity.

I'll post more current numbers tomorrow, but at the time these were ran, we had the same problem. It's not gotten any better, no matter how much chlorine we put in it.

Thanks again!

[bamamelena]

UPDATE: (sorry it's taken so long!)

Went by a different pool store yesterday. Told them that my old one was telling me there was nothing I could do. She couldn't believe it. I took pictures to show her. She said that it absolutely could be fixed. She gave me all kinds of instructions, written down, and talked to me for about an hour. The other plus is that they're down the street from my house! And, the Polaris charge is only $15 vs. $25 at the other place. (My Polaris is not working, for the second time this year.)

I did get numbers, I'll list and then tell you what she said to do and what we have done.

Calcium 129.84

Total Chlorine 0.35

Free C 0.30

Alkalinity 130.85

CYA 117.58

PH 7.92

She told me that I should have been brushing all this time, and backwashing. The other pool store told us the opposite. I feel like if I had been brushing, it wouldn't be this bad now.

She gave me some kind of Algaecide, blue dye it looks like to me, something to do with copper. She said not to put more than four ounces in, or I would stain my liner. She said to wait until the sun was off the pool, put four ounces in, once, and then every day put two cups of Shock in and brush every day. She said NOT to backwash until it had cleared and settled.

We put the four ounces of algaecide, shock and brushed tonight. I was also told to bleach anything that had been in the pool. For me, this meant the Polaris, even though it's dead, and some floats. I'm going to leave the floats in the sun tomorrow, hoping that the sun will help, as well. I've got my Polaris in a Sterilite container, filled with water and bleach, and covered.

I hope that all this will get it gone, in a few days. I really liked the people at this pool store. They were older, and more knowledgeable. Also, their prices were better, and they genuinely wanted to help me.

I also feel that because my DH is the editor of the paper, there was a problem at the other pool store. One of our councilmen has something to do with it, and he has a problem with our paper. I wish I had known this sooner!

Thanks everyone for all of your comments and help. Please let me know what you think about what I'm doing. I was told that all of my chemicals looked good, except for my chlorine. I figured it was bad, for I haven't put anything in since last week.

Oh..and I told her about the ten gallon of chlorine. She said that I would have to use LOTS to keep my pool running.

I did find out about our New Water Cycler. We have one, and I didn't know what it was. The other pool store didn't, either, apparently. Anyway, my new pool store sells the things that go in it. If anyone has one, please chime in, and let me know if price wise it's better.

Thanks!

Melena

[Guest]

Just wanted to say that you will spend boo coo bucks on chlorine if you don't get your CYA down. It's extremely high considering a normal reading is 30-50. To do that, you have to do a partial drain of your pool until it comes down to 30-50.

With high CYA levels (yours being 117), your chlorine cannot work and I suspect this is why you have a HUGE algae bloom.

My suggestion to you and only my opinion...
Your pool couldn't possibly get any worse. Work on partial draining 1st and when your numbers come down, SHOCK THE HELL OUT OF IT!

Your alkilinity looks a tad high and maybe a drain will bring that down too but I'm not sure.

I'm putting my money on CYA being SKY HIGH.

Good Luck with it and keep us posted.

[Guest]

How much should be drained? I've never drained a pool before, and don't know how, other than to turn on waste or BW.


Oh, and if I drain, won't I lose all the chemicals I've put in today?


Thanks!

[Backglass]

Agreed...you need to lower your CYA. The fact that your pool store didn't even mention CYA should be a red flag for the rest of the advice. You lower CYA through dilution, drain a foot or two and refill, then retest. (Hopefully by now you have a good test kit that will also do CYA).

You have less than .5 chlorine. You should have at LEAST 3.0 and probably MUCH more with such a high CYA. Again, I am stunned they didnt mention that. With such a high CYA, you have things growing in your pool as you read this.

The way to get rid of algae is with chlorine...algaecides are a preventative, not a cure.

You need to:

1 - Get your CYA down to 30-50.
2 - Get your FC up to 10 (shock level) using liquid chlorine (bleach), higher if you don't lower your CYA.
3 - Keep it there for at least 24 hours...you may have to add multiple additions to do this.
4 - Run your filter 24/7 until your pool is clear
5 - Brush as often as possible to keep everything mixed up so the chlorine & filter can "touch" it.

Keep us posted!

[Guest]

Yeah, you may loose all the chemicals you put in but then again, I don't think you'll loose alot because the algea has consumed the better part of it.

Open your line and drain off your water down past your skimmer and refill it and do it again. And AGAIN. And AGAIN. Like I said, I wouldn't worry about adding SQUAT right now!

After you get your CYA down to 30-50, I'd go to WalMart and get ALOT of Bleach, a few boxes of Borax (20 mule team) and some Baking Soda for your TA if it needs to come up. The Borax is for PH.

Alot of people use this method a.k.a BBB Method. I myself being one of them.

While your out, stay the hell away from these "Pool Stores". They will only eat up your money just as fast as the algae in your pool is consuming your chlorine. If you don't believe me, look at your sess pool in the back yard. Not very pretty huh?

Your job right now most and foremost is to drain the pool and refill and get a good testing kit as Backglass has suggested.

You can do this and it won't take very long once you hit 30- 50 in CYA.

Post back and let us know how it's going and if you have any questions.

[Guest]

Where can I purchase one of these test kits?

I've done the treatment for the past two days now. It *seems* to be getting somewhat better, but I don't know.

I don't remember if she did mention the CYA level. I wouldn't have paid attention if she did, for I don't understand the abbreviations, and unless she had said You have to get your CYA down before doing anything, it wouldn't have registered. I know she said something about calcium, but to work on the algae right now, and then come back for some product for the calcium.

[Guest]

If I remember reading right, if you have a vinyl liner, calcium doesn't matter. Is that what you have?

Did I read that right? Backglass?

Once your CYA is down to the proper range, adjust your pH, wait for an hour or so as to circulate it and DUMP bleach and alot of it over your return and keep it at 15 ppm over night and it will start to clear. I PROMISE! Just wait for your testing kit.

You are doing great! Hang in there!

Hopefully someone will be in to tell you where to order from...

[Backglass]

Hey,

Calcium hardness is not nearly as important with a vinyl pool unless WAAAAY high/low in which case it can hurt your pump and/or pipes. If your pool is above-ground it isn't really important and should be worried about last, if at all.

As for kits, Chem-geek suggests the Taylor K-2006 kit or one from the Trouble Free Pool people.

It may seem like a lot, but you buy it once and only get refills every couple years. The money you will save by not getting talked into buying buckets of needless chemiclas will paty for the kit in one season.

[Guest]

I do have a vinyl liner. Therefore, the concern over the 'staining' that this algaecide is supposed to do.

We've been treating since Wednesday night, now. There seems to be some lightening in the shallow end. I hope so.

I was just informed by my DH that we are down to about a weeks worth of shock.

I am not working right now, although searching fearlessly. Had an interview last week, and hope that I get that job.

Therefore, my DH is having to shoulder all the bills with a less than $40,000 income. Add new house payment, car repairs, $250 elec bill, and we're just barely getting by.

I know that others are in the same boat I'm in, and I'm not complaining. I'm just saying that I don't know how much more we can put into this. We may just have to let it go, until we do have the money to fix it. I really don't want to do that, but every time we go out to do this maintenance, he gets upset. He wouldn't even put the two cups of Shock in today. GRRRR....

I think I'll put it in tomorrow while he's at work.

I am selling on eBay, so hopefully, I'll make enough to buy another $80 bucket of shock.

We moved from TN back to 'Bama, and fully expected me to be working right now. We assumed wrong.

Thanks for all of your advice, and I'm sorry about the 'pity' post..that's not what I mean for it to be. I just want ya'll to know where we stand right now.

I hope everyone has had a great weekend!!

~Melena

[Guest]

Melena,
Are you using granular or liquid chlorine?

You can do this alot cheaper if you go with BBB (Bleach, Borax, & Baking Soda) from WalMart or your local store.

I'm on a fixed income too and I know what you are going through. I hope you get the job you applied for.

[Guest]

Also, Are you getting your chlorine level up high enough in one drop? It should sit at 15ppm over night to kill this algae bloom you have. I'm just wondering if 2 cups of chlorine is touching it so to say?

Can you tell us if you have an inground or above ground pool? What are the demensions/size? You never mentioned it and I was just wondering.

[Backglass]

Melena,

I feel your pain...you are a prime candidate for BBB. There is no need to go broke buying expensive pool chemicals when everyday products are the exact same thing.

6% ultra bleach from Wal-mart is the exact same thing as liquid chlorine from the pool store (albeit with a lower concentration) and MUCH cheaper.

Also remember..."SHOCK" is something you DO, not something you buy. You can SHOCK with bleach.