New pool owner, algea problem, how to vacuum it out?

[modmouse]

I let my pool go without a shock for a couple weeks and am now paying for it. I have an algea problem that I can't seem to fix. Once I figured out I had algea I shocked the pool, brushed, put in algeacide, and ran the pump for 48 hours. A couple days later the pool water looked clearer(though still not perfect) and there was a bunch of algea(I am assuming dead) all over the bottom and wallls of the pool. I have a cartridge filter and have vacuumed the pool three times and I still am getting algea settling to the bottom plus the water is getting cloudy again. I hear of people talking about vacuuming to waste, but I have no clue how to do that as no matter how I set it up, water is always passing through the filter and therefore some of the dead algea is getting back into the water. If the algea I am seeing is in fact dead and I could just vacuum it out of the pool entirely I think it would fix the problem, but at this rate it will take another 50 vacuums before this stuff goes away. I have seen a ton of good advice on this subject, but I must be missing a ket element as no matter what I try this stuff just keeps settling back to the botom of my pool. Any help is much appreciated.

[Algea Helper]

To vacuum to waste without running the water through your filter you need to set your multiport valve to the waste setting. On the standard 6-port valve it is position 4 (with filter at 12 o'clock the waste setting will be at 2 o'clock).

[Guest]

Hey there, I feel your pain brother. I am having the same problem. I just started trying to fix it today. I noticed you have a cartridge filter-so do I. what I did was, (1) Closed the discharge line returning to the pool from the pump. (2) Opened the filter, took out the cartridge, reclosed the filter housing. (3) Took the drain plug out of the bottom of the housing. (4) Hooked up my manual vac., turned on the pump. vacuumed and discharged the green water onto the ground (or out the waste line which ever you have).
This seemed to work pretty well for getting most of the algea off the bottom. Now I hope the algeacide will take care of the suspended stuff so I can vacuum one more time after this.
P. S. Be sure to keep at least one strainer basket in line while vacuuming- to catch the big stuff i.e. leaves acorns etc.
Good Luck

[Guest]

Follow pool users advice, then use clarifier (blue liquid) run the pump for 24 hours. Shut the pump off and vaccum on waste. The clarifier clumps the small particles together and makes vaccuming MUCH EASIER.