spookyproud

I'm glad you finally got some advice that cleared your pool of yellow/mustard algae; some pool stores actually know what they are doing. I'm also glad you found some of the information on this site helpful. Do you recall your pool's Cyanuric Acid (CYA) and typical Free Chlorine (FC) level when you first noticed the algae (a previous post said 30 ppm, but was that a pool store measurement? were you ever using stabilized chlorine, either Trichlor pucks/tabs or Dichlor powder/granular)? Do you know the name/brand of the mustard algae killer (algaecide) that you used? Technically, an algaecide is not required and instead a shock level of chlorine with an FC that is 60% of the CYA will get rid of the yellow/mustard algae, but this becomes impractical if the CYA is high. So most yellow/mustard algaecides are one of two things: either sodium bromide or an ammonium based compound. The former turns the pool into a bromine pool while the latter creates monochloramine. Both will kill algae just as chlorine would, but bromine and monochloramine will not combine with CYA so they will be at full-strength. So when the CYA level is high, these products are a "workaround" for the CYA making chlorine far less effective. They do not solve the fundamental problem of the high CYA that can only be lowered through water dilution. If the pool store didn't even mention CYA to you or test for it, then they only half-solved your pool's problems. As you point out, yellow/mustard algae is like dust or powder, it tends to grow on the shady side of the pool, and it is about twice as resistant to chlorine as regular green algae. It is also insidious as it will come back if there is even a small amount that you don't kill completely so you need to check behind light niches, removable stairs, poles and other equipment that should soak in the shocked pool, etc. Even swimsuits should be washed. You don't want to reintroduce the algae back into the pool. It is not true that you cannot swim for 24 hours after adding chlorinating liquid or bleach. All sources of chlorine that dissolve into the pool mix fairly quickly and thoroughly. I've done both dye tests and chlorine measurements tests in my pool and it's perfectly safe to swim even after 10 minutes, but you can wait 20-30 minutes to be extra safe. This assumes that you pour the chlorine slowly over a return flow in the deep end with the pump on. In a vinyl pool, one can also lightly brush the side and bottom of the pool to ensure thorough mixing. If the circulation is poor, you can wait longer, but in pool's with decent circulation the chlorine mixes everywhere rather quickly -- you can measure this for yourself using a FAS-DPD chlorine test kit and see how long it takes for the chlorine level to rise to the expected amount throughout the pool. Richard The first pool place I went to THIS summer also gave me algaecide with copper in it. Which wasnt such a bright idea and had to add metal control into the pool to rid it of the copper. I just know the product that the second store gave me (and I am very happy with) has really straightened out my pool. We are able to swim daily and no problems with keeping it balanced. We have them check the water at least weekly while I check it daily at home with my own water testing kit. The new pool store gave me "stop yellow" for the algae but as far as what is in it--I do not know. Our CYA level was 30 when the mustard algae really took off. That was one thing the new pool recommended was adding more. As far as the chlorine goes.....since we have a child with cancer I am going to go with the recommendations about the PPM on the chlorine levels. I do allow the adults in the home to swim at their leisure if they want to. Oh...and I took a class on keeping my pool clean.....I am in no way a professional...but at least I can care for my own pool and now understand most of the chemicals etc......I do recommend finding a pool store that host a class. The overdose of Alkalinity I had from the first pool store is almost---almost taken care of. I have added lots of water and muriatic acid (starting on my third gallon in a month) but I am only 10 ppm high currently. Yes, I had to keep scrubbing our ladder as the algae kept coming back in that first week of treatment. Currently we do not see any at all. I also noticed with this algae that I could see little white floating particles in the water. You couldnt see them above the water but with a face mask on---you could see it. I dont have this problem now that I have treated it for the mustard algae. If you rely on a pool store remember this "not all pool stores are qualified to help you"......they only want your money selling you pool products you dont need. Find one that is reputable. AND---come here and ask these guys if what the pool store salesman are telling you to do.....is the right thing to do.....

We had the same problem with our new pool both last August and the spring of this year. After struggling and no help from the first two pool stores I finally found one who told me it had to be mustard Algae. It looked like sand in the bottom of the pool.....but when you tried to vacuum it would spread in the water like a cloud of smoke. Later (as I was not controlling it) I started getting a yellow/green stuff on our stairs. She had me treat it with a mustard algae killer and then high amounts of chlorine. I ran the pump for 24 hours straight too. Then after the first shock---I did a second shock 48 hours later. Ran the pump for another 24 hours. You need to run your pump for one hour for every 10 degrees of heat. So if its 90 degrees outside....you need to run it for 9 hours. We were not told that---we were told to only run it 8 hours on low or 3 hours on high....from the place who sold and installed it. Also, Shock in the evening. Try to find a place that will sell liquid chlorine. It is better and cheaper. (we were using the granule shock) that they said we could swim after you threw it in. That is not true either! Then use your algaecide in the the mornings. Our pool is crystal clear and we are loving it!!! We are no longer walking out with $100.00 worth of chemicals every week either.

I have been told not to do it. Only thing that you add into the skimmer or through it would be the Stabilizer. From everything I have read and been told---it can damage the inside of the pump and filter. I dont think anything was said about the sand. I have been told to put a chlorine tab in the skimmer to raise the free chlorine level but now I have been told to never do that for the same reason. Also- I was told to premix the powdered chlorine with the pool water in a bucket (if I ever use it again) because any that falls to the bottom of the pool can damage the liner. That was new to me. I have just recently switched to liquid chlorine and I love it.

Take it from someone who has been struggling with pool problems since we got ours late summer last year. We were only offered the powder shock--which runs about $5.00 per bag. I have had a terrible algae problem that I couldnt seem to get rid of---with their powder shocks and algaecides. We finally went to a new pool place who offered liquid last week. Our pool has never been cleaner OR easier to care for. The only drawback that I notice is that we cannot swim for 24 hours. I cannot believe the cost of it either!! So much less than the powder. If it means stabilizing my pool quicker and not a lot of other problems added--I will be using the liquid form from now on. It does not mean to say that if we are going to use the pool and it needs a quick shock---that I would not use the powder but it wont be a weekly thing. I am sticking with the liquid.

Yes, the links were very helpful to tell me what the problems were in the past. Right now, no problems. I did turn my floater down since adding the CYA/stabilizer and it is still holding chlorine 36 hours after. Actually too high but I am hoping with todays sun it will go down a bit to a safer level to swim. I will be taking a pool care class here in a few weeks. Pool looks beautiful for the first time we have had it. I am going to remove my ladder this weekend and give it a thorough scrub with chlorine to make sure there is no algae underneath that we have missed. Thank you again for your help and the links.

Well,well,well.....I am finding all sorts of things....Thank you for so many links! I figured out why I had too high of chlorine last year. They kept having me add stabilizer to the skimmer last year. I think I did it 3 times in 6 weeks. DANG!! I was only shocking every 10 days because they were yelling at me that the chlorine was too high....I only had one chlorine tab in the floater and it was turned down to one lil opening. WOW. I had to figure out what the CYA was....now I know. Thank you again!!

I think this newest pool business is helping me---My pool wouldnt be as clean as it is now. I am amazed at how these businesses stay in business. We walked out weekly at the first pool place with at least $100 of chemicals each week for three months last year. The second just kept selling me Alkilinity and granual shock but never helped me figure out what was wrong. They never had me add stabilizer this year and I had forgotten what it was. The third pool business had me add the stabilizer the other night---and the 2nd shock last night. We will see how it holds the chlorine now. As I said in my first post--We have changed to the liquid chlorine that so far I do like. The bags of shock just didnt seem to do the job for us. I would just like to get into a routine---know exactly what I need--and do it. Simple. Some of us have blond hair--so the copper wouldnt have been good for us. It didnt stain our pool but it was only in for about 24 hours before I figured it out. I wish I had known that you could add a bottom skimmer (IDK if thats the name for it) and make the pool deeper. If we were just now adding our pool, I would definitely recommend doing that. It seems one side skimmer just doesnt do the trick to keep such a large pool clean. I am still waiting to add the new algaecide with clarifier. I am still learning the terms. It seems (like Medicine) that everything has several different names- Generic vs brand name vs what pool store you go to etc. Oh and the grocery store purchased borax and chlorine. Dont think I will be doing that right now considering that I dont know enough about all of the water chemistry to do that on my own. I just wish the pool stores were more reliable. So with that--if anyone has a problem with their pool store---go to another one until you finally get the right answers. (last week I sent my husband with water to several different pool places--to see what each one of them said. You can always tell them you already have the chemical at home that they are trying to sell you. Then carefully choose which one you want to do business with. The first two we went to, they seemed like they just never had the 5 minutes to spare to help me. The last one was not short on staff---she sat down with me for over an hour. Look for that kind of a store...is my advice. Oh...and if it doesnt feel right ( I kept wondering why I was adding this alkalinity and no answers as to why it would go down) really gave me a heads up they were not concerned on helping me stabilize my pool. Thanks for the heads up chem geek.

We are relatively new pool owners. We installed in July 08. AG pool with vinyl liner, I cant remember the diameter-either but 24' round or larger. 13500 gallons of water. Maybe that helps. Last year I had high chlorine levels of 7ppm or above. We removed tabs and barely had the floater opened. We did have this beige sediment in the bottom of the pool constantly but no help from the pool store as to what it was. We would clean etc but it would be back the next day. They recommended we run the pump either 2 hours a day on high or 8 hours on low. Its a 2.0 pump. So we get to this year and the old pool place pissed me off because they sold us a $200 cover for the pool that fell apart after 4 months and later found out it was only a $80 cover. Started going to new pool place in town. We opened our pool and things went well the first few weeks. The guy at the pool place said to ignore the test results of the alkalinity test---it was wrong. Everything was good. We then started having this one girl helping us and she kept saying weekly that we had to add 6lbs of akalinity. Everything went to heck really fast. No Chlorine---Algae growing (green) everywhere. She kept telling us to shock it. I called later and got this guy who then yelled at me for shocking it. IDK why. Then the last straw was the other day I told her the algae was back with a vengence and she gave me algaecide with copper. Told me it was fine to use in my above ground pool with a vinyl liner. I then came here (I found this forum after I had added the copper) I was very angry. Both last year and this years pool businesses have basically been unhelpful and they love to say " I dont know" a lot. My pool turned white...we couldnt see the sides, bottom or ladder in the pool. Finally--I tried one more pool place- one that was recommended to me. This person sat down with me for over an hour explaining this and that. Here are my test results before I added the chemicals she recommended. I have NOT had it retested yet because I still have to shock one more time. Store I like Total Chlorine 0 Free chlorine 3 Combine C 0 PH 7.6 Alkalinity 200 ppm Calcium hardness 375 ppm stabilizer 30 ppm Total dissolved solids 800 ppm Here are the test from the store I dont like--and kept having me add alkaline TC 2.6 Had just shocked night before this test--as per instructed by pool place FC 2.4 CC 0.2 (I kept asking why?? and Got the "I DONT KNOW" answer) PH 7.6 Alkalinity 100ppm Calcium 250 stabilizer 45ppm dissolved solids not run It seems the sand type sediment on the bottom of the pool (this year it seems to float more) is mustard algae. The green stuff of course is green algae-which we knew that. First she had me remove the metal with a metal control liquid. Then because of all the alkalinity that I was adding (it was 200ppm) she had me add muriatic acid. Then that night I added liquid chlorine (we had previously been using the granule shock) The only downside to using the liquid is you cannot swim for 24 hours. Then I added "stop Yellow" to kill the mustard algae. My pool is now crystal clear. I have never seen it so beautiful. I then was able to add the stabilizer last night. I have been running this pump--24 hours a day since Tuesday. She said I needed to do this until it was clear. Of course I still need to run it 24 hours after adding the stabilizer. Tonight I am scheduled to add liquid chlorine to shock the pool again. I am now up to five chlorine tabs in our floater--opened all the way. The floater sits in front of the skimmer so I would think the water running through it would help distribute it throughout the pool. Zero chlorine in the pool. I cannot figure this out as to why this is happening. I replaced last years product with a new product last week--thinking maybe the tabs were old--even tho they are individually wrapped. Still no chlorine unless we shock the pool. I really didnt want to add a inline chlorinator but it seems that is where we are headed. Its just odd that last year we couldnt keep the chlorine down to a safe level--this year I cannot keep it up. Is there something we are missing or not thinking of. Do you use more than one floater in the pool? Also-green algae is on my ladder this morning--but my son probably had a hard time seeing it the other day when cleaning. It was under the ladder-not sure if the algae is back or not. I have learned that you have to run the pump for one hour for every ten degrees outside. So if its 90 degrees---nine hourse on the pump and filter. Any help would be greatly appreciated. We have a five yr old with cancer who swims in this pool. (have told every pool business this) and only this last one seems to be taking that into consideration. Last year he got lung infection and almost died---3 weeks after getting the pool. Treated everyday IV for 4 months. The doctor could never identify what was in his lungs. I now wonder if it was the mustard algae. We have been instructed by this latest pool person to keep him out if there is any algae and she is convinced that the sand like sediment on the bottom is mustard algae. Like I said---I have no sediment now nor white stuff floating around after this latest treatment. I was told that in Florida they are seeing algae blooms everywhere. THANK YOU!!!