Algae Growing In The Pool...

[jbrain]

I meant something a bit more than another pool products web-site when I said authoritative, JPB. I suspect I could find another pool shop's guidance that gave different guidance about shocking. I would not let my pool get to a combined chlorine level of 1ppm (used in the example in the website quoted), because some other guidance I read elsewhere on the internet said that you should shock if your combined chlorine level reaches 0.5ppm. But who knows whether my source was any good! See - pool chemistry seems to be all about opinion and everybody has one, based on what they read last. Ask people on this thread what is the best pH level to maintain and I'll bet you'll get different answers in the range 7.1 to 7.6.

I did know all the stuff in your posts Btw, but perhaps you were putting that all out to help newbies.

1,750 baht for 25kg of chlorine powder - that's cheap and will probably be Chinese stuff. Japanese costs a bit more (the guy who imports both for Thailand told me that and gave his relative retail prices as about 3,500 for Chinese and 5,000 for Japanese (50kg tubs). But hey - who knows which is best. Without proper academically researched results, let's not get to precious about pool chemistry!

Again nothing personal guys - it's a rant against the lack of truly authoritative guidance in the industry not any individual!

My mistake.

I thought you were looking for some information, but it seems that you are the guy who knows everything better than anyone else.

I am amazed that you with your basic 2 tube test kit are able to measure free chlorine or combined chlorine. Such a kit, which you say you use in post #16 can only measure total chlorine, which is in fact useless. The total chlorine you measure can be ALL combined chlorine.

As I said already, reaching just below breakpoint when shocking only makes things worse.So just guessing how much chlorine your pool needs is playing with fire.

It also surprises me that such a knowledgeable guy doesn't know that there is no such thing like an ideal PH level, but that between 7.2 and 7.6 is recommended.

So if the guidance regarding how to shock a pool isn't good enough if it is provided by a pool shop, I don't see how they can benefit from giving wrong information in this case, then who you expect to know.

Maybe you could ask your wife, or look in the mirror while you're giving yourself advice. You will for sure hear what you want to hear.

But anyway, I'm sure you are very professional and are doing something right if you have algae attacks every few months.

Sorry fellah!

Don't like being talked down to, like your incorrect assumption that I only use a two tube test kit (the ultimate put down to a pool owner? LOL). But - maybe I implied that somewhere.

Clearly you don't like being talked down to either. We are quits - let's move on :-)

Santisuk said in post #16 : Not sure how you deduce that I'm on 6ppm AllanB. Much less than that. Apart from when I'm shocking I wait for the free chlorine level to drop to below 1.0 before dosing to achieve around 2. Tends to mean I'm dosing every 2 days in the hot season and 3-4 otherwise. I'm only doing that because my very first basic 2 tubes test kit indicated that 0.6 to 1.5 as the ideal range.

[jbrain]

Ideal is 1.0 to 2.5. Boosting it beyond that will just waste chlorine. 'Shocking' is really intended to get the chlor up to those levels if it falls below it. Shocking is done simply with a faster releasing form of chlor, usually powder or granules, but it's often marketed more expensively as 'Shock' chlorine. It's actually cheaper (on the bulk market) than the slow-release tablets.

It may sometimes be worthwhile investing in decent Free Chlorine and Total Chlorine checkers. There are digital, photometric, and titration ones. They are not expensive and work out not much more than the standard 'blue box' test kit and buying multiple refils, and they are far more accurate. Supplement such water testing tools with a digital pH meter. Chuck the 'blue box ' out - they are pretty useless.

While chlor will combat algae to a certain extent, if infection persists, try using a proprietary algicide such as Algaetrine or Black Advance from Applied Biochemicals™. It's made in Thailand specially for pools so will not have the horrendous prices as imported branded stuff from the 'famous' pool brands. Use a high dose to start with, then continue with preventative dosing.

Do you have by any chance a link to where you can purchase those " not expensive " digital chlorine testers, as the cheapest I can find from China or on Ebay are still over 200$ .

And they only measure total chlorine.

Edited June 2, 2013 by jbrain

[Chaichara]

Try a web search. That's how I got mine. Localise your search words using 'Thailand' as one of the keywords. To save time though, you may try the advertisers here - a quick check reveals that one of them has an extensive range of water testers of all kinds and a very wide range of chemicals in various quantities.

Over the years, I've not found any noticeable difference in quality between different brands of chlorine or algaecides. They all seem to do what they are supposed to. Internationally branded goods are always more expensive because mostly what you are paying for is the name, and perhaps the longer shipping distance from abroad. At the end of the day it's all the same stuff.

BTW, be sure that you are using proper 90% T.C.C.A. chlor for pools which already includes cyanuric acid. if you are using anything else, chances are that the sun is burning off the chlorine before it has fully done its job.

Edited June 2, 2013 by Chaichara

[tollgate]

What chlorine levels do you guys run and do you increase the amount during the hot weather? A lot of people talk about 1 to 1.5ppm, but wonder if that is enough in the heat of the Thai summer. I am currently running at 3+ which seems to work and I can open my eyes underwater without a problem.

Well with a cya of 50 ppm, I run my pool between 4 to 8 ppm free chlorine. I keep it this way all year round.

[jbrain]

What chlorine levels do you guys run and do you increase the amount during the hot weather? A lot of people talk about 1 to 1.5ppm, but wonder if that is enough in the heat of the Thai summer. I am currently running at 3+ which seems to work and I can open my eyes underwater without a problem.

Well with a cya of 50 ppm, I run my pool between 4 to 8 ppm free chlorine. I keep it this way all year round.

I think that is an extremely high Chlorine level. Take in consideration that if your free chlorine is 8 ppm, your total chlorine might be way over 10 ppm.

I have my thoughts with this as if it is healthy to swim in it.

[Naam]

What chlorine levels do you guys run and do you increase the amount during the hot weather? A lot of people talk about 1 to 1.5ppm, but wonder if that is enough in the heat of the Thai summer. I am currently running at 3+ which seems to work and I can open my eyes underwater without a problem.

Well with a cya of 50 ppm, I run my pool between 4 to 8 ppm free chlorine. I keep it this way all year round.

[tollgate]

What chlorine levels do you guys run and do you increase the amount during the hot weather? A lot of people talk about 1 to 1.5ppm, but wonder if that is enough in the heat of the Thai summer. I am currently running at 3+ which seems to work and I can open my eyes underwater without a problem.

Well with a cya of 50 ppm, I run my pool between 4 to 8 ppm free chlorine. I keep it this way all year round.

I think that is an extremely high Chlorine level. Take in consideration that if your free chlorine is 8 ppm, your total chlorine might be way over 10 ppm.

I have my thoughts with this as if it is healthy to swim in it.

No, it's not extremely high. It's the correct level with 50 ppm cya. My total chlorine is also the same as my free chlorine.

If I had an indoor pool with zero cya, my target figures would be 1 ppm min, 3 ppm max.

If I had 100 ppm cya (too high), my target figures would be 8/13 ppm.

[SantiSuk]

I'm not sure what benefits people are seeing in running chlorine levels over 1.5 (other than to go up to say 2.5 after dosing to reduce the frequency of doses)?

[jbrain]

What chlorine levels do you guys run and do you increase the amount during the hot weather? A lot of people talk about 1 to 1.5ppm, but wonder if that is enough in the heat of the Thai summer. I am currently running at 3+ which seems to work and I can open my eyes underwater without a problem.

Well with a cya of 50 ppm, I run my pool between 4 to 8 ppm free chlorine. I keep it this way all year round.

I think that is an extremely high Chlorine level. Take in consideration that if your free chlorine is 8 ppm, your total chlorine might be way over 10 ppm.

I have my thoughts with this as if it is healthy to swim in it.

No, it's not extremely high. It's the correct level with 50 ppm cya. My total chlorine is also the same as my free chlorine.

If I had an indoor pool with zero cya, my target figures would be 1 ppm min, 3 ppm max.

If I had 100 ppm cya (too high), my target figures would be 8/13 ppm.

Can you explain why your chlorine level would need to be higher when your Cya levels are higher.

[tollgate]

OK. I am quoting from the Trouble Free Pool website:

"Cyanuric acid, often called stabilizer or
conditioner, both protects FC from sunlight and lowers the effective
strength of the FC (by holding some of the FC in reserve). The higher
your CYA level, the more FC you need to use to get the same effect. It
is important to know your CYA level so you can figure out what FC level
to aim for. If you don't have a SWG or problems from extremely high
amounts of sunlight, CYA is typically kept between 30 and 50. If you
have a SWG or very high levels of direct sunlight, CYA is typically kept
between 70 and 80."

[jbrain]

OK. I am quoting from the Trouble Free Pool website:

"Cyanuric acid, often called stabilizer or

conditioner, both protects FC from sunlight and lowers the effective

strength of the FC (by holding some of the FC in reserve). The higher

your CYA level, the more FC you need to use to get the same effect. It

is important to know your CYA level so you can figure out what FC level

to aim for. If you don't have a SWG or problems from extremely high

amounts of sunlight, CYA is typically kept between 30 and 50. If you

have a SWG or very high levels of direct sunlight, CYA is typically kept

between 70 and 80."

I see now in the pool calculator that with 100ppm Cya your recommended free chlorine level would indeed be 8-13. For a SWG pool however it would only be 5ppm.

I consider this very high.

[tollgate]

OK. I am quoting from the Trouble Free Pool website:

"Cyanuric acid, often called stabilizer or

conditioner, both protects FC from sunlight and lowers the effective

strength of the FC (by holding some of the FC in reserve). The higher

your CYA level, the more FC you need to use to get the same effect. It

is important to know your CYA level so you can figure out what FC level

to aim for. If you don't have a SWG or problems from extremely high

amounts of sunlight, CYA is typically kept between 30 and 50. If you

have a SWG or very high levels of direct sunlight, CYA is typically kept

between 70 and 80."

I see now in the pool calculator that with 100ppm Cya your recommended free chlorine level would indeed be 8-13. For a SWG pool however it would only be 5ppm.

I consider this very high.

Yes, it is high, but it has to been seen relative to the cya level. But you wouldn't really want cya as high as 100 ppm in the first place.

[AllanB]

Some while ago I designed a simple stand alone pool cleaner, which used a cheapo submersible pump and a bag filter, which worked really well and was easy to clean after use.

With a year and half of mucking about with my own pool, experimenting with various forms of sanitation and other things, I had a couple of slight algae problems, but these were easily solved by the AllanB cleaner, working in conjunction with a 1 micron bag. No need for those horrible aluminium sulfate chemical flocculants, the fine pore bag took everything out.

However, the bag hasn't lasted, after 6 months, the pore size of the bag has increased and the algae now just goes straight though., so it was either buy another bag, which are cheap enough, or research and find a better one.

I have recently found and ordered a few specially coated polypropylene bags, which will be not effected by the water, unlike the polyester ones I have been using and should last a very long time.

I am also looking at importing a bag filter enclosure too, so that a bag filter can be installed in-line. I am a big fan of bag filters, much better than sand filters. 3 billion vacuum cleaner buyers can't be wrong, compared with 3,000 sewage plant operators.

So I may soon become a pool professional..... might call myself the Pool Dentist.

[Chaichara]

So I may soon become a pool professional..... might call myself the Pool Dentist.

- and I spend so much time looking at test tubes and digital read-outs I'll probably call myself the Pool Optician.

[AllanB]

After reading what the Pool Doctor did to his own pool and then told the whole world of his stupidity, I am not sure I will chose a title from the medical profession, death by association before I start.

To add to this professional suicide, he also told everyone about a huge flaw in sand filters, k.o'd by a rusty bolt, haven't manufacturers heard of stainless steel, or plastic? And what happens when the pool uses salt water, a sand filter would last about 10 minutes?

Incredible..........no I think I will call myself the Pool Merchant Bankster, they seem to have all the answers, when we lose, they win.

[Chaichara]

Only cheap Chinese pool products (usually pirated copies of leading brands) would use sub-standard or non stainless steel parts. My first filter and its MPV are still going strong after 24 years. There's not much to go wrong with a sand filter. It's a bugger to change the media though, (and that's where the laterals can get damaged) especially if the 'professional' installer has surrounded it with hard glued plumbing instead of barrel unions.

[Chaichara]

This may help.:

http://www.myronl.com/PDF/fcetr.pdf

Towards the end there are comments and recommendations for pool CYA.