Pool Algae

[KJ1325]

We maintain our own saltwater pool and so far haven't had any issues until recently. We received a huge amount of pollen last week and then we noticed green algae when brushing the pool walls. Water was still pretty clear. Took water sample to our normal place and they said add a little shock and some algae rid stuff and clean the filter and you should be good. A few days later we still have algae. Another sample and was told to try same thing. Ugh. Took a water sample to another pool place and they said Shock hard ( 2 gallons for a 15,000 gallon pool), clean filter and see if algae clears up. It is reduced but still have a little. So they are saying add more chlorine (another gallon and a half) and and see where we are at. Does this sound normal? I'm wondering if the pool places are just grasping. And one place said you can still swim if its just a tad....Yuck. My initial thoughts are that it needs shocked to kill the algae. The 1st time got 80% of it but not all. So maybe 3 gallons of chlorine and then get PH and other levels straight. I have the salt cell running at 60% for 8 hours a day. And brushing and vacuuming twice a day.
Any thoughts?

[photo1902]

We maintain our own saltwater pool and so far haven't had any issues until recently. We received a huge amount of pollen last week and then we noticed green algae when brushing the pool walls. Water was still pretty clear. Took water sample to our normal place and they said add a little shock and some algae rid stuff and clean the filter and you should be good. A few days later we still have algae. Another sample and was told to try same thing. Ugh. Took a water sample to another pool place and they said Shock hard ( 2 gallons for a 15,000 gallon pool), clean filter and see if algae clears up. It is reduced but still have a little. So they are saying add more chlorine (another gallon and a half) and and see where we are at. Does this sound normal? I'm wondering if the pool places are just grasping. And one place said you can still swim if its just a tad....Yuck. My initial thoughts are that it needs shocked to kill the algae. The 1st time got 80% of it but not all. So maybe 3 gallons of chlorine and then get PH and other levels straight. I have the salt cell running at 60% for 8 hours a day. And brushing and vacuuming twice a day.
Any thoughts?

The first thing I’d check is your salt cell, to make sure it’s working and is producing chlorine. If it’s not working properly, it won’t matter what you have it set to, including Super Chlorinate.

[Papa_lecki]

///

[MACH7SS]

T-Cell is faulty. I had the same experience. I replaced the cell and my pool stopped having green on the walls and floor.

[photo1902]

T-Cell is faulty. I had the same experience. I replaced the cell and my pool stopped having green on the walls and floor.

Agree. My money is on a defective salt cell as well.

[KJ1325]

The first thing I’d check is your salt cell, to make sure it’s working and is producing chlorine. If it’s not working properly, it won’t matter what you have it set to, including Super Chlorinate.

The salt cell is working or at least according to T&D. But it appears that as quick as it produces chlorine something is eating up my chlorine. Again I'm guessing the algae. But I am skeptical that the salt cell is working correctly even though I was told it is. I'm not really sure how to test it.

[KJ1325]

We maintain our own saltwater pool and so far haven't had any issues until recently. We received a huge amount of pollen last week and then we noticed green algae when brushing the pool walls. Water was still pretty clear. Took water sample to our normal place and they said add a little shock and some algae rid stuff and clean the filter and you should be good. A few days later we still have algae. Another sample and was told to try same thing. Ugh. Took a water sample to another pool place and they said Shock hard ( 2 gallons for a 15,000 gallon pool), clean filter and see if algae clears up. It is reduced but still have a little. So they are saying add more chlorine (another gallon and a half) and and see where we are at. Does this sound normal? I'm wondering if the pool places are just grasping. And one place said you can still swim if its just a tad....Yuck. My initial thoughts are that it needs shocked to kill the algae. The 1st time got 80% of it but not all. So maybe 3 gallons of chlorine and then get PH and other levels straight. I have the salt cell running at 60% for 8 hours a day. And brushing and vacuuming twice a day.
Any thoughts?

And I should mention that we did have our chlorinator turned all the way down to 10% a good portion of the winter based on our chlorine levels. Now I'm wondering if our chlorine levels actually got too low with the salt cell being turned down to 10%. It's only been back at 60% for 48 hours.

[Pondboy]

From google ;

How do you know if a salt water cell is bad?

If the salt cell does not bubble, then you either have no power to the cell or you have a bad cell. Further troubleshooting will be required. If the salt cell bubbles, but only a little bit, then you probably have a bad cell.

Why is my salt cell not making chlorine?
Water flow

The saltwater chlorinator needs a sufficient flow of water for effective operation. A dirty skimmer basket, clogged or dirty filter, and a clogged pump strainer, can cause insufficient water flow for the chlorinator to produce less chlorine.

I’d recommend “googling” your type of Salt Cell to see what to look for to confirm it’s working.

[photo1902]

And I should mention that we did have our chlorinator turned all the way down to 10% a good portion of the winter based on our chlorine levels. Now I'm wondering if our chlorine levels actually got too low with the salt cell being turned down to 10%. It's only been back at 60% for 48 hours.

My chlorinator has been set on 15% for the past three months. That being said, you should be testing the water weekly to make sure chlorine levels (and the other checks) are ok.

When my salt cell (Turbocell) was suspected to be bad, the tech used a non-working unit, so he could run the system while mine was removed. He dunked my salt cell (still plugged in to the board) into a 5 gallon bucket of pool water, with the chlorinator set pretty high. The result was that there were no signs of life in the water.

[photo1902]

From google ;

How do you know if a salt water cell is bad?

If the salt cell does not bubble, then you either have no power to the cell or you have a bad cell. Further troubleshooting will be required. If the salt cell bubbles, but only a little bit, then you probably have a bad cell.

Why is my salt cell not making chlorine?
Water flow

The saltwater chlorinator needs a sufficient flow of water for effective operation. A dirty skimmer basket, clogged or dirty filter, and a clogged pump strainer, can cause insufficient water flow for the chlorinator to produce less chlorine.

I’d recommend “googling” your type of Salt Cell to see what to look for to confirm it’s working.

You need to remove the salt cell in order to test it. See my post above

[KJ1325]

My chlorinator has been set on 15% for the past three months. That being said, you should be testing the water weekly to make sure chlorine levels (and the other checks) are ok.

When my salt cell (Turbocell) was suspected to be bad, the tech used a non-working unit, so he could run the system while mine was removed. He dunked my salt cell (still plugged in to the board) into a 5 gallon bucket of pool water, with the chlorinator set pretty high. The result was that there were no signs of life in the water.

This is an easy test and I can do this. And we have been weekly water testing at a pool place. Hence the reason we got down to 15%. We were continuously told that we were producing too much chlorine. Tomorrow morning I'll take a 5 gallon bucket full of pool water and stick my salt cell in there and turn it on and see what happens. Very good advice. Thank you

[Bogie Shooter]

What is the age of the cell?

[KJ1325]

What is the age of the cell?

6 months old. I'm going to test it tomorrow

[photo1902]

This is an easy test and I can do this. And we have been weekly water testing at a pool place. Hence the reason we got down to 15%. We were continuously told that we were producing too much chlorine. Tomorrow morning I'll take a 5 gallon bucket full of pool water and stick my salt cell in there and turn it on and see what happens. Very good advice. Thank you

Do you have a dummy cell? The pump/system needs to be running to test.

[photo1902]

6 months old. I'm going to test it tomorrow

Is this a new pool?

[Bogie Shooter]

May be worth a service call from T & D.

[Kenswing]

Is your salt level okay? Don’t believe the display. Use a test strip every once and awhile to verify.

It also wouldn’t be a bad idea to buy some Clorox test strips (available at Lowes)and download their app. That way you can check your levels in real time (except salt) without having to make the trip to the pool store for analysis.

[tophcfa]

If the chlorinator (salt cell) is good check your stabilizer level, try replacing your filter and turn up the setting on the pool pump. Also, check the level of total dissolved solids in the water and be sure your irrigation system is not throwing reclaimed water into your pool.

[Garywt]

No idea about a salt pool but the Norm is to add shock and algaecide until clear.

[dtennent]

What is your pH? If it is very far off normal, chlorine will dissipate quickly.

[Mayesville]

Check the phosphates. Had the same thing a few years ago and it was due to the phosphates that my pool wouldn’t maintain chlorine. Checked the water at the jet and it was producing chlorine but couldn’t maintain it. Took a water sample to Pinch A Penny and found out the problem.

[eeroger]

We maintain our own saltwater pool and so far haven't had any issues until recently. We received a huge amount of pollen last week and then we noticed green algae when brushing the pool walls. Water was still pretty clear. Took water sample to our normal place and they said add a little shock and some algae rid stuff and clean the filter and you should be good. A few days later we still have algae. Another sample and was told to try same thing. Ugh. Took a water sample to another pool place and they said Shock hard ( 2 gallons for a 15,000 gallon pool), clean filter and see if algae clears up. It is reduced but still have a little. So they are saying add more chlorine (another gallon and a half) and and see where we are at. Does this sound normal? I'm wondering if the pool places are just grasping. And one place said you can still swim if its just a tad....Yuck. My initial thoughts are that it needs shocked to kill the algae. The 1st time got 80% of it but not all. So maybe 3 gallons of chlorine and then get PH and other levels straight. I have the salt cell running at 60% for 8 hours a day. And brushing and vacuuming twice a day.
Any thoughts?
It isn't the pollen, it is all the fertilizer being pored on lawns & golf courses. We us PhosKlear 4000 every week. Phosphates from fertilizer are super foods for algae. We haven't had a problem in two years since we started using it.

[Cripe115]

You need to use stabilizer for your chlorine with a salt cell. The chlorine tabs have stabilizer built in. They sell it at the pool stores you put it in a sock which they sell and it goes in your skimmer

[Lisanp@aol.com]

I would say you need to check both your salt level and your stabilizer lever. You may also need to clean the cell with Muriatic acid. Also try adding an anti-phosphate product (it will turn yellow when adding it in if you have a phosphate issue). You should not be running the cell at 60% if you have algae - it needs to run on super chlorinate. However, do not run the salt generator when you shock it. That will ruin the cell. Give it at least 24 hours after shocking before turning the cell back on to allow the liquid chlorine to burn off. Also you must run the filter 24/7 after shocking. Depending on the gallons of the pool, I would add two gallons of liquid chlorine and let the filter run for two days straight then turn the salt cell back on but check the salt and stabilizer levels before you do all this.

[tophcfa]

I would say you need to check both your salt level and your stabilizer lever. You may also need to clean the cell with Muriatic acid. Also try adding an anti-phosphate product (it will turn yellow when adding it in if you have a phosphate issue). You should not be running the cell at 60% if you have algae - it needs to run on super chlorinate. However, do not run the salt generator when you shock it. That will ruin the cell. Give it at least 24 hours after shocking before turning the cell back on to allow the liquid chlorine to burn off. Also you must run the filter 24/7 after shocking. Depending on the gallons of the pool, I would add two gallons of liquid chlorine and let the filter run for two days straight then turn the salt cell back on but check the salt and stabilizer levels before you do all this.

Good advice, I would add that it’s probably time for a good filter cleaning (or new filter) after using an anti-phosphate product if it turns your water yellow. All that yellow stuff is solidified phosphates that winds up in the filter.

[DennisDee]

Check Ph and stabilizer levels. Stabilizer important for pools with full sun. Then move on to other tests.

[mark100]

When was your cell last cleaned with acid?

[Carlsondm]

I check the pH and chlorine levels, use the appropriate algaecide and dose. Pump to mix (brush pool sides too), then let settle. Vacuum the settled algae to waste(totally remove it from the pool). Clean the filter. Add makeup water to the pool. Balance the chemistry. Now the cleaner pool and clean filter should be better able to maintain a clean pool, assuming the chlorinated is functioning properly. Shock when the sun is down and watch stabilizer levels. I also balanced water hardness.

I never recirculated algae if I could avoid it. Balancing the water … and then killing and removing the algae is the key. Then rebalance the water to keep algae away.

[jimjamuser]

We maintain our own saltwater pool and so far haven't had any issues until recently. We received a huge amount of pollen last week and then we noticed green algae when brushing the pool walls. Water was still pretty clear. Took water sample to our normal place and they said add a little shock and some algae rid stuff and clean the filter and you should be good. A few days later we still have algae. Another sample and was told to try same thing. Ugh. Took a water sample to another pool place and they said Shock hard ( 2 gallons for a 15,000 gallon pool), clean filter and see if algae clears up. It is reduced but still have a little. So they are saying add more chlorine (another gallon and a half) and and see where we are at. Does this sound normal? I'm wondering if the pool places are just grasping. And one place said you can still swim if its just a tad....Yuck. My initial thoughts are that it needs shocked to kill the algae. The 1st time got 80% of it but not all. So maybe 3 gallons of chlorine and then get PH and other levels straight. I have the salt cell running at 60% for 8 hours a day. And brushing and vacuuming twice a day.
Any thoughts?
There is a lot of tree pollen around right now. If you have a dark car you can see the yellow on the car and even the windows. I am not sure how long this pollen lasts. You might be able to wait it out and not do anything drastic.

[boxcarwilly]

Can't believe the amount of bad advise in this post.. We maintain our pool using Trouble Free Pool forum. Here is the link: Home - Trouble Free Pool | Trouble Free Pool (https://www.troublefreepool.com/blog/)

[clara1026]

Hi. I am trying to help but am not good at this site. I owned a pool/jacuzzi company for 32 years. I know his problem. It is simple. If he can contact me I will explain.

[KJ1325]

Update. Salt cell working fine. Checked past pool reports and was at top end in range for chlorine all winter. Shocked with 3 gallon of chlorine 36 hours ago and pump running 24/7. PH is high and alkalinity is low (as expected from the shock). Adding acid and baking soda this morning. I am down to this very thin line just at the water line. Move your finger across it as you can see a very light film across the water. Its not everywhere. Been brushing 3 times a day. Cleaned filter 3 times. Maybe shock just hasn't had enough time to fully work. Stabilizer is good. Chlorine is still very high from shock.

[champion6]

Pool maintenance is based on science, that is, chemistry.

However, as can be seen in this thread, pool maintenance is actually an art, not a science.

That's my opinion, based on 7 years ownership of a salt-water pool here.

OP - been there, done that. Good luck!!!

[Papa_lecki]

Update. Salt cell working fine. Checked past pool reports and was at top end in range for chlorine all winter. Shocked with 3 gallon of chlorine 36 hours ago and pump running 24/7. PH is high and alkalinity is low (as expected from the shock). Adding acid and baking soda this morning. I am down to this very thin line just at the water line. Move your finger across it as you can see a very light film across the water. Its not everywhere. Been brushing 3 times a day. Cleaned filter 3 times. Maybe shock just hasn't had enough time to fully work. Stabilizer is good. Chlorine is still very high from shock.

And this is why I am willing to pay $130 a month to have someone take care of my pool.
I figure, I I can’t afford $1500 a year, I shouldn’t have a pool.

(And I had a pool at my home in Pa for 10 year and spent my high school and college years managing the largest pool in my county in PA, I know the chemistry.)

[worahm]

Keep in mind that high phosphate level in your pool water can kill chlorine. Most pool stores do not normally check for phosphate unless you request the test. Four years ago, when my cell tested okay and the chlorine level was zero, the phosphate level tested very high. Once I lowered the phosphate level in the pool, (it took four days) the chlorinator was able to maintain a normal dhlorine level. The pool store suggested the high phosphate level was because i live near a golf coarse that uses phosphate from time to time to fertilize their greens.

When a cell is near the end of it's life expectancy, it typically displays a lower chorline level on the screen then the actual chorline level in the pool. The chorenator is designed to turn the cell off when the salt level in high. I was told by the manufactuer it frequently it does not. Adding more salt to an already high salt level in the pool water may damage the chlorinator electronics. Replacing the control boards is expensive.

[kkingston57]

Another good reason to not have a pool. Had a pool for 20 years and it looked good most of the time and used it 10-15 times a year. Biggest problem is the yellow algae and per pool companies salt water chlorinator does not help. Miss my pool on those hot humid days.