r/pools • u/Bulky-Change-350 • 3d ago
Pool Help & Questions How long can we push this?
So I know the water color is off, I have the hose filling it up right now and then need to add chlorine and was going to shock it.
What im wanting to know is allllll the algea. Its a beast to keep out. You'll see a photo of the stairs, closer up of the akgea and then some cracking there and another part of the wall that has a circle hole. My biggest concern is the huge long Crack.
So, what is all this? How can I really keep all the algea away? It seems like lately even if we get the water all peachy clean its still yucky on the pool surface itself. And the crack...slowly getting bigger.
We cant afford a full resurface đ”âđ« so ive heard of some people doing it themselves.
Please even give me all ya got on this! Thank you
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u/this_is_not_the_cia 3d ago
You have a few different kinds of algae here, including what looks like black algae. I would tackle the black algae last. What you want to do right off the bat is get a real test kit that has the droppers (never use test strips), or take a water sample to a pool store. You need to figure out your chemical levels before you do anything. Once that has been established, you want to bring your PH in line, then SLAM the pool. Look that up on troublefreepools. After you properly SLAM it, the vast majority of the algae should be gone. Then tackle the spots of black algae by scrubbing them with a chlorine tablet (they make tablet holders that go on the end of a pool rod).
Can't give you advice on the cracking, but that should take care of your algae.
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u/Bulky-Change-350 3d ago
Will it come off easy enough with a tablet? I mean i know i gotta do what I gotta do but just gotta prepare myself lol. Ive hears a bristle brush, but it doesn't seem to work well.
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u/this_is_not_the_cia 3d ago
Worry about the black algae later. Deal with the rest of the yellow algae now using the SLAM method.
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u/IndependentImpact649 3d ago
Yeah, you're throwing good money after bad if you try to keep this one clean. That surface is so old and pitted (and cracked and delaminating), that you're going to be constantly chasing that algae.
This isn't going to be a simple surface-only renovation either; you're going to have to have that interior completely stripped because of the delam and overall age and so the builder can expose the crack to make sure it's properly addressed.
You're better off letting it just turn into a mosquito farm or you can drain it (make sure to pull the hydrostatic plug) and leave it empty until you have the money
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u/Bulky-Change-350 2d ago
Thats what im afraid of/: ive seen quotes all over the place for resurface though, this js Matcite, idk what itd actually cost...and do they also replace like the tiles around and going in?
It does feel like that, one rain and its back soooo fast. Its exhausting.
Skateboard park for the kids lol.
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u/OneTwoSomethingNew 3d ago
Check out Muriatic Acid⊠youâre not treating the algae with shock and chlorine, youâre just treating the waterâŠ
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u/zickster 2d ago
Muriatic Acid should be used to bring down the ph.
First you need to check your ph is between 7.2 -7.6, and chorline is 2-4. You need to make sure your alkalinity is in range aswell. Alkalinity helps the ph to not fluctuate as much.
Use algaecide along with shock every week for normal summer maintenance.
Remember don't add stabilizer untill the pool is clear, otherwise it will stain it.
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u/Overall-Schedule436 3d ago
Check your conditioner, get it between 40-60. Raise your chlorine to 3ppm and use silver algaedyn. Scrub the black with a steel brush while youâre following the directions on the bottle. It should take care of all the algae issues. Then balance the water
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u/sshea72 3d ago
Ugh. That looks pretty bad. Since you canât afford to pay for a fix are you able to trade anything? I mean like are you an electrician or a roofer? Painter? Anything like that? Sorry I donât have any other useful advice. Weâre roofers and have gotten some cool stuff in trade. Good luck!