That Damn Black Algae
by Al
I have kept the cl2 levels above 5ppm and have a sand filter. The ph was 7.4 or higher so I added PH down...now 6.0/7.0. Consulting with two "pool experts?" I have added 4 quarts of Hasa - cide. I did this over a three day period to little or no avail. One "expert?" suggested....love this...change the liner. Sites I have searched say a copper algaecide is needed. Please help....my grand children are wanting to get back in the pool. Today, within the hour I added 6 gallons of 12% cl2. Thanks for the question Al Black algae on a vinyl pool liner is uncommon. It can happen, but it's uncommon. You need to confirm that it is in fact black algae. If you don't do this, you'll be spending lots of time and money wondering what's going on. Take a chlorine tab and put it in a sock, then hold the sock on the black spot for about 20 minutes. Use a telescopic pool pole if you have one, not your hand. If it fades or turns gray, it's black algae or some other kind of organic stain. If it doesn't fade, take a sock filled with about 1/2 pound of ascorbic acid (crushed up Vitamin C). Put this on the spot. If it fades, it's a mineral problem and will only be solved with an ascorbic acid treatment. Here's the ascorbic acid treatment protocol: Brown Algae Won't Come Off Of A Vinyl Liner Here's a post about stains coming from under a liner: Vinyl Liner Has Dark Stains On Bottom And the black algae page: Black Algae Black algae is more common in plaster pools because it seems to attach itself to the plaster. It really can't do this with a vinyl liner. An algaecide is used for preventative maintenance only, it's not used to get rid of already existing algae. The only thing that can get rid of existing algae is a good pool shock. Swimming Pool Chlorine Pool Shock Pool Chlorine Chlorine Tablets Pool Chlorine Tablets You also need to have a good pool test kit. I still use and recommend a Taylor FAS-DPD K-2006 test kit: Pool Water Testing Water Testing Kit And the statement about using a copper algaecide, read this post. It may change your mind: Sticky Pool Algaecide On Vinyl Liner If anything, you'll want to use a PolyQuat 60 algaecide. This contains no copper or metals. Try the chlorine tab and ascorbic acid test and let me know how it turns out for you. To post a reply, or if you have a similar question, you can see your post on the Q&A page in the "Black Algae" category. Swimming Pool Questions and Answers Check back to this post for answers and updates. Hope this helps and have a great Summer. Robert
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