Just bought a house with an inground pool and this is my first opening. I got the water balanced pretty well I think - chlorine is sitting around 3 ppm and pH is close to 7.4 - but I'm not sure if I should add algaecide now as a preventative or wait until I actually see a problem. The pool store guy kind of rushed me out the door with a bag of stuff and didn't really explain the order of operations. Any advice from people who've done this a few times would be appreciated.
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First time opening a pool, not sure when to add algaecide
- Thread starter Rob
- Start date
With chlorine at 3 ppm and a solid pH, you're actually in decent shape for an opening. Most algaecides work best when the water is already balanced, so the timing isn't bad if you want to add one now, but the honest truth is that a properly maintained chlorine level is your main line of defense against algae anyway. Algaecide is more of a backup.
If you do add one, just make sure your chlorine isn't too high at the time - anything above 5 or 6 ppm can break down certain algaecide formulas before they even get a chance to work. And whatever the pool store sold you, read the label for the recommended dose per gallon rather than guessing. Pool store staff have a habit of overselling preventative treatments that aren't strictly necessary if you keep up with your chlorine week to week. Get yourself a decent test kit and check levels every few days at first, and you may find you dont need half of what ended up in that bag.
If you do add one, just make sure your chlorine isn't too high at the time - anything above 5 or 6 ppm can break down certain algaecide formulas before they even get a chance to work. And whatever the pool store sold you, read the label for the recommended dose per gallon rather than guessing. Pool store staff have a habit of overselling preventative treatments that aren't strictly necessary if you keep up with your chlorine week to week. Get yourself a decent test kit and check levels every few days at first, and you may find you dont need half of what ended up in that bag.
Rob, the pool store thing is frustrating because they just want to move product. Your numbers actually sound solid for an opening though.
Honestly the algaecide question comes down to what your pool looked like when you pulled the cover. If the water was clear and you're just doing maintenance, chlorine alone will handle it as long as you stay on top of it. Where algaecide earns its keep is if you're fighting greenish water or you know the pool sat neglected before you moved in. I skipped it my first two seasons and never had a problem, but I also kept chlorine from dropping below 2 ppm consistently.
One thing worth knowing - if you do decide to add algaecide, give it a few hours before you swim and make sure your chlorine isnt already elevated above 5 or so, otherwise you're basically just burning through the product before it can do anything.
Honestly the algaecide question comes down to what your pool looked like when you pulled the cover. If the water was clear and you're just doing maintenance, chlorine alone will handle it as long as you stay on top of it. Where algaecide earns its keep is if you're fighting greenish water or you know the pool sat neglected before you moved in. I skipped it my first two seasons and never had a problem, but I also kept chlorine from dropping below 2 ppm consistently.
One thing worth knowing - if you do decide to add algaecide, give it a few hours before you swim and make sure your chlorine isnt already elevated above 5 or so, otherwise you're basically just burning through the product before it can do anything.
Rob, what D Hartley said about chlorine being your main line of defense is exactly right. Algaecide gets oversold pretty hard at pool stores because the margins are good and it sounds like a proactive thing to do, but if your chlorine is consistent and your water is balanced, most algaecide products are doing very little for you. The cases where I actually reach for one are at the start of the season if I pulled a cover and found green water, or if I'm leaving a pool unattended for two or more weeks with no way to monitor it.
At 3 ppm chlorine and 7.4 pH you're genuinely in decent shape. Keep the chlorine from dropping below 2 and you'll be fine for a normal opening. One thing I'd suggest is to pick up a reliable test method and actually use it every few days for the first couple weeks - the water chemistry can shift faster than you'd expect when a pool is first warming up in spring. I've been using a set of aquaDoc strips from mavaquadoc.com just for quick daily checks between my full kit tests, and for that purpose they're solid. Your bigger priorities right now are making sure your alkalinity stays in the 80-120 range and that your filter is running long enough each day to turn the water over. Get those dialed in and the algae question mostly takes care of itself.
At 3 ppm chlorine and 7.4 pH you're genuinely in decent shape. Keep the chlorine from dropping below 2 and you'll be fine for a normal opening. One thing I'd suggest is to pick up a reliable test method and actually use it every few days for the first couple weeks - the water chemistry can shift faster than you'd expect when a pool is first warming up in spring. I've been using a set of aquaDoc strips from mavaquadoc.com just for quick daily checks between my full kit tests, and for that purpose they're solid. Your bigger priorities right now are making sure your alkalinity stays in the 80-120 range and that your filter is running long enough each day to turn the water over. Get those dialed in and the algae question mostly takes care of itself.
to add to what everyone said - if you want a simple rule of thumb, i'd say save the algaecide for when you close the pool in the fall, or if you ever come back from a vacation and the chlorine dropped while you were gone. those are the situations where it actually earns its place. your opening numbers are fine, just keep the chlorine steady.