Just starting BBB method...
- Thread starter ZESTR
- Start date
swoopman
0
You can drain large amounts it just takes a lot of time. Following zea3's advice in post #32 won't cost you anything except the additional water cost if you're on city water and you don't have to pay that out of pocket right now. Yes, it is very slow going draining with a siphon hose and it may take days to drain but if that's all you can do for now then do it that way.
Like zea3 said, drain 1/3 of the water and then fill it back up. Test CYA. Repeat. You should only need to do 2 or 3 CYA tests this way. Your kit refill should be here before the first third is drained and filled.
I drained with just a tiny submersible that doesn't pump much more than a siphon would. So I know how slow it is but it is possible and it is well worth doing.
As has been said, don't spend money trying to slam until you resolve the CYA issue.
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Nice progress - congrats!
Like zea3 said, drain 1/3 of the water and then fill it back up. Test CYA. Repeat. You should only need to do 2 or 3 CYA tests this way. Your kit refill should be here before the first third is drained and filled.
I drained with just a tiny submersible that doesn't pump much more than a siphon would. So I know how slow it is but it is possible and it is well worth doing.
As has been said, don't spend money trying to slam until you resolve the CYA issue.
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Nice progress - congrats!
Okay-- thank you 
So-- I have the hose in draining... how long do you think it'll take to drain 1/3 of water?? More than 3 days?
It took approx 6 hrs to drain 2 inches down...
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(I did drain it down 6-7" and then fill back with water this morning whcih took 2 hrs--- circulated it for 1 hrs, and now am draining again.)
I'll just leave the hose in for a few days I guess.
So-- I have the hose in draining... how long do you think it'll take to drain 1/3 of water?? More than 3 days?
It took approx 6 hrs to drain 2 inches down...
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(I did drain it down 6-7" and then fill back with water this morning whcih took 2 hrs--- circulated it for 1 hrs, and now am draining again.)
I'll just leave the hose in for a few days I guess.
swoopman
0
You have a vinyl liner so you need to keep in mind what JasonLion says:
"Keeping one foot of water in the shallow end is generally sufficent to keep the liner in place, as long as that is above the water table. You need to keep the water level above the water table or the exterior water pressure can deform the liner. Typically the water table is lower than that but it is good to check if you have any doubts."
Note: Assumptions follow... So if your shallow end is 3 - 3-1/2 feet you could drain down 2' (24") at a time and still have a foot of water in the shallow end. If it takes you 3 hours to drain 1" (you said 6 hours to drain 2") then 24" will take 72 hours (24" * 3 hrs) which is 3 days. If you drain 18" it would be 54 hours. If you're concerned about the liner (maybe on the step area??) you could drain less at one time, maybe even just the 6-7" that you've been doing, or maybe 12", and then filling. You use more water that way though. You would not need to test CYA with every drain and fill if you go for the smaller drain depth - maybe every 2nd or 3rd time at first.
Since costs are a big concern for you, you are better off being safe with your liner - water is cheaper then fixing your liner.
"Keeping one foot of water in the shallow end is generally sufficent to keep the liner in place, as long as that is above the water table. You need to keep the water level above the water table or the exterior water pressure can deform the liner. Typically the water table is lower than that but it is good to check if you have any doubts."
Note: Assumptions follow... So if your shallow end is 3 - 3-1/2 feet you could drain down 2' (24") at a time and still have a foot of water in the shallow end. If it takes you 3 hours to drain 1" (you said 6 hours to drain 2") then 24" will take 72 hours (24" * 3 hrs) which is 3 days. If you drain 18" it would be 54 hours. If you're concerned about the liner (maybe on the step area??) you could drain less at one time, maybe even just the 6-7" that you've been doing, or maybe 12", and then filling. You use more water that way though. You would not need to test CYA with every drain and fill if you go for the smaller drain depth - maybe every 2nd or 3rd time at first.
Since costs are a big concern for you, you are better off being safe with your liner - water is cheaper then fixing your liner.
You should drain one time until the siphon hose is no longer running water. Refilling before then is just wasting water. I still don't understand how your cya was at least 100 then 70 then 100 again over 24 hrs. I have some more bad news for you. Slamming will use up that. 75 oz refill you ordered as fast as you went thru the original one. When I had to slam a month ago, I refilled my .75 oz bottle 3 times to complete it and once since. I bought a 16 oz bottle of the r-0013 and am still using it. That was more than a year ago. I paid $11 for that.
- Jun 12, 2011
- 3,769
- Pool Size
- 19500
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pureline Crystal Pure 60,000
You can drain water below the level of the skimmer by opening the skimmer, removing the strainer ,then nserting a vacuum hose into the opening leading to the pump, weighting it (a vacuum head works) so that it draws from the bottom of the pool.
Great solution Chief!!! Remember not to let it get under 1 ft in the shallow end! That should save you a bunch of time!
I under stand that but-- it won't go the opposite way--- the skimmer only pulls water IN to it... there is no other spot I can find to switch it to push water OUT... know what I mean?
I also dont have great confidence in the guy who put in the brand new liner in April since he also did the plumbing so I do not want to screw with it too much.
It seems like the lesser of two evils for me (because I have no good fast way to drain water past my skimmer line)--- to keep draining with the garden hose until it gets to the skimmer line, then turn the pump off (so it doesnt suck air), then when the stuff arrives fill it back and test everything... then just live with a higher CYA for now, whatever it is.
My shallow end is very shallow and the deep end drops off quick (much more deep end than shallow end)... shallow end comes to my waistline and I am 5'4"... deep end is 8.5 ft.
Pool is blue now and I can see to the bottom... algae looks completely dead-- no green or yellow at all, just a bit cloudy at the deep end, we will keep vacuuming...
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ps- darn-- the biggest bottle of 871 I found was 2 oz... I have plenty of R-0013 and everything else except the 871 and YA, I ordered both of those.
Seems like I still have enough powder stuff...
By the way--- it seems like it doesnt matter what the measurement of your scoop is-- is that correct or no?
I also dont have great confidence in the guy who put in the brand new liner in April since he also did the plumbing so I do not want to screw with it too much.
It seems like the lesser of two evils for me (because I have no good fast way to drain water past my skimmer line)--- to keep draining with the garden hose until it gets to the skimmer line, then turn the pump off (so it doesnt suck air), then when the stuff arrives fill it back and test everything... then just live with a higher CYA for now, whatever it is.
My shallow end is very shallow and the deep end drops off quick (much more deep end than shallow end)... shallow end comes to my waistline and I am 5'4"... deep end is 8.5 ft.
Pool is blue now and I can see to the bottom... algae looks completely dead-- no green or yellow at all, just a bit cloudy at the deep end, we will keep vacuuming...
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ps- darn-- the biggest bottle of 871 I found was 2 oz... I have plenty of R-0013 and everything else except the 871 and YA, I ordered both of those.
Seems like I still have enough powder stuff...
By the way--- it seems like it doesnt matter what the measurement of your scoop is-- is that correct or no?
- Jun 12, 2011
- 3,769
- Pool Size
- 19500
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pureline Crystal Pure 60,000
Looking down into the bottom of the skimmer there should be one or two holes. One of those should be where the pump sucks water out of the pool. That is the one you put a vacuum hose into. Then the other end can be at the bottom of the pool. Make sense?
Re: The scoop. You just need to put enough powder in to make it turn bright pink.
Re: The scoop. You just need to put enough powder in to make it turn bright pink.
You can't have to much powder, but you can have too little powder. Best to use a rounded scoop of the powder.
I know-- we tried the other 2 holes -- one inside and one just below--the skimmer, but nothing happened-- do we need to change something with the pump?
- Jun 12, 2011
- 3,769
- Pool Size
- 19500
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pureline Crystal Pure 60,000
skimmer...
but--plugging the hose into the skimmer doesnt work---- if we plug it in, it will suck in air INTO the pump-- not water...
but--plugging the hose into the skimmer doesnt work---- if we plug it in, it will suck in air INTO the pump-- not water...
- Jun 12, 2011
- 3,769
- Pool Size
- 19500
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pureline Crystal Pure 60,000
I thought you could use your pump to lower water to the level of the skimmer. At that level the skimmer starts drawing air. But if you run a vacuum hose from the skimmer port to the bottom of the pool, it will continue to draw water.
but the hose will be plugged into the skimmer and the other end in the pool-- so it's just going to the filter like if the vacuum was on the end of it.
So what they need is 2 vacuum hoses, one to draw water from the bottom into the skimmer hole, and one running from the jet to waste
- Jun 12, 2011
- 3,769
- Pool Size
- 19500
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pureline Crystal Pure 60,000
If your tap water is colder than the pool water, just have the tap water hose end weight placed at the bottom of the pool and evacute the water from the skimmer. In this way you are creating a separation layer in the pool between the new and the old water. In this way you evacuate only the old pool water while keeping the tap water at the bottom of the pool as long as the pool pump does not mix the up.
Are you saying you can't pump to backwash or waste? Either way will pump out the pool through the skimmer, just as chief suggested. I'd be willing to bet your shallow end is 3.5 ft deep. Bottom line, I still don't trust your cya test results. Wait until have your r-0013 refill to make sure you have an accurate result. Using the same sample, do it over and over again until you have the result repeatedly the same.