So I've been a TFP follower and advocate for a really long time. Use it every year and my pool is perfect. This year I got stumped and I want to share why, so others don't fall foul of the same Crud. Opening my pool this year I thought would be a breeze. Using my trusty TF-100 test kit, I got all my initial readings. Got my pH dialed in, CYA spot on, and started the SLAM process. Since I've been furloughed, adding chlorine to SLAM levels has been very frequent and the pool quickly responded....going from a Shrek green to milky cloudy. Brushed and vacuumed daily. I was the king of my pool and would be swimming in a week.
My pool had other ideas. The overnight free chlorine test wouldn't pass. Something was consuming chlorine and I couldn't figure out what. 1 week later it was still just cloudy, even maintaining the SLAM process. So I sat down and walked back through the process.....what am I missing. All the numbers are perfect, but something was consuming chlorine causing algae to stick around. Then it hit me today.....I've brushed and vacuumed everything except for the #$%#^'ing steps!!! I pulled them out and hit gold (or algae). Under the steps was the little gift that kept on giving. Got that whole area brushed and vacuumed now. A few more days of SLAM and it finally should be perfect again.
Lesson learned.....always look under the stairs for the monsters.....they are usually there.
Cheers.
Alan
My pool had other ideas. The overnight free chlorine test wouldn't pass. Something was consuming chlorine and I couldn't figure out what. 1 week later it was still just cloudy, even maintaining the SLAM process. So I sat down and walked back through the process.....what am I missing. All the numbers are perfect, but something was consuming chlorine causing algae to stick around. Then it hit me today.....I've brushed and vacuumed everything except for the #$%#^'ing steps!!! I pulled them out and hit gold (or algae). Under the steps was the little gift that kept on giving. Got that whole area brushed and vacuumed now. A few more days of SLAM and it finally should be perfect again.
Lesson learned.....always look under the stairs for the monsters.....they are usually there.
Cheers.
Alan
Steps are always one of the suspect areas we look for when helping others. Your visual aid is a good reminder fro others. Good catch. Enjoy the pool. 