SLAM help please!!

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skimmerswimmer said:
If you have a separate valve for the main drain, you can open it just a little to get some flow, but not detract much from your skimmer suction. The only time my main drain valve is open all the way is when I'm blowing it out for the winter.[

Good morning. One valve for both main drain and skimmers. Yesterday morning, I put the valve in the middle so both skimmers and the main drain are equal. I can favor the skimmers with the settings and will do that once this issue is resolved. The latest numbers are below and CC did register a .5. The readings were taken with newly arrived chemicals beginning with the 3pm results yesterday, so pool looks great, water clear, all drains open and OCLT showed a 2.2 loss. Will keep going and hope we are getting to the end!! Thanks to everyone for their responses, much appreciated;

Thursday 6:45 am 15 -1.4
add 2 18.8
3:00 pm 13.5
add 2 17.3
8:00 pm 13
add 3 18.7

Friday 6:30 am 16.5 -2.2
add 2 20.3
Click to expand...
 
Texas Splash said:
Making progress Mike! :goodjob: At sometime in the future, try to add your test kit to your signature as well so people don't keep asking what test kit you have. We're funny about that. :) Keep up the great work.
Click to expand...

Thanks TS, I swam yesterday and the water still feels great. Replaced the entire test kit yesterday just to be sure and hopefully we are at the end of this process!! Appreciate your help.
 
skimmerswimmer said:
If you have a separate valve for the main drain, you can open it just a little to get some flow, but not detract much from your skimmer suction. The only time my main drain valve is open all the way is when I'm blowing it out for the winter.
Click to expand...

It is one handle which if you move it all the way right it is 100% main drain or 100% left it is the skimmers, so for now I just put it in the middle.
 
I forgot to open my main drain one time after vacuuming my pool. About 3 days later my water was starting to loose the sparkle it always had. I had NO idea what was going on. I raised my FC to SLAM levels for 2 days but still..............no sparkle and a tiny bit of cloudiness :(

I went back to basics and started looking at my pool as if I were just starting out. That is when I figured out I had not opened my main drain valve. GOT IT!!!!

I went so far as taking my turkey baster and shooting some chlorine down the drain to make sure it got in there!

I worked. My pool went back to a jewel.

Yes I do need to close my bottom drain when I vacuum so that my skimmer will pull hard enough to move my cleaner. Now I just make sure to open it back up when I am done.

Kim
 
Looks like we passed the OCLT!! Will run the SLAM one more day/night to make sure. Thanks to everyone for your comments/suggestions, they are much appreciated. Will remember to keep the main drain open a little from now on!

Friday 6:30 am 16.5 -2.2
add 2 20.3
2:30 pm 11.5
add 3 17.2
11:00 pm 10.5
add 3 16.2
6:30 am 16.0 -0.2
add 0
 
Bad news. Failed the OCLT. Not sure what to do except load up on more chlorine and try again. Any chance this is invisible mustard algae and I need to go to that level of shock?

Saturday 6:30 am 16.5 0.3
add 0
1:00 pm 11.5
add 3 17.3
10:30 pm 10.5
add 0

Sunday 6:30 am 8.5 -2
 
I'm going to jump in here, although others have followed your posts more closely. Since you passed the OCLT earlier, and not now, I'm wondering if you had a chance to scrub areas that might be hiding algae. Did you clean around any ladders, other fixtures, remove lights and scrub there as well? Have you made sure to brush the pool? FWIW, in my experience, when I've passed, only to fail a few days later, I've had a major storm and organic debris from area farms, landscaping, etc starts to eat up my chlorine. I then test both morning and evening, before the sun directly hits the pool and after the pool is in the shade, and add the desired amount of chlorine then.
HTH,
Bill
 

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brauh01 said:
I'm going to jump in here, although others have followed your posts more closely. Since you passed the OCLT earlier, and not now, I'm wondering if you had a chance to scrub areas that might be hiding algae. Did you clean around any ladders, other fixtures, remove lights and scrub there as well? Have you made sure to brush the pool? FWIW, in my experience, when I've passed, only to fail a few days later, I've had a major storm and organic debris from area farms, landscaping, etc starts to eat up my chlorine. I then test both morning and evening, before the sun directly hits the pool and after the pool is in the shade, and add the desired amount of chlorine then.
HTH,
Bill
Click to expand...

Good morning and thanks for jumping in. It is pretty confusing. Water has been excellent and easy to maintain the chemical composition for more than a year. The pool is rectangular with no lights and I took the ladder out many months ago. Scrubbed the inlets, brushed the entire pool several times, vacuumed, cleaned the cartridges and nothing shows, no discoloration, change in pressure etc. Opened the main drain mid week which had been closed for months based on a suggestion here but unfortunately still eating chlorine. Got a complete new test kit just to be sure. Weather has been great, pool has been clean, water sparkling and feels great swimming. Pool is in sun all day until 6 or 7 in the evening. Water has no cloudiness, really no change in anything except eating chlorine. Appreciate everyones input and I know I am missing something but not sure what???????
 
mbeck5 said:
Looks like we passed the OCLT!! Will run the SLAM one more day/night to make sure. Thanks to everyone for your comments/suggestions, they are much appreciated. Will remember to keep the main drain open a little from now on!

Friday 6:30 am 16.5 -2.2
add 2 20.3
2:30 pm 11.5
add 3 17.2
11:00 pm 10.5
add 3 16.2 6:30 am 16.0 -0.2
add 0
Click to expand...

On this OCLT was 16.2 actually the tested level or calculated when you added 3 at 11pm?
 
Geez Mike, that is a bummer. As you know, when we fail the OLCT, we confirm one of two things: We either fell asleep and miss-counted the reagent drops (easy to be off by just one drop - I did) or "something" is using-up the FC in the dark - and that has to be some organic material. But Richard's note could hold true as well since we get so used to using the same containers each day they tend to get messy or hold some residue. Maybe it's something that simple.

You hinted to Mustard algae above. I'm not so sure that's the culprit because before you treat for Mustard algae you have to treat and pass for a regular SLAM first anyways. But if you feel the need to do so after passing your SLAM, following this page: Pool School - Mustard Algae. Basically you punch that FC up to Mustard FC level for 24 hrs. If you do, don't let anyone in the water while the FC is that high.
 
Good morning. There is a strong possibility that Richard's "wild" idea is the right one. After reading that, I stopped using my auto stir and used the new tubes from the Taylor kit I received, did not add any FC yesterday and passed the test last night. I will keep testing and maintaining my normal FC level today and again tonight. If the results are consistent and repeatable as much as I am embarrassed by it, that could be the issue. If so, an expensive lesson that took too much of everyone's time and I apologize for that. Will let you all know tomorrow morning.

Sunday 6:30 am 8.5 -2
add 0
1:30 pm 8.5
add 0
9:30 pm 6.5
add 0

Monday 6:30 am 6.5
 
Thanks for sharing! This is a wonderful lesson to think of and try anything just in case! Also look at the cup or container you use to get the water from the pool.

It was NOT a waste of time. It is a good learning experience for all of us.

Kim
 
I'm so glad to peek back and see you're back to passing the OCLT! Hooray!.
I wonder if Richard has advice for the right way to clean our sample tubes? Never woulda thunk that would be an issue.
 

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