MY 1st POST!!! Help me please!!!!!

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Acejoe100

Acejoe100

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LifeTime Supporter
Jul 7, 2015
14
Woodstock, Ga
This marks my inaugural post on this site and I am so thankful that I found this!!! We bought our house (which already had the pool) about 2 yrs ago. It had old equipment and I have recently replaced it. I was paying a PB to come periodically to monitor but now I am taking it over with my newly found confidence from finding this site.

My signature shows what I am working with. I will list out my test results from today (using my amazing TF-100 test kit!) below. I would greatly appreciate some good advice in regards to what is most important to attack first given my levels and what type of pool/equipment I have. Currently, my chlorine production level is at 50% and the water temp is averaging about 85F. I live in Northwest Ga and it has been a brutal summer thus far.

Thanks in advance!!!!

7/15/15 levels
salt- 3.9 GPL (I am pretty sure this needs to come down a bit)
Cl- 2
PH- 7.5
FC- 1 ppm
CC- 1.5 ppm
TC- 2.5 ppm
CH- 325 ppm
TA- 70
CYA- 55 ppm
 
Welcome to TFP! The numbers you posted look pretty good. The problem i see is the fact that you do not have adequate FC for your CYA level and your CC are elevated. I recommend that you start by clicking on Pool School and start reading. This will get you familiar with the methods used on TFP.

You will need to SLAM your pool...

1. Keep your pump running 24/7 during the SLAM and turn off your SWG.
2. Drop your pH to 7.2 using muriatic acid. Add 29 oz of 31% muriatic acid.
3. Add plain bleach 8.5% to bring you FC to 24. This will be about 528 oz. Wait 30 minutes and retest your FC.

4. Keep adding bleach to maintain 24 ppm at all times. The more you test and maintain that level the faster this will go.

5. You are done with the SLAM when the following conditions are true:

CC is 0.5 or lower
You pass the OCLT
Your water is crystal clear

Stay away from the pool store and do listen to the advice given here by the experts. Those experts will be along shortly to help you...
 
Welcome to TFP!

Congrats on the pool and new stuff!

FC is low, CC is high. There is likely algae growing. Keep an eye on your filter, it will probably start clogging soon. Here is the link to the Pool School - SLAM - Shock Level And Maintain process.

Here is my favorite page for saltwater pools, Pool School - Water Balance for SWGs. Print it out and put it with your test kit.

It is important to never let your chlorine level drop below minimum for your CYA or algae will grow and the pool will be unsanitary. Use the Chlorine CYA Chart to set your chlorine level. Once the pool is cleared up you probably want to move your CYA up to 80ppm.

I believe that 3.9 gpl of salt equals 3900 ppm. This might be a tad high but should be OK if your SWG is happy and making chlorine. I know that my Pentair SWG does not report high salt until 4500ppm. Check your SWG manual for the upper limit.
 
Recommended levels for the SLAM are 7.2 - 7.5. I think the reason is bleach raises your pH, so it is better to start with a lower pH...lower pH reduces chances of metal staining, calcium carbonate precipitation, and a lower pH helps you to retain FC.
 
jaduck said:
Welcome to TFP! The numbers you posted look pretty good. The problem i see is the fact that you do not have adequate FC for your CYA level and your CC are elevated. I recommend that you start by clicking on Pool School and start reading. This will get you familiar with the methods used on TFP.

You will need to SLAM your pool...

1. Keep your pump running 24/7 during the SLAM and turn off your SWG.
2. Drop your pH to 7.2 using muriatic acid. Add 29 oz of 31% muriatic acid.
3. Add plain bleach 8.5% to bring you FC to 24. This will be about 528 oz. Wait 30 minutes and retest your FC.

4. Keep adding bleach to maintain 24 ppm at all times. The more you test and maintain that level the faster this will go.

5. You are done with the SLAM when the following conditions are true:

CC is 0.5 or lower
You pass the OCLT
Your water is crystal clear

Stay away from the pool store and do listen to the advice given here by the experts. Those experts will be along shortly to help you...
Click to expand...



Forgive me if this is a dumb question but......in order to shut down my SWG, should I just change the chlorine production from 50% to 0%? -OR- is there some way to shut off only this piece of equipment? How long should I wait before turning it back on?

I appreciate everyones' help with this! I am determined to learn how to properly care for my pool on my own.
 
Each SWG is a little different. Some as you say just change the % to 0. Others can be unplugged from electric or have an on off switch.

Don't turn it back on until the SLAM is complete.
 

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You might also be able to shut off a breaker to shut off the SWG. It depends how it is wired and there is no real standard. Changing output to 0% is probably best if there isn't an on/off switch.

I also tend to recommend 7.2 PH before a slam. 7.2 is the bottom of the recommended range (7.2-7.8) for PH in a pool. Starting at the bottom instead of the middle gives more wiggle room.
 
I started SLAMming my pool this evening. I will keep this thread updated in case anyone has some good advice to add.

Thursday evening
1. Turned SWG to 0% production and set my pump to run 24/7
2. added muriatic acid to get my PH from 7.5 to 7.2
3. added 505 oz of 8.25% bleach
4. Tested 30 min later (8 PM)- FC=21
5. just tested again, twice actually (10:20 PM) - FC=18 and 17

Does this sound normal for my FC to drop 4ppm in 2.5 hrs? Maybe I had a bad test on the first go around. I just tested it twice and got 18 then 17. Now I guess that I am supposed to keep testing and adding bleach to maintain a FC of 24 right?

Thanks again for everyone's help!!!
 
Richard320 said:
If the pool is cloudy looking, I'd actually expect higher FC losses initially. Don't neglect to brush things while the water is at Shock level, and also don't be surprised if you see a large FC drop soon after brushing.
Click to expand...

It actually wasn't too terribly cloudy after the initial shock. I brushed the heck out of it right after, and I will continue brushing regularly over the next few days.

How often do you recommend I test the FC level? Also, when doing the FC test, after I add the R-0870 (DPD Powder) and I begin to put in drops of R-0871, how important is it to do single drops then swirl after each single in the beginning? Could you do 5 (single) drops then swirl for the first maybe 20 drops (assuming that your FC is most likely well above 10ppm)? Just a little curious how this would affect your reading.
 
The more often you replenish, the faster it's over. The SLAM instructions specify Test and adjust chlorine levels as frequently as practical, but not more than once per hour, and not less than twice a day. Chlorine additions should be frequent, especially at the beginning.

Speed-dropping shouldn't affect the results, but you risk overshooting the stopping point.
 
3 or 4 times per day is good. When you get good you can swirl with one hand and drop with the other non-stop! :) You know like pat your head and rub your stomach.
 
Acejoe100 said:
Now I guess that I am supposed to keep testing and adding bleach to maintain a FC of 24 right?
Click to expand...

You must get the FC to 24 or slightly above and maintain that level...when you drop below 24 algae is gaining ground quickly. At first you can and will lose FC quickly, so it is important to test frequently at the beginning of your SLAM.

Keep up the good work!
 

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