Just think of all that you have learned. You willl have a wonderful swim season next spring/summer!
Kim
Kim
SLAM IS ALMOST FINISHED, NOW WHAT? ??'s on HOW TO LEVEL AND THEN MAINTAIN AFTER SLAM
- Thread starter Crackerjack4u
- Start date
Hi Kim, I'm looking forward to a full season of swimming. Hopefully after everything that went wrong this time it will all remain repaired for next season. I still have A lot left to learn, but can spend my post op time, and Fall/Winter learning more, and more on the site.
Right now the pool looks so pretty. I've brushed it, topped off the water, and I'm running the pump for a bit since I've not been able to run the pump for a couple of days due to the low water levels from the leaks. ( I have been adding chlorine and using the water hose, and broom to circulate the chlorine around as best as I could the past couple days. LOL it's pretty bad when you brush your pool more than you brush your own hair, isn't it?
Tomorrow my plan is to run a full series of levels, adjust levels as needed, vacuum it, and snap an After SLAM Pic to post on TFP.
Again thank you for everything I couldn't have done it without your help, and so many others here.
As far as Winterizing goes I usually drain the pool down past the skimmer/return, remove all the hoses, drain the filter, cover the pool with cover, and cover the pump with a tarp to protect it as much as possible. I leave the drain plugs off the pump during the Winter. But I don't usually put anything in the pool chemical wise before, or during the entire Winter, which I imagine I'm suppose to? So I'm sure I'll have some questions on how to properly Winterize in the near future.
Oh, and I've read a couple posts by people talking about having trouble keeping their covers on their pools, and the wind blowing leaves up under it, or blowing it off etc., and wanting ideas of what to use to keep it tight, or prevent it from coming off in the Winter wind. The best thing I've found to prevent this is to buy a package of 100 clothes pins (I generally only use about 50 on my 24" round pool), and go all the way around the cover about every 6-12", tucking the cover under the rim of the frame, and then clothes pinning it to it. (Maybe this will help someone out).
Hi Layla, Thank you for the info. I really appreciate it. I do have a solar cover that's never been out of the box yet that I can use if I need to, and I'll probably invest in a timer next year for mine too.
My plan is to add the ball valves that I've already purchased, and replace all the hoses with PVC line, as suggested by my buddy kimkats up there. So hopefully next season will end up being nothing but lounging and relaxing, Bar-B-Qing, and be uneventful on additional pool, or personal body problems-(Knock on Wood).
Hi Dave, sorry I'm just getting back to you, I've been battling leaks that drained me down below my skimmer level for a couple days, that I finally located, (I hope I got them all), and got them patched. I just got the water level back up above the skimmer tonight.
Increasing the FC level to double for a few days, as you suggested, did in fact take care of the brown stuff on the bottom of the pool. So as you said, "This most likely means the SLAM was not brought to a complete finish." That doesn't surprise me even though it passed OCLT because it was in horrible condition to start with, so I'm not surprise that even though I thought it was finished, that it actually wasn't yet, but those extra few days at the higher FC level seemed to do the trick.
Although I wasn't able to run my filter, or my vac for a couple days because the leak kept me below the skimmer level, I did brush the pool often during this time, and kept the FC level at twice the maintenance range as you instructed me to do, and all the brown stuff on the bottom just disappeared. Thank you again for your help, I really appreciate it.
I hope you All have a wonderful night.
Right now the pool looks so pretty. I've brushed it, topped off the water, and I'm running the pump for a bit since I've not been able to run the pump for a couple of days due to the low water levels from the leaks. ( I have been adding chlorine and using the water hose, and broom to circulate the chlorine around as best as I could the past couple days. LOL it's pretty bad when you brush your pool more than you brush your own hair, isn't it?
Tomorrow my plan is to run a full series of levels, adjust levels as needed, vacuum it, and snap an After SLAM Pic to post on TFP.
Again thank you for everything I couldn't have done it without your help, and so many others here.
As far as Winterizing goes I usually drain the pool down past the skimmer/return, remove all the hoses, drain the filter, cover the pool with cover, and cover the pump with a tarp to protect it as much as possible. I leave the drain plugs off the pump during the Winter. But I don't usually put anything in the pool chemical wise before, or during the entire Winter, which I imagine I'm suppose to? So I'm sure I'll have some questions on how to properly Winterize in the near future.
Oh, and I've read a couple posts by people talking about having trouble keeping their covers on their pools, and the wind blowing leaves up under it, or blowing it off etc., and wanting ideas of what to use to keep it tight, or prevent it from coming off in the Winter wind. The best thing I've found to prevent this is to buy a package of 100 clothes pins (I generally only use about 50 on my 24" round pool), and go all the way around the cover about every 6-12", tucking the cover under the rim of the frame, and then clothes pinning it to it. (Maybe this will help someone out)
.Hi Layla, Thank you for the info. I really appreciate it. I do have a solar cover that's never been out of the box yet that I can use if I need to, and I'll probably invest in a timer next year for mine too.
My plan is to add the ball valves that I've already purchased, and replace all the hoses with PVC line, as suggested by my buddy kimkats up there. So hopefully next season will end up being nothing but lounging and relaxing, Bar-B-Qing, and be uneventful on additional pool, or personal body problems-(Knock on Wood).
Hi Dave, sorry I'm just getting back to you, I've been battling leaks that drained me down below my skimmer level for a couple days, that I finally located, (I hope I got them all), and got them patched. I just got the water level back up above the skimmer tonight.
Increasing the FC level to double for a few days, as you suggested, did in fact take care of the brown stuff on the bottom of the pool. So as you said, "This most likely means the SLAM was not brought to a complete finish." That doesn't surprise me even though it passed OCLT because it was in horrible condition to start with, so I'm not surprise that even though I thought it was finished, that it actually wasn't yet, but those extra few days at the higher FC level seemed to do the trick.
Although I wasn't able to run my filter, or my vac for a couple days because the leak kept me below the skimmer level, I did brush the pool often during this time, and kept the FC level at twice the maintenance range as you instructed me to do, and all the brown stuff on the bottom just disappeared. Thank you again for your help, I really appreciate it.
I hope you All have a wonderful night.
We have a link for that!
Pool School - Closing (Winterizing) Your Above Ground Pool
I like your plan for the cover.
Kim
Pool School - Closing (Winterizing) Your Above Ground Pool
I like your plan for the cover.
Kim
Thanks for the link Kim. I glanced at that one the other day, but hadn't gotten too far into it yet, but will be needing it soon.
LOL I felt I needed to maintain focus on the present issues for the moment because I've found since being on the TFP site there are SO MANY interesting posts/topics that I go searching for an answer to a question I have, or just for an FYI on something I'm curious about, and end up clicking on links within the thread to another topic, and click on links in that thread that leads to another, etc. then by the time I've gotten engulfed in all the new interesting reading/learning material, lol I've forgotten completely what I was originally searching for to start with. Because I'm old, and stay in pain, my Hereafter Effect just continues to get worse each year. (I go to a room in the house, a site, the store, etc., and wonder what the heck I've come Hereafter lol).
Because my memory is so bad anymore, I HAD notes taped everywhere (ok some important ones are still taped up on my BR mirror, frig, etc.), but I kept misplacing my written notes when I'd have to take one to the store, doctor, etc. I'm all for trying to making mine, and other's lives easier.
I've since found a neat little free App for my phone called "NOTES" that has different colors of post it notes. You can make text lists, or Checklists- CL is my personal favorite because it allows me to mark off the item once I get it with just a touch of the screen, then when I need it again I just uncheck it, or if it's something I only need once, or if I want to move the item up or down on the list so all the grocery items are together, and all the hardware items are together etc. I just hit the edit, and move them up or down, or add a new item, or delete the item entirely. If what I want doesn't need to be on that list I just start a whole new one in another color, with a whole new title. It has saved me, and my scattered brain a lot of issues. LOL As long as I can remember to put the items on a list to start with (which is sometimes a problem in itself), and remember to charge, and take my phone, then I have what I went THEREAFTER lol once I arrive.
With you being a teacher you might want to check out it out for assignment lists, etc. because it is a handy little app. It is easy to use, and so convenient. I just happened to stumble across it one day looking through my app store, and just like the TFP site, and all it's helpful members, it has been a lifesaver for me, and YES I have a Note on there called POOL SUPPLIES, which has pool chemicals/supplies, and which one raises/lowers what levels on there too.
Anyway, thank you again for all your help, and for the Winterizing link. Have a wonderful day!!!
LOL I felt I needed to maintain focus on the present issues for the moment because I've found since being on the TFP site there are SO MANY interesting posts/topics that I go searching for an answer to a question I have, or just for an FYI on something I'm curious about, and end up clicking on links within the thread to another topic, and click on links in that thread that leads to another, etc. then by the time I've gotten engulfed in all the new interesting reading/learning material, lol I've forgotten completely what I was originally searching for to start with. Because I'm old, and stay in pain, my Hereafter Effect just continues to get worse each year. (I go to a room in the house, a site, the store, etc., and wonder what the heck I've come Hereafter lol).
Because my memory is so bad anymore, I HAD notes taped everywhere (ok some important ones are still taped up on my BR mirror, frig, etc.), but I kept misplacing my written notes when I'd have to take one to the store, doctor, etc. I'm all for trying to making mine, and other's lives easier.
I've since found a neat little free App for my phone called "NOTES" that has different colors of post it notes. You can make text lists, or Checklists- CL is my personal favorite because it allows me to mark off the item once I get it with just a touch of the screen, then when I need it again I just uncheck it, or if it's something I only need once, or if I want to move the item up or down on the list so all the grocery items are together, and all the hardware items are together etc. I just hit the edit, and move them up or down, or add a new item, or delete the item entirely. If what I want doesn't need to be on that list I just start a whole new one in another color, with a whole new title. It has saved me, and my scattered brain a lot of issues. LOL As long as I can remember to put the items on a list to start with (which is sometimes a problem in itself), and remember to charge, and take my phone, then I have what I went THEREAFTER lol once I arrive.
With you being a teacher you might want to check out it out for assignment lists, etc. because it is a handy little app. It is easy to use, and so convenient. I just happened to stumble across it one day looking through my app store, and just like the TFP site, and all it's helpful members, it has been a lifesaver for me, and YES I have a Note on there called POOL SUPPLIES, which has pool chemicals/supplies, and which one raises/lowers what levels on there too.
Anyway, thank you again for all your help, and for the Winterizing link. Have a wonderful day!!!
Well I checked the levels today and although I've not been able to run the pump for a couple days, and I was adding chlorine to maintain the levels, and circulating it with a broom, and the garden hose because of the leaks I have to say the levels were not bad at all.
FC-5.5
CC-0
pH-7.4
TA-75
CYA-40
I think I am also ready to post my Before, and After SLAM pictures which I do at the end of this thread.
My SLAM, of my 3 yrs completely neglected, and uncovered pool, took 19 days to complete, (I battled several small leaks since about day 7, and they all joined together lol, and made one Big leak a few days ago, so I had to find and patch all those, (I think I ended up patching 6 areas), prior to that my Multiport Valve started leaking all my water out of the waste line so I had to replace that, and replaced the sand at that time too, once I replaced that I couldn't reestablish prime on my filter, so there have been quite a few things that have slowed down progress some, but it all worked out in the end. It ended up requiring 76 gallons of 10% Liquid Shock to get it to where it is today. (10 gallons were added before joining TFP and beginning my SLAM, and the other 66 were added during the SLAM. (If this gives you some indication of exactly how bad and gross the pool WAS). (But it's not anymore). Was it worth it? Heck yes, it was worth it, and I could Not be prouder of my beautiful clear, and clean pool.
I can Not thank the people responsible for the TFP site being available, or the people who helped, encouraged, and taught me so much, every step of the way, enough. Without the helpful information on the TFP site, or all it's kind and knowledgeable members, none of this would have been possible.
Well here's what we've been waiting for. SLAM PICS. The BEFORE SLAM followed by the AFTER SLAM pics. All I can say is, it doesn't get any better than this. 
Thank you TFP, and TFP members. Thank you so much. Have a wonderful day!!!
FC-5.5
CC-0
pH-7.4
TA-75
CYA-40
I think I am also ready to post my Before, and After SLAM pictures which I do at the end of this thread.
My SLAM, of my 3 yrs completely neglected, and uncovered pool, took 19 days to complete, (I battled several small leaks since about day 7, and they all joined together lol, and made one Big leak a few days ago, so I had to find and patch all those, (I think I ended up patching 6 areas), prior to that my Multiport Valve started leaking all my water out of the waste line so I had to replace that, and replaced the sand at that time too, once I replaced that I couldn't reestablish prime on my filter, so there have been quite a few things that have slowed down progress some, but it all worked out in the end. It ended up requiring 76 gallons of 10% Liquid Shock to get it to where it is today. (10 gallons were added before joining TFP and beginning my SLAM, and the other 66 were added during the SLAM. (If this gives you some indication of exactly how bad and gross the pool WAS). (But it's not anymore
). Was it worth it? Heck yes, it was worth it, and I could Not be prouder of my beautiful clear, and clean pool. I can Not thank the people responsible for the TFP site being available, or the people who helped, encouraged, and taught me so much, every step of the way, enough. Without the helpful information on the TFP site, or all it's kind and knowledgeable members, none of this would have been possible.
Well here's what we've been waiting for. SLAM PICS. The BEFORE SLAM followed by the AFTER SLAM pics. All I can say is, it doesn't get any better than this
. Thank you TFP, and TFP members. Thank you so much. Have a wonderful day!!!
Attachments
I like that app. I will have to look for it!
That pool----------are you SURE that is the same pool???????? WOW! Look at the jewel is has turned into! WONDERFUL!
I have found that I have to place a time limit on my time here. Once I have the tabs open that I think will take ?? amount of time to go through I close my email and TFP home site. Otherwise I would keep on going! LOL
Kim
That pool----------are you SURE that is the same pool???????? WOW! Look at the jewel is has turned into! WONDERFUL!
I have found that I have to place a time limit on my time here. Once I have the tabs open that I think will take ?? amount of time to go through I close my email and TFP home site. Otherwise I would keep on going! LOL
Kim
Hi Kim,
Yeah try the app out if you get a chance because I really like it.
I can understand about having to limit your time on here because you can just get buried in all the interesting information. I love to read, and learn anyway, so for now I'm engulfed in reading and learning about pool care. I've gotten to where I read all of the new threads of the day just to see the different responses.
Oh yeah, did you notice anything different about me today? LOL I got me a pretty little plaque by my name today!!!.
(OK now back to the learning. I'm trying the Reply With Quote thing out on you cause I've never used it before, so lol you're stuck with another of my 1st official things on here. That way I can make sure I'm doing it right, or you can tell me what I'm doing wrong if I don't.
Ok, Here goes my 1st Official TFP QUOTE LOL
Yelp, it sure is the same pool, but it sure doesn't look like it, does it? But, I know for sure it's the same one because I got to see it through all the different transition phases.
Tomorrow is mine, and the hubby's Anniversary, and I think we are going to try to go swimming in our pretty pool.
I've not gotten the new steps in yet, so we'll have to use the unattached A-frame ladder to get in and out- (which is what I've been using getting in to patch). But my hubby is going blind from his diabetes, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he doesn't fall getting in or out). LOL I told the doctor the other day when he was looking at my massively swollen legs and feet, that me and the hubby both are like useless, and useless. Just smh, pathetic lol.
Anyway, swimming planned for tomorrow. Finally. Hooray!! 
I hope you have a wonderful night, and thank you again for everything.
Yeah try the app out if you get a chance because I really like it.
I can understand about having to limit your time on here because you can just get buried in all the interesting information. I love to read, and learn anyway, so for now I'm engulfed in reading and learning about pool care. I've gotten to where I read all of the new threads of the day just to see the different responses.
Oh yeah, did you notice anything different about me today? LOL I got me a pretty little plaque by my name today!!!
. (OK now back to the learning. I'm trying the Reply With Quote thing out on you cause I've never used it before, so lol you're stuck with another of my 1st official things on here. That way I can make sure I'm doing it right, or you can tell me what I'm doing wrong if I don't.
Ok, Here goes my 1st Official TFP QUOTE LOL
Yelp, it sure is the same pool, but it sure doesn't look like it, does it? But, I know for sure it's the same one because I got to see it through all the different transition phases.
Tomorrow is mine, and the hubby's Anniversary, and I think we are going to try to go swimming in our pretty pool.
I've not gotten the new steps in yet, so we'll have to use the unattached A-frame ladder to get in and out- (which is what I've been using getting in to patch). But my hubby is going blind from his diabetes, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he doesn't fall getting in or out). LOL I told the doctor the other day when he was looking at my massively swollen legs and feet, that me and the hubby both are like useless, and useless. Just smh, pathetic lol.
Anyway, swimming planned for tomorrow. Finally. Hooray!!
I hope you have a wonderful night, and thank you again for everything.