Help w the SLAM

[Darryla]

Started on the swamp today

first... Thanks to all of you who contribute here for all the guidance and details.

cya was in the 100 range when I dumped 22 of the Walmart generic 121oz cans of bleach in.
something definitely started since I went from sludgy green to the murky brown here. However FC still showing zero, while CYA now indicates less than 50.

im using a strip test kit from Leslie's since I wanted to get started today.

more bleach required? Cheers!

approx 20k gallon pool, cartridge filters, only skimmer intake works ( bottom drain is plugged)

 

[Texas Splash]

Hello Darryla and welcome to TFP! Yes, a significant amount of bleach will make algae mad. :grrrr: But you have one very important obstacle in front of you ... no test kit. AT least not the right one. Test strips are horrible to place your faith in, and so is pool store testing. You really must get either a Taylor K-2006C or TF-100 here at TFTestkits.net. For example, you indicated CYA at around 100, then later at 50. There's no way CYA can change like that unless you dumped 50% of your water. Bleach is the right way to go, but you must have accurate readings to know how to move forward. I have the TF-100 and it's superb.
Until you get the right test kit, I would be careful about what you put in the water, even bleach. Too much could damage your pool, too little and it's just wasting money and not making progress. Will you need more bleach - absolutely! Please see our "SLAM" page at Pool School - SLAM - Shock Level And Maintain. This is what you will need to do to remove the algae. But again, you must have the proper test kit to take the test readings required. Until then, I would simply put about 1 gallon of bleach in the water each day just to maintain status-quo until your kit arrives. Then post a full set of numbers for us. Please let us know if you have any other questions.

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Also, please add your pool info to your signature by going to the top of the TFP web page (just under the Pool School button) and select "SETTINGS". On the next page look to the left for a menu bar that says, “MY SETTINGS” and go to "EDIT SIGNATURE" to enter your pool and equipment info there. It will help us later.

 

[PAGirl]

What type of chlorination method were you previously using? What type of chemical have you put in recently? That seems like a lot of foam, regular, plain bleach doesn't foam, usually.

 

[Darryla]

i had added 4lbs of green to clean the previous day, prior to dumping all that bleach (20+) in. maybe that's what caused the foam? What adverse effects to the algae clean up can too much bleach have?

 

[Texas Splash]

G-to-C is an ammonia-based product. By adding it you have more than likely generated a lot of ammonia in the water which will now need to be neutralized with you guessed it .... more bleach. Perhaps more than beore you started with a green pool. A big reason we point everyone to the Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals before trying other remedies. You can post some new results, but I would suspect your FC may be low and CC through the roof. If that's the case, here's what you will need to do:
1. Begin a SLAM and dose FC up to SLAM level. Do not add additional CYA at this point.
2. Retest FC at 10-minute intervals.
a. If FC loss is greater than 50%, add FC to bring back up to SLAM level and continue retesting FC @ 10-minute intervals.
b. IF FC loss is 50% or less, add FC to bring back up to SLAM level. Go to Step 3.
3. If CYA is below 30 ppm, add enough CYA to bring level up to 30 ppm.
4. Continue SLAM as directed in the SLAM article until the SLAM Criteria of Done are met. Test as directed in the SLAM article - no longer need to test FC at 10 minute increments at this point.

 

[Darryla]

TFT kit ordered.

Thanks for the steps outlined. I've already added 20+ containers of 8.25% bleach, and seeing a reading of 0 FC. With my 4lbs of C to G added prior to getting to this site and the SLAM instructions, do I have a hope of getting to SLAM FC levels with a reasonable amount of bleach, assuming CYA level is <50?

appears my enthusiasm to get started quick has likely backfired... i was worried about the pool becoming a health hazard.

 

[Texas Splash]

Not to worry, you're not the first to try such a product. All we can do now is try to get you back on track. Ammonia is a tough bugger to overcome. That's why those steps above are some important about testing/adding every 10 minutes. It (ammonia) can also happen over the winter is FC is allowed to go to zero, but in your case it was a local product that got you. You'll get past it if you follow those steps closely. After that, just stick to the SLAM procedures. Good luck!

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By the way, you'll love that TF-100. I hope you asked for the speed stir. If not, give them a call. They can probably add it to your invoice.

 

[JVTrain]

Was the bleach plain, unscented or was it outdoor, splashless, low splash or otherwise? Anything but plain bleach may cause foaming due to additives such as fragrance and definitely outdoor/splashless bleach will cause foaming because it has surfactants (detergent) in it.

The answer is bleach, then more bleach until you can hold FC. Don't add it all at once though, just a gallon or so a day until you get your test kit, then you can properly address the problem.

 

[Texas Splash]

Darrla, Joel makes a very good point I lost track of from earlier this thread .... you must get the proper test kit as noted in the beginning of this thread. You really can't start treating the ammonia or algae without a TF-100 or Taylor K-2006C. Those kits have the reagents required to test FC at levels much higher than just 5 ppm. So start stocking-up on bleach, but don't go nuts yet until you have a way to test accurately. Like Joel, stated, about a gallon each day is all you should put in there just to try and keep things in a sort of "status-quo". When you get your kit, then you can treat ammonia with the steps provided and continue with the SLAM.

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And as a reminder - generic (plain) bleach is just fine.