SLAM and still green: suspecting filter

[michaelpdough]

Pool went a bit green middle of this week. Started a SLAM and have been at it for about 36 hours. What I am realizing is that there is still a bit of residue that is collecting on the sides, and when swept down, it just seems to collect on the bottom and go nowhere. My numbers (posted below) have been a very good slam, and except for the gray/green collecting on the bottom, the water is crystal clear. I have been cleaning the cartridge about every 3 hours (and frankly it seems to be just fine every time). I put the pool vac in to see if it helped, and it does not seem to be sucking much up either. The water coming through the returns seems to be normal, and the pressure gauge is showing 10psi (which is just about normal for my pool with a clean filter). Any suggestions would be appreciated!

The Numbers from most recent test:

FC: 17.5
CC: <.5
pH: 7.3
TA: 100
CH: 400 (This tends to the high side frequently. A yet unnamed tropical storm is headed our way, so I am assuming this number will come down.)
CYA: 40

THANKS!

michael

 

[Texas Splash]

Your thread title was throwing me off because I got the impression your water was "still green", but you say in the description it's "crystal clear". Your test result numbers look very reasonable for someone who has been performing a SLAM. At this point, with clear water and CC less than .5, you may need to do the overnight (OCLT) test. If you pass, the stuff you are seeing may not be algae. Do you see that stuff accumulating anywhere else around the pool? Perhaps it's pollen? Since your filter seems to always be clean with little to no pressure change, I'm beginning to think an OCLT is in order. If you pass, that stuff may just be pollen or something. Are you using a skimmer sock? How is circulation on the surface on the water towards the skimmer? Maybe test with some ping pong balls to see?

 

[michaelpdough]

Here is the update:

I did the OCLT last night, and it was at or below .5. The stuff is accumulating on the sides mostly, but when I brush the sides it goes to the bottom and just sits. Pollen seems unlikely in Florida in June. Yes to the skimmer sock, but I am not sure about the circulation. Test with ping pong balls? That is new to me.

One update is that I engineered holding the automatic pool vac in place (with a pole), and was able to get the stuff to come up in a small area. That makes me think it may be a circulation issue.

 

[duraleigh]

My guess is you are still killing a small bit of algae and what you are seeing is the accumulation of the "carcasses". I think yo are in the home stretch of your SLAM but remember a very important part of your SLAM is to brush and vacuum. Vigorously brush the stuff off the walls and off the floor so it cvan get up into the chlorinated water and be swept into the filter. There is no limit to the brushing and vacuuming........get in there and mix it up.

I would not clean your filter again until you get a 25% increase in psi. Don't waste your toime cleaning a non-dirty filter.