Full slam needed?

[Time Vampire]

I have been checking my PH and FC/CC daily almost every day since I finished my slam about 4 wks ago. FC has been holding at 4 (with about 1/3 to 1/2 half gallon of 10% bleach daily), CC has been 0, PH holding between 7.5 and 7.8 and CYA at 40. Last weekend I noticed the floor had become quite slippery, but all my numbers were the same as above and the water looked perfectly clear. Long story short, I poked around on the forum and the general consensus was that it was algae. So Friday evening I dumped in 1 gallon of 10% chlorine which brought it up to 11. When I went out Saturday morning there was a slight chlorine smell and the water was noticeably "sparklier." I jumped in to start brushing and noticed the floor already felt better. In addition, there was a decent amount of dead algae on the floor. I went around and brushed, then jumped out and checked FC/CC. CC was STILL 0, but FC had dropped to 4 in about 18 hours. I am a bit confused because my CC is always 0, but it is pretty obvious that there is something going on. Do I need to start a full slam, or just bump my levels for a few days? Thanks!

 

[nlindelldc]

Only way to know for sure is to perform an OCLT but I'm betting you'll fail the test and have to SLAM again. Keep in mind that with a CYA of 40, your minimum FC is 3 and your target is 5. I would suggest not ever letting it get below 5 just because it's not worth risking.

 

[Time Vampire]

Only way to know for sure is to perform an OCLT but I'm betting you'll fail the test and have to SLAM again. Keep in mind that with a CYA of 40, your minimum FC is 3 and your target is 5. I would suggest not ever letting it get below 5 just because it's not worth risking.

Well, you were absolutely correct! Bumped up to SLAM level Monday evening. Failed OCLT Tuesday morning, but passed with 0ppm loss this morning so I guess I caught it very early. I am still wondering why my CC is at 0, even during the SLAM. Can anybody shed some light on this?

For newbies reading this, I guess the lesson is that even though testing is required and helps keep our pools crystal clear, one also needs to pay attention to the conditions in the pool. I had zero signs of algae according to testing, but the slick floor tipped me off. I immediately bumped my chlorine level, then noticed a chlorine smell which confirmed that something was growing somewhere. My CC still read 0, but thanks to this site I knew there was an issue because I now know what to be aware of other than testing. I am 99% sure if I hadn't found this site I would be fighting a full algae bloom and cursing up a storm every day.

 

[duraleigh]

Great Post, TV. Your acquired knowledge of algae and pool water chemistry led you to take action......not just rely on test results alone.

Over and over, we see posts of, "My numbers are always perfect so why is my pool green?" The answer is' "because you have algae." Heaven only knows how easily things get out of whack and your pool doesn't perform like it should. Sometimes the answer just isn't there.

It is far more important to SLAM the pool and get rid of the algae rather than waste several days being indignant that you don't think you deserve it.

Use the knowledge that you have gained from TFP so you can mange your pool successfully.....don't expect a precise set of numbers to yield perfect results every time......the variables are just too many.

On another subject, the presence of CC's at 1.0 or greater is an INDICATOR not a guarantee. You can have algae with 0 CC's and you can have it with 3.0 CC's.......it fluctuates, especially during a SLAM or periods of elevated chlorine. That said, in a really healthy pool, your CC's will most always be .5 ppm or less.

 

[atttech-2]

I think it happens a bit more frequently during the summer that people have low or no CC and still get algae, my assumption is this is because the sun burns off the CC before people have a chance to detect it in a test. In the winter months since the angle of the sun is low sun burn off is less of a factor so any CC's will be in the water longer.

 

[Triplejnj]

I am currently in a similar boat. During the past week or so, I've noticed the water looking "dull" as best as I can describe. Clear, but not crystal clear. All chem levels were in check, though I did notice I've had to bump the SWG % higher than last year to keep FC in line.
So last night told the fam that the pool would be off limits for a day or 2, picked up 10 gallons of 10% chlorine from wally world and brought the pool to SLAM level. OCLT this morning showed a 5ppm loss which confirmed my suspicions! Hoping it clears up soon, as we have forecasts of upper 90s coming this weekend!

 

[Go_Habs_Go]

Good post, thanks for sharing your experience.