Starting the process

[thunderkyss]

So I figured I should go ahead & get my pool in shape.

There's heavy algae build up in the pool, as I haven't been taking care of it for the last two months. I spent the morning going over my pool school notes, getting the ph in line, & made a run to the store to load up on bleach.

According to the pool calculator, I should need four 182 oz jugs of bleach to bring my FC ppm up to the necessary shock level. 16 FC. I added six, to be safe. Hour later, my FC has gone from 0 to 2. So I go back to the calculator, it says I need to add three & a half jugs, I round up to four. An hour later, my FC is 5, the calculator says I need to add 2.75 jugs, I round up to 3. An hour later, my FC is 8 the calculator says I need to add two jugs, I do. An hour later my FC is 15ppm. I don't bother with the calculator, but I go ahead and add another two jugs.

So I've added 17 gallons of bleach to my pool over the course of a few hours. Wouldn't it had been better if instead of going by the pool calculator's numbers (which is designed for an algae free pool), I used a multiple of some sort, like 2.5 since I know I've got a bad algae problem?

Say the calculator said I needed 6 jugs, I would multiply that by 2.5 & put in 15 jugs, wait an hour then check my FC levels, then go by the pool calculator numbers?

 

[257WbyMag]

The key to shocking a pool is bringing it up to shock level and keeping it there, best you can, until you are done. Your algae is knocking your FC down about as quick as you can add it. Therefore, you have to hit back, and often. Add what you need to get it to 16. Then, 30 minutes later, test, and then add what you need to get back to 16 again. Then, 30 minutes later, test and add again. Keep repeating this process and eventually you will notice that the pool is looking better and better and you are using less and less bleach.

Because you say you have been going at it for a couple of months tells me that you just need to take a couple of days and hit it hard. We usually recommend dedicating at least a full weekend of being able to do nothing but commit yourself to the shock process; the process being the add bleach...test 30 minutes later...add bleach again...test 30 minutes later process.

One thing though, what is your CYA level? If it is 0, then you may need to add a bit just for the added protection of preventing so much FC loss to the sun.

Be sure to run your pump day and night until you are finished. You are finished when your FC holds to within 1 ppm of loss overnight, your pool water clears, and your CC is 0.5 ppm or less.

 

[thunderkyss]

The key to shocking a pool is bringing it up to shock level and keeping it there, best you can, until you are done. Your algae is knocking your FC down about as quick as you can add it. Therefore, you have to hit back, and often. Add what you need to get it to 16. Then, 30 minutes later, test, and then add what you need to get back to 16 again. Then, 30 minutes later, test and add again. Keep repeating this process and eventually you will notice that the pool is looking better and better and you are using less and less bleach.

Right. What I am asking, is that since I know the FCs are being consumed almost as fast as I am adding it to the pool, wouldn't it be better to overdose the first time, to get to 16.

Because you say you have been going at it for a couple of months tells me that you just need to take a couple of days and hit it hard. We usually recommend dedicating at least a full weekend of being able to do nothing but commit yourself to the shock process; the process being the add bleach...test 30 minutes later...add bleach again...test 30 minutes later process.

Right again. I have not been going at it a couple of months. I failed to prevent algae from growing for a couple of months. I've only started to clean it 12 hours ago.

One thing though, what is your CYA level? If it is 0, then you may need to add a bit just for the added protection of preventing so much FC loss to the sun.

Be sure to run your pump day and night until you are finished. You are finished when your FC holds to within 1 ppm of loss overnight, your pool water clears, and your CC is 0.5 ppm or less.

Pump is running on high, has been since I started, will be until I get to 0 loss overnight. The CYA content is 40. Ph is 7.5 TA is 70, CH 260



Just to document my progress

About midnight last night, the FC in the pool was 16. I added enough bleach to raise the FC by 6ppm (two 182 oz jugs).5 hours later (I went to sleep) the FC was 10. I'm out of the big jugs, so I added four 96oz containers. So far, 12 hours into this I have added eighteen 182oz (3276oz) containers of bleach & four 96 oz (384oz) containers for a total of 3660 ounces (20 big jugs or 38 small containers of bleach)

 

[duraleigh]

Thuderkyss,

Good morning. I know what you're saying about adding extra FC but that leads to some potential problems. We all have to be careful so we don't grossly overdose a pool, particularly vinyl pools, because even just a few hours of way too much chlorine could damage the liner.

So the guidelines suggested are intended to keep all pools at a safe level throughout the process. I cringed just a tiny bit when you posted,

I should need four 182 oz jugs of bleach to bring my FC ppm up to the necessary shock level. 16 FC. I added six, to be safe.

I would rather you said, I added 2 extra jugs because I knew the FC would deplete quickly. :lol:

As 257 is saying, the ideal way to have started the process in your pool was add enough FC to get to 16 (or perhaps a little more) FC and then test and add again within the first hour. Then test and add again two hours after that, etc. etc.

Of course, what you are doing is replenishing less and less often as the FC is consumed slower and slower because it doesn't have quite as much work (killing algae) to do. But, equally important, what you are doing is keeping the FC within a fairly narrow range so it is under your complete control with no chance of an overdose or the confusion that often occurs when the doses are erratic.

Now, after all that, it is very obvious you understand the process and that you are on your way to a clear pool. We all suggest these guidelines of acceptable levels to cover a whole spectrum of situations. Your knowledge of your own pool and your knowledge of the process allowed you to be comfortable exceeding those guidelines for a while.

So, yeah, your case was just fine for an overdose of FC but BBB is all about precision, both in testing and dosing so we always take the safe path of encouraging everyone to "Color between the lines in your coloring book!"

On a side note, Don't forget to backwash/clean that filter with all that dead algae in there. It sounds like you really had a green pool and your filter will clog up pretty quickly. Did you do a "before" pic so we can see an "after"? :lol:

Double check that CYA of 16...should be 20+ to register on the test.

 

[thunderkyss]

Thuderkyss,
So the guidelines suggested are intended to keep all pools at a safe level throughout the process. I cringed just a tiny bit when you posted,

I should need four 182 oz jugs of bleach to bring my FC ppm up to the necessary shock level. 16 FC. I added six, to be safe.

I would rather you said, I added 2 extra jugs because I knew the FC would deplete quickly. :lol:

As 257 is saying, the ideal way to have started the process in your pool was add enough FC to get to 16 (or perhaps a little more) FC and then test and add again within the first hour. Then test and add again two hours after that, etc. etc.

I figured there was a reason. However, I'm dumping in enough bleach to get to 16, but it doesn't get there. All the while, I'm telling myself I know it's not going to get there.

What you are saying, If I understand you correctly, is that I should be confident that adding the right amount is supplying the required dosage & by checking it frequently it should never get too low.

I would just "feel" better, knowing there is a range... like on the CYA/FC chart... a minimum and a target is given.

But I think I've come to the understanding that we can't do that not knowing exactly what is in the pool.

On a side note, Don't forget to backwash/clean that filter with all that dead algae in there. It sounds like you really had a green pool and your filter will clog up pretty quickly. Did you do a "before" pic so we can see an "after"? :lol:

I do have some before pictures, but I took them with my "dumb" phone & it's a pain having to eMail each individual photo.. yes, I am that lazy. & yes, this phone is so dumb it does not use smart media.

& you're correct, I misstated my CYA level. It is 40ppm, which requires 16ppm of FC for shock value.

 

[duraleigh]

What you are saying, If I understand you correctly, is that I should be confident that adding the right amount is supplying the required dosage & by checking it frequently it should never get too low.

Yes. Some folks will start the shock process by dosing to 16ppm (40CYA) and have perhaps 12ppm the next morning......far less algae than you had so we don't want them to overdose.

Again, you are on a good path to clearing that pool. Your understanding of the process is obvious.

Phone pics are just fine.

I not only have a "dumb" phone but a "dumber" operator as well. I still take pics with my little Sony camera and only use my phone as God intended it to be used...PHONE CALLS ONLY!!

Do they still make that cell phone that had great big keys (and only 10 of them)? I knew I shoulda' got one.

 

[thunderkyss]

Okay, I'll continue posting in this thread to document my process. Mostly for my benefit, hopefully others will learn from my stupidity.

I admit, I basically let my pool go over the last couple of months, just to see how bad it would get & what would be involved in getting it back to shape. Dumb, dumb move.

If you're like me, & thought you'd be saving money, there is no way. I could have dumped a couple of gallons of chlorine in my pool twice a week (based on my chlorine usage) & measured my FC once a week & I would be in much better shape than I am now. In fact, all I would have to do is turn the heater on & go swimming.

Now, I'm 32 jugs of bleach into a mess I could have (& should have) avoided.

My mistake, your gain.

I am, however, down to only adding one jug an hour, the pool is a pretty turquoise color.... so I'm making progress. I decided to check the PH level, it climbed to 8+

I assume it's because of the 24/7 running of the pump (I've got a spa with jets & spill over). I added 43 ounces of Muriatic acid, & adjusted the spa jets (no more aerating) brought the PH down to 7.2 over a couple of hours. I ran to the local Lowes, bought a new brush (started brushing the sides) some more muriatic acid, & 10 gallons of their liquid shock (128 oz bottles of 10% chlorine @ $4.98).

 

[duraleigh]

DO NOT rely on your pH test if your FC is greater than about 10ppm. High FC renders the pH test invalid. YOu must wait until FC gets back below 10 to check your pH

You sound like you could be my twin brother!! I have twice (in winters past) let my pool go thinking I could save the time (I did) and the FC (I darn sure didn't) and I have also learned my lesson. This has been my best winter by adding just a little FC even when I didn't really need to and I have a clear, sparkling pool with probably less than 3 gallons of 12% to get it back into shape.

(BTW, isn't that turquise color pretty? I told the Boss I could live with it just like that but I quickly got "The Look")

 

[thunderkyss]

DO NOT rely on your pH test if your FC is greater than about 10ppm. High FC renders the pH test invalid. YOu must wait until FC gets back below 10 to check your pH

Dang it... I got that backwards. I thought high PH threw of my FC numbers.

Damanit1!

You sound like you could be my twin brother!!

You must be one handsome man.

(BTW, isn't that turquise color pretty? I told the Boss I could live with it just like that but I quickly got "The Look")

Yeah.... I got the look too.