am I done shocking?

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tltmom

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Aug 5, 2011
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Urbana, IL
I know this has been asked many times, but I'm a little confused
I have been shocking for 4 days, @ fc25-33 for CYA =60
The water is clear, cc never >.5, lost 1ppm overnight last night., ran test twice to be sure.
with that overnight loss, am I done? Some people seem to say 1ppm or less, some say less than 1ppm. I feel like I barely passed! Also, even though it is mostly cloudy and cool here and the water is around 72, the pool used about 10 ppm yesterday.
This is my third time shocking this pool since mid-April when I opened, even with scrupulously maintaining fc at good levels for my CYA. Aside from the water looking murky when I started, I've never seen any algae clinging to anything. I'm wondering if I have mustard algae somewhere that I can,'t see it, since I keep getting algae back after shocking the pool as per tfp instructions.

Just wondering if the experts think I should keep going with shock levels? It feels like we will never get this pool right! :oops:
 
Have you looked for any signs of algae in your pool equipment? If you have a pool light pull it out and check in the niche, scrub the niche with a small brush if needed and let the shock level water circulate in that area. Clean any other removable fixtures in the pool, such as hand rails and ladders. Keep the pool at shock level for one more day. Is the water crystal clear or cloudy to dull? Is the SWG turned off during the overnight test?
 
from the instructions in Pool School.....
If your FC level remained the same, or went down by 1.0 or less, the water is clean. There isn't any living algae or other organic contamination in the pool.
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It feels like we will never get this pool right!
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Why do you say that? It looks like you have already done so. :lol:

Now all you have left is to keep your FC 5-7ppm constantly and you should not have a problem the rest of the summer....assuming your CYA is 60. :goodjob:
 
This is my third time shocking this pool since mid-April when I opened, even with scrupulously maintaining fc at good levels for my CYA. Aside from the water looking murky when I started, I've never seen any algae clinging to anything. I'm wondering if I have mustard algae somewhere that I can,'t see it, since I keep getting algae back after shocking the pool as per tfp instructions.
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Something is wrong if you are having a third shock session (per pool school) in a matter of weeks.

I agree with zea that you should check every nook and cranny. Please let us know what you find.

Also, consider that the CYA level may actually be higher that testing, requiring a higher FC. The CYA test is +/- 10.

Are you scrubbing the BA with a SS brush? How old is your pool?

I have to come down on the side that there is something going on and you are barely passing the OCLT.
 
I think I'm barely passing too.
I will do your suggestions: will recheck cya, keep shocking, brushing.
I'm going to have to get a ss brush. I'm just using a wall whale and a hand held scrubber now.
I removed the ladder, scrubbed every surface of the skimmers, have wedding cake style steps that are part of the pool wall (gunite). so I scrub them like I do for the rest of the walls.
I will try to post a photo of my 2 pool lights. They have one screw at the top, which I could probably loosen, but to me it looks as though the plasterers slopped a little plaster over the ss edges of the lights and that I would have to chip them out.
The pool is on the beginning of its second season (installed aug-nov 2010)
Water has been crystal clear for 3 days.
Thank you for your support. This has been a very frustrating pool season :oops:
 
I guess by BA you mean black algae?
I really don't think I see any, and i have looked. I'll try to track down a brush but I may have to go online. I have one of only 3 plaster pools in my entire area that I know of, so the pool stores usually don't stock them, I don't think.
 
Here's an FYI on pool brushes:

Use a Nylon brush for vinyl, fiberglass, tile, and plaster that is less than one year. (Plaster includes any exposed aggregate and marcite finish, btw!) Combo brushes are for older plaster. All stainless are for algae (very stubborn green algae and also the ONLY brush for black algae.)

You CAN unscrew the Wall Whale from the nylon brush it comes with and screw it on a combo brush if your plaster is over a year old. Newer plaster is really too soft for anything other than a nylon brush.
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I will do your suggestions: will recheck cya, keep shocking, brushing.
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Since your water is crystal clear, your CC's are .5ppm or less and you pass the OCLT, how will you know when to quit shocking? This is a serious question....those criteria passed signal the end of the shock process....what additional are you looking for?

(rechecking your CYA is a good idea)
 
Trust me duraleigh, I'm asking myself the same question and did not mean to cause confusion here. I appreciate all the expert advice I get here especially since there is not a lot of expertise in my local pool stores and my builder puts'em in but does not do chemicals :(
The reason I questioned if I was done is that some moderators seem to say the oclt should lose less than 1ppm, some say 1ppm is okay. Unless I'm reading the posts wrong which is entirely possible.
Trust me, nothing would make me happier than to feel like I got rid of the algae and could just kick back and enjoy! Today is too cool for swimming here so shocking for one extra day is really no big deal, and it does sound like I need to start using a ss brush.
So I'm still learning!
Btw even if I tried, I don't think I can get out those lights to check behind the without damaging the plaster. Can you tell from the pictures? Hopefully I don't need to.
 
Between 5.0(it only even got that low once) and 11.
Typically 6 to 11. Even though I kept up these levels, I gradually saw the water go from clear to slightly murky, and lost 3.5 ppm Cl overnight, which started me shocking the third time.
I do have a swg, but I was having trouble being sure it was working ( I have a thread in the swg forum about that) so I have been using just 12% lc. Now looking back, I may have not quite passed oclt after shocking the first time, but I was sure I did the second time.
So I'm pretty surprised I'm having so much trouble. I am scrupulous about testing, etc,
Enough so that my hubby is starting to worry a little!
I'm hoping The pool loses less than 1ppm Cl tonight, and I can be all done shocking. The water looks great and it's never had >.5 cc for weeks now.
 
I put pictures of my light niches above. I hope the pic quality isn't too bad. I think that I would have to chip off a bit of plaster to get the niches open, even once I loosen the screws, so I'm really hesitant to do that. I will check with the PB on Monday to ask about opening the lights.

I looked more carefully at my pool log, the Cl level did slip down to 4.0/4.5 a few times since the second and third time I shocked. That would be a bit low for CYA of 60 in an non-swg pool, and since I think my swg may only be working intermittently, that could be the culprit.

Aside from needing to get the lights scrubbed out, I think I have thoroughly scrubbed everything else. So I'm at a bit of a loss to explain why I can't keep the pool algae free. I guess it must be the lights.

I'm still hoping that giving the shock level one more day (today) will do the trick and I won't have to tackle those lights. I never had this kind of trouble last season, but maybe our very mild winter here had something to do with that?

thank you for your patience. I don't think I have read of any TFP'er having this much trouble - just my luck. or my OCD, as my family suspects!
 
Just in case anyone has the same questions I do, I thought I'd follow up.
Lost 1.0 ppm again last night, water clear, .5ppm or less cc, so I'm done shocking.
Probably wasn't a terrible idea to do the extra day of shocking, as zea and butterfly suggested, since I have had so many problems keeping the pool clear this season.
I will start using a ss brush as suggested.
If I possibly have another round of algae, I will get more aggressive about taking the light apart and opening up the filter to clean the sand.

Again, thank you for the effort you have put in helping me. I had completely run out of POC - pool owner confidence!
 
Re: am I done shocking? update with easy ?

Another question, hopefully quick and easy for the moderators.
I have tried searching the site first to answer this for myself, but was unsuccessful. :hammer:

I'm letting my fc levels drop after shocking. I had the fc's up in the 30's for shocking, so I knew to use 2 heaping scoops of powder to run the test. Tonight I still used 2 good scoops of powder, and got 20.0. My question is, should I have only used 1 scoop? I was thinking just one scoop was not enough at higher Cl levels. At about what fc level is it a good idea to go back down to using 1 scoop? I just want to be sure I'm being accurate!
 
Use one scoop from now on. If the solution "flashes" pink but then turns back to clear, put in another scoop.

The amount of powder you put in the pool sample is irrelevant to the accuracy of the test. Simply put enough powder in to turn the solution pink and then, that's enough. :mrgreen:
 

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