Shock/SLAM continue or not

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Chewbubba

Chewbubba

0
Jun 13, 2012
133
Russellville, AR
The water in my pool hasn't been crystal clear for a few days now, but it hasn't been cloudy either. For several days, if I brought the FC up to 4 or 5, by the end of the next day it would be around 1.5 - 2.5, then I noticed the water getting dull.

The last full set of numbers I ran was Monday evening:

FC = 1.5
CC = 0.5
TC = 2.0
TA = 90
CYA = 40

Had to go out of town for a couple of days, and when I came back it was still more of the same but a more dull looking (still not cloudy).
FC = 0 (I can't remember what the CC was - I didn't write it down)

About 2:00pm, I replaced the filter (it was all clogged with dirt apparently) and put all the bleach I had in the pool, which was only enough to bring the FC up to around 9. A couple hours later I was able to go to the store and get some more and bring the FC up to 16 (CC was 0.5 - if the water is even faintly pink against a white card, I'm calling it "not zero").

I did the overnight test last night. After dark, FC was 17.5 and CC=0.5, this morning (although the sun was up this morning, it wasn't shining directly on the pool) it was 16. CC was still 0.5. Water is clearer than I've seen it in days (dirty though, needs vacuuming).

What would be the best next step?

Thanks!
 
Keep slamming the pool one more day and run another OCLT just to be sure. The recommended FC range for your pool is 4-7ppm. After you pass the second OCLT let the FC drop to 7ppm. Check the FC daily and add enough chlorine to bring the pool to 7ppm and don't let it go below 4ppm.
 
Chewbubba said:
For several days, if I brought the FC up to 4 or 5, by the end of the next day it would be around 1.5 - 2.5,
Click to expand...

With CYA of 40~ 5 fc is actually target, 3 being minimum.

If you are bringing it up to 4 or 5 you are at minimum or below.

I think your subtle dullness can be traced back to that statement.

CYA is subjective by =/- 10 so the 40 you are seeing could be 30-50

With that:
If it is 30 that's on the lower end of the spectrum ~ With an outside AGP in the sun you are going to burn through your fc's when the sun hits the water because there isn't an abundance of CYA to shield/protect your FC.

If it is 40: you are running below target ~ allowing something the ability to take hold and your fc's are being absorbed in battle.

If it is 50: Minimum is 4 which you have stated you are having to bring it up to that, target is 6 and you are below that, again allowing something green and mean the opportunity to take hold.

Maintain target/ do not fall below minimal for worse-case scenario and your water (once you have recaptured the sparkle) will stay that way.

If you are at 30 consider bumping up the CYA (whole country is heatwave with scorching sun currently) this will allow you some longevity with the chlorine you are using. It will have more holding power because it is shielded a bit better.

Continue the SLAM process minimally until it clears as that is part of the criteria for being able to be finished with the process (pass all 3 criteria). From there maintain a suitable level of chlorine at all times, don't let it fall below, keeping in mind the CYA test is subjective and you might have to work with chlorine additions a bit and/or possibly boost CYA to get you through the sunny days to maintain pristine water.
 
Thanks for the replies! Okay, then, the SLAM continues and do another OCLT.

When all is said and done, and I meet the 3 criteria, bump the CYA to 50ish, and make sure the FC is near the top end of the target range, correct?

Also, do I just wait to let the chlorine level drop? At what FC level will it be ok for my kids to get back in the pool?
 
You are safe to swim at shock level FC values for your CYA So, if you assume a 40CYA, it is safe to swim up to 15FC based on poolcalculator and that is a conservative number.

As to continuing... you are so close. Don't give up.
 
With the rain we have had ~ every single day for weeks. I am able to keep the water perfectly balanced, but with the draining of water I have had to do frequently I have had to add CYA twice, I will add it a third time this weekend. I was shooting for 35-50 but am barely at 30. With the sun beating down like it has between the showers I need to bump mine to 50 to get some holding power, otherwise I am a slave to the clorox jug.

I have drained a lot of water, at some points through this daily, but always a couple times a week. Inches at a clip. A bit of rain won't derail you, torrential downpours for weeks on end will mean you will need stabilizer. As long as you test and follow the methods, there really isn't anything that can derail you because you are in control.

It was very easy for me to tell I was backwashing my stabilizer out because I was having to add bleach very frequently. If you are paying attention and learning your water your be able to easily see an increase in demand to hold target. Because we have had so much rain and I have drained so much water, I test twice a day through the week (sometimes 3 times if the sun is beating us to death & on the weekend when I am not in the office, I test even more frequently than that ~ because I increase the clorox due to higher bather load. Once I get away from all these rains (should be this weekend) I will get my cya to near 50 and won't have to test as much as I have been.

Stay on top of things and it will become second nature and easy peasy :-D


Make sure to test ~ make sure to keep your pool at target (keeping in mind the test is subjective and has variance) and you'll be fine.
 

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Well, no rain. Drought continues, but I'm told it poured for less than 5 minutes on the west side of town. Strange.

In the meantime, I've had some crazy readings including the OCLT. I'm going to assume (yikes!) that all is good, vacuum the pool, and try to keep levels up.

Yesterday afternoon, my FC was 14, so I brought it up to 17+ (there was 3-4oz of bleach left in the jug, so I went ahead and threw that in there too, that's why there's a "+").

I tested it again in early evening, and the FC tested out at 25. I was like, "Whaaa.... okay, maybe I made a mistake. I'll be checking it again when I do the OCLT, so no biggie."

When I tested it after sundown, the FC was 18.5. That made sense.

This morning at sunrise, the FC was 20. Again, I was, "Whaaaa.... ", and then I goofed the CC test (added an extra drop of R003), so no accuracy there.

I'm running low on FAS/DPD, so I didn't want to throw another 40+ drops at it.

Anyway, water is crystal clear, but dirty, so like I mentioned at the top, vacuum, clean the cartride, raise the CYA since the pool takes direct sun most of the day, and keep the FC on the high side.
 
Just want to give you guys a big THANK YOU for all your help earlier this week (btw, drought sort of over - it rained yesterday and today, and should rain tonight and tomorrow).

Anyway, I had a chance to vacuum a little bit between thunderstorms today and took a pic to show the sparkly clean water you folks helped me get!

:whoot:
 
Very nice! As long as you test daily and make sure your FC and pH are in line you shouldn't have any problem with the rain. Then you can float in your crystal clear pool while you watch all the other pools in the neighborhood turn cloudy and people lugging home box after box from the pool store :twisted:
 
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