This is exactly right. Your FC consumption will slow down fairly quickly, but until then prepare to go through a lot of bleach.
Just opened the pool for the first time and need help
- Thread starter kgturner
- Start date
This is exactly right. Your FC consumption will slow down fairly quickly, but until then prepare to go through a lot of bleach.
Exactly. Many of us responders would like to use those words but they sound a little snarky coming from us.
Keep the faith. Folks have used close to 100 gallons of bleach in some extreme cases. It doesn't sound like you are following the SLAM values in Pool School. Bringing the FC to 6 ppm won't get you much. Don't be stingy with the FC......your pool has to have it.
Get your FC up to SLAM value (what is your CYA value?) and hold it there with multiple additions of bleach and your pool will start to clear.
You can't buy too much chlorine.....you won't waste a drop of it....promise.
I'm trying to get my FC to 16 ppm. Based on my CYA (~30), that's what the SLAM method recommends. Pool Math stated to go from 1 to 16 ppm I need 4 jugs of bleach. I guess that doesn't take into account a pool full of junk consuming the chlorine. I've probably put 9 jugs of bleach in the pool so far. I just picked up 9 more jugs and 5 gallons of 15% chlorine.
Kevin T
Keep at it, You will get there.
If there are still leaves etc in your pool, that will also take up a huge amount of FC. So keep trying to dredge out the solid gunk, and you will be fine.
If there are still leaves etc in your pool, that will also take up a huge amount of FC. So keep trying to dredge out the solid gunk, and you will be fine.
Been holding steady at 19 ppm since 5:00 pm. Checked CC on my last test and it was 1-1.5 ppm. I'll just keep feeding it bleach as needed. Hopefully this won't take too long. At what point should I worry? 2 weeks?
Kevin T
Kevin T
We've seen extreme cases go for a month. At 3 days in, you've barely started.
It'll take what it takes, but I promise you once it's done, pool care will be so mindless it's scary.
It'll take what it takes, but I promise you once it's done, pool care will be so mindless it's scary.
I noticed my filter pressure has gone up. It was around 17 psi when I started and now it's 21 psi. Should I be backwashing during SLAM?
Kevin T
Kevin T
Yep. You want to back wash when your pressure rises 25% above your clean pressure. That would be about a 4# increase over your clean pressure if your clean pressure was 17. You could backwash it now if you want. What type of filter do you have ?
Thanks. I'll go do it now. It's a sand filter. Whoever renovated the pool last year before I bought the house put new sand in it.
Kevin T
Kevin T
Well nevermind. I just went to backwash and pulled the pump filter basket out. It was clogged with leaf debris. I cleaned it out with my garden hose and now the pressure is 19 psi. I'll check the pressure again when I do my 3 o'clock FC reading in 20 minutes.
Kevin T
Kevin T
What kind of testing frequency should I be adhering to while SLAMing my pool? This weekend I've been testing it every two hours from 7:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. Is this too often? I want to balance frequent testing without running out of FAS/DPD chemicals too quickly. Obviously I'm not going to be able to do this during the week. I'll have to test around 6:45 a.m. and then again at 5:00 p.m. then some increments afterward.
Kevin T
Kevin T
In the beginning you want of test fairly often as that's when the most FC is consumed. Every 1-2 hrs. The longer you maintain SLAM level the faster the organics are killed off. As the process moves along and the FC loss slows down from the organics being killed off, you can cut back on the testing frequency.
So I lost 5 ppm from 6:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. I put another 121 oz. jug of bleach in the pool to bring me back up over 20 ppm. I was just wondering though what effect is rain going to have on the SLAM process? It's been raining for most the day and I have a nice overflow puddle now.
Kevin T
Kevin T
None. The volume of rain is too small compared to the bulk pool water to have any effect you need to worry about.
Well, ****! I ran out of liquid drops for the FAS/DPD test this morning. I was toward the end of the test so I guesstimated around 23 PPM FC. I ordered the XL version a couple of days ago as well as a glycerin filled pressure gauge. I kinda expected them to be here today via Priority Mail, but alas, it was not delivered. Maybe tomorrow. Now I'm just adding bleach blindly based on my previous testing data. I should have ordered the XL version the first time, but at least now I'll have the gauge too as I probably wouldn't have ordered it originally.
Kevin T
Kevin T
You are SO on the right track! It will happen and you will be so thrilled with what you see. Once you get your pool clear it will be so easy and cheap!
All you need now is some good ole' POP (pool owner patience). In some houses it comes in a 6-pack LOL
Good luck and keep the pictures coming!
Kim
All you need now is some good ole' POP (pool owner patience). In some houses it comes in a 6-pack LOL
Good luck and keep the pictures coming!
Kim
~One week into the SLAM and I can see what's on the bottom of the shallow end. I can make out dark spots in the deep end now which appear to be settled masses of leaves. Raking helps but seems to stir up more silt. Once I get the big stuff, I'll let the junk settle and vacuum it out. Hopefully once I'm able to effectively get the leaves and junk out of the deep end the water will clear up even faster. Luckily, I got my FAS/DPD from TFT today so I was able to test my water. I was at 24.5 PPM FC an hour ago so I don't think I ever dropped below SLAM levels. I also received my PSI gauge which I installed. It makes it a whole lot easier to tell what pressure my filter is at. Oh well, back to work on my honey-do list.
Kevin T
Kevin T
Kevin T
Kevin T
Yes, it will clear faster when you can remove the solids. Hang in there......it sure sounds like you are on the right track.