Hee,Hee-Looks like the side view of a Angus bull. Sorry I couldn't help it. Good job with the swamp.
Proud owner of a glorious swamp!
- Thread starter scriptorum
- Start date
You are really coming along! Seeing the 3rd step from across the pool is major progress!!! If you can get DE you will speed the process! 
- Jan 21, 2014
- 1,069
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
That's some serious progress. I imagine the majority of the work is up to your filter now.
Here is the thing about phosphates, (I learned this from keeping a 100 gallon Saltwater Coral Reef Aquarium for several years and phosphates are extremely imporant to aquarium keepers). Simply put, Phosphates basically are algae food. So the pool store selling anti phosphate or whatever its called, are trying to prevent algae by eliminating the food source.
If no algae exists in teh pool because we are killing it, such as is the case using the TFP method, the phosphates are not relevent. It is MUCH easier to kill and control algae iwth Chlorine, than it is to keep phosphate levels low enough to have any significant effect on algae growth.
Day 11 - Hour 0 - FC:12.0 CC:0.5 CYA:30 - PSI:10.25 [baseline:9.5]
The only visible progress to the pool is the addition of the dead baby frog in the skimmer basket. Photo available upon request. Sickos.
Stabilizer was added a couple days ago, and the CYA test now registers at 30.
If I can find the time to locate pool-grade diatomaceous earth I'll run out and get it but, more likely, that will have to wait until Monday.
Thanks for all the feedback!
The only visible progress to the pool is the addition of the dead baby frog in the skimmer basket. Photo available upon request. Sickos.
Stabilizer was added a couple days ago, and the CYA test now registers at 30.
If I can find the time to locate pool-grade diatomaceous earth I'll run out and get it but, more likely, that will have to wait until Monday.
Thanks for all the feedback!
Do you have a K-Mart nearby? (ugh I HATE K-Mart) They usually carry it in with their pool section. I know because I used to be a vendor and one of our accounts was the pool chemicals for Chemtura and we did K-Mart and Wal-Mart stocking. lol
I bought mine in Lowes.
hey, look :lookhere: http://www.lowes.com/pd_86406-1772-...641&ipTrail=173.50.64.178¤tURL=?Ntt=d.e
Not sure if it will show up, but I selected "mount pleasant, sc" for my location. It says it's available. I'm stalking again.
I bought mine in Lowes.
hey, look :lookhere: http://www.lowes.com/pd_86406-1772-...641&ipTrail=173.50.64.178¤tURL=?Ntt=d.e
Not sure if it will show up, but I selected "mount pleasant, sc" for my location. It says it's available. I'm stalking again.
There are around here. They got rid of our "super" K-marts and changed them all to regular K-Mart. I know they totally disappeared from a lot of areas. I actually have at least 4 to choose from within 15 or so miles... We go every once in a while, for the heck of it. I actually bought a pool float there last week. Returning it this week because Target has the same float for $2 less and also has a sale this week for buy one get one 50% off. Sooo... $8.99 for 1 "intex sit and float" from K-Mart or $10.50 for 2 from Target? Hmmm.... You have to pay extra for all that ambiance.
Day 11 - Hour 4 - FC:7.0 CC:0.5
The pool is not looking too bad. Slowly getting better! Found a local Leslie's selling cellulose fiber, going to add some of that to the sand filter. I may have gotten pool-stored a little, forgive me: I went in intending to buy diatomaceous earth, but when I told him why I wanted it he tried to convince me cellulose fiber was a better choice. In the end, I agreed with him because a) it's safer to handle [I am a klutz], b) they sell it in smaller volumes, c) it biodegrades when backwashed to the lawn, and d) I couldn't find anything on TFP that suggested it wasn't on par or nearly on par with DE as a sand filter additive. Worst case I flush it out and never use it again, right?
Ready or not, our guests are wading into the pool. Hope the gator's dead!
The pool is not looking too bad. Slowly getting better! Found a local Leslie's selling cellulose fiber, going to add some of that to the sand filter. I may have gotten pool-stored a little, forgive me: I went in intending to buy diatomaceous earth, but when I told him why I wanted it he tried to convince me cellulose fiber was a better choice. In the end, I agreed with him because a) it's safer to handle [I am a klutz], b) they sell it in smaller volumes, c) it biodegrades when backwashed to the lawn, and d) I couldn't find anything on TFP that suggested it wasn't on par or nearly on par with DE as a sand filter additive. Worst case I flush it out and never use it again, right?
Ready or not, our guests are wading into the pool. Hope the gator's dead!
Cellulose fiber is great stuff for all the reasons you mentioned. It's just usually at least 4 times more expensive
Day 11 - Hour 8 - FC:9.0 CC:0.5
Pressure gauge skyrocketed to 23 PSI a few hours after adding cellulose fiber. Backwash brought it down to 11 PSI, which is where it was after I added the CF (+1 over the baseline of 10). Does that mean some of cellulose fiber still resides in sand filter? Anyhow I won't be able to check it until tomorrow, so I'm not going to add more CF tonight. Parts of the pool are looking much clearer. I can make out the pool light on the deep end of the pool (there's a pool light??), and can see shadows on the bottom of the shallow end. Little by little.
Pressure gauge skyrocketed to 23 PSI a few hours after adding cellulose fiber. Backwash brought it down to 11 PSI, which is where it was after I added the CF (+1 over the baseline of 10). Does that mean some of cellulose fiber still resides in sand filter? Anyhow I won't be able to check it until tomorrow, so I'm not going to add more CF tonight. Parts of the pool are looking much clearer. I can make out the pool light on the deep end of the pool (there's a pool light??), and can see shadows on the bottom of the shallow end. Little by little.
I agree with your judgment. I wouldn't add cellulose before bed. You've got too much invested in this now to smoke your pump motor.
Lookin good, how much cellose fiber you put in?
I use it too, love the stuff, clears the water very quickly
I use it too, love the stuff, clears the water very quickly
I like how each day when I check your progress your pictures show 1/2 of another step down into the pool. You should throw some sort of picture or something in the deep end so that once we can identify it properly you're near done as far as water clarity goes! Congrats on a great effort and I'm looking forward to seeing you win! This will be an awesome before and after story for everyone.
Day 12 - Hour 0 - FC:>60?? CC<1 CYA:31 PSI:15
I think there's something wrong with the R-0871 or DPD powder reagents I just started using from TFTestKits. It took well over 60 drops in a 5ml sample for the deeply red, almost-purple color to change to clear. I bought the 2oz bottle, and it's labeled as R-0871. My chlorine level can't be 60ppm, can it? I added less than a jug yesterday. This is my second replacement container of DPD powder.
I don't know what to do in regards to chlorine. It's a bummer, because it undercuts some of the victories from the overnight improvements. In the shallow end, the pool has much improved clarity all the way to the floor:
The light fixture (albeit broken - how do I replace the bulb!) is visible and so is the full ladder.
You can barely make out the main drain. No evidence of gator:
I can finally see enough of the pool floor in the deep end to scoop non-blindly!
And can see the bottom of the skimmer clearly. It looks like that's a swing cover over the skimmer/vac port, but what's the other closed-off port for?
And here's my first sample. I did it twice. After the DPD powder it turns this deep color. Seeing how deep it is, it makes me realize it's probably the DPD powder that's questionable. Is there any chance I did the test wrong, or the presence of cellulose fiber has affected the outcome? Or is there any chance in fnord that my chlorine level is at 60ppm? If so how? I can haz confused?
Here are the stats on my pool pressure:
Baseline PSI: 10
Cellulose Fiber PSI: 11
Meter PSI: 15
Current PSI: 12
I backwashed and the PSI only dropped to 12, so I backwashed again with no additional PSI drop. Is it possible some cellulose fiber I added is still in there and has spread or resettled?
At this point I'm not going to touch the pool until I hear back from an expert. The chlorine reading is befuddling, especially since it's proven to be so consistent for me in the past.
I think it was around 10 cups before the pressure had risen 1 PSI.
I think there's something wrong with the R-0871 or DPD powder reagents I just started using from TFTestKits. It took well over 60 drops in a 5ml sample for the deeply red, almost-purple color to change to clear. I bought the 2oz bottle, and it's labeled as R-0871. My chlorine level can't be 60ppm, can it? I added less than a jug yesterday. This is my second replacement container of DPD powder.
I don't know what to do in regards to chlorine. It's a bummer, because it undercuts some of the victories from the overnight improvements. In the shallow end, the pool has much improved clarity all the way to the floor:
The light fixture (albeit broken - how do I replace the bulb!) is visible and so is the full ladder.
You can barely make out the main drain. No evidence of gator:
I can finally see enough of the pool floor in the deep end to scoop non-blindly!
And can see the bottom of the skimmer clearly. It looks like that's a swing cover over the skimmer/vac port, but what's the other closed-off port for?
And here's my first sample. I did it twice. After the DPD powder it turns this deep color. Seeing how deep it is, it makes me realize it's probably the DPD powder that's questionable. Is there any chance I did the test wrong, or the presence of cellulose fiber has affected the outcome? Or is there any chance in fnord that my chlorine level is at 60ppm? If so how? I can haz confused?
Here are the stats on my pool pressure:
Baseline PSI: 10
Cellulose Fiber PSI: 11
Meter PSI: 15
Current PSI: 12
I backwashed and the PSI only dropped to 12, so I backwashed again with no additional PSI drop. Is it possible some cellulose fiber I added is still in there and has spread or resettled?
At this point I'm not going to touch the pool until I hear back from an expert. The chlorine reading is befuddling, especially since it's proven to be so consistent for me in the past.
I think it was around 10 cups before the pressure had risen 1 PSI.