Houston, we have a problem...

[jblizzle]

From your first link:

2. Add enough chlorine to bring FC up to shock level (or a little higher)
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 as frequently as practical, but not more than once per hour, and not less than twice a day, until:

CC is 0.5 or lower;
You pass an OCLT (ie overnight FC loss test shows a loss of 1.0 ppm or less);
And the water is clear.

Chlorine additions should be frequent, especially at the beginning. Algae and other organic debris will consume chlorine very rapidly at first. As things progress, you will lose less chlorine each cycle and can add more less frequently.

Bold added for emphasis. You MUST maintain the FC at or above SLAM level, letting it drop below will only make the process take longer.

Like I said before, your FC is dropping too low and ideally you should be testing and adding more often.

 

[Casey]

Do you have anyone at the house to help you?

The TFPC is tried and true. When in the SLAM process you need to basically babysit the pool for the first few days to a week. The filters clog (as you've seen) and the SLAM level fluctuates wildly on the lower end (as you've noted). The chlorine is being consumed on a constant basis.

No one, And I've read the whole thread, has been rude to you. It would be appreciated if you'd extend the same courtesy to others that has been given to you by our many helpful posters.

 

[HouTex]

What the ****??? Do you guys just make this stuff up as you go along?

I've read every word of this:
http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/125-slam-shock-level-and-maintain-shockingl

and this:
http://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/3913-Turning-Your-Green-Swamp-Back-into-a-Sparkling-Oasis

I've followed this chart:
http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/128-chlorine-cya-chart-slam-shock

Where does it say FC cannot fall to 5? And if you're going to tell me not to do something, maybe a little suggestion of how to accomplish it would be nice. EVERY single time I measured my FC and it was below shock level, I added more chlorine. If I'm doing something wrong, then tell me WHAT I'm doing wrong, not just come on here and make a snarky comment. That doesn't help anyone.

I understand your frustration, but if you are letting it get well below SLAM level then it should be obvious you are not SLAMING your pool.

Hang in there, people here really are trying to help.

 

[Leebo]

Let's try to get this thread back on topic. I fully understand the frustration of dealing with a pool that's stubborn and for whatever just won't clear. We've all been there only to walk outside the next day to a cleared up pool. Sometimes clear water just want's take it's time.

Can you please post a full set of CURRENT test results, time/date of these results, and a photo of the water? Is the filter still acting up?

 

[TexasGolfer]

From your first link:


Bold added for emphasis. You MUST maintain the FC at or above SLAM level, letting it drop below will only make the process take longer.

Like I said before, your FC is dropping too low and ideally you should be testing and adding more often.

Then please help me troubleshoot my procedures and determine if I am doing something wrong. I feel that I am following the recommendations to a T, but this is a brand new process to me, so I can't promise that I'm not misunderstanding some part of the process. I've had very few questions asking me what I'm actually doing, so I'm assuming that what I have done so far is correct.

The procedure recommends frequent additions at the beginning, which I why I started on Saturday. Like I said earlier, I don't have my notes with me, but I think I added chlorine 4 times on Saturday, and 3 on Sunday. My beginning CYA was 30, so my target FC is 12. I always rounded my additions up. I think some of my early additions called for 200-210 oz, so I added two full jugs - 242 oz. More recently, I think this morning called for 91 oz, and I added 121.

Is there anything about my process that I haven't written about that you need to know? There is nothing I can do about the fact that I am not home for aprox. 12 hours during the day. Not sure why you guys keep bringing that up. Instead of telling me that I need to test and add at a time when I can't, give me some alternatives. Should I run the FC up to a much higher number when I leave in the morning? Should I put my floater back in with 3" tabs that will possibly increase my CYA? Should I be testing CYA to see if it's changing? I thought I read not to bother testing anything but FC during the SLAM process, but I've read so much that maybe I'm mixing things up.

What's frustrating me is the criticism of things that are beyond my control without offering alternatives, as well as criticism of me trying to troubleshoot other areas of the process. Why am I so focused on filtration? Because it appears that my filters are only working at peak levels for about 2 hours a day, and at that rate it won't matter how much algae I kill, because I will never get it all out of the water. It seems that I have tons of dead algae floating in my water and accumulating on all the flat surfaces of my pool. Don't I need to get that **** out of the water? If not, then tell me that and I'll stop worrying about it. If I need to run my FC level up to 30 instead of 12 when I'm gone to work all day, then tell me that and I'll try it.

I'm sorry that I'm frustrated, but I would think all of you who have gone through this yourselves before understand my frustration.

 

[Beens]

Maybe what should be re emphasized (if it hasn't been yet is that you always want to keep that FC at above the slam level. If you can't dose as often it would be a good idea to raise even higher than 12. Try to figure out how much you're losing between doses and adjust for that so you never go below that level. Any time it drops below slam level you're losing the ability to stay ahead of the algae and that will drag out the process.

 

[TexasGolfer]

I understand your frustration, but if you are letting it get well below SLAM level then it should be obvious you are not SLAMING your pool.

Hang in there, people here really are trying to help.

THIS. This is NOT helpful. I'm not LETTING the pool get well below SLAM level. I'm putting the recommended amount of chlorine into the pool, then going to work. There is no one else at the house to monitor the levels and add chlorine. I'm going to be gone about 12 hours. This has all been stated days ago.

 

[Casey]

Breathe TexasGolfer... Deep breath in and out...

It's ok. It's just a pool. I have had my fair share of frustrations just last week with a leak. I had to walk away from it for awhile after dropping a few F Bombs and threw a few things in the garage.

So you're on you're own and no one is home to help. Just do your best (which I can see you're doing). It may take a little longer but it will come around and on your weekends off, you can really hit it hard. It's just going to take a little longer. As far as raising your SLAM level higher, I wouldn't go above 20ppm MAX. CYA and Chlorine share a relationship together and you don't want one to exceed the other by overdosing (HIGH Chlorine/Low CYA) or under dosing (HIGH CYA low chlorine).

I know what you need... POP! Pool Owner Patience and maybe a beer or 2.

 

[HouTex]

THIS. This is NOT helpful. I'm not LETTING the pool get well below SLAM level. I'm putting the recommended amount of chlorine into the pool, then going to work. There is no one else at the house to monitor the levels and add chlorine. I'm going to be gone about 12 hours. This has all been stated days ago.

TexasGolfer, this is from your post 51. "The FC typically registers between 5 and 8 12 hours after my previous chlorine addition."

By definition you are letting it get below the stated SLAM level. I get that you have to go to work--just about all of us do. If someone can't help you add chlorine more often to keep the CL at or above the stated SLAM level perhaps, like someone suggested, you can add enough bleach so that you never go below the stated SLAM level. But I wonder if such a high level of CL could damage your pool?

I suggest you get someone out (a plumber?) to check out your circulation problem. I can't help you there.

 

[TexasGolfer]

Breathe TexasGolfer... Deep breath in and out...

It's ok. It's just a pool. I have had my fair share of frustrations just last week with a leak. I had to walk away from it for awhile after dropping a few F Bombs and threw a few things in the garage.

So you're on you're own and no one is home to help. Just do your best (which I can see you're doing). It may take a little longer but it will come around and on your weekends off, you can really hit it hard. It's just going to take a little longer. As far as raising your SLAM level higher, I wouldn't go above 20ppm MAX. CYA and Chlorine share a relationship together and you don't want one to exceed the other by overdosing (HIGH Chlorine/Low CYA) or under dosing (HIGH CYA low chlorine).

I know what you need... POP! Pool Owner Patience and maybe a beer or 2.

Thanks. Yes, I was worried about going too far above the shock level. The instructions are pretty clear to raise your FC TO or a little above shock level. I assumed if it was okay to go way over shock level, that it would have said that. So should I retest my CYA level to make sure it's still where I think it is? Or is that test not valid during the SLAM?

 

[AprilNC]

The CYA test can be done during slam - however, if you have added CYA then it takes it about a week to register on the test - so if you have added any CYA then you need to wait a week before testing.

I feel your frustration - I think all of us have experienced it at some point - you will get there!

 

[golfinglenn]

To add to what Casey said, I would slam to 20 on the fc right before you leave for work. That way it shouldn't drop below 12, or not much below while you are gone. As others have stated, it can be a frustrating process at first, but once you turn that corner and get ahead of the algae it becomes very easy to keep up, and much cheaper than the other alternatives out there.

If you plan on keeping the pool for a couple more years have you considered ditching the filters and replacing with a sand filter? That takes about 5 minutes to backflush with no more work than turning a knob on top of the filter. Initial cost of filter is more than worth the investment as it takes a lot longer to clog it and no comparison to trying to clean paper filters. The sand to fill is super cheap at your local hardware store. I use silica #20. Just something for you to consider.

 

[TexasGolfer]

The CYA test can be done during slam - however, if you have added CYA then it takes it about a week to register on the test - so if you have added any CYA then you need to wait a week before testing.

I feel your frustration - I think all of us have experienced it at some point - you will get there!

Thanks. If there is enough light I will test CYA when I get home tonight. If not, I'll do it in the morning. That is the one test that is pretty iffy. Don't want to rely on what I see if there is not a lot of natural sunlight.

 

[Casey]

If you had a vinyl lined pool, I'd be a little more cautious with going over the SLAM level but seeing that you don't, I don't see why it would hurt in this instance since you are gone for 12 hrs a day. Go ahead and retest the CYA and post those numbers when you get them. I usually do most of my testing in the house. A lot of us do it in the kitchen. There is no harm in filling a water bottle with pool water and doing it at the kitchen table. That's how I do it.

 

[HouTex]

Golfinglen, I considered switching from a cartridge filter to a sand filter mid-construction, but it would have cost me $$$$ to connect to the sewer line. I can't tell where he lives and I don't know how his system is plumbed, but if he has to connect to a sewer line it might be very costly.

Having a cartridge system I'm very careful to avoid an algae bloom for the very problems TexasGolfer is experiencing.

 

[TexasGolfer]

To add to what Casey said, I would slam to 20 on the fc right before you leave for work. That way it shouldn't drop below 12, or not much below while you are gone. As others have stated, it can be a frustrating process at first, but once you turn that corner and get ahead of the algae it becomes very easy to keep up, and much cheaper than the other alternatives out there.

If you plan on keeping the pool for a couple more years have you considered ditching the filters and replacing with a sand filter? That takes about 5 minutes to backflush with no more work than turning a knob on top of the filter. Initial cost of filter is more than worth the investment as it takes a lot longer to clog it and no comparison to trying to clean paper filters. The sand to fill is super cheap at your local hardware store. I use silica #20. Just something for you to consider.

Thanks Glenn. I just worry about taking it too high, since it doesn't say to do that in the SLAM instructions.

Yeah, I do hate these cartridge filters. Pool was in when I bought the house, so not my choice. My first pool had DE and I loved that. Never had any problems that I couldn't knock out very quickly. I may look into the cost of upgrading vs just buying new filters more often.

Let me know if you ever come to Houston and need some recommendations for golf courses.

 

[golfinglenn]

Golfinglen, I considered switching from a cartridge filter to a sand filter mid-construction, but it would have cost me $$$$ to connect to the sewer line. I can't tell where he lives and I don't know how his system is plumbed, but if he has to connect to a sewer line it might be very costly.

Having a cartridge system I'm very careful to avoid an algae bloom for the very problems TexasGolfer is experiencing.

Didn't know some people had to do that lol. My sand filter gets connected to a 20' section of hose and gets backwashed into the yard . I figured algae is probably good fertilizer!! Love my sand filter though.

 

[Casey]

Thanks Glenn. I just worry about taking it too high, since it doesn't say to do that in the SLAM instructions.

You're right, it doesn't say to exceed the recommended dosage. So what do you want to do? Go above and keep it on the higher end by the time you get home OR, stay on the lower end and below SLAM by the time you get home? If you had a vinyl liner, I would never suggest you going higher due to ruining the liner. For your circumstance of being gone for 12 hours, if it were my pool, I would do it to get ahead of the bloom and stay ahead of it. Once you start making head way, you could back off and go down to 15ppm as you start holding chlorine more steadily. It's your choice but as of right now, you are dipping below SLAM by the time you get home.

Yeah, I do hate these cartridge filters. Pool was in when I bought the house, so not my choice. My first pool had DE and I loved that. Never had any problems that I couldn't knock out very quickly. I may look into the cost of upgrading vs just buying new filters more often.

I have a DE and I love it!

 

[jblizzle]

As I mentioned before, your cartridge filter is HUGE for your pool which is a great thing. Once you get the algae knocked out, I would not be surprised if you go over a year without needed to clean the cartridges ... and may only then out of a sense of duty. And the cartridges should last many many years.

 

[Beens]

Well, you're going to raise it to 20 but think of it this way, it's not going to stay there very long. Since we already know you're losing 4-7ppm (if starting at 12 and coming back to 5-8) you might dose to 20 but in a few hours it's going to be down below that and working it's way back towards the 12 goal anyway.

If you were dosing every 2 hours I'm sure that high wouldn't be a good idea but I know I've read of people in your situation dosing higher than SLAM when they're going to have to be away longer than normal.

Once you maintain that 12 or more without going below it you will hopefully get ahead of the algae and won't have to worry about losing so much between doses and then you can adjust your dosing level accordingly.


I completely understand your frustration!