Just opened pool and need help.

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J

jtcooper

0
Jul 22, 2013
19
Just got the pump and filter hooked up and running yesterday. This pool has not been covered or been opened in three years. The water looks green,green,green! Will post pics later. I have a t100 xl test kit I purchased a week or so ago. I have reading lots of post on here and this site has awesome transformations on here. I sure want mine to be another one.
I just tested the water and these are my numbers.

Total Chlorine- less than .5
Calcium hardness-175
Ph test- less than 6.8.
Total alkalinity -10
Cya test-20
Cc- non detected

I assume it's slam time !! But I am still confused exactly what to do first. I don't want to mess this up.
Any help would be greatly thankful.
 
One of the prerequisites in the SLAM article is to adjust pH to 7.2 - 7.5 before you start since you won't be testing it during the green-to-clean stage. Your low alkalinity is going to make pH sort of volatile. I would suggest taking TA up to about 70 first. To be sure, it only took one drop to go from green to pink? After that's had half an hour to mix (and brushing will help mix things) recheck pH and TA and see if anything else is needed. You'll probably need some Borax. However... if there are any old pool chemicals left somewhere, see if you have any Alkalinity Increaser or pH up. If so, read the labels and post here, and someone will be along to tell you which if any are good to use. If you already own some, don't waste money buying more!

Have you dragged the bottom to remove leaves and branches? Anything like that will use your chlorine. Why pay for chemicals to break it down when you can just scoop it up and toss it?

With the major chunks out of the pool, the pH adjusted, and the pump running, then start dumping jugs!

It will help us a lot if you'd list your equipment, pool size, location, etc in your signature. To change your profile and/or signature, select "Settings" (top right under Pool School button). Scroll down (left side) to "My Settings" & select Edit Profile or Edit Signature.
 
So put my numbers in the pool calculator. At the bottom when I put 620 oz in the slam section it said it would raise FC to 22 and salt by 36. So if I am looking at a target range of 22 is that the amount of bleach I put in it.? Is that the correct way to figure how much bleach to put in?
 
Reading more and getting more confused. My CYA test was 20. The Chart showing the shock FC of 10. So do I put enough oz's of bleach in pool math calculator to raise the level to 10? Is 10 slam levels? Man the more I read and look the more lost I feel I am getting.
 
so I need to go a little more right?
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No. Just leave it alone. Using muriatic acid lower your pH back down to about 7.2...that should be about 40 oz. of muriatic acid....please confirm that's also what you get by using PoolMath.

Hold off on your bleach until you get the pH correct, then start the SLAM.

You report CYA of 20. The SLAM value of FC with a CYA of 20 suggest 10 or so ppm. I do not understand where you got 22 ppm as your SLAM value.....it's 10 and that is about 2 gallons for your size pool.
 
Ok got ph on the high side of 7.6. Dumped 2 gals of bleach. Waited 1 hr tested with FAS/DPD test and FC 5 ppm, CC 1.5.
So added another gal to add the little bump to get it back over 10 ppm . The gal is what the pool calculator said would get it back there. I am doing that right like that ? It has been 1.5 hr since the last gal added. Tested again, FC 1, CC 2. Now can someone tell me what the pool calculator should tell me to add, just to make sure I am doing this right. Are these the only test I should be doing?
 
jtcooper said:
Ok got ph on the high side of 7.6. Dumped 2 gals of bleach. Waited 1 hr tested with FAS/DPD test and FC 5 ppm, CC 1.5.
So added another gal to add the little bump to get it back over 10 ppm . The gal is what the pool calculator said would get it back there. I am doing that right like that ? It has been 1.5 hr since the last gal added. Tested again, FC 1, CC 2. Now can someone tell me what the pool calculator should tell me to add, just to make sure I am doing this right. Are these the only test I should be doing?
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To get from 1 FC to 10 FC should take 183 oz of 8.25% bleach. Is that what you got?

FC & CC is it for now. Ignore the rest until after the SLAM.

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Yes Richard that's what I have. I think I was using the wrong section but I think I figured it out now. That's what I came up with too. It has been dumped! Hopefully I will be a pool genius when this is done like you guys...
 
One more question is it ok to dump a little more than the calculator tells me to. I mean if it states to dump 230 ozs and go ahead and 2 whole bottles which would be 242 ozs. Am I hurting myself doing that?
 
Well finally called it a night at 3 am last night. Tested water this morning FC 2, CC 4. Dropped more bleach and waiting again. I feel as If I understand the slamming process now. Maybe !!! The water was a dark green almost black color when started. The green is almost gone over night, it is like a (khaki) light brownish /green color. Man I am pumped!!! I am seeing results already and haven't been to the pool store yet!!!! I hate pool stores.
 
Well still dumping bleach. Seems the FC is holding a little better now. Have 13.5 gals in so far. Water has went from black to sky blue but really cloudy. Seeing the first step and a hint of the second one also.
 
Good for you! Keep up the SLAM! It works and being consistent pays off! :cool:
 
Ok guys my question this morning is once I done my first water test and got 20 for the CYA. Do I just keep my slamming range at 10 until the water is clear? I never need to retest cya to and adjust anything?
I stay on it yesterday and last night but not much different with the color of the water. Brushed , raked, and dumping!!
 
Great progress so far. Just keep adding the required bleach to stay at SLAM levels. You dont need to keep checking the CYA during the SLAM, but its good that you have a consistent result. PH test is skewed when FC is above 10.

Make sure you keep up with brushing and vacuuming every day (watch your filter pressure and clean accordingly), water will begin to clear shortly although experience shows the sand filter may take awhile to fully clear things up.

You are done when:

CC is 0.5 or lower;
You pass an OCLT (ie overnight FC loss test shows a loss of 1.0 ppm or less) http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/136-perform-the-overnight-fc-chlorine-loss-test-oclt;
And the water is clear.

When all three are true, you are done SLAMing and can allow the FC to drift down to normal levels.
 
I have been brushing a lot. My vacuum plate that goes in the skimmer broke so I have been without. But I picked up a new one this afternoon, will vacuum tommorrow for sure.

My pressure gauge has not changed but about 5-6 lbs different sometimes but the water jet just seems real week. Is that a sign of back washing? I have been and getting back strong water pressure coming in then.

And how long for a sand filter to clean water?

- - - Updated - - -

My pool is in full sunlight all day, at night I can keep it burning 10 slam levels easy. But when that sons comes out it just seems to eat it still
 

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