Day 12 of Semi-Slam and CC still stuck at 0.5

[Starman]

This is my 1st season w/TFP. We are the original owners of our pool. Prior to this spring, all of our water testing and chemicals were purchased via the local pool store. Our favorite pool store went "belly up" 4 or 5 years ago and since then, I've been ping ponging between two other local pool stores for our water tests and chemical purchases. Their test results were always wildly different between stores and even from within the same store. Needless to say, I started to sense a slow decline in the quality of my pool water during the past couple of years. At the close of last season, I started to see evidence of "pink" slime. This spring, although I opened the pool to a carpet of green algae and clear top water, I saw no visual evidence of the pink stuff.

After a couple of trips to the pool stores and getting wildly inconsistent test results, I decided I had had enough. Discovered the TFP site and began the processing of taking back control of my pool (and it feels soooo refreshing!)

Back in May, my pool was clean from debris, but the deep end remained cloudy.

Read about slamming, bought both TF-100 and Lamotte Pro 7 test kits and began slamming on 5/31

Test Readings
5/31/2014 6/12/2014
FC: 1.5 FC: 13.5
CC: 2.0 CC: 0.5
PH: 7.5 PH: 7.3 (taken a few days ago when FC=7)
TA: 100 TA: n/a
CH: 275 CH: n/a
CYA: 27ish CYA: 27ish (confirmed by both TF100 & Lamotte)

CYA years ago was 125+ but drop after draining/replacing 35% of my pool water. Thanks to TFP, I now understand the important relationships between CYA and FC.

Six days into my slam, the pool turned around and has been clear since then. Overnight FC loss now seems to be about 2ppms

My average daily FC seems to be around 8ppm since day one.

I suspect my Hayward inline chlorinator (w/TriChlor tabs) is faulty as the sun ravages my daytime FC levels.

My frustration is that at day 13, I still can't seem to get the CCs to zero. According to the pool calc my target shock level is 12ppm.

I feel I'm at 3rd base and just quite can get to home plate.

Any advice about how to best get the cc's down to zero would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks!

 

[Casey]

Welcome.

CC of less than 1ppm are fine. It's when you get to 1ppm and over that you need to worry.

If you are losing 2ppm FC in the OCLT then you still need to SLAM the pool consistently and religiously until you pass the OCLT.

You will also benefit from raising your CYA to 40-50ppm to help protect it from the sun during the day.

 

[zea3]

It is normal for a clean, sanitized pool to fluctuate between 0-.5 CC as chlorine is consuming organic waste from swimmers and things that find their way into the pool such as pollen and leaves. As long as you pass the OCLT and have less than 1ppm of CC then everything is good.

 

[Starman]

Thank you for your insights. The past few days it does seem like the CCs have been fluctuating between 0 - .5. No swimmers yet, but the fluctuation is probably more due to pollen and the other debris which seem to gravitate to the water.
The one time I want my Chlorinator to up my CYA...and it lets me down. I have visions of intervening and raising my CYA to 40 only to have the Chlorinator then "kick in" and put the CYA out of the "desired" range. I think the next priority for me after having given the pool stores the boot is to give my Chlorinator the boot too.

 

[Divin Dave]

If you use the Chlorinator for your main source of Chlorine, then you will always be battling rising CYA.
It's unfortunate, but thats the way it is.

I think the next priority for me after having given the pool stores the boot is to give my Chlorinator the boot too.