Newbie needs SLAMing advice, and how much sodium hypochlorite in Clorox Bleach?

[JFB]

Darlene13,

you're doing really good. You're following the steps perfectly. If you can resist the urge, try not to test too often if you think you will run out of R-0871. Just make sure you are at or above your Shock FC level (which is 16). You could always bring it up to 18-20 and test 4-5 hours later instead of trying to keep it right at 16 and testing every hour.

Also, I hope you bought more chlorine than you need for this SLAM. We sure don't want to SLAM our pools, but inevitably, it happens to us sometimes, and it's nice to have that chlorine handy right away!

From where I stand, your pool seems to be looking better and better. It's well on it's way to looking crystal clear. Keep at it, you're almost there...

JF

 

[Darlene13]

Test #9:

SLAM: 16 ppm FC
FC: 16.5 ppm
CC: 0.5 ppm

It looks about the same from the photo taken this afternoon. I'm going to aim for a higher FC level target so that it doesn't drop too much overnight.

 

[Darlene13]

you're doing really good. You're following the steps perfectly. If you can resist the urge, try not to test too often if you think you will run out of R-0871. Just make sure you are at or above your Shock FC level (which is 16). You could always bring it up to 18-20 and test 4-5 hours later instead of trying to keep it right at 16 and testing every hour.

Hi, JF!

I've been testing every two hours. I thought that was the maximum time that I should wait between tests, but maybe I read that wrong! Yes, I am worried about running out of R-0871. I just received the kit yesterday and that little 0.75 oz bottle doesn't go too far!! I will order more tomorrow. I've actually been setting 18 ppm FC as my target to keep it at 16 ppm or higher. I am going set 20 ppm as my target right now so that it hopefully doesn't drop too much overnight.

Also, I hope you bought more chlorine than you need for this SLAM. We sure don't want to SLAM our pools, but inevitably, it happens to us sometimes, and it's nice to have that chlorine handy right away!

I sure hope that I have enough! I started off with 6 cases (3 jugs in each, so 18 jugs in total) of Clorox. I've gone through 4 jugs already, but I returned the 4 closed cases to Costco today and instead bought the 10.8% liquid chlorine that was on sale today. I came home with 15 5L jugs.

From where I stand, your pool seems to be looking better and better. It's well on it's way to looking crystal clear. Keep at it, you're almost there...

Famous last words, LOL! Seriously, thanks for the encouragement! It doesn't seem to have changed much over the past 6-7 hours but I'm hoping I'll see some improvement by tomorrow afternoon. When I look at the photos from this morning to this afternoon, I can see a difference so maybe it's just happening more gradual now.

 

[Abigail K]

That calculator is a gem!

The Aquarius 5 litre Liquid Chlorine at 10.8% costs $0.219/oz. The Clorox 3.57 litre at unknown concentration, likely 6%, costs $0.413/oz. So, I'll be heading back to Costco and returning the Clorox and going to Canadian Tire!

Thanks so much, kiss4afrog! And again to JFB for informing me of the great deal at Canadian Tire!!

Slightly off-topic, but I couldn't help commenting -

In the metric world we can calculate cost per unit volume easily - $/ltr or $/100ml or $/ml - supermarkets here (Australia) list $/100ml on the shelves.

Cost [$] / (Total liquid volume [ltr] * sodium-hypo concentration [%]) - this gives $/ltr sodium-hypo
Once you have $/ltr you can easily calculate $/100ml or $/ml.

 

[kimkats]

That IS a very good sign!

I wonder if some DE would help you out now to finish? It could not hurt...............

Kim

 

[Darlene13]

Good morning, everyone!

Test #10:

SLAM: 16 ppm FC
FC: 18 ppm
CC: 0.5 ppm

Here is what the pool looks like this morning:



It doesn't look like much change from yesterday afternoon, but maybe once the sun hits it I will be able to tell if there is a difference.

It's back to work for me, so I won't be checking on it for the better part of the day! I've used 21 ppm FC as my target, just so that I hopefully stay on SLAM level. Guess I'll find out when I get home whether that was enough!!

Have a wonderful day, everyone!

 

[Darlene13]

I was gone all day, but I'm still above SLAM level!

Test #11:

SLAM: 16 ppm FC
FC: 17 ppm
CC: 0.5 ppm

I don't know if you can really notice it from the photo because the sun isn't quite hitting the pool, but I do notice a bit more improvement! And I notice a BIG improvement from that 2nd photo on Saturday after I brushed!!

View attachment 30986

 

[JFB]

Looking better... Are you finding you are adding less chlorine as time goes on to maintain SLAM level? That would be a positive sign you are on the other side of the curve...

Keep it up! We're watching!

 

[Darlene13]

Looking better... Are you finding you are adding less chlorine as time goes on to maintain SLAM level? That would be a positive sign you are on the other side of the curve...

Definitely, but I am also aiming for a higher FC target so that I can go longer between testing because I am really low on R-0871!

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View attachment 30986

That is bizarre! Anyone know why the photo is linked instead of imbedded? I swear that I did it the same way, LOL!

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That is bizarre! Anyone know why the photo is linked instead of imbedded? I swear that I did it the same way, LOL!

Well that is even MORE bizarre, LOL! It imbedded in my "quote" but not the first time around. Must be some kind of a glitch :-D

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Well that is even MORE bizarre, LOL! It imbedded in my "quote" but not the first time around. Must be some kind of a glitch :-D

I give up, LOL!! I swear that the photo was imbedded only a moment ago. The gremlins must be at it again!

 

[Darlene13]

That IS a very good sign!

I wonder if some DE would help you out now to finish? It could not hurt...............

Thanks for the suggestion, Kim! I didn't think of that, but I remember now that I read about that in Pool School. I'll have to check into where I can get my hands on some.

 

[Darlene13]

Test #12:

SLAM: 16 ppm FC
FC: 19.5ppm
CC: 0.5 ppm

Even though it's almost completely dark outside, when I brushed the pool, I could faintly see the brush going along the bottom of the pool! Yippee!! What I also saw were several dark areas. I used my leaf rake and pulled out a few leaves, but I suspect that I have more leaves hiding behind the dead space of my drop-in ladder. I tried to fish around back there with the leaf rake, but it became detached from the pole and now it's somewhere behind there! I'll have to wait until tomorrow to try to rock the ladder a bit (I can't lift it) to stir up the leaves that are stuck behind there and hopefully locate my leaf rake!

 

[JFB]

Or just buy another rake! That one's a gonner, let him go! Pick him up when the girls go swimming in a few days (yea, that's right, ..., swimming!) Let's see the pool! Pic please!

 

[kimkats]

Is there anyone that you can get to take the ladder out so it can be cleaned? That alone will speed you up a couple of days.

Kim

 

[Darlene13]

Or just buy another rake! That one's a gonner, let him go! Pick him up when the girls go swimming in a few days (yea, that's right, ..., swimming!) Let's see the pool! Pic please!

Oh, JFB...my girls want to go swimming so bad!! I hope it's soon!! Just three more days of school left and they hope that the pool will be ready for them when they are done!!

Test #13:

SLAM: 16 ppm FC
FC: 19 ppm
CC: 0.5 ppm

No sunshine this morning, but here you go!

View attachment 31012

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Is there anyone that you can get to take the ladder out so it can be cleaned? That alone will speed you up a couple of days.

I will see if I can try to flip the ladder over so at least I can get at the dead space to clean inside and free the rest of those leaves that are trapped under there. If I can't do it, I'll see if my dad can come over and give me a hand.

 

[Kiss4aFrog]

I will see if I can try to flip the ladder over so at least I can get at the dead space to clean inside and free the rest of those leaves that are trapped under there.

Just be careful. You're so close I don't want to see a post asking about repair and needing to refill your pool.
Couldn't you ask a neighbor for a hand ??

 

[Darlene13]

Just be careful. You're so close I don't want to see a post asking about repair and needing to refill your pool.
Couldn't you ask a neighbor for a hand ??

That would suck if that happened! But, not to worry! I went on a step-ladder and tilted the ladder and held it up as best as I could while balancing it on the pool ledge and I got one of my girls to scrub away on the inside of the ladder. I managed to get to the parts that my daughter couldn't reach, and I think we got at everything. As I suspected, there were lots of leaves and I think I've gotten them all scooped out of the pool now. I even found my leaf rake, hooray! There may be a few stray leaves that I missed, but I'll check back in a few hours once everything settles again and see if I can see anything down there.

I am nearly out of R-0871, probably enough for only 1 or 2 more tests. I haven't tested since this morning, but I did add some more chlorine this afternoon based on the amount I added yesterday. I know it's hard to speculate how much that I should be adding without testing, but I should be close. I'll test it tonight and make sure that I top it up for overnight. My order is on the way, and I asked for expedited shipping so hopefully it will be here by Friday.

 

[Darlene13]

LOL, true enough, bridgman! I'll bet that I can probably buy a whole TFTest kit and ship to a PO Box in Pembina, ND and drive across the border to pick it up for cheaper than it will cost to buy a replacement bottle of the R-0871 reagent here in Canada!

I'll post the prices when I get them.

As far as I know, there are only 2 places in Canada to get the reagents: Apollo Pools and Lowry & Associates. If anyone has another source, please pipe in!

Here are Apollo's prices (plus $11.00 for Expedited Shipping):

#R-0871
22 ml (0.75 oz): $16.49
60 ml (2 oz): $25.75
473 ml (16 oz): $54.61

And here are Lowry's prices (plus $15-20 shipping):

#R-0871
60 ml (2 oz): $31.32
473 ml (16 oz): $57.95

Ack!! Yes, definitely cheaper to get a whole TFTest kit shipped to a US PO Box and pick up at the border. But, I bit the bullet and placed the order because I can't dash off to the USA anytime soon to pick this up. So be it. But it's highway robbery!!

 

[Reddogdan]

Can't wait to see this finished !!

 

[Darlene13]

Can't wait to see this finished !!

You and me, both, Reddogdan!!

The water right now isn't as "blue" and pretty looking as it was this morning, now that I've released all the gunk that was behind the ladder!

 

[Darlene13]

Test #14:

SLAM: 16 ppm FC
FC: 20 ppm
CC: 0.5 ppm

I guess that I shot a little high when I shocked this afternoon without testing. Maybe the FC level did not fall very much today because it was not as sunny but more overcast. I ran the net all along the bottom and scooped out even more leaves. I think that nearly all of the leaf litter must be gone now! Hopefully, that speeds this up.