SwampClean 2015 - opening the pool!

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I'm sorry I haven't commented sooner Steve. I've been really busy. I try to stop in n help as much as I can.

We've been getting a lot of rain too. My CYA took a dive too. If you still have CYA in the sock, take it out since You already added the liquid CYA. You don't want to get too high, especially during the SLAM.

Next is brushing which Richard already touched on. You need to be brushing a lot more than usual right now since your pool is on the sick side and being SLAM'ed. You should be brushing it weekly anyways. Brushing is one thing a pool doesn't get enough of.

Next thing I'd like to touch on is your filter and cleaning it. Yes, a dirty filter works better than a clean one but I think that's more so for sand filters. I'd note your clean pressure and your dirty pressure and check it more to see how the cartridge is looking.

This takes awhile. Rain makes it a little harder since you're getting a lot. My pool is filled past the skimmer box n has been for 2 weeks. If you can lower the level some, you can get some better skimming on the surface. Keep SLAMing the pool and doing what you're doing.
 
I think you're not getting many comments because you're terminology is off just like in the beginning when you were calling chlorine CH (CH generally stands for calcium hardness).

What are you calling TC? One would assume that TC would be total chlorine, but there is no way total chlorine can be less than your free chlorine. Total chlorine is the sum of your free chlorine plus your combined chlorine. Also, if you're actually referring to combined chlorine (CC) when you say TC, don't be upset when CC is low. That means your SLAM is going well. In a healthy pool, CC should be below .5 ppm regarding of the free chlorine level.

In addition, CYA can take up to a week to register on the test. You shouldn't have kept adding it as it's likely you'll overshoot your goal.
 
when I get a chance this afternoon, I will re-do all the tests. But this morning, I woke to the pool registering Fc = 14.5

Although, we did get MASSIVE amounts of rain/flooding yesterday. My pool was spilling over the sides. So, I am quite impressed that I managed to still have 14.5 I only had to add a total of 2 gal. yesterday. That is the least amount I have put in during a 24 hour period since I started this process. The pool doesn't vissualy look any better yet though. I will post pictures this afternoon.

Thanks,
Steve
 
Ok, here are my readings at 3:30pm

Fc: 7.5
CC: 1.5
TC: 9
CH: 200
TA: 90
CYA: 35
PH: 7.2

Very frustrated by the fact that I had very little FC loss all day yesterday and over night (although it was a cloudy day with no sunlight yesterday, and today has been clear and sunny), yet today at about 10am I showed to have 14.5 FC left from over night, and I added 1 gal. of 10% bleach that SHOULD have put me at roughly Fc 19

So somehow I lost 11.5 FC in 6 hours??? <---REALLY?!?!?

Anyway, I am about to add 2 gal. of 8.25% that should bring me back up to 15.7

here is a picture of the pool today:

20150622_153146_zpsloyu26v5.jpg
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You are in the home stretch. Dont give up, keep doing as much as you can with the time that you have. Unfortunately you have to babysit the pool to have quicker improvement. Is there anyone home during the day that can be given instruction on how to help?
 
I am so confused! Seriously, if my pool looked better I would be so happy with the numbers I got today. Last night, I was reading 15.5 FC about 11pm and I went to bed. This morning I wake up at 6:30am and do a drop test. 15 FC!!!! This should be GREAT news, yes? NO! Because my pool still looks terrible! I actually think it looks WORSE this morning. yesterday, it at least had a blue tint to it. Today, it just looks like muddy water. This could be that yesterday it was full sun and today the sun isn't really out yet...so there isn't really any direct sun reflecting on the water....I don't know but its about making me want to cry!

:(
 
kimkats said:
I will tell you that the last little bit IS the hardest! One step forward, 3 back :(

Hit is hard today and see what happens!

Kim
Click to expand...

Hey Kim!

Thanks for the response. So something strange is happening. I am taking pain staking messures to make sure I am doing my testing exactly as instructed with the TF100 kit...but...

2 hours ago my FC showed to be 16. its been two hours, I just retested and my FC shows to be 17.

How is it even possible to have INCREASED the FC in 2 hours without adding bleach?!?!?! I repeated the test 3 times to make sure it was correct. and I got the same result every time.

The only thing I can think is that yesterday afternoon I added some bleach through the skimmer basket so maybe it was sitting in the filter for awhile before making it's way into the pool???

In any event...I am about to have to leave for a few hours and I had 2 gal. of 8.25% chlorox so I went ahead and dumped it in there (YOU SAID HIT IT HARD!!! LOL) that should hold it for a few hours while I am working. I should be back around 2pm maybe sooner.

thoughts, comments?

Thanks,
Steve

- - - Updated - - -

MJF54 said:
You are in the home stretch. Dont give up, keep doing as much as you can with the time that you have. Unfortunately you have to babysit the pool to have quicker improvement. Is there anyone home during the day that can be given instruction on how to help?
Click to expand...

Hey Mike, thank you for your response! Sadly no there is no one else here while I am away that can maintain the pool. Without this forum, i'd be on my own....so I appreciate every response I get through this forum.

Thanks,
Steve
 

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Steve,

Hang in there. The shock FC levels on the CYA/chlorine chart are the MINIMUM levels that you need to maintain at ALL times during the SLAM. Also, take your test samples at elbow length as far away as possible from where you added the chlorine (opposite side of the pool) after circulating the water for 30 min. FC levels are not going to be the same in all areas pool and could vary by a few ppm. This may be the reason for that slight increase in FC without you adding any chlorine.

Do not worry about the water clarity at this point - it means nothing. You can treat lake water to where it is chemically safe to drink, but it can still be cloudy.

Do not use your OTO test for testing chorine. CC will register on that test as well, so it will show high chlorine levels even with little to no FC. The presence of CC in your water (over .5 ppm) indicates that there is still living matter (algae, bacteria, etc.) in your pool with which your FC has combined. You need to keep the FC above the MIN shock level at all times until CC is under .5 ppm.

At that point, we "double-check" that the FC is not binding to any organic matter by performed the overnight FC loss test.

Usually, the last step is clearing the water if all of the dead waste hasn't been filtered out by then. There are tricks for that, though they're not usually necessary. We'll cross that bridge when we get there. Rely on your test kit to get the water safe for swimming regardless of what it looks like.

The algae, bacteria, etc. is struggling to stay alive and the sun is helping it by burning off the oxidizing agent (chlorine). Every time you let your FC level drop below minimum shock level, it starts growing again. This is war, and every time your FC drops below min shock level, you are wasting chlorine/losing a battle. Hang in there, take your samples correctly, and maintain min shock FC level at all costs. When CC levels indicate that everything is dead (under .5) and we VERIFY that (overnight FC loss test), we can clear up the water.

Side note: It's good to let the pool "breathe" and the UV rays from the sun can actually kill off a little bit of bacteria, but if the sun is burning off too much of your chlorine during the day causing you to lose a battle here and there, you could try using your pool cover during sunny days until your CC is less than .5 and you pass the overnight FC loss test.

Oh, and like Casey said, brush your pool. Algae will form on the walls/floor first. It can actually develop a film over itself to protect itself from (in this case) chlorine. Brushing will break up that film exposing it to the FC.
 
Ok, so I have kept the pool a little above shock for a few days...but this morning I over slept and when I woke up my FC had dropped to 6.5!

Even though the pool still had a murky look to it, I took advantage of the lower FC level...and me and my dad jumped in and did some extra cleaning. we got a lot of little debrie that either I had missed previously or it has newly fallen into the pool. After being in the pool for about an hour and enjoying it (It felt so nice!) I got out and bleached it HEAVY!!!

I am about to go to bed with my FC sitting at about 36.5 if that doesn't do some killing and cleaning I do not know what will! I am hoping for more clarity in the water tomorrow (fingers crossed!)

We also cleaned the filter (it needed it!)

Thanks,
Steve

- - - Updated - - -

Ok, so I have kept the pool a little above shock for a few days...but this morning I over slept and when I woke up my FC had dropped to 6.5!

Even though the pool still had a murky look to it, I took advantage of the lower FC level...and me and my dad jumped in and did some extra cleaning. we got a lot of little debrie that either I had missed previously or it has newly fallen into the pool. After being in the pool for about an hour and enjoying it (It felt so nice!) I got out and bleached it HEAVY!!!

I am about to go to bed with my FC sitting at about 36.5 if that doesn't do some killing and cleaning I do not know what will! I am hoping for more clarity in the water tomorrow (fingers crossed!)

We also cleaned the filter (it needed it!)

Thanks,
Steve
 
STEVE! Dude you are going to bleach out your liner if you do that much too often! I know why you did--------GET IT DONE! But more is not better due to damage it can cause.

Time and bleach (just at or above SLAM level from now on please) are your friend.

Kim
 
kimkats said:
STEVE! Dude you are going to bleach out your liner if you do that much too often! I know why you did--------GET IT DONE! But more is not better due to damage it can cause.

Time and bleach (just at or above SLAM level from now on please) are your friend.

Kim
Click to expand...

Yes mam! ;-)

I have been a little freaked out since I did it. this morning the pool STILL isn't clear. cya is about 40 and the drop test registered FC at 31 ish.
 
Hugs Steve! I so understand!

Now use pool math from now on and stick to it.

It will get there.

Now where are my pics?

If you take a pic a day and share it we will all be able to see the clearing and color changes as they happen.

Kim
 
As Kim said, don't do that. You could ruin your liner and such high doses like that are hard on the equipment. SLAM levels are given according to CYA level for a reason. It's good to stick with them or go just a tad above but not nuclear. Just be careful.
 
Ok Kim you asked for a picture so I am posting one this afternoon. After being gone all day I came home and my FC has dropped to about 10.5 so I am going to raise it to about 15. My CYA is at 40 as well.

I also added a box of 20 mule borax to bring my PH up a little because it was ridding just under 7.2 this afternoon. During the day, my pool gets FULL sun. The pool is looking a little better today. ISH. maybe. :)

20150625_144821_zpsgh5g7lpq.jpg
 
Looks like it's just very cloudy n will come down to a filtering issue once the algae is completely dead.
 

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