First opening, SLAM underway, but need some advice
- Thread starter cucamelsmd15
- Start date
Woke up this morning to 0.5 FC and 1 CC, which seems much better. Ill raise it back up to shock level and let it sit for the day and retest tonight.
Came home to the same conditions this afternoon, 0.5FC and 1 CC. Added three bottles of 10% to get back to shock level, and vacuumed and brushed. But yall, I can see my brush on the bottom of the shallow end. Thats a HUGE improvement over the past few days, and thats with it being overcast today.
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,855
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
That means it's working! How much have you spent on bleach vs what the pool store would have sold you? That's rhetorical, btw.
Actually, funny you should mention that, because my wife asked me the same. Now, understanding I had to buy calcium and pH adjuster (acid and base), I did the math and Im in it for about $225 total so far. Thats FAR cheaper than the $600 I was quoted to open. And even buying a gallon or two of bleach a week for the season assuming I dont have to really futz with the chemistry, Ill probably come in at less than $350 for the year.
I was pleasantly surprised this morning to wake up to 11 FC and 1CC, but also being able to clearly make out the liner on the shallow end. Ive recruited my dad to do weekend chemical addition/brush/sweeping for me while Im out of town. The end is nigh!
Well yall, we had some major storms over the weekend, so I had dad add 2 bottles of bleach yesterday, and Ive added two tonight. BUT, I was able to vacuum the deep end tonight because the water was clear. I mean like, 99% crystal clear. Knowing that, Ill shock it for one more day, gave it a good brush and vacuum tonight, and tomorrow night Ill do an OCLT to see where Im at, but Im pretty much there it looks like. 
Once I pass the OCLT, Ill go back and adjust the pH (its still hovering around 7) and the calcium content, then its swim time!
Once I pass the OCLT, Ill go back and adjust the pH (its still hovering around 7) and the calcium content, then its swim time!
I was just about ready to call this well and good, but last night has thrown me for a loop.
Last night I tested everything:
FC: 8
CC: 0
TA: 60
CA: 30
CYA: 20
pH: 7.2
I threw two pounds of shock in the pool to bring the CYA back up since weve had 3+ inches of rain since Saturday and I know thats brought my FC and CYA down. I also added Calcium to bring that up, because I expected to wake up this morning being around 12 FC based on how the previous couple of nights have gone with losing 2-3 ppm overnight.
Instead, I wake up to this:
FC: 0.5
CC: 0
TA: 60
CA: 200
CYA: 30
pH: 7.2
So, while the shock did in fact bring my CYA up, all my chlorine is gone. I raised it with a couple bottles of bleach, but where did it go?
Also, Im having a reoccurring issue that Im unsure about. My water is crystal clear (see pics) but I keep winding up with something, some kind of sediment maybe? Its always in the same spots.
Doesnt matter how much I vacuum, its always back within 12 hours or so. What is it? Right now, Im really concerned that I have an underground leak in a water line, BUT, Im not losing water at any pace that I can measure.
Last night I tested everything:
FC: 8
CC: 0
TA: 60
CA: 30
CYA: 20
pH: 7.2
I threw two pounds of shock in the pool to bring the CYA back up since weve had 3+ inches of rain since Saturday and I know thats brought my FC and CYA down. I also added Calcium to bring that up, because I expected to wake up this morning being around 12 FC based on how the previous couple of nights have gone with losing 2-3 ppm overnight.
Instead, I wake up to this:
FC: 0.5
CC: 0
TA: 60
CA: 200
CYA: 30
pH: 7.2
So, while the shock did in fact bring my CYA up, all my chlorine is gone. I raised it with a couple bottles of bleach, but where did it go?
Also, Im having a reoccurring issue that Im unsure about. My water is crystal clear (see pics) but I keep winding up with something, some kind of sediment maybe? Its always in the same spots.
Doesnt matter how much I vacuum, its always back within 12 hours or so. What is it? Right now, Im really concerned that I have an underground leak in a water line, BUT, Im not losing water at any pace that I can measure.
Talk to me about the bottom picture..............is that the main drain I see down there? If so your water is not clear yet
Clear is when you can read the heads/tails on a coin or see the screw heads on the main drain.
Kim:cat:
Clear is when you can read the heads/tails on a coin or see the screw heads on the main drain.
Kim:cat:
Yes it is. I can see the screw heads and anything on the bottom pretty clearly. The lighting is less than ideal at 6:30 in the morning. Ill see if I can snap something when I get home tonight thats in sunlight. Prior to adding calcium last night, it was clearer than it ever was last year when we bought the house, so Id call that progress!
Ill see if I can snap something when I get home tonight thats in sunlight. Prior to adding calcium last night, it was clearer than it ever was last year when we bought the house, so Id call that progress!
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,855
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Calcium can at times have a clouding effect on water that may last a couple days. It usually resolves itself. As for the odd FC change/drop, I would monitor that closely. Make sure your pool is able to maintain that SLAM FC of 12 as much as possible to get the full benefits of the SLAM. Hard to tell what that stuff was on the bottom (pollen, algae, etc), but continue to clean and SLAM and you'll see that water clear-up.
Vacuumed all the silt and dirt to waste tonight, as much as I could. Had no FC when I got home today. Added 2lbs of dichloride and 2 gals of 10%. I think with the all day sun I get, I simply do t have enough CYA in the water to keep the FC from oxidizing. I read no CC on the test tonight, everything else looks great. I'm going to let it circulate for the next 2 hours, test before bed, and hope the OCLT passes. The water was crystal clear with the pump off earlier, but I didn't grab a pic.
This was as good of a shot as I could get this morning before I left with the pump off:
The good news is, the water is clear, no CC, and passed the OCLT.
The bad news is, I vacuumed the silt/dirt to waste last night and its back. You can see it in the photo and I am at my wits end with this garbage.
The good news is, the water is clear, no CC, and passed the OCLT.
The bad news is, I vacuumed the silt/dirt to waste last night and its back. You can see it in the photo and I am at my wits end with this garbage.
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,855
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Okay, so clear water .... NO CCs ..... and passed the OCLT. To confirm ... the OCLT passed with no chlorination added (i.e. tablets, SWG, etc) correct?
If that's true, then what is that stuff? Tree pollen or debris from your local area perhaps? Do you find it everywhere else around the pool perhaps? Was it windy last night? Pools become a big trash can for loose stuff on a windy day.
If that's true, then what is that stuff? Tree pollen or debris from your local area perhaps? Do you find it everywhere else around the pool perhaps? Was it windy last night? Pools become a big trash can for loose stuff on a windy day.
Correct, added chlorine yesterday (its been 100% sunny the past few days), tested at 10pm, tested again at 6:30am, levels were the same. So whatever I lost yesterday was probably due to sun exposure. Related question, but will increasing my CYA levels help protect it during the day? Our house is below, and faces S-SW. Pool is in the sun from sun up to sun down basically.
As far as what this stuff is, its dirt. It vaporizes as soon as you touch it with a brush or vacuum, but I thought I could get most of it vacuumed to waste last night, but its come back. Its really fine too, which makes me think its just going right through the sand filter if it gets stirred up until it settles on the bottom of the pool again.
Ive thought about adding some DE to the filter to see if that catches it, or trying a skimmer sock.
As far as what this stuff is, its dirt. It vaporizes as soon as you touch it with a brush or vacuum, but I thought I could get most of it vacuumed to waste last night, but its come back. Its really fine too, which makes me think its just going right through the sand filter if it gets stirred up until it settles on the bottom of the pool again.
Ive thought about adding some DE to the filter to see if that catches it, or trying a skimmer sock.
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,855
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Or sure ... definitely a skimmer sock. That's an easy one. I can't live without mine. It grabs so much fine silt, dog hair, and bugs it's ridiculous. If the sock alone doesn't help with the really fine stuff, then some DE might be a good idea as well. At least for certain times o the year over there when that stuff kicks-up.
For CYA ... my pool is the same ... west-side blasting sun from dawn to dusk. Once you're algae-free like now, you evaluate your FC loss. If you lose more than 4 ppm per day, then you may want to consider increasing CYA a bit. Try in 10 ppm increments. My pool has a CYA of 60 right now (70 in Jun - Sep) and is just under 18K, so I lose (ideally) about 2.5 ppm each day which is about 1/2 gallon of 8.25% each evening. So now you know in the future if you are losing more FC than normal, or more than 4 ppm each day, it's either algae (SLAM) or loss to the sun (more CYA).
For CYA ... my pool is the same ... west-side blasting sun from dawn to dusk. Once you're algae-free like now, you evaluate your FC loss. If you lose more than 4 ppm per day, then you may want to consider increasing CYA a bit. Try in 10 ppm increments. My pool has a CYA of 60 right now (70 in Jun - Sep) and is just under 18K, so I lose (ideally) about 2.5 ppm each day which is about 1/2 gallon of 8.25% each evening. So now you know in the future if you are losing more FC than normal, or more than 4 ppm each day, it's either algae (SLAM) or loss to the sun (more CYA).
do you have any ability to redirect your return jets to change the water flow in the pool? See if that stuff settles in a different spot.
Yeah, I redirected them to the right last night to swirl the pool. It's in different spots today.