Help - Need to Slam, want to make sure I understand everything

[DaninFLA]

when you are losing your FC so fast during the first few days, it helps to overshoot your FC a bit to give you a buffer and allow more time for your FC to be at SLAM level, where its killing algae quicker. if your SLAM level is 15, go for 18 or 19 at first.

 

[pooldv]

Dang work! Always getting in the way of priorities!

 

[mgoblue]

Put 3 gallons of 10% in at 6:30, tested as FC 31 at 7. Tested at 9 and FC was 20.

Shoulda added more but didn't.

Tested at 7am and FC was 4.5 this morning.

Added 2 gallons in a rush before work this morning and will test when home...hoping it's starting to drop slower

 

[DaninFLA]

those first few days the algae really eats up the FC fast. stick with it, it works 100% of the time when you keep with it.

 

[mgoblue]

those first few days the algae really eats up the FC fast. stick with it, it works 100% of the time when you keep with it.

Yeah, thanks. Slowly seems to be getting better, so that's better. Glad to see 4.5 this morning instead of .5 like other times. We'll see how it does during the day and tonight I can check a few times and even get it 20-30 again so it might last the night above SLAM.

 

[mgoblue]

At 4:30 FC was at 5...Added more chlorine and will monitor.

Good news, the color is no longer dark green but a light green....algae is slowly dying!

 

[mgoblue]

Added 1 more gallon at 7, then another one at 9 to get me through the night. FC was 14 when I got up! Kept it above Slam level.

Color is now that very light blue and white from dead algae, so just have to keep it up and filter until clear and FC stable. Will have to retest cya next week too

 

[kimkats]

You are well on your way to a jewel of a pool!

It IS hard to SLAM when you have work and home pulling at you. Just do the best you can do.

During the week when you work do this:

-test and add FC first thing in the morning (well after coffer that is LOL)

-Test and add after you kiss everyone hello when you get home.

-test and add at dinner time

-test and add right before bed.

That is a total of 4 times. This can work. It will be a little slower than weekend SLAMs but........it does work.

You can push your FC up over your SLAM level to give you a little cushion while you are gone.

Now do something for me and you..............take and post a pic of your steps looking down into the the pool. Take a pic every day so you can see the progress. It will seem as if nothing is happening if you just look at it but the pics will show you how the color is changing and it IS getting clear.

HUGS! You CAN do this! Once you are done it be SO easy!

Kim

 

[mgoblue]

It's way better, still cloudy, but pretty light blue and white...did pretty well overnight (still using chlorine, but didn't use all the FC in 2 gallons, but seems to lose a lot of FC during the day. IE. I tested at 7:30 am and it was 16 and put in 2 gallons of 10% at 9:30....at 4ish it had dropped to 9 (I had to go out and wasn't home until then)....added more, so coming back. Otherwise it's been above Slam level all weekend

I added stabilizer last Tuesday, can I re-test CYA on Monday or Tuesday and get something accurate? I'm guessing that could help cause the loss of chlorine during the day....

All the algae looks dead though, so really hoping it'll just need to filter!

 

[mgoblue]

I'm also making sure to try and give myself a good buffer....just hard to learn how much is needed during the day since it goes down faster than at night.

 

[kimkats]

I would go ahead and test the CYA tomorrow to see where it is. The CYA can help buffer the FC from the sun so if you do not have enough.............you lose more FC.

You are doing the SLAM the right way!

Kim

 

[mgoblue]

I would go ahead and test the CYA tomorrow to see where it is. The CYA can help buffer the FC from the sun so if you do not have enough.............you lose more FC.

You are doing the SLAM the right way!

Kim

Thanks...I think I'll want it up at 50ish for Arizona, but since it was 0 (or at least unmeasurable) I added stabilizer to theoretically make it 30, but we'll see, maybe I didn't add enough. It is still using up FC at night, so I know it's still killing things or whatnot, so just have to keep at it....

 

[kimkats]

Yeah we do tell to shoot low for CYA as it is much easier to add than to remove.

Kim

 

[mgoblue]

Used up all my chlorine last night (figured I should make sure I'm good and high overnight) still seeing improvements, will just take time to filter the white cloudy water.

Need to get more after work today, hopefully I don't drop too low over the day, but I'll just hit Slam level when I get home. Didn't have time to measure, had to be in at work at 6:30 (ugh, usually i'm in around 8:30, so this sucks lol)

 

[mgoblue]

Used up all my chlorine last night (figured I should make sure I'm good and high overnight) still seeing improvements, will just take time to filter the white cloudy water.

Need to get more after work today, hopefully I don't drop too low over the day, but I'll just hit Slam level when I get home. Didn't have time to measure, had to be in at work at 6:30 (ugh, usually i'm in around 8:30, so this sucks lol)

Since I was out of CL I dropped to 2.5 yesterday....added more and tested 20.5 at 9pm. 7:30 this morning I was at 15.5, so I lost 5 overnight. Hoping that keeps going down fast! Added 2 gallons this morning and we'll see where I'm at when i get home, and I also hope to test CYA if I have time tonight.

FC Drop overnight should keep going down, right?

 

[kimkats]

Every day/night should be a little better and less FC lose. You are heading in the right direction for sure!

Have you been taking pics of your steps each day? THAT will really show you the progress.

Kim

 

[mgoblue]

Every day/night should be a little better and less FC lose. You are heading in the right direction for sure!

Have you been taking pics of your steps each day? THAT will really show you the progress.

Kim

I will tonight, it's been hectic....Sunday I had to do a stupid 4 hour online class to get out of a speeding ticket, yesterday work was long/crazy, and I usually leave the phone inside so it doesn't accidentally fall out of my pocket and into the pool (some of my shorts don't have great pockets).

What would a good CYA level be for me here in AZ? I'll test tonight if I can, but I'm probably 30ish right now. I know with all this sun it's probably consuming it faster during the day than I'd like.

 

[kimkats]

For a SLAM a CYA of 30 is good. Get much higher it will take more bleach than you would want to buy and lug around.

Once your pool is clear and the SLAM is done you might want to take your CYA to 50 to help with the use of FC.

Keep up the SLAM!

Kim

 

[mgoblue]

FC was 8, added 2 more gallons, will get me through the night for sure.

Attempted CYA test, now I just think it's fake and designed to make me dump water back and forth looking like an idiot. Never seems to get cloudy or anything but I know I've added stabilizer. What am I doing wrong? I seriously feel anger cause I sat wasting my time trying to get a number

 

[mgoblue]

Lol I stood there 15 minutes trying to read it....does that mean it's under 20 still if the solution doesn't seem very cloudy? I swear I added stabilizer that should be close to 30, at least 20