MISS READ POOLMATH: for Slam TOO MUCH Bleach

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EllieWilliams said:
I checked every day for a week before doing this to make sure that CYA was correct.
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OK, great. I guess it was only that one day recently where your FC levels dropped well below shock level -- was that a particularly sunny day, or did you do more brushing than normal ? I would try to understand what triggers the huge FC loss and see if there was a way to add more during the day on "those days".
 
OK, now it is getting weird - 8pm to 9am only loss 2pts, 11am 4pts, 12pm 10pts - so test CYA, clear as the day is long. So, if I can test and is accurate I lose the last of the 40 CYA, I thought I had?
 
Oh, yea, understand - with that in mind: I have to work from office all next week and no one else is commited to this, so I am averaging 40ppm loss each day 6-6, that plus my mustard level of 24ppm would give me a high end of 64ppm (or 4 gallons of 10%) to put in at 6am and in theory should be above 24 by time back at 6pm, right?

The mustard algae is one tough advisary - it is fading, but slowly - on average, how long does this process take?

My normal pool, no issue, with th exception of this infestation that each year would gain more realstate on my prestine white plaster.
 
bridgman said:
OK, great. I guess it was only that one day recently where your FC levels dropped well below shock level -- was that a particularly sunny day, or did you do more brushing than normal ? I would try to understand what triggers the huge FC loss and see if there was a way to add more during the day on "those days".
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It's Houston pool is in 12-14 hours of sunlight. This why I started on a rain week, less sun, but the process is taking longer and now in a full blown summer mode. Everybody is getting a bit testy with me for starting this, now the pool is out of commission, until i finish it.
 
Sorry all, but I am getting lost here, slammed pool, then Monday raised to mustard algae, but it has been more than 24 hour do I still continue with this? I am currectly losing 40ppm per day and using a case of 10% bleach a day. But according to instructions should only raise to mustard range for 24 hours, or is it for 24 hours or when consumption cease?
 
A mustard shock means you do a standard SLAM and when the pool is clear, you jack it up to mustard level for twenty four hours. Straight out of the Mustard Algae article:

To permanently get rid of mustard algae, you first SLAM the pool normally, following the directions in How To SLAM Your Pool. Once you have completed SLAMing your pool in the standard way, raise the FC level up to the extra high mustard algae shock level for 24 hours. Use the Pool Calculator, or see the Yel/MstrdShock column in the chart in this post, to find your mustard algae shock level.​


What does the water look like? Is it clear yet? If you haven't finished the standard SLAM, you're jumping the gun and wasting bleach needlessly, as you've noticed. It would probably help you to go reread the SLAM article again, and it should make more sense, now that you've been testing and dosing a while. When the SLAM is finished, then you jack FC way up and do a final kill on any mustard algae spores.
 
I must apologize, I need to go back to the beginning: My pool has always been crystal clear (and still is) and the numbers always within norm (see below) that is the chlorine is on high side to meet the minimum for Yellow/Mustard. I confirmed I had yellow mustard with the information on this sight, only in shaded areas, gaining ground slowly as time passes, tested with Vitamin C. So executed the SLAM on Friday, May 23rd, my OCLT was within range that Sun/Mon, so progressed to the Mustard Algae SLAM, May 26th. This is what prompted this string, I over shot the number I needed for the Mustard SLAM of 24, by 16. So let the number come down, it only took less than 8 hours, so kept the number at 24 for 24 hours as instructed, but the chlorine number kept dropping too fast, so assumed I needed to keep up on my projected 24 more than 24 hours as I was losing too much chlorine, I needed to stabilize, like in the normal SLAM with the OCLT test.

Numbers before SLAM and Mustard
FC 7 (high due to the yellow mustard)
CC 0 (if FC drop to target of 2.9 - 4.6 CC would pop up with 1.5)
PH 7.5
ALk 90
CYA 40
CH 320

So, now I know I am doing something wrong, how do I turn this around. On a positive note the yellow mustard is receding and the white plaster never looked so white.
 
EllieWilliams said:
So, now I know I am doing something wrong, how do I turn this around. On a positive note the yellow mustard is receding and the white plaster never looked so white.
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No, sounds like you're doing things right, you just have some tough strain of mustard algae. If you can scrub it off the walls so it forms a cloud, the bleach can attack it better. If you can improve the circulation a little by aiming a return eyeball at the mustard algae areas, that should also help.
 
oh, I have been brushing it like nobody's business, pouring the bleach right on top of it, giving it the stink eye - tough ain't the word for it. This thing has been haunting me for the last 2 years, not long after the new plastered was installed. At first thought it was all their fault. But just goes to show, DON'T LET IT TAKE UP RESIDENCE in you pool for any period of time, at first glance - kill it and kill it dead. After this little experiment, I will never procrastinate again. Thank you so much for your patience and listening.
 
Counting - 16 days, 48 gallons, 10-12% liquid chlorine at $4.24/per gal, I am starting on 3rd set of 6 cases. (FYI: Pool store is still guaranteeing the chlorine, too, and my testing as validation, I am running at 12% every gallon, from 2 different stores).
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All, want to update you - finally cleared the hump and making the turn down, for the first time, my numbers are dropping, not fast, but enough to give me hope. My OCLT last night was 1.5 and today Houston over 90 degrees 14 hours of sun, 12 hours between test lose 54 and stayed above target (Oh, yea!:whoot::whoot:), and yes the Mustard monster is on the run. Pool still clear and clean, brushing daily (mustard stain, 4xday), but have a couple of questions:

1) PH and muratic acid, can't test, do I need to do anything yet (it's been a while)?
2) Will all of this stuff I have been doing - mess with my plaster?
3) Liquid Chlorine residuals - I know of the Salt - are there other things? do I need to test? take action? to anything to the pool to offset 48+ gallons I have dumped into it?

Well, good night and (dang I can't wait to go swimming again)!

Thanks for listening and as always any feedback (bad or good) will be well received.
 

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EllieWilliams said:
1) PH and muratic acid, can't test, do I need to do anything yet (it's been a while)?
2) Will all of this stuff I have been doing - mess with my plaster?
3) Liquid Chlorine residuals - I know of the Salt - are there other things? do I need to test? take action? to anything to the pool to offset 48+ gallons I have dumped into it?

Well, good night and (dang I can't wait to go swimming again)!

Thanks for listening and as always any feedback (bad or good) will be well received.
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Nope, you can't test pH. You could, but it would be way off. FC above 10 reacts with the reagent and tints it sort of purple and pH reads higher than it is. You'll panic, dump acid, and it won't change. Then you'll panic worse. So don't bother.

Bleach is alkaline. It shouldn't hurt the concrete.

Overall, the residuals aren't that much. Pool says you will have added 99 ppm of salt. For feel, people add something like 2000 ppm, for a SWG, upwards of 3000. Salt buildup is a pool store scare tactic.

Has the mustard algae disappeared yet?
 
Thank you so much - I feel so much better - the Mustard Algae IS disappearing. I am giving it a 75% gone and thinking another 5-6 days will make it gone. In fact, there are sleeper cells popping up everywhere on the floor of the pool, but still under -10% coverage of surface. When I brush I am getting sluffing, so I know it's working. I am impressed though how well the pool looks, still clear and staying clean, so filter is working. Boy if I have learned anything on this little adventure, do not wait years to kill this stuff, cost time and money. I have not found anything about old Mustard Algae, so I think this just instills that it is never too late - right! Will update you when done.
 
ok, really hate to keep this string going, but don't want to have to explain everything - on third week of Mustard Slam, 72 gallons of 12% bleach, 247 pump running. I have come across something I can't seem to find an answer for - so I am asking you all:

No loss of chlorine at night, running at 30ppm, but during the day losing 76ppm, I am duping 8 gallons of bleach (100ppm) in so I don't loss that critical 24ppm (40 CYA) while at work - past 2 days. Can the sun be cheating me out of this process, costing more money and time than needs to be. I am brushing 4 times a day at 2:00am - 6:00am - 4:30pm - 7:00pm.

Mustard algae is almost gone, but at this rate it will cost me over $800.00. I am on my 4th purchase of 6 cases (of 4 gallons) at 16.99 per case +$400.00 as it stands right now.

I'm I still on the right track?
 
If you are not losing FC at night, but are losing massive amounts of FC during the day, most probably you have low CYA, or you have the CYA to ammonia conversion.
I'd recommend checking your CYA levels to ensure it's at 40ppm, as well as posting your tested FC and CC levels.

Are you adding all 8 gallons of bleach at once? Are you testing your FC and CC at the times you brush?
 
Abigail, you nailed it, went from CYA 40 to 0, in two days, heavy rains the week before and the sunny hot days of late lose of water to evaporation, must of did it without me having a clue. Fixing with a gallon of liquid conditioner should bring it back to 30-35, and put me back in business. Die Captain Mustard die. Talk to you soon, with hope it is poolside... Thank you again for the heads up.
 
5:30am FC 28 CC .75 CYA 40 (again) added 1 gallon of liquid conditioner and back in business - no auto fill, pool is all manual. Houston had over 8 inches of rain last week. No fill to date just evaporation. Searched "where does CYA disappear to", all pointed to rain dilution and water displacement, just assumed that was it. My pool has nothing in it, no lights, no steps, circ 1980s, new plaster a couple of years ago. The CYA lose does not surprise me after the search and reading on it. You still have doubts?
 
oh, the bleach is testing correctly 10-12%, with the calculations on the pool calculator. I buy from pool store, they guarantee strength. I test FC 2 hours after adding, due to low flow circulation running at 3rpm, very simple set up, on my pool.
 

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