Multiple SLAM attempts

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BennyB1979

BennyB1979

Active member
Feb 11, 2020
39
North Carolina
Pool Size
26000
Surface
Vinyl
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
I have scoured the forums for tips. I let my pool go this winter for the first time. It was a very deep green nasty swamp.

Nearly three weeks ago I started and followed the SLAM process. I followed every step like I do every year with no issues but haven’t let my pool get this far. I use a Taylor test kit. Overnight the pool turned from green to what to see in the pictures. After several days there was no change. My sand was 5 years old. Rather than deep clean I removed multipoint and replaced sand hoping this might be the problem.

I then started SLAM process again but no change from pictures below.

Started digging deeper and realized I had an ammonia outbreak. Pool opened with 0 CYA. I made the mistake of balancing CYA before first slam and noticed my chlorine would deplete to 0 within an hour.

Fast forward to now. CYA 40-50 has remained unchanged for nearly two weeks. pH is 7.4 and I’m holding chlorine ppm at 18-20. I lose about .75-1 ppm of chorine per hour. I’m 7 days into this slam attempt and virtually no change to the water. I have vacuumed the pool several times. I was able to vac out a pile of leaves in the deep end I couldn’t see. I spent 4 hours yesterday vacuuming over and over until I was getting virtually no leaves or large debris.

I don’t believe I have an ammonia problem anymore but still can’t get any forward progresses. I even added some DE to my sand filter.

At this point I’m considering draining the pool.

Any last ditch ideas before I do that. I’ve never had this issue before.
 

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Last edited by a moderator:
Your Taylor kit cannot measure a TA of 37 nor a CH of 47.

Please post test results from your Taylor kit. Not the test strips.
 
Also, like an idiot I took the advice of a neighbor and added initial dose of “In the swim - super algaecide”. 10 oz mixed with 5 gallons of water. Copper triethanolamine complex 23%

Pool was the same color-cloudy as pictures above before adding in the Algaecide. Now I’m worried about staining. I don’t notice any staining yet but just added it in two days ago. Why would a recommended dose stain a liner pool. I won’t add any more and have only ever used liquid chlorine to sanitize my pool. No copper should have been present in the first place.

Pool is 27,000 gallons so really don’t want to have drain and start over.
 
No reason to test pH when FC is over 10, the results are not accurate. Also no need to ever test using 25ml test - just uses reagent for no real benefit.

Evidence of CC shows that you still have algae and need to continue SLAM.

How confident are you in your CYA testing? If you're off there, SLAM may be affected by being at insufficient levels.
 
BennyB1979 said:
Also, like an idiot I took the advice of a neighbor and added initial dose of “In the swim - super algaecide”. 10 oz mixed with 5 gallons of water. Copper triethanolamine complex 23%
Click to expand...
Algaecides only work before you have algae. Your neighbors' advice really screwed you here...
Given where you are and what you've done, I would consider just dumping and starting over. Might be cheaper.
 

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reggiehammond said:
No reason to test pH when FC is over 10, the results are not accurate. Also no need to ever test using 25ml test - just uses reagent for no real benefit.

Evidence of CC shows that you still have algae and need to continue SLAM.

How confident are you in your CYA testing? If you're off there, SLAM may be affected by being at insufficient levels.
Click to expand...
As confident as I can be using the Taylor test kit. I usually test twice to make sure I’m confident when the black dot disappears. I have taken a sample to the pool store atleast three times to validate and they get similar results across all the tests. I’m certain my CYA is 40-50.
 
reggiehammond said:
No reason to test pH when FC is over 10, the results are not accurate. Also no need to ever test using 25ml test - just uses reagent for no real benefit.

Evidence of CC shows that you still have algae and need to continue SLAM.

How confident are you in your CYA testing? If you're off there, SLAM may be affected by being at insufficient levels.
Click to expand...
I’ve also been adding more chlorine than recommended just in case CYA is off. I believe my CYA is accurate.

Been keeping my chlorine at 20 ppm with 50 CYA. Black dot disappears right at the 40 mark maybe a little below so default to 50 cya and maintain chlorine at 20 ppm

Chlorine hasn’t got below 18 ppm. I test and add chlorine 4 times per day.
 
Ok - what's your water cost? If you drain and refill, you can get the copper out and clear up immediately.
If you don't, I think you've got a few weeks of work and potential of copper staining in the future.

I would guess that draining is the cheapest, best course for you.

Draining - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
BennyB1979 said:
I’ve also been adding more chlorine than recommended just in case CYA is off. I believe my CYA is accurate.

Been keeping my chlorine at 20 ppm with 50 CYA. Black dot disappears right at the 40 mark maybe a little below so default to 50 cya and maintain chlorine at 20 ppm

Chlorine hasn’t got below 18 ppm. I test and add chlorine 4 times per day.
Click to expand...
For future reference, cleaning up a green swamp is not measured in days but ususally weeks.
 
Is copper really going to cause a problem if I’ve never used a product with copper before ? If I followed the company’s dosage requirements why would it stain. The water not clearing up was a problem before I added the algaecide
 
Bump!

Maintaining during SLAM

20 fc
1 cc
CYA 40
pH Started at 7.2
TA 40
CH 50

Someone mentioned when starting with a deep green swamp the process can take weeks to clear up. If so, is there a gradual clearing of the pool or does it hit some kind of critical point and starts to finally clear quickly. I slammed for about a week before I stopped, changed multiport valve and replaced sand hoping that was the problem. After getting everything up and running, I’m nearly two weeks into the second attempt with no gradual improvement of water clarity. I’ve drawn down the water to bottom of skimmer twice and refilled to top of skimmer hoping to exchange some water. Is this normal to be so far into a SLAM with no perceivable improvement. It’s looked like attached picture since day one. It went from deep swamp green to this overnight and hasn’t really changed since.

I can’t see bottom but have vacuumed and lead vac’d until I get virtually no debris being picked up. Hard to believe it would take this long with the amount of chlorine.

You can only drain pool to 12-18” in the shallow end. Will that actually help in this case. For all I know I have a dead animal in the deep end. I’ve fished my leaf rake around the bottom trying to feel for anything solid and nothing. I think the bottom is clear.

Doesn’t seem right I’m getting no change. I’ve followed the SLAM process as I have every year with no issues. Had an ammonia problem and fixed that as chlorine and CYA are remaining steady. I rest cya after each drawn down and replacement. Cya is holding. Will need to add stabilizer after the next draw down.

Is drawing down the pool and refilling multiple times going to help? Or should I pump it all the way to 12” in the shallow and and fill. Just fill like at this point will that actually make a difference. Doesn’t seem like to matter when my deep end is 8’
 
It seems like the third step is starting to show.
How many steps down could you see when you first started the SLAM Process?
 

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