Need to clarify SLAM procedures

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Be careful with big lots and dollar store types of stores. Their bleach is often not 8.25%, if the percentage is not listed on the bottle don't buy it. Also, see if you can find a date code to make sure it isn't old, if the bottle is dusty, dirty or looks old don't buy it. Bleach loses strength over time.
 
Lights have to be able to come out of the pool. Most of the time it's a single screw on the top of the light you need to remove then the light tips out. Usually there is enough cable on the back of the light to bring it on deck. Scrub the light and the niche it came out of.

# Sent from mobile device. Beware of brevity and spelling errors!
 
When I clean my lights, I submerge the light, and as much of the cord as will fit, into a bucket of water/bleach mixture at slam level concentration for a day or so. I clean my lights and niches as part of my yearly maintenance program.

Since you're slamming and at high FC, you can just let the light float in the pool itself. Using a toothbrush to scrub everything helps the chlorine do a better job at getting inside any bad stuff; just like brushing your pool walls and floors during a slam but on a smaller scale. Brushing breaks down the outer biofilm that algae develops to protect itself.
 
Carolyn said:
Thanks, Husky25 - I'll check out the Big Lots & Dollar Stores here.

Dan, I'm not sure if the light comes out of our pool or that I could manage to do it even if it does. Anything else I can try? We don't have a ladder so don't have to deal with that.
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if you have a light in your pool, then its removable. should just be one screw on the bottom and the whole unit comes out and will have a long cord coiled behind it. long enough to remove from the pool and sit it on the deck. there is a cavity in the wall that you will then need to scrub out. you will be surprised whats in there :)

I had to get into the pool in order to get mine out, couldn't get it from the side.
 
Yet another question - SLAM procedures say to brush/vacuum pool daily. I've been brushing the sides of the pool & letting the Polaris take care of the bottom (hate brushing the bottom). There's been virtually no debris in the skimmers. Is this sufficient?
 
One reason for the brushing is that some algae can develop a protective biofilm over it that chlorine has a difficult time penetrating. The brushing can break up this biofilm and give the chlorine access to this type algae to kill it. I think a few brushings with the bristle brush would help to make sure we don't have any of these hanging around on the bottom.

- - - Updated - - -

Carolyn said:
Ok, light must come out. But I'm a little scared of getting electrocuted. Do I turn the electricity off to do this?
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i would always turn off the breaker that controls the light before removing it. It is basic electrical safety.
 
Carolyn said:
Ok, light must come out. But I'm a little scared of getting electrocuted. Do I turn the electricity off to do this?
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yes, turn off the switch, and you can turn off the main breaker to the pool as well if you want....I just turned off the switch when I did it and made sure no one would turn it on when I was handling it. better safe than sorry, so find the breaker and turn off power
 

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On day 3 of SLAM and getting a little discouraged. These are my results over 3 days. Adding 8.25% bleach according to Pool Match calculations. I started out with a goal of 26 per pool school, then upped it to 30 per forum recommendations. Highest FC level has been 27. Is this typical or should there be more improvement in FC?

Have help coming tomorrow to help with light. Polaris is clean as far as I can tell, but I'll take a closer look. Thanks, everyone!

Date FC CC
Wed 1:30 0.5 2
5:30 12.5 0.5
6:45 21.5 0
8:00 25.5 0.5
9:10 23 0.5
10:10 23.5 0.5

Thu 7:40 11.5 0.5
1:15 15.5 0.5
3:15 26.5 0.5
4:45 21 0.5
6:00 27 0
8:00 26.5 0

Fri 7:20 20 0
10:15 26.5 0
 
Based on what I see, you don't quite have the idea of the SLAM yet but you are doing OK.

Each time you test, you use that test result and calculate how much FC will get you back to 30 ppm.

Secondly, you are at a point where you can reduce your test to 2-3 times daily.....your not losing much FC

3 days is not long at all for a SLAM. Has your water shown improvement?
 
The water has been clear since the beginning - the problem was that I wasn't able to maintain chlorine levels. At first I thought my SWG wasn't working properly but now that it's turned off and I'm still losing FC, it must be algae.

Dave, you've hit on exactly what I'm trying to understand. Every time I test the water, I go to PoolMath, leave the target level at 30, enter the latest results, add the bleach it says to add, then test again later. But I have never gotten a result higher than 27. Is there something I'm missing? How come I can't get it up to 30? I'm using plain 8.25% bleach from Walmart, not scented or anything.
 
Just for kicks, try changing the %chlorine to 6 instead of 8.25 Then add that amount. Test after 30 mins or so. I believe that the 'straight' bleach is only 6% whereas the concentrated is 8.25%

Of course, I could be wrong, but it might be worth a try.
 
Your pool may also be bigger than you are giving it credit for, thereby causing your additions to not yield the expected results. Another possibility is that your bleach is old and has weakened. However, since you have bought a bunch of bleach, presumably from different places, this is probably not the case. Try upping the size of your pool gallons in Pool Math so that your actual testing result is what Pool Math gives you (after the fact). Then use this size going forward with bleach and other chemical additions. Over time this review process will help to dial in your pool size, if that is in fact an issue.
 
Now on Day 4 of SLAM, and in between tests and adding bleach, I started wondering if there's a way to tell if I'm making progress, or do you just have to keep plugging away until you meet all 3 criteria. I've met 2 of the 3 (clear water & cc) but big drops overnight. I know it will probably take a week or longer, just curious if there are any clues that things are getting better. Water is still clear, and waiting on help to get light out & clean behind it.

Date FC CC
Wed 1:30 0.5 2
5:30 12.5 0.5
6:45 21.5 0
8:00 25.5 0.5
9:10 23 0.5
10:10 23.5 0.5

Thu 7:40 11.5 0.5
1:15 15.5 0.5
3:15 26.5 0.5
4:45 21 0.5
6:00 27 0
8:00 26.5 0

Fri 7:20 20 0
10:15 26.5 0
12:00 25 0
7:10 24 0

Sat 7:33 21.5 0
12:30 27.5 0
3:30 20 0
10:10 28.5 0

Sun 6:45 22 0
4:00 22 0

It's getting hot here in Texas - time to swim!
 
clearing water is definetly a sign in the right direction. your consumption of chlorine should slow down hopefully soon. you are keeping your FC up so good progress.

did you remove the light from the niche? its not a big deal. all you need is a screwdriver. get your swimsuit on and jump in there and get it out. should be a single screw
 

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