Nub on a mission

[Smiley9188]

day 1 of 2hr Checks/adding chlorine, we used a total of 606 oz

day 2 of 2hr checks/adding chlorine, we used 291 oz

we got a lot of rain last night so I’m sure I’ll have to add a good bit thus morning but it’s starting to get clearer, i can start to see the 4th (and last) step on our set of stairs.

 

[Smiley9188]

End of day 3 and we have finally hit 16FC!
I was only able to test 3x today (had been testing 6x per day the last 2 days). Tonight we are finally at 16. Pool is still cloudy, but we’re keeping at it! Filter sand is clean (deep cleaned on day 1 of true maintained SLAM).

I’ll take another progress pic tomorrow.

day 1 of 2hr Checks/adding chlorine, we used a total of 606 oz

day 2 of 2hr checks/adding chlorine, we used 291oz.

 

[Newdude]

day 1 of 2hr Checks/adding chlorine, we used a total of 606 oz

day 2 of 2hr checks/adding chlorine, we used 291 oz

The crazy consumption ends pretty quick and usually holds good by the 3rd day. Well. Done. The 2 hour top offs saved you a week of fighting it.

 

[Wntrequinx]

Your pool story is a lot like mine! We purchased our house after the prior owners improperly closed it and it was grass green.

I made the mistake of using a copper algaecide, and I used more than one dose and it sent my copper way too high. I found that out on my last visit to the Pool Store, and it was what prompted me to convert to TFP.

Your later picture is similar to my pool after I cleared most of the algae, and drained half the pool to get some the copper out... pretty soon you'll have crystal clear water

[Edit: I was wrong on the color when I first looked at it, I don't think yours is greenish with copper like mine, so I deleted that part of my comment]

 

[Smiley9188]

What a week it has been! I’ll be honest, I’m pretty burned out.
The day I posted that we hit 16 I was so excited. My father in law helped me with the testing that day. The next day I was back at the testing and we were back down in FC. I couldn’t figure out what in the world was happening. He’d test and get a 16 and I’d only get 12. Well, he was testing across from the pump, I was testing by the stairs (between pump and father in law testing point). Long story short, we have what I’ve heard referred to as wedding cake stairs, and what do you know, they were FULL of algae.
This was last Sunday. we pulled the stairs out and out came the nasty water trapped in it

Monday I felt like we were not quite back to square 1, but closer to that than being complete.

Today we’ve been at it for nearly a week at 2hr checks and topping off. We are starting to see the brush pole more clearly when it’s in the water, but the last foot or so to the bottom isn’t visible.

Something is going on though, today’s levels have me puzzled. I haven’t been able to check every 2 hrs due to some appointments. Take a peek at the screenshot I attached. My FC level is going down even when dosing with liquid chlorine based on pool math. Any thoughts?

 

[Smiley9188]

Your pool story is a lot like mine! We purchased our house after the prior owners improperly closed it and it was grass green.

I made the mistake of using a copper algaecide, and I used more than one dose and it sent my copper way too high. I found that out on my last visit to the Pool Store, and it was what prompted me to convert to TFP.

Your later picture is similar to my pool after I cleared most of the algae, and drained half the pool to get some the copper out... pretty soon you'll have crystal clear water

[Edit: I was wrong on the color when I first looked at it, I don't think yours is greenish with copper like mine, so I deleted that part of my comment]

Yours looks so clear!!! I went back and looked at the original photos I posted and we’re definitely looking better, but I’m ready for it to be done lol maybe I should do the full weekly test and confirm CYA and Copper levels just to make sure we’re in good standing.
@Texas Splash would testing CYA or Copper during a SLAM give me skewed results?

 

[Texas Splash]

would testing CYA or Copper during a SLAM give me skewed results?

CYA no, but perhaps copper. Elevated chlorine levels can disturb metal testing.

 

[Smiley9188]

CYA no, but perhaps copper. Elevated chlorine levels can disturb metal testing.

Do you think copper could be causing the cloudiness? Or do I really need to keep hitting the slam hard?

 

[Texas Splash]

Do you think copper could be causing the cloudiness?

No. Copper won't do that. Cloudiness is almost always a result of algae still being killed or filtered. In some rare circumstances other chemicals can cause cloudiness, but I don't believe that's an issue in your case. During a SLAM Process, along with maintaining the proper FC SLAM level, it's critically important to brush any chance you get to sweep that killed algae dust into the filter. Vacuum as well if a lot has settled. That dead algae is white and clouds up the water quickly.

 

[Smiley9188]

No. Copper won't do that. Cloudiness is almost always a result of algae still being killed or filtered. In some rare circumstances other chemicals can cause cloudiness, but I don't believe that's an issue in your case. During a SLAM Process, along with maintaining the proper FC SLAM level, it's critically important to brush any chance you get to sweep that killed algae dust into the filter. Vacuum as well if a lot has settled. That dead algae is white and clouds up the water quickly.

We’ll keep at it! Maybe I’ll try vacuuming more often than brushing. I brushed 3x today so far.

 

[Texas Splash]

I brushed 3x today so far.

Truth be told ..... I've been doing the same the past few days. Not happy with my water clarity after letting my salt and CYA drop too low. So increased my FC to SLAM level for a few. Back to normal now, but there was a lot of white cloudiness that took several days to filter. Some days I rinsed my filter twice a day (single cart).

 

[CTFocusST]

On the positive side while the stairs might have set you back a little finding that out now should help you not stall and make this finish sooner. Make sure there are no more spots like that and hopefully you will be swimming in crystal clear pool real soon!

 

[Smiley9188]

Truth be told ..... I've been doing the same the past few days. Not happy with my water clarity after letting my salt and CYA drop too low. So increased my FC to SLAM level for a few. Back to normal now, but there was a lot of white cloudiness that took several days to filter. Some days I rinsed my filter twice a day (single cart).

I haven’t had a pressure change in our filter, should I be rinsing regardless?
What are safe swim levels? I’ve assumed no swimming with high FC levels but we both knows what assumptions do lol!

 

[Texas Splash]

Pressure increase,..... you would hope so if the gauge is working properly. But on low pressure you might not see much. My needle barely moves on low speed. You can swim in the water up to SLAM level. So if your CYA was 40, you could be in there up to an FC of 16. Sometimes it's easier to get in there to clean some areas.

 

[LoneWolfArcher]

I haven’t had a pressure change in our filter, should I be rinsing regardless?
What are safe swim levels? I’ve assumed no swimming with high FC levels but we both knows what assumptions do lol!

We’ll keep at it! Maybe I’ll try vacuuming more often than brushing. I brushed 3x today so far.

I would (this is just me personally) hold off on both for a couple of days. Brushing and vacuuming can stir up dead algae. Dead algae is very fine like silt. When stirred up it causes cloudiness. When I opened my pool I slammed to kill the algae that had started. I then brushed to make sure I mixed up all the living algae really well. Then I let my filter run 24/7.

After a few days I had clear water with dead algae on the bottom. When you vacuum dead algae you have to be very careful not to disturb the water over and around it or you will kick all that dead algae up and cloud the water. Proof of that is I ran my robot vacuum and it did quite a bit of kicking up the algae and clouding my water!

So let everything settle for a couple of days and see if it clears that last foot or so. Then you can try vacuuming by just hovering the hose over the dead powdery remains. It is tedious but works.