Replaced pump, but whaaa???

[Silhyboy]

Hi all, i spent all day yesterday replacing my 2hp single speed pump with the Pentair VS superflo. It was hot for this year (mid 80s) and the pool had the cover on for the duration of my 6 hour replumb of my entire system with zero circulation.

Before I started the process, I took readings to see where I was and everything was in ideal ranges.

PH 7.2
FC 6
CC 0
CYA 60
TEMP 84F

I took the cover off in the hopes of going for a swim after, but our air temps dropped too fast for it to be fun. So...Overnight, (for some unknown reason) the levels all plummeted.
PH 8
FC 0
CC 4
CYA 0
TEMP 80

I ran them 2 or 3 times but each was similar reaults. I have spent the day trying to get things back in order.

-Added 6lbs of granulated stabilizer (i have a 9lb bin from Doheny that for some reason just falls apart in water so the socks are empty in a couple of hours.)
- Added required amount of Liquid chlorine to get FC up (1Gal + 1QT) but that obviously didnt stay because of the sun and no CYA yet.
- Added 1/2 Gal mutiatic acid to get PH down.

After CYA got to 30 on 2 tests 2 hours apart, I added 2 Gal of liquid chlorine (more than required by pool math) to get to SLAM level.

Now 2 hours past that, pool test is;
FC 6
CC 0
PH 7
CYA 30
TEMP 84.

Running an areator right now to get PH up a tad to 7.2. Will do an Overnight to see if I actually caught and killed whatever hurt me.

My question is this... if CC levels hit zero and FC levels maintain consistency overnight, how long should I keep at slam level?

 

[Silhyboy]

Oh.. yeah, I know it isn't at slam level (16 per pool math) right this minute, but I am hesitant to add anymore chemicals until it balances a bit...

 

[RLP]

Did you consider ammonia?

Ammonia - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

But the PH is high, not low.
Im sure somone will be along soon to help.

 

[MITBeta]

SLAM Process

You are done when:​

• CC is 0.5 or lower
• AND you pass an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test.
• AND pool water is crystal clear with no visible sign of algae (dead or alive) on floor and walls

 

[Mdragger88]

You may have had the cya eating bacteria that causes ammonia- its been a common theme lately for people who had covers on.
In any case It seems as though now you have mostly overcome it - keep an eye on the cya. If it drops don’t add more & do the ammonia protocol first.
For now, unless proven otherwise,
Carry on with
SLAM Process
& scrub that cover!
As mentioned in the article & above keep slamming until you pass all 3 end of slam criteria.

 

[Silhyboy]

Hi all, thanks for the direction. After 3 days of following protocol and the weatger being cooperative (cool overcast) the FC and CYA are holding stable. It's interesting how the different pump speeds affect how the clorine stays in the pool. With my older 2hp 1 speed model, on 24/7, i could set my Vision 2 (yes, its adding CYA as well, and plans are in place to replace it) at 2 of 6 and the chlorine whould stay stable. Now it appears, with a timer set to only run at high speed (3000rpm) for about 8hrs, then low (1200rpm) the other 16hrs, I have to set it at 6 to keep chlorine in the pool. Maybe I tried to change too many things at once?

Anyway, could this amonia problem have been caused by having my pvc pipes in the garage for almost a year? It took me that long to get the pump delivered and installed after ordering. thought I cleaned them all out before I replumbed, but maybe not?

Thanks again. I will keep on monitoring the levels and hope my issue is solved.

 

[Silhyboy]

Update:
Since I started to SLAM the pool properly on the 14th (20ppm FC), I have noticed a few things that might be helpful to others,

Every morning and evening this week, I have been checking the FC and CYA levels. The FC seem to be dropping about 20% daily with my Vision 2 set at 2/6 And the cover off. I also changed the pump speed at the beginning of the week to sit at 2400rpm/24hrs a to see if the lack of circulation was responsible for the FC loss. I am seeing how direct sunlight is now effecting the levels. The OCLT is dropping marginally, but since our sunrise is now 5am, I do not get a chance to check it till 7am. Possibly losing that marginal amount in the 2hrs.

Unfortunately, our weather is hot and sunny so putting the cover on in the daytime would just turn the pool into a giant hot Tub so checking to see if direct sunlight is my major cause is just not an option.

I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions for a chlorine injector that I can replace my Vision2 unit with since I am not sure it will be able to keep up with the demand down the road. I am not in a hurry to replace it tomorrow since I have a season of chlorine tabs for it already, but I should probably start figuring out it’s replacement sooner rather than later.

cheers, and thanks for all the good advice!

 

[Mdragger88]

Keep with the
SLAM Process
You may need to set your alarm for early a couple days to confirm you’re algae free & get a proper oclt once you pass the “crystal clear- no algae dead or alive” criteria.
The more often you can MAINTAIN slam level the faster things will go. Only testing & replenishing fc twice a day can make things drag on.
Many people use a stenner pump for daily chlorination

Stenner Pumps - Further Reading

www.google.com

Or you could go with a salt water chlorine generator.
Lemme call someone who has both! @PoolStored
The tabs aren’t recommended for daily chlorination because they will quickly increase cya which can only be lowered by exchanging water. Your cya is already near the top of what is ideal for a manually chlorinated pool (30-60)
You’re literally only 5 tabs away from being the highest level recommended
FC/CYA Levels
Here’s how each dissolved tab effects your pool


They will last indefinitely if kept dry- save them for vacation or when you need a dab of cya later.

 

[PoolStored]

I have a stenner which I used to use year round, but now only use during open and close, as I now have a Salt water chlorine generator. Given your situation, I would get a salt water chlorine generator. By the end of this post, it will become clear why. @Mdragger88 can recommend a good SWCG for an AGP.

Having said that, the stenner is a tank. Works like a charm. This is what I purchased, and put a 15 gallon tank on it:

Stenner Single Head Fixed Output Pump with 7.5 Gallon Tank #2 Tube 10 GPD System

The Stenner S7G45MFH2A2S Single Head Fixed Output Pump with 7.5 gallon tank featuresthe Stenner Classic 45MPHP10 Series peristaltic pump.. These pumps remain as the most popular pump with installers. The tank features a childproof lid and rain-roof. The tank is constructed from Polyethylene and...

www.freshwatersystems.com

I would recommend getting a fixed over a adjustable output. The variable is really noisy compared to the fixed (which still makes some noise).

The Econ T pumps have timer if you want to adjust the timer for output.

I got a smart plug for about 20$ and used Alexa routines to dose. I had the routine run once a day and it would dose a proper amount for the season (had to adjust the routine length once every couple weeks). I would then test every day or couple days, and had another routine where I could say to alexa (pool 30 minutes) and it would run the pump for 30 minutes. The time was dependent on the test results. I knew how much FC was added per 10 minutes then added the appropriate amount based on FC test results.

Then there is the issue of bleach degradation. I was lucky as I could keep mine in the garage. Looks like you need to keep it outside. You may need to bury it to keep it a bit cool.

Finally, I didn't realize, until I got the SWCG, how much time I spend searching for and finding Chlorine.

In the end, I would recommend SWCG. Way less hassle and I spend less time messing, jugging, lugging, adjusting. YMMV

 

[PoolStored]

Here is your pool, 18K Gallon, Walmart chlorine at $6. comparison, using MY FC demand. I live in Ohio, so about the same latitude. About a 2.4 year payback on a $1200 SWCG. Add in the cost of the stenner, and gas, you are likely a 2 year payback.



If you look at it as $/FC...
A $5.60 gallon of 10% from walmart adds about 5.6 FC to your pool, so about $1/FC
A cell like the circupool universal 40 costs $1200, and is supposed to last 10,000 hours, and will create .6FC per hour in your pool. After 10,000 hours, that is a total of 6000 FC. $1200 / 6000 = $.20 per FC.
Even if the cell lasts 3000hours, $1200 / 3000 = $.40 per FC
Your breakeven point is 1200 hours of FC generation. Most cell will exceed this by a wide margin in you manage your pool chemistry.

 

[tikoh]

Here is your pool, 18K Gallon, Walmart chlorine at $6. comparison, using MY FC demand. I live in Ohio, so about the same latitude. About a 2.4 year payback on a $1200 SWCG. Add in the cost of the stenner, and gas, you are likely a 2 year payback.

View attachment 506762

If you look at it as $/FC...
A $5.60 gallon of 10% from walmart adds about 5.6 FC to your pool, so about $1/FC
A cell like the circupool universal 40 costs $1200, and is supposed to last 10,000 hours, and will create .6FC per hour in your pool. After 10,000 hours, that is a total of 6000 FC. $1200 / 6000 = $.20 per FC.
Even if the cell lasts 3000hours, $1200 / 3000 = $.40 per FC
Your breakeven point is 1200 hours of FC generation. Most cell will exceed this by a wide margin in you manage your pool chemistry.

I never realized how spoiled I was with chlorine prices...I have two convenient sources for 2.5gallon carboys of 12.5% for $13/ea. One of those places also sells 5 gallon carboys for $23 and then a third place has 5 gallon carboys for $25.