Good morning,
I have a bit of a long tale and it is complicated. I have about 40,000 free form inground SWG pool with attached spa and double waterfall. Sand filter, heater (will have to find out name etc) After finding your site and devouring all I can I have realized I have NOT Been doing anything right since pool went in 7 years ago. They gave a bottle of test Strips and a 2 page instruction list and it has been a rough time trying to figure this all out because of all my variables, but I have never had year like this one. Water under the bridge - let's move on the RIGHT WAY with TFP!!
I will begin with this years saga - start date 5/22/18. Pool guy opened my pool to its usual swamp and shocked it - turned brown instantly which I have NEVER encountered before. I went to Leslie's and they did not have metal test strips so she had me add their algaecide and shock and come back next day. I did and tested negative for iron and copper so they had my raise pH to 8 and use Yellow out, telling me I had brown algae. Did my usual removal of debris and vacuuming to where I could finally say I could just about see deep end. Brought water back to Leslie's and was told I had Chlorine Lock and he had me lower water by a foot and then add different shock (powder plus). No changes that I could see and still had no FC.
In the meantime I read all I could on metals and was convinced I had metals. I did the stain test and was positive for metals so I used the Metal stain remover from Leslie's with great results, but had a blue tinged pool. Kept searching to find out metals are still in there suspended. I found a product from hydro technology and did the POOL REFRESH routine while speaking with a representative and the result was tons of white residue (metals I was told) which I removed for 3 days until I saw no more. I also added filter aide and CU LATER pods x 2 and my pool was very clear and nice...BUT still had NO FC or CYA. I found out I had to add Jack's Purple Stuff and got his test kit to monitor sequestrant. I also purchased a 1 micron prefilter to put on garden hose I use to fill pool. I have well water so at least I am not adding more metal on this end.
Started to slowly bring up chlorine level and in a bucket test passed, but when I added Chlorine to pool it went brown again. So, I repeated the metal stain remover and added more Jack's. Again bucket test passed with no water change over night so I added started adding chlorine slowly and once again metals oxidized. This time I had a poly filled bucket filter attached to submersible pump and literally swept the brown water through the filter and it filtered out as I slowly added chlorine. Problem was it was not enough Chlorine to hold a FC.
I had a Taylor kit, but it was from last year so I purchased your TF - 100 kit and read more on your site. My pool looked fantastic, but my numbers were out of control. I was very nervous knowing I had no chlorine and was told to add Leslie's algaecide Polyquat 60 while doing AA to keep algae at bay. Problem was I NEVER had algae under control according to your SLAM method.
So, I decided to start over and begin the SLAM process, (SWG had been off since 1st AA treatment). I added CYA to 40 to get started and began to SLAM buying every bottle of bleach in my town. To be honest I was a wreck at this point because as I added the chlorine my pool got browner and browner to where I cannot even see deep end. I decided to push through and over the last 2 days literally at the pool every hour, scrubbing, swishing water testing, and honestly crying a lot. I felt like a chef making a BIG pot of soup and was exhausted.
I finally hit a SLAM of 20 and then pushed up to 24 and I would deal with metals afterwards. So, I had my homemade filter which I change out of polyfil loaded with rust. Paper towels and CU Later in skimmer. I also read about ammonia so I got that kit too and had 0.5 which was easily taken care of with the SLAM.
Last night readings FC = 21 CC - 0.5 so I added 1 1/2 jugs of 10% bleach according to pool math. Went to bed, hardly slept worried if this FC dropped I would have to go to the next town to find some more bleach. This am FC = 23.5 and CC - .5 so I was thinking this really good!! Pool is very brown cannot tell if clear, but looks clear in testing sample. I tested again 2 hours later and FC = 22 and CC is still 0.5 - the sun was up and another hot day on Long island so I know I will lose FC through the day. I know I am sure I left out more details, but to be honest my brain is if fried!! I know I have easily spent over $1,000 thus far but am determined to push through to a clear pool so we can swim. I also fired my pool guy and the pool store and with your help begin to maintain, open and close my pool the right way.
FINALLY - my question. Should I add more bleach to keep my SLAM of 24 through the day and retake over night chlorine test again to be sure? I still have 6 jugs of 10% bleach. Also, should I continue to raise my CYA to 70 now?
Thank you in advance.
I have a bit of a long tale and it is complicated. I have about 40,000 free form inground SWG pool with attached spa and double waterfall. Sand filter, heater (will have to find out name etc) After finding your site and devouring all I can I have realized I have NOT Been doing anything right since pool went in 7 years ago. They gave a bottle of test Strips and a 2 page instruction list and it has been a rough time trying to figure this all out because of all my variables, but I have never had year like this one. Water under the bridge - let's move on the RIGHT WAY with TFP!!
I will begin with this years saga - start date 5/22/18. Pool guy opened my pool to its usual swamp and shocked it - turned brown instantly which I have NEVER encountered before. I went to Leslie's and they did not have metal test strips so she had me add their algaecide and shock and come back next day. I did and tested negative for iron and copper so they had my raise pH to 8 and use Yellow out, telling me I had brown algae. Did my usual removal of debris and vacuuming to where I could finally say I could just about see deep end. Brought water back to Leslie's and was told I had Chlorine Lock and he had me lower water by a foot and then add different shock (powder plus). No changes that I could see and still had no FC.
In the meantime I read all I could on metals and was convinced I had metals. I did the stain test and was positive for metals so I used the Metal stain remover from Leslie's with great results, but had a blue tinged pool. Kept searching to find out metals are still in there suspended. I found a product from hydro technology and did the POOL REFRESH routine while speaking with a representative and the result was tons of white residue (metals I was told) which I removed for 3 days until I saw no more. I also added filter aide and CU LATER pods x 2 and my pool was very clear and nice...BUT still had NO FC or CYA. I found out I had to add Jack's Purple Stuff and got his test kit to monitor sequestrant. I also purchased a 1 micron prefilter to put on garden hose I use to fill pool. I have well water so at least I am not adding more metal on this end.
Started to slowly bring up chlorine level and in a bucket test passed, but when I added Chlorine to pool it went brown again. So, I repeated the metal stain remover and added more Jack's. Again bucket test passed with no water change over night so I added started adding chlorine slowly and once again metals oxidized. This time I had a poly filled bucket filter attached to submersible pump and literally swept the brown water through the filter and it filtered out as I slowly added chlorine. Problem was it was not enough Chlorine to hold a FC.
I had a Taylor kit, but it was from last year so I purchased your TF - 100 kit and read more on your site. My pool looked fantastic, but my numbers were out of control. I was very nervous knowing I had no chlorine and was told to add Leslie's algaecide Polyquat 60 while doing AA to keep algae at bay. Problem was I NEVER had algae under control according to your SLAM method.
So, I decided to start over and begin the SLAM process, (SWG had been off since 1st AA treatment). I added CYA to 40 to get started and began to SLAM buying every bottle of bleach in my town. To be honest I was a wreck at this point because as I added the chlorine my pool got browner and browner to where I cannot even see deep end. I decided to push through and over the last 2 days literally at the pool every hour, scrubbing, swishing water testing, and honestly crying a lot. I felt like a chef making a BIG pot of soup and was exhausted.
I finally hit a SLAM of 20 and then pushed up to 24 and I would deal with metals afterwards. So, I had my homemade filter which I change out of polyfil loaded with rust. Paper towels and CU Later in skimmer. I also read about ammonia so I got that kit too and had 0.5 which was easily taken care of with the SLAM.
Last night readings FC = 21 CC - 0.5 so I added 1 1/2 jugs of 10% bleach according to pool math. Went to bed, hardly slept worried if this FC dropped I would have to go to the next town to find some more bleach. This am FC = 23.5 and CC - .5 so I was thinking this really good!! Pool is very brown cannot tell if clear, but looks clear in testing sample. I tested again 2 hours later and FC = 22 and CC is still 0.5 - the sun was up and another hot day on Long island so I know I will lose FC through the day. I know I am sure I left out more details, but to be honest my brain is if fried!! I know I have easily spent over $1,000 thus far but am determined to push through to a clear pool so we can swim. I also fired my pool guy and the pool store and with your help begin to maintain, open and close my pool the right way.
FINALLY - my question. Should I add more bleach to keep my SLAM of 24 through the day and retake over night chlorine test again to be sure? I still have 6 jugs of 10% bleach. Also, should I continue to raise my CYA to 70 now?
Thank you in advance.
Poly fil bucket, 1 micron filter hooked to submersible pump, 2 CU Later in skimmer as of today
