One of the things that should be added to the procedure is to remove all equipment, hoses, fittings, etc... from the pool during slamming process, especially for black algae. If you can not see it to brush it, it will keep consuming the chlorine away. Once I removed everything I could from the pool, the process sped up quickly. All these years my Aquarite always made just enough chlorine and I thought it was because the size of my pool. This past August I did the slam due to the black spots on my steps with all the extreme helpful advice here, correctly for the first time. Now I realized that all those hidden black spots in the hoses, the fittings, the fountain and the Skimmer Plus had been eating my chlorine all these years. I now can set the output of my Aquarite as low as 60% during the peak summer temp and maintain at proper chlorine level easily.
Slamming in progress
- Thread starter Schnozz
- Start date
Thanks for the reminders about daily pool maintenance. (i.e. checking chlorine levels daily, keeping solids out of the pool and vacuuming as needed.) I'll probably keep it set up all winter, with a cover, and if I don't keep up I will have bigger problems. Also thanks for the heads up on CYA readings. Didn't think about the +/-10 ppm fluctuation. I will do as you suggested, 1 or 2 ppm over CL minimums for my CYA levels. Thanks again. Also, held CL levels overnight again......woohoo!
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Also to Amati5...I will keep your suggestions in mind. It's wise not to let a stone go unturned. If something doesn't test right, make sure everything is working correctly. If it is dig a bit deeper and get creative.....think, think, think and then do what is necessary to get the job done...thanks again..
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Also to Amati5...I will keep your suggestions in mind. It's wise not to let a stone go unturned. If something doesn't test right, make sure everything is working correctly. If it is dig a bit deeper and get creative.....think, think, think and then do what is necessary to get the job done...thanks again..
Sounds good Schnozz. That is 1-2ppm over Target, not over the minimum. (I try to stay away from the minimum when possible, and always set for the higher portion of the recommended levels). So if your Target is 4-6ppm for your 50 CYA then set your higher end Target to 7-8ppm instead, and hopefully if your CYA reading is off, and is actually 60 then there will still be enough in there when the levels do drop down some to properly sanitize your pool, and prevent algae from growing.
Have a wonderful day, and again Congrats on another OCLT pass. Keep up the great job.
Have a wonderful day, and again Congrats on another OCLT pass. Keep up the great job.
Thanks for the tip. It's the small things that seem to make a big difference. I will keep my CL levels at or just above Target values instead of minimum values. I'm glad you said something or I never would have caught that.
Keep up the great job, and have a wonderful day.
Post slam update.
CL: 13 (coming down slowly to target of 9 or so)
PH: 7.4
TA: 90
CYA: 35 (just added 11 oz. conditioner to raise it to 45)
Brushing regularly since slam began. Vacuuming when necessary along with Backwashing.
Water is crystal clear.
Tonight at 5:30 it was close to 100 degrees here, water temp of 78 degrees. Wife and I took a crisp but satisfying dip after about 10 days of Slamming. (Brushing, testing, adding, waiting, etc., etc., etc.)
Working together with my wife and in conjunction with all of you who helped out with advice by responding to my posts, we made it work. I can't thank all of you enough.
Soon we will need to re-level, but not till I'm sure the weather turns for good. Thanks again
CL: 13 (coming down slowly to target of 9 or so)
PH: 7.4
TA: 90
CYA: 35 (just added 11 oz. conditioner to raise it to 45)
Brushing regularly since slam began. Vacuuming when necessary along with Backwashing.
Water is crystal clear.
Tonight at 5:30 it was close to 100 degrees here, water temp of 78 degrees. Wife and I took a crisp but satisfying dip after about 10 days of Slamming. (Brushing, testing, adding, waiting, etc., etc., etc.)
Working together with my wife and in conjunction with all of you who helped out with advice by responding to my posts, we made it work. I can't thank all of you enough.
Soon we will need to re-level, but not till I'm sure the weather turns for good. Thanks again
Sounds great Schnozz. You and your wife are doing great. Enjoy your crystal clear, and clean pool. Have a wonderful night.
That is awesome to hear! Now you will just be cruising with your pool!
You will learn what your pool wants and needs on any given day.
Test and keep a journal of your results. After a while you will start to see a pattern.
Hugs!
Kim
You will learn what your pool wants and needs on any given day.
Test and keep a journal of your results. After a while you will start to see a pattern.
Hugs!
Kim
FC (not CL) of 9 ppm is too much for a pool with a level of 35 ppm CYA.....FC should be around 3-5.
Why are you targeting 9?
Why are you targeting 9?
Not CL, but FC.....that's right...newbie mistake.. My CYA is at 35 currently. I'm adding conditioner moving towards a CYA of 45, in the middle of 30 to 50 range.
I went back to school, pool school that is, and you are correct, 9 is too high...Chlorine/CYAChart reads 3.5 to 5.5 for a CYA of 45. My target level for a CYA of 45 would be 6.5 to 7.5 ppm at most, allowing for the correction for a CYA fluctuation of +/- 10 ppm mentioned by crackerjack4u earlier in the thread.
I am beginning to see that Pool chemistry is like baking. No shooting from the hip, adding a little of this and a little of that, but sticking to the scientific recipe. Pool Chemistry should be more than guesswork if maintenance is to be successful. I appreciate your input. Sorry, I'm a bit wordy......thanks for taking the time..
I went back to school, pool school that is, and you are correct, 9 is too high...Chlorine/CYAChart reads 3.5 to 5.5 for a CYA of 45. My target level for a CYA of 45 would be 6.5 to 7.5 ppm at most, allowing for the correction for a CYA fluctuation of +/- 10 ppm mentioned by crackerjack4u earlier in the thread.
I am beginning to see that Pool chemistry is like baking. No shooting from the hip, adding a little of this and a little of that, but sticking to the scientific recipe. Pool Chemistry should be more than guesswork if maintenance is to be successful. I appreciate your input. Sorry, I'm a bit wordy......thanks for taking the time..
That is absolutely well said!! Your continually increasing knowledge will reward you with a complete understanding of pool water management.
Couple your knowledge and understanding with the precision of doing your own testing and you will be amazed with your pool water.
I like how you got "wordy" as it shows your thought process and allows others to see what is what and how it is really done!
Nice job!
Kim
Nice job!
Kim
Well said Schnozz. If you remain with that mindset, you and your pool will do well, and managing your pool will be so easy to do. Just follow those links, and info you've been given, and you will do just fine. All those guidelines have been proven to work time and time again. Knowledge/understanding, and accurate testing are the keys to keeping your pool clean and clear, and I have faith that you are starting to get it, and will do great. Have a wonderful day.
EDIT: There is one concern I'm seeing though, and need to check it out. On 10/3 comment #7 you reported your CYA as 60, instead of 50, so you adjusted your chlorine levels up some because of that, which was great. On 10/6 in comment #19 you reported your CYA remaining at 60, but then late last night 10/9 comment #26, you reported adding stabilizer to raise your CYA from 35 to 45?
CYA just doesn't disappear like that without a large water replacement,(you will lose a little through backwashing and refilling, vacuuming to waste and refilling, etc. but a drop from 60ppm to 35ppm in 3 days time sounds like a lot to me without an overflow from rain, a drain and refill, or something like that occurring (When you guys had the storms did you have to drain off some of your water too)? Sorry for all the questions, but I'm trying to figure out if it was a testing error, if so was it made early on, or made yesterday, or was your CYA level actually down that much more in 3 days time? I know you just added stabilizer yesterday, and it won't be registering in there Yet, but could you please recheck your CYA level to be certain of where it's actually at. I'm trying to make sure everything is where you want/need it to be, and that you don't end up with your CYA getting higher than it really needs to be. Sorry for the inconvenience. Have a wonderful day END EDIT
Knowledge/understanding, and accurate testing are the keys to keeping your pool clean and clear, and I have faith that you are starting to get it, and will do great. Have a wonderful day. EDIT: There is one concern I'm seeing though, and need to check it out. On 10/3 comment #7 you reported your CYA as 60, instead of 50, so you adjusted your chlorine levels up some because of that, which was great. On 10/6 in comment #19 you reported your CYA remaining at 60, but then late last night 10/9 comment #26, you reported adding stabilizer to raise your CYA from 35 to 45?
CYA just doesn't disappear like that without a large water replacement,(you will lose a little through backwashing and refilling, vacuuming to waste and refilling, etc. but a drop from 60ppm to 35ppm in 3 days time sounds like a lot to me without an overflow from rain, a drain and refill, or something like that occurring (When you guys had the storms did you have to drain off some of your water too)? Sorry for all the questions, but I'm trying to figure out if it was a testing error, if so was it made early on, or made yesterday, or was your CYA level actually down that much more in 3 days time? I know you just added stabilizer yesterday, and it won't be registering in there Yet, but could you please recheck your CYA level to be certain of where it's actually at. I'm trying to make sure everything is where you want/need it to be, and that you don't end up with your CYA getting higher than it really needs to be. Sorry for the inconvenience. Have a wonderful day
END EDIT
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CJ4u.....I went back to the posts you mentioned and compared them with my written chemistry log where I record both day and time of the sampling. You're right, those are the numbers I wrote in my log and my posts. Though, I did have some water loss, (left the water running from the hose for about two hours, so I overflowed the pool
) but not to the point of replacing almost half the water to lower the CYA by 25 ppm. Looking back, I think it may go back to doing things the right way.
Here's what I came up with...I noticed that I took the sample and tested high (60 ppm) for CYA when the sun was below the horizon (between 6:30 & 7:00). I must have replaced the sun at my back with the patio light at my back
. I should have taken the samples during daylight hours with my back to the sun and the vial about waist high, as is the recommended TFP procedure. All the samples I've taken since then have been lower (35 ppm) and were tested using the correct TFP procedure. Could that be it? Does that sound reasonable?
It seems I need to take better care to pay attention to the program as its been set out for us. I cannot believe you caught that
.....
) but not to the point of replacing almost half the water to lower the CYA by 25 ppm. Looking back, I think it may go back to doing things the right way.Here's what I came up with...I noticed that I took the sample and tested high (60 ppm) for CYA when the sun was below the horizon (between 6:30 & 7:00). I must have replaced the sun at my back with the patio light at my back
. I should have taken the samples during daylight hours with my back to the sun and the vial about waist high, as is the recommended TFP procedure. All the samples I've taken since then have been lower (35 ppm) and were tested using the correct TFP procedure. Could that be it? Does that sound reasonable?It seems I need to take better care to pay attention to the program as its been set out for us. I cannot believe you caught that
.....Hi Schnozz,
The lighting, or lack of, can cause what you are, or aren't, able to see to vary. It's always best to do the test with the best lighting, sun to your back, sample at waist level, etc. to ensure you are getting the most accurate results possible. As long as you are sure the testing, and the CYA of 35ppm yesterday was/is accurate before your add, then I have no reason to doubt it. I just wanted to mention the differences to bring it to your attention, and to try to determine where the inconsistency was coming from in order to try to get it resolved, before it caused you a potential problem in the future.
A lot of folks have issues with the CYA test, and find it difficult to accurately do. So if you aren't already aware, you can also pour that mixed CYA sample back and forth from the plastic mixing bottle, to the view tube several times if you are unsure because of the lighting, etc. Also when unsure a 2nd set of eyes can also help. So you can test, and then pour the solution back into the plastic mixing bottle, and then have your wife test, and compare the results if you need to.
I am a one eye CYA tester lol I close one eye like I do when shooting a gun. It works well for me until the neighbors look at me weird thinking I'm winking at them LOL. I think Kim said she has to look away from the sample all together, and then look back on the sample to do hers, so we all have found little things that help us be able to read it as accurately as we can, and no doubt you will as well. Hang in there, and no doubt you'll do great.
I'm very proud of all you have learned, and accomplished so far.
Keep up the great job, and have a wonderful night.
The lighting, or lack of, can cause what you are, or aren't, able to see to vary. It's always best to do the test with the best lighting, sun to your back, sample at waist level, etc. to ensure you are getting the most accurate results possible. As long as you are sure the testing, and the CYA of 35ppm yesterday was/is accurate before your add, then I have no reason to doubt it.
I just wanted to mention the differences to bring it to your attention, and to try to determine where the inconsistency was coming from in order to try to get it resolved, before it caused you a potential problem in the future. A lot of folks have issues with the CYA test, and find it difficult to accurately do. So if you aren't already aware, you can also pour that mixed CYA sample back and forth from the plastic mixing bottle, to the view tube several times if you are unsure because of the lighting, etc. Also when unsure a 2nd set of eyes can also help. So you can test, and then pour the solution back into the plastic mixing bottle, and then have your wife test, and compare the results if you need to.
I am a one eye CYA tester lol I close one eye like I do when shooting a gun. It works well for me until the neighbors look at me weird thinking I'm winking at them LOL. I think Kim said she has to look away from the sample all together, and then look back on the sample to do hers, so we all have found little things that help us be able to read it as accurately as we can, and no doubt you will as well. Hang in there, and no doubt you'll do great.
I'm very proud of all you have learned, and accomplished so far.
Keep up the great job, and have a wonderful night.
Yeap! I do the "bar looking" method! LOL
Look, look away, look again, look away, look again and call it good! It is more of a glance than a hard look.
Kim
Look, look away, look again, look away, look again and call it good! It is more of a glance than a hard look.
Kim
LOL.....I will try both methods.......The one eyed Stick-em-up method and the "bar" method.....thanks for the input!!
This is the one test that will drive your crazy as it is not exact science You can pour the liquid back and forth to redo the test. It just has to be "this close" to count LOL
Kim
You can pour the liquid back and forth to redo the test. It just has to be "this close" to count LOLKim