- Jul 12, 2008
- 662
- Pool Size
- 19000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
I thought it might be useful for me to give a description of what happens when you can’t devote all of your energy to a SLAM.
TL
R Summary. If you can dedicate full time to your pool, a SLAM will go much faster and more cheaply. But, life can get in the way. I make no apologies for not being able to spend all my time on the pool. I’ve done what I can, given the circumstances. It’s important to recognize that, crystal clear water with “sand” that puffs when brushed and/or CC’s means you’re not done. Algae literally has no heart. It doesn’t care if you have Covid, if you’re father-in-law died after falling down the stairs (which happened to me during a SLAM in 2009), if you or your spouse is pregnant with triplets, you’re working 16 hour days and have no one to help, etc. You don’t need to make your pool your highest priority. Life is more than your pool. However, the algae will still be there, making your pool cloudy, or green, or whatever. Because algae doesn’t care.
Here’s my timeline:
Sunday, May 8 – Mother’s Day. Did the usual. Sat next to Mom at lunch.
Monday – Pool is opened by PB. It’s kind of gross, but I’ve seen it worse. About a week of SLAMming should take care of this. This is my first pool opening since my retirement, so I’m looking forward to being able to direct all of my attention to the pool and getting through this quicker than the usual week. Start SLAM, testing and redosing every 2 hours while awake. Hubby brushes and vacuums. Mom tells me she’s not feeling great.
Tuesday – Continue.
Wednesday – Continue. Pool is looking much better. Mom calls me and tells me she’s tested positive for Covid.
Thursday – I feel like I have a cold. Continue SLAMming but not up to testing every 2 hours.
Friday – I test positive for Covid and I’m flat out. Manage to test once or twice a day. Hubby brushing
Saturday – Sunday. Repeat of Friday.
Monday – Hubby tests positive for Covid, so no brushing going on. Test and dose once.
Tuesday – Thursday – Testing once or twice a day.
Friday (Day 12) – I’m feeling somewhat better. I brush and test every 3 hours. KEY PART – Water is beautifully clear. BUT, there’s the telltale black/brown/gray dust on the bottom that fluffs up when brushed. I still have algae. My CC’s are ranging 0-1.5. SLAM is not over.
Saturday-Sunday – Same as Friday except CC’s are down to 0.5.
Monday (Day 15) – Water looks great! Perfectly crystal clear. SO tempting to call it a day and let the FC drop down because I’m really tired of this, but I’m still getting brown lines in the seams. i.e., there is still living algae. If I don’t fix this now, I’ll have to fix it later when the weather is warmer and my granddaughter wants to swim. I’m doing my best to brush, brush, brush, but exertion makes me somewhat breathless. Hubby is feeling crappy again, so he won’t be able to help.
Tuesday – Thinking I might be done tomorrow. Maybe.
Wednesday-Friday – Kept up the brushing and dosing best I could because those last little bits of light brown powder just wouldn’t go away. Hubby is feeling better and put salt in so that the SWG will be ready when SLAM is over.
Saturday – Felt like Crud warmed over. Went to urgent care and I have pneumonia. Hubby’s back is acting up. I just can’t do the SLAM anymore. Making an informed decision that the algae is laughing at me, but I don’t care. I’m going to let the FC come down and do an OCLT. Hopefully I will be feeling better by the time it gets down to say 8 or 9. If I have to restart the SLAM later, I will do it when feeling better.
Sunday. Feeling a bit better. FC is at 14.5. Did some brushing. Not SLAMing. Dust is mostly gone.
Monday. FC at 11. Dust is gone.
Tuesday night. FC at 9.5, CC 0 Doing an OCLT.
Wednesday morning FC at 9, CC at 0. PASSED!
Bottom line: If you can dedicate full time to your pool, a SLAM will go much faster and cheaply. If you can't, you can't.
TL
R Summary. If you can dedicate full time to your pool, a SLAM will go much faster and more cheaply. But, life can get in the way. I make no apologies for not being able to spend all my time on the pool. I’ve done what I can, given the circumstances. It’s important to recognize that, crystal clear water with “sand” that puffs when brushed and/or CC’s means you’re not done. Algae literally has no heart. It doesn’t care if you have Covid, if you’re father-in-law died after falling down the stairs (which happened to me during a SLAM in 2009), if you or your spouse is pregnant with triplets, you’re working 16 hour days and have no one to help, etc. You don’t need to make your pool your highest priority. Life is more than your pool. However, the algae will still be there, making your pool cloudy, or green, or whatever. Because algae doesn’t care.Here’s my timeline:
Sunday, May 8 – Mother’s Day. Did the usual. Sat next to Mom at lunch.
Monday – Pool is opened by PB. It’s kind of gross, but I’ve seen it worse. About a week of SLAMming should take care of this. This is my first pool opening since my retirement, so I’m looking forward to being able to direct all of my attention to the pool and getting through this quicker than the usual week. Start SLAM, testing and redosing every 2 hours while awake. Hubby brushes and vacuums. Mom tells me she’s not feeling great.
Tuesday – Continue.
Wednesday – Continue. Pool is looking much better. Mom calls me and tells me she’s tested positive for Covid.
Thursday – I feel like I have a cold. Continue SLAMming but not up to testing every 2 hours.
Friday – I test positive for Covid and I’m flat out. Manage to test once or twice a day. Hubby brushing
Saturday – Sunday. Repeat of Friday.
Monday – Hubby tests positive for Covid, so no brushing going on. Test and dose once.
Tuesday – Thursday – Testing once or twice a day.
Friday (Day 12) – I’m feeling somewhat better. I brush and test every 3 hours. KEY PART – Water is beautifully clear. BUT, there’s the telltale black/brown/gray dust on the bottom that fluffs up when brushed. I still have algae. My CC’s are ranging 0-1.5. SLAM is not over.
Saturday-Sunday – Same as Friday except CC’s are down to 0.5.
Monday (Day 15) – Water looks great! Perfectly crystal clear. SO tempting to call it a day and let the FC drop down because I’m really tired of this, but I’m still getting brown lines in the seams. i.e., there is still living algae. If I don’t fix this now, I’ll have to fix it later when the weather is warmer and my granddaughter wants to swim. I’m doing my best to brush, brush, brush, but exertion makes me somewhat breathless. Hubby is feeling crappy again, so he won’t be able to help.
Tuesday – Thinking I might be done tomorrow. Maybe.
Wednesday-Friday – Kept up the brushing and dosing best I could because those last little bits of light brown powder just wouldn’t go away. Hubby is feeling better and put salt in so that the SWG will be ready when SLAM is over.
Saturday – Felt like Crud warmed over. Went to urgent care and I have pneumonia. Hubby’s back is acting up. I just can’t do the SLAM anymore. Making an informed decision that the algae is laughing at me, but I don’t care. I’m going to let the FC come down and do an OCLT. Hopefully I will be feeling better by the time it gets down to say 8 or 9. If I have to restart the SLAM later, I will do it when feeling better.
Sunday. Feeling a bit better. FC is at 14.5. Did some brushing. Not SLAMing. Dust is mostly gone.
Monday. FC at 11. Dust is gone.
Tuesday night. FC at 9.5, CC 0 Doing an OCLT.
Wednesday morning FC at 9, CC at 0. PASSED!
Bottom line: If you can dedicate full time to your pool, a SLAM will go much faster and cheaply. If you can't, you can't.
