PoolStored said:

I would recommend that you get an SWG and replace the puck chlorinator. Will be much cheaper to chlorinate.

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I chlorinate with liquid bleach and really only use the puck chlorinator as a supplement when we’re going out of town or I’m trying to increase CYA. Haven’t bought pucks and don’t plan to, but have been running down a big bucket left by the last owner.

I want to go SWG, but the thing stopping me is that allegedly higher salt levels will erode my coping much more rapidly. I spoke the pool builder and they suggested that one manufacturer (I think Hayward) makes a lower-concentration SWG, but still recommended sealing the coping and warned that the waterfall might disintegrate. But I can’t trust everything they say, because they install UV filters on pools in Texas.

PoolStored said:

We recommend reducing the number of times you handle MA. It is safer to do it once.

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Thanks, I’ll start doing this with MA as I already do it with the bleach.

dereksanders said:

First, are you doing the OCLT readings after dusk and before dawn? If so, recommend following the instructions in post #2. If that still fails, look for every last crevice, niche, and anywhere else that water can get to and thoroughly clean those places.

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Thanks! Yes I have only been testing after the sun goes down and before it comes up I will still continue to try and clean every last crevice I can find. Appreciate the advice.

Bperry said:

Your log says a bunch of your tests are coming back with the FC way over SLAM level. The farther the FC goes over SLAM level, the faster it burns off. During the SLAM, you just bring the FC “UP TO” SLAM level, not try and stay above it.

Try letting the FC come down a bit to 1/2 SLAM and do the OCLT again.

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Thank you I will try this going forward! I had been trying to stay at or above slam level. It’s been hard because I’ve been sparing with my testing drops because I’m running out. I will test the cya now that I’ve replaced my water and go from there. Appreciate the advice.

First, are you doing the OCLT readings after dusk and before dawn? If so, recommend following the instructions in post #2. If that still fails, look for every last crevice, niche, and anywhere else that water can get to and thoroughly clean those places.

MM32 said:

I opened my pool on Wednesday 4/30 and unfortunately had a green swamp under the cover. I’ve been SLAMming, brushing and vaccuming since it was opened and the water has been basically crystal clear since about Friday morning.. However, I failed my 3rd OCLT in a row this morning. I actually lost more chlorine last night than I had the previous 2 nights. I will say that just yesterday I really gave my skimmers a really thorough cleaning for the first time with a brush/rag, so maybe that kicked up some more algae that needed to be killed off. I do also think I saw a little algae bloom in the skimmer last night. I also backwashed/recharged my DE filter this morning. I just had a couple of questions:

1) if my water has been clear for about 48 hours, is it odd that I am still failing the OCLT?
2) I measured my cya at about 70 before I started slamming. Probably because my pool company added some when they opened it. Because I’ve had to keep my FC at such high levels, could that be effecting the OCLT or making it less accurate possibly?
3) Will backwashing my DE filter help with passing the OCLT? I would assume any algae caught in there would be dead so the answer would be no, but figured I’d ask for my knowledge.
4) My pool company added shock when they opened the pool. I tested it after they left and it was at 16ppm so I never tested the ph as I thought the test would be unreliable. If they did not adjust my ph down to 7.2 before shocking, could that affect the slam?
5) Ive had to keep my FC at very high levels due to the high CYA for days, could that be harming the pool equipment?
6) I’m close to running out of drops for my FC testing in my TF Pro Salt Kit. More should be coming on Tuesday but I may run out before then. Any advice on what to do if I run out before I get more?

Thanks as always for your help

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Your log says a bunch of your tests are coming back with the FC way over SLAM level. The farther the FC goes over SLAM level, the faster it burns off. During the SLAM, you just bring the FC “UP TO” SLAM level, not try and stay above it.

Try letting the FC come down a bit to 1/2 SLAM and do the OCLT again.

I think he was referring to the rapid climb of pressure after adding DE? Sounds like the DE was doing what its supposed to do.

Club slipping out of a hand on an indoor range is very unlikely. The only time a club ever slipped out of my hand by accident was in the pouring rain. In any case I would worry more about the projector than a light.

PoolStored said:

The only thing the cover will do is retain heat, lower FC consumption and slow pH rise. Should do nothing that increases FC usage, unless you live in the south, when the cover would raise the temperature high enough to consume more FC and CYA. Not your problem in Toronto.

Post a full set of chemical results. Likely not the cover, likely algae...because FC got too low. Or, your CYA is low. What do you normally run your CYA? What is it now?

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Thanks for your reply! The pool was just opened so i haven't really got things going yet. But i normally keep the CYA between 30 and 50. I'll post back once I'm up and running and do some regular testing. Now I seem to have an issue with my pump of course, so that will set me back. Thanks again for your reply, appreciate it!

Welcome!

Welcome!

You get your plugs?

What did you get and did it work ok for you?

Welcome to TFP.

I suspect you have a propane gas pressure problem. 4” WC is the minimum gas pressure and if it drops to that when running and flames out then you have a gas service problem.

You say your propane tank is 40% but some folks have discovered their gas gauge was broken.

Fill your propane tank and see if you get increased gas pressure.

Water is progressing. Like @Newdude said, big changes can't be seen anymore but it does appear to slowly be getting clearer. I'm only on full day 4 of my SLAM, so I'm sure there is more to be done. One side question I have about my pump setup is this: I have to run my Superflo pump at 2200 rpm minimum for my flow light to go green on my IC40 SWG. That seems really high. Also, after a while during the day even that won't be good enough and the light will go red. Granted, I'm not using it yet, but when I switch over to it I really don't want to have to micromanage the flow, and the point of getting the VS pump was to run it at a much lower rpm to save money. I'll backwash and rinse, and then the 2200 rpms are good enough for a while, but always goes red fairly quickly. Also throughout the day my flow at the returns noticeably slows down. Could this just be left over algae in the water clogging the filter, and constant backwashing is normal during a SLAM? The sand filter is old and the only thing I haven't replaced so far and I do notice some sand in the pool. Not a lot, but some. I'm trying not to worry about a million things at once, but I don't want to finish my SLAM and then not have a working SWG, or needing to run my pump at higher speeds. I can take pictures of the piping if needed (it honestly looks like a mess to me). I also have 2 skimmers, one about 8 feet away from the pump, and the other is at the other end of the pool 40ish feet away, not sure if that factors into anything.

Quick question I just thought of, if I set my filter valve to recirculate and dial in my rpms for the SWG there, how much higher does it tend to be after going through a sand filter? I assume it would require more (obviously) but would there be a decent test to determine if my filter is just reducing my flow too much? Sight glass is clear, even when I backwash. I do see sand coming out through the sight glass when I backwash/rinse as well. I know this is a long rambling post with a lot of questions, so I appreciate any help while I'm finishing the SLAM.

Read Jandy Aqualink RS - Further Reading

When I had that problem I setup a wireless motion sensitive camera over the area that recorded the critter at night to identify it.

Once identified I call mt local pest control guy who set some baited cages in the area. Within a few days the camera recorded the critter in the cage. The pest control guy came, threw a blanket over the cage, and took it away to be relocated.

You can fill the hole with mothballs, gravel, and steel wool to try and encourage the critter to move on. If you use mothballs you better like the smell when being around that area of the pool. They often have other exit holes and filling in one only works if you caught it early.

Boston_Pool said:

I'm looking for great ROI on a heat pump. It seemed like Aquacal was ahead of the game but others have caught up. Thoughts?

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Heat pumps are a commodity. Get one that has local service and support. Many companies who sell them do not service abd repair them.

Boston_Pool said:

I completely understand the Heat Pump limitations -- not looking for folks saying they don't work. I have the electricity to support a heat pump and want the pool "swim ready" more often. Thanks.

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Heat pumps work fine if you run them as designed.

Good morning - just did the am test and it’s at 6.5. It dropped exactly 1.
SLAM time?

Looks like a classic ground hog hole to me. Also called whistle pig.