I thought things were going so well (CC 1.0 today)

[crimson avenger]

I’ve been religious about TFP methods since our pool was built last year.
Been keeping my FC at the high end of normal since open 1.5 months ago. Have tested frequently (multiple times during the last couple of parties).
Woke up this morning to a CC of 1. Everything else is looking good…
Guess I’ll SLAM once we get back into town next week.

 

[JJ_Tex]

I'm not sure that you need to SLAM, but the CC just indicates that the chlorine was attacking something. My guess is that someone peed in the pool during one of your parties.

Hopefully the chlorine did its job, killed any nasties, and the CC is just residual from that and not something actively brewing in your pool. If you really think you have algae you can do an OCLT to see if the chlorine is still actively battling something. I would do that before I did a SLAM.

 

[crimson avenger]

I'm not sure that you need to SLAM, but the CC just indicates that the chlorine was attacking something. My guess is that someone peed in the pool during one of your parties.

Hopefully the chlorine did its job, killed any nasties, and the CC is just residual from that and not something actively brewing in your pool. If you really think you have algae you can do an OCLT to see if the chlorine is still actively battling something. I would do that before I did a SLAM.

Thanks. Last year I got pretty SLAM-happy (I should coin that term!) so I’m glad to hear that maybe I don’t need to go that route. I always found that after pool parties it took a long time for the chlorine consumption to go down, but usually settle down after three or four days.

 

[proavia]

What is your current CYA? I see from your PoolMath logs that it was 30 almost a month ago and then you added 4oz of stabilizer. Or maybe I missed an entry between then and now.....

 

[crimson avenger]

What is your current CYA? I see from your PoolMath logs that it was 30 almost a month ago and then you added 4oz of stabilizer. Or maybe I missed an entry between then and now.....

CYA is 50 (tested after the addition)

 

[proavia]

We recommend a CYA of 70 for a SWG pool. Consider raising yours closer to CYA 70.

Maybe there were some organics in the pool that your chlorine was taking care of. Check the CC later today after the sun has a chance to burn some of the FC and CC off. If the CC remains at 0.5 or less for the next day, you are probably good. If it stays above 0.5, consider a SLAM to eradicate any nasties in the water.

 

[crimson avenger]

I have found that a cya of 70 makes any potential slam a little unwieldy. Plus my pool is rarely in the sun… appreciate the points about the cc. Of course if I’m missing something here please let me know… here to learn…

 

[proavia]

Then CYA 50 should work okay. With a small pool volume, any organics introduced can cause the FC and CC values to fluctuate quite a bit. Maybe consider upping your target FC a point or two to give you a bit more of a buffer for such events. At CYA 50, youcan safely swim with FC above minimum and up to 20.

 

[crimson avenger]

Then CYA 50 should work okay. With a small pool volume, any organics introduced can cause the FC and CC values to fluctuate quite a bit. Maybe consider upping your target FC a point or two to give you a bit more of a buffer for such events. At CYA 50, youcan safely swim with FC above minimum and up to 20.

Thanks. I guess the only other concern I had was over the long term. I don’t want my fiberglass pool gelcoat to oxidize too quickly. So I do want to make sure I balance the free chlorine levels and sanitation with the risk of oxidation. I see that people have experiences all over the map and I just don’t want to be one of those people who has a problem with their gelcoat in a couple of years (or at least want to control what I can).

I have already experienced what you were describing. There is quite a bit of volatility with regard to the free chlorine levels. I did target 2-3 ppm above (didn’t test after my bleach addition) the top of the range for the party. I really have to keep on top of it. Regardless it’s been a fun road…

 

[crimson avenger]

Well I came home, opened the pool cover and started swimming because it’s a beautiful sunny day here. Waited a few minutes and rechecked a full set of chemistry. Free chlorine between 8.0 and 8.5, and combined chlorine 0. Guess I’ll continue to watch and see how things go.

Still looking clear!

 

[proavia]

Great!
With that small a quantity of water, any organics will probably have a large affect on your FC and CC levels. As long as you stay on top of it you should be good.

 

[crimson avenger]

Crystal clear water this am. FC 7.5, CC 0.5. Consumed about 3.5 ppm chlorine in 24 hours. Leaving town tomorrow for 4 days. I’ll do an OCLT on Tuesday just to put the issue to rest (hopefully).

 

[crimson avenger]

It’s amazing what staying on top of your chlorine levels will do for a happy pool season. Yesterday we had 18 people over… in our 2300 gallon pool. I basically brought the pool to near SLAM levels to start the party… and 8 hours later my FC was down to 5 while running the SWG at 20%. Added more bleach before going to bed and I woke up to a clear pool!