- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,452
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
New Pool - Need help balancing!
- Thread starter allisen
- Start date
Ok, by pool math I should be at 27. I was inside when I ran the CYA test so no sun but I did hold it at waist level and look down the tube. My FC has been bouncing from about 5-10 over the last couple days as I’ve been adding LC. That is good to know that those are minimum numbers in the SLAM chart. We’re not swimming this season, it’s 80 out today but the water is 68 degrees. So I’m using this time until we close to learn without any pressure
Thank you!If your ready to start the SLAM then add enough chlorine to get up to 12 ppm. Filter should be running 24/7. Check chlorine level 30 minutes after adding to see if you hit 12. Just do the FC test.
- Jun 24, 2021
- 7,500
- Pool Size
- 30000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60
Took me a bit on the CYA test. Here are tips I've learned
1) You have about 5-10 minutes where you can try the test and pour back into the bottle and try again.
2) You fill to each line, look, fill to next line. There are no CYA numbers that don't end in 0.
3) Try inside in light bulb light. Try outside, bright light, sun to your back (doesn't have to be full sun, just do it outdoors). You will find your number is higher in outside in bright light. It brings out the turbidity. You should test outside, sun to your back, waist high. Test it yourself...try inside with light bulb and outside. You want that higher number you will get outdoors.
4) GLANCE at the dot. Don't stare. If you see dot at a glance, fill to next line. When the dot is obscured at a GLANCE, you are done. If you stare, you can juuuust see outline, but at a glance you cannot, you are done.
1) You have about 5-10 minutes where you can try the test and pour back into the bottle and try again.
2) You fill to each line, look, fill to next line. There are no CYA numbers that don't end in 0.
3) Try inside in light bulb light. Try outside, bright light, sun to your back (doesn't have to be full sun, just do it outdoors). You will find your number is higher in outside in bright light. It brings out the turbidity. You should test outside, sun to your back, waist high. Test it yourself...try inside with light bulb and outside. You want that higher number you will get outdoors.
4) GLANCE at the dot. Don't stare. If you see dot at a glance, fill to next line. When the dot is obscured at a GLANCE, you are done. If you stare, you can juuuust see outline, but at a glance you cannot, you are done.
Going forward if you only need a partial jug of CYA then do not use liquid CYA but resort to the granular. The CYA in the jug settles to the bottom and needs to be used in one shot rinsing again and again to get it all. While in slam do not check the PH as checking it with FC above 10 obscures it accuracy also no checking of the CC either as it irrelevant at this point. Keep the slam level up as much as possible since FC below slam level doesn't accomplish anything. Not sure if you purchased the speedstir with your kit but I highly recommend you get one as it makes testing more accurate and simpler.
I'm off and slamming! I've been at SLAM+ FC levels (12-15) since yesterday afternoon. Slight problem though. I don't think my pump is running 24/7. My mechanicals are only half setup right now so I haven't gotten the official tour of the system yet. The pump is definitely running during the day but I think it might be programmed to shut off at night and I have no idea how to change that. Will that make all of the rest of the SLAM process useless? I've also been running my dolphin m400 robot. I think (because I can't see it) that the bottom of the pool is quite dirty with leaves and sand from construction.
Thank you! I will try your tips and that is good to know that I should really only be glancing at it. I was definitely giving it a deep stare lol.
I did fill/shake/rinse the jug multiple times after I poured it all in so I'm pretty confident I got it all. Yes re speedstir, the first test I did without it but since then I've been using it and OMG it makes ALL the difference in the ease of testing!!!
There should be a service override or some kind of hold button in the panel that'll disregard the program and let it run indefinitely.
I think it's working!!! It appears to be slowly clearing up. I can see more of the third step now and some of the jets which I couldn't before. I don't seem to be getting much FC loss overnight so I think I've killed off the living algea. Now to keep the levels up and let the filter do its job. I'm going to go play with it today and make sure its running 24/7. I also manually vacuumed the stairs yesterday (the robot doesn't hit them) and that seemed to make a big difference. Thank you everyone for all your help, I think I'd be back to a green pool without you
Keep checking the filter pressure gauge making sure to backwash with a 25% rise in pressure from a clean pressure point. Keep the slam going maintaining slam level several times a day along with brushing twice daily. Pump needs 24/7 and will take more time but your well on your way.
Ok. I went out and played with my intellicenter. I think the pump is set to run all 24 hours since the pool circuit is set to run from both 8am to 8pm and 8pm to 8am. The pool circuit appears to be set to run at 2500 rpm which seems awful fast to be running 24/7?
+1. All that cloudiness only comes out by filtering and to do that, you need many many passes through the filter. To do that, you need shear volume through the pump. But at full throttle the pump will eat 2800W (?) so it will break the bank for the 2 weeks needed. 2500 Rpm is a good happy medium between cost and speed.
Just so you know the sand filters take the longest to get there but I've done many and they do get to the end.
+1. As the filtering it all out fight drags on, and believe me it has tested the patience of *everyone* who ever waited, See the positive. The FC is generally holding by then. Your frequent daily tests/adds fall down to twice a day or so.
So it seems to take forever at that stage but it also isn’t consuming your day either.
So it seems to take forever at that stage but it also isn’t consuming your day either.
I would say that there is a bit of a balance between the number of passes through the pump and filtering efficiency. Most filters actually achieve better fines capture at lower flow rates, but then you turnover fewer pool volumes in a given time. So initially you want to keep turning over the pool water at a reasonably high rate to make sure the chlorine kills everything and that there are no dead spots with no water movement where the algae can survive as well as to remove the bulk of the dead cells. Once it clears up a bit and you know all the algae is dead, it may be worth slowing the pump down a bit to get a better final polish and remove the remaining fine particulates which may recirculate through the sand bed at higher flow rates.
Pretty much every morning I’ve come out to my steps looking like this (attached pic). It is not gritty and it poofs when I go to touch it so I think it’s dead algae? But it still makes me wonder if my pump isn’t running 24/7 giving the sediment time to settle. Or is this par for the course? I’ve been manually vacuuming the steps and letting the robot do the rest. Maybe I should put the heavier duty filters on the robot next time. Thoughts? TIA
Attachments
- Jun 24, 2021
- 7,500
- Pool Size
- 30000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60
It is likely an area that doesn't get good circulation. Likely dead algae. Run your dolphin and that will mix water as you are filtering and will take out some of the dead algae. Do that and brush brush brush. It may take a bit of time with Sand Filter, but it will get there.
The pleated paper looking filters are what you want to use. They may get clogged up very quickly.
For the next couple days I'd try leaving the filter off at night & vacuum to waste in the morning. If your work schedule doesn't allow that then turn off the filter before going to work & vacuum to waste when you get home.
For the next couple days I'd try leaving the filter off at night & vacuum to waste in the morning. If your work schedule doesn't allow that then turn off the filter before going to work & vacuum to waste when you get home.
Does vacuum to waste mean use the dolphin? So turn the pump filter off. Let everything settle and then throw the dolphin in with the pleated filters to pickup all the dead algae on the bottom. Correct?
My dolphin won’t come up on the steps. Should I vacuum those with the hose or brush them off or what?