Need SLAM help, please!!

[mknauss]

pool essentials chlorine from Walmart isn’t 12.5%

That product is 10% sodium hypochlorite. At most.

 

[PoolStored]

Start with the Pool essentials. I think it is 10% Look for a date code like below. This one is 21056. That means it was made the 56th day of 2021. Look for it on your bottle. What does it say?

 

[BKennedy]

Start with the Pool essentials. I think it is 10% Look for a date code like below. This one is 21056. That means it was made the 56th day of 2021. Look for it on your bottle. What does

here’s the code on my bottle.

 

[PoolStored]

Last night after adding 6 gallons which was supposed to bring me to 20ppm according to the app only brought me to 13ppm. So my test last night was 13 FAC and 1.2 CC. This morning my FC was 7.5 and CC was 1.0. Either the app didn’t tell me to add enough, the pool essentials chlorine from Walmart isn’t 12.5% or my pool is bigger than 35k gallons.

Great, so we know you have Algae. Let's get your SLAM Process going. Do you have Liquid Chlorine? Then your SLAM level for your CYA of 50 is 20 FC. (FC/CYA Levels).

Just follow the process and brush brush brush. SLAM Process Good thing it is the weekend. If you can check and add chlorine every two hours, it will go faster.

here’s the code on my bottle.

Yep. That is actually a pretty good date. And that is 10% Given the difference of 12.5% and 10%, 3 of the difference between 13 and 20 was your input. That leaves a difference of 4 because of pool size/LC degradation. 20 is 1.25 x 16 (your tested 13 + the 3 difference in 10 and 12) So use pool math, enter 10% and your target of 20. Take what it recommends and multiply by 1.25 and add that next time, should get you to 20. That will solve for pool size and LC degradation for the time being. Likely the majority of this is pool size, but we'll figure that out later.

 

[BKennedy]

Great, so we know you have Algae. Let's get your SLAM Process going. Do you have Liquid Chlorine? Then your SLAM level for your CYA of 50 is 20 FC. (FC/CYA Levels).

Just follow the process and brush brush brush. SLAM Process Good thing it is the weekend. If you can check and add chlorine every two hours, it will go faster.

Yep. That is actually a pretty good date. And that is 10% Given the difference of 12.5% and 10%, 3 of the difference between 13 and 20 was your input. That leaves a difference of 4 because of pool size/LC degradation. 20 is 1.25 x 16 (your tested 13 + the 3 difference in 10 and 12) So use pool math, enter 10% and your target of 20. Take what it recommends and multiply by 1.25 and add that next time, should get you to 20. That will solve for pool size and LC degradation for the time being. Likely the majority of this is pool size, but we'll figure that out.

Ok, last question before I go add more chlorine! Would it be easier to drain and refill, essentially start over? With the amount of debri and all the algae, I was seriously considering draining, power washing the staining on my pebble and refilling. Or, is that not really recommended? What is your opinion on that?

 

[PoolStored]

It not really about recommended. It is about what is needed. You should be able to clean and maintain the pool without draining. If the robot isn't working fix it. Between your robot and brushing, and filtering, you should be able to clean the pool sufficiently. Don't think powerwashing does anything that chlorinating, robot, brushing and filtering can't do.

 

[mknauss]

What is your opinion on that?

It is an economic decision, unless your CYA or CH are at levels they must be reduced.
What does the water cost? How much acid and salt and CYA will it take to get the water back to proper levels?

 

[PoolStored]

One of our senior members weighed in on this thought of draining and powerwashing. My recommendation is not to do it as it likely will not fix your staining and could cause some problem. This is what he said:

Do NOT leave it empty. If the plaster dries out too much it can easily crack. There is currentky tens of thousands of pounds of water in the pool applying mechanical pressure to the surface that holds it in place. The water is also cool and doesn’t allow for much in the way of thermal cycling. If you empty it and leave it that way, the plaster will dehydrate, change temperature rapidly and have no inward mechanical force on it. That a recipe for disaster.

Those stains are not likely going to be removed with a power wash. Your plaster is old and stained and there’s little to do about it with a power washer. You are better off SLAM’ing the pool, getting the water cleaned and balanced and then investigating possible stain removal techniques.

Draining a pool, while a favorite of the pool service/pool store industry, is rarely ever necessary.


here:

Can I drain and power wash my IG plaster pool?

I have a 30k gallon plaster pool. Over the winter, pump started leaking on the bottom of the casing so I turned it off. Time got away from me and now I have a green mess. I am 4 days into SLAM and it is clearing -BUT- I found lots of leaves still in the bottom and walls are stained. Actually...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[BKennedy]

It not really about recommended. It is about what is needed. You should be able to clean and maintain the pool without draining. If the robot isn't working fix it. Between your robot and brushing, and filtering, you should be able to clean the pool sufficiently. Don't think powerwashing does anything that chlorinating, robot, brushing and filtering can't do.

Ok, thanks! Only reason I was thinking about draining was it would be quicker than a slam . Also, we have had so much fine powdery debris in our pool for the past year and a half, that we cannot seem to get rid of. Brushing, brand new robot and de filter and it’s still there! Brushing is definitely a challenge on my back after a car wreck I was in, but I do my best. Really just brushing steps and doing the best I can on walls. I’m wondering if it’s de in the bottom of the pool from the times I had a bad grid or bad manifold. I guess I was just thinking that might be the easiest way for me to get all the gunk out, but I will keep going with the slam! Adding more chlorine now and off to Walmart to buy another few cases of chlorine!

 

[PoolStored]

Also, we have had so much fine powdery debris in our pool for the past year and a half, that we cannot seem to get rid of. Brushing, brand new robot and de filter and it’s still there! Brushing is definitely a challenge on my back after a car wreck I was in, but I do my best. Really just brushing steps and doing the best I can on walls. I’m wondering if it’s de in the bottom of the pool from the times I had a bad grid or bad manifold. I guess I was just thinking that might be the easiest way for me to get all the gunk out, but I will keep going with the slam! Adding more chlorine now and off to Walmart to buy another few cases of chlorine!

Do you have a vacuum? Do you have a vacuum port? If it is fine particles, then it is likely DE. On some robots with very fine filters it can get the DE out. If not, then you can get a vacuum like the one below and use it to vacuum the DE back into the filter. You can hook them to a vacuum port, or they have fittings that connect the vacuum to the skimmer.

 

[BKennedy]

It is an economic decision, unless your CYA or CH are at levels they must be reduced.
What does the water cost? How much acid and salt and CYA will it take to get the water back to proper levels?

It would cost about $175 in water to refill the pool, on the high end. I have about 10 bags of salt, but I know it would need more. I have enough CYA to get it back to level without having to buy any more of that.

 

[PoolStored]

It would cost about $175 in water to refill the pool, on the high end. I have about 10 bags of salt, but I know it would need more. I have enough CYA to get it back to level without having to buy any more of that.

Is your sewer rates tied to water usage? My sewer is and my sewer rate is about 2x water. I can get a waiver of the sewer rates if I have pictures of meter before and after. Some areas don't do that.

Then the real issue is...are you willing to take the risk with the pool as joyfulnoise laid out. He is one of the best and most knowledgeable member here. I put extra weight to his answers.

 

[mknauss]

If it will take much more in cost of liquid chlorine, then a quick drain and refill can work. Also depends on your area, do you have a shallow water table?
No power washing. That can be harmful.
As far as the 'dust', it could be old DE, but any decent robot will pick that up. Dead algae from a continuous algae infestation if you have not followed the FC/CYA Levels in the past is likely.

 

[BKennedy]

Do you have a vacuum? Do you have a vacuum port? If it is fine particles, then it is likely DE. On some robots with very fine filters it can get the DE out. If not, then you can get a vacuum like the one below and use it to vacuum the DE back into the filter. You can hook them to a vacuum port, or they have fittings that connect the vacuum to the skimmer.

View attachment 407613

Yes, I have a small vacuum like that. Our pool is so big it seems like it takes hours to just do the shallow end, lol. The hose connects to the skimmer and I can turn the other skimmer and main drain off. I don’t really know if the color on my pebble is staining or just variances in the color because we have had so much debris in the pool for so long. So after looking at my water bill, it would be about $250-300 for water and sewer charges. I would definitely not leave it unfilled. I bet there is 200 pounds of dead organic matter at the bottom of the pool. Dead algae is definitely a possibility too, there’s just so much in there, I can’t visualize being able to get it all!

 

[BKennedy]

If it will take much more in cost of liquid chlorine, then a quick drain and refill can work. Also depends on your area, do you have a shallow water table?
No power washing. That can be harmful.
As far as the 'dust', it could be old DE, but any decent robot will pick that up. Dead algae from a continuous algae infestation if you have not followed the FC/CYA Levels in the past is likely.

From my calculations, it would be about the same in the price of chlorine and de for the number of backwashes I’m having to do, as it would to do a refill. I already have all the chemicals to restart it, just don’t want to do that if it’s not my best option.

 

[PoolStored]

just don’t want to do that if it’s not my best option.

I'm afraid that making a recommendation is likely beyond the scope of what anyone here would give. We are trying to provide you the best information so you can make an informed decision.

 

[BKennedy]

I'm afraid that making a recommendation is likely beyond the scope of what anyone here would give. We are trying to provide you the best information so you can make an informed decision.

Yea, I get that. If I were to drain and refill, would all the algae die that’s on the walls? With my back the way it is after the wreck, I feel it would be easier on me to go that route with me not being able to vacuum and brush as I normally would. Adding the chlorine and testing is not a problem, it’s just my limited ability to do all the brushing and vacuuming. Hopefully in a month or two my back will be back to normal.

 

[mknauss]

If I were to drain and refill, would all the algae die that’s on the walls?

No. You would need to follow the SLAM Process after refill. Hopefully it would go a bit quicker.

Why are you having to vacuum? You have a robot. Brush the shallow/step areas to the main pool area and let the robot vac it up.

 

[PoolStored]

Hopefully in a month or two my back will be back to normal.

I hope you mend quickly and completely. Sorry you had to face that burden.

 

[BKennedy]

No. You would need to follow the SLAM Process after refill. Hopefully it would go a bit quicker.

Why are you having to vacuum? You have a robot. Brush the shallow/step areas to the main pool area and let the robot vac it up.

My robot picks some up, but some of it is so fine there is literally a cloud of “dust” it leaves in its trail. Then it all settles back to the bottom and I am left with a mess on the bottom still. When walking or in the pool blooms of “dust” are stirred up.