I'm SLAMing and desperately need guidance

[Ignoramus]

This is what DE looks like when wet so that is probably accurate. A cracked manifold will cause this to happen.

and the multiport valve not sealing during backwash, I reckon.

You still have algae so don't think that the cracked manifold is your main issue. It is an issue that that needs to be addressed so best to plan to purchase a new manifold.

It had been ordered.

Can you provide the make and model of the filter?

Pentair 180009, FNS PLUS 60

You may want to put the multi-port valve on recirculate to avoid going through the filter however this will not capture any dead algae

I had been running the system mostly in recirculate mode. Once a day I'd wash the filter, put fresh DE and run the system in filter mode until filter builds high pressure. After that there's basically no flow so it didn't make sense to use filter, and I'd switch to recirculate.

so you need to manually vacuum it out

If I do not use filter, manual vacuuming from the skimmer is not going to do anything, unless I vacuum to waste, right?

I do have Leaf Eater. But none of the bags can capture the fine dust in the water. I've tested them by dumping water through the bags, and poured filtered water into clear bottles.

Then I have tried clarifier in 5 gallon bucket and and repeated the tests with bags and pool vac filter. Only pool vac (sand and silt) filter cartridge captured; Leaf Eater bags and/or micromesh sock combinations got everything.

unless you have considered draining and refill.

I'm considering it, but I dislike that much waste.

Thank you!

 

[Ignoramus]

Fix the filter or replace it.

The process is ongoing.

Drain the pool and refill it with fresh water.

Dumping entire pool, all 24,000 gallons feels very wrong. So my mind struggles with the idea.

And reverts to idea of floc. Test with focculant worked well in my 5-gallon bucket test. And I'm assuming that vacuuming the resulting fluff should waste less water than draining entire pool. Is this assumption incorrect?

After the refill add 30 ppm of CYA and then SLAM Process to get rid of any residual algae.

How do you chlorinate the pool?

Liquid 10% chlorine jugs

What are the target water chemistry you are required to maintain in the pool?I

I wanted to begin killing algae as soon as possible and so I thought I got water to within the ranges suggested by test strips, at first, and now by PoolMath. And began SLAM.

I do not know enough to say that i need to be in a higher or lower part of the range.

Thank you!

 

[ajw22]

Dumping entire pool, all 24,000 gallons feels very wrong. So my mind struggles with the idea.

Nothing wrong with dumping water. You return it to the environment where it is naturally filtered.

You will use a lot of chlorine to clear that water. And will have the expense and time to do it. And then at the end you are going to end up with a chemical soup that is not very good from the clarifier and maybe floc you used.

There are times when it is best to start fresh and this is one of them.

And reverts to idea of floc. Test with focculant worked well in my 5-gallon bucket test. And I'm assuming that vacuuming the resulting fluff should waste less water than draining entire pool. Is this assumption incorrect?

You are headed down paths we do not recommend.

Do not use floc until you totally overcome your algae and pass the Overnight Chlorine Loss Test

Flocculant - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

I wanted to begin killing algae as soon as possible and so I thought I got water to within the ranges suggested by test strips, at first, and now by PoolMath. And began SLAM

Test strips????

Stop and get a Taylor K-2006C test kit or TFT Test Kits before proceeding any further with your pool water.

You CANNOT follow the SLAM Process and clear algae using test strips.

I suggest you review these links while waiting for your test kit to arrive...

Pool Care Basics Archives

Your one-stop shop for all things TFP to include: ABCs of Water Chemistry, Recommended Chemicals/Levels, Test Kits, Troubleshooting, and much more!

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Ignoramus]

Do not use floc until you totally overcome your algae and pass the OCLT.

Could I get there without much filtering but with hourly FC tests and brushing the rest of the time during the day?

Test strips????

Nooooo! Not anymore! "I ain't that dumb"

That was in the beginning. Test strips and Leslie's, until I received my TFT-100.

Thank you!
Ig
P. S. I have read through Pool School and some of it even got retained. I do reread specific topics, though.

 

[ajw22]

Could I get there without much filtering but with hourly FC tests and brushing the rest of the time during the day?

You can go from a green pool to a gray pool without filtering. But eventually you need to get the dead algae filtered out while you maintain SLAM FC levels.

 

[Ignoramus]

General update:

1. My SLAM was interrupted - got a blockage in my circulation system. I washed through return lines, and sorta got through on the skimmers. Right now it's back online and I'm going to chlorinate and brush the pool. I didn't find any specific issue, though, so it is probably still there, though somewhat decreased.
2. I went into the pool yesterday, and found a lot of slimy spots so it definitely needs more brushing.
3. I also found build up on ladder that feel like calcium scale, the same as on the return eyeballs. So all of those are in my scrubbing queue

 

[ajw22]

That brown looks like iron staining. See if a paste of vitamin C cleans it up.

Iron in the water would be another reason to drain the water and refill with fresh iron free water.

 

[HermanTX]

If I do not use filter, manual vacuuming from the skimmer is not going to do anything, unless I vacuum to waste, right?

Correct. Recirculate does exactly that and no filtering, so you are not getting the dead algae captured. Vacuum to waste is a form of draining. so best to consider the draining option.

Dumping entire pool, all 24,000 gallons feels very wrong. So my mind struggles with the idea.

And reverts to idea of floc. Test with focculant worked well in my 5-gallon bucket test.

Draining is more efficient in your situation because you have a busted filter and draining will use less liquid chlorine to finish up the algae once you refill. I would brush as much as possible if you plan to drain to remove that dead algae.
Floc can cause more issues than solving yours. I would not recommend that at this time.

I wanted to begin killing algae as soon as possible and so I thought I got water to within the ranges suggested by test strips, at first, and now by PoolMath. And began SLAM.

I do not know enough to say that i need to be in a higher or lower part of the range.

Test strips do not provide the accuracy you need to do a SLAM. You need to stay at 20ppm FC for your CYA of 50. If you test every 3-4 hours during the day then you can get through this process without draining but it will be slower, especially since you have a DE filter and will need to clean that every so often (once you get the manifold replaced)
You really need a better test kit - Test Kits Compared

It is your choice to either drain or just go forward with SLAM which will require your filter to be operational and ensure you have sufficient LC on hand to maintain FC at 20ppm and test using an accurate test kit.

Draining may require you to still do a SLAM after you refill because of what algae may be left, so you need to clean the ladder and around the light to ensure all of that is clear, but it will be much easier and if you only set your CYA at 30 then you will use less LC to have a SLAM FC of 12ppm (vs 20ppm with 50 CYA)

 

[Ignoramus]

Fix the filter or replace it.

New manifold did the trick. The filter still needs cleaning within 30 minutes of cleaning. I run it only when I'm there, the rest of the time pump runs in recirculate mode.

But (!!!) I'm seeing improvement. I can see about 2 ft deep. And now I can see I have a LOT of algae. I've put images are at the end of the post.

Drain the pool and refill it with fresh water.

After the refill add 30 ppm of CYA and then SLAM Process to get rid of any residual algae.

How do you chlorinate the pool?

What are the target water chemistry you are required to maintain in the pool?

I'm currently trying to reach CYA of 40 after the rains diluted my water.

I use 10% liquid chlorine.

We're open to idea of draining the pool (THANK YOU for your efforts to convince me!) but with this rainy season I think I will not be able to drain the pool and leave it empty while i scrub the walls with bleach to kill all the algae.

Thank you again!
Happy Thanksgiving

 

[Ignoramus]

That brown looks like iron staining. See if a paste of vitamin C cleans it up.

Iron in the water would be another reason to drain the water and refill with fresh iron free water.

Thank you! I'll get water tested for metals. Could I trust Leslie's for this?

 

[Bperry]

New manifold did the trick. The filter still needs cleaning within 30 minutes of cleaning. I run it only when I'm there, the rest of the time pump runs in recirculate mode.

But (!!!) I'm seeing improvement. I can see about 2 ft deep. And now I can see I have a LOT of algae. I've put images are at the end of the post.

I'm currently trying to reach CYA of 40 after the rains diluted my water.

I use 10% liquid chlorine.

We're open to idea of draining the pool (THANK YOU for your efforts to convince me!) but with this rainy season I think I will not be able to drain the pool and leave it empty while i scrub the walls with bleach to kill all the algae.

Thank you again!
Happy Thanksgiving
View attachment 463629View attachment 463630

That algae isn’t that bad, we’ve seen way worse than that around here. If algae was the only problem to solve then I’d probably keep the water and salvage it. Even the walls should clean up with brushing while the water is in it. Just keep the chlorine at SLAM level. But if you’ve got metals in the water causing problems that a different consideration.

 

[Ignoramus]

General status report.

1. Draining the pool is an option. But I want to keep the pool empty for few days so I can scrub the algae really well, and douse them with LC (diluted in half, maybe). So I'm waiting for guaranteed dry spell for this.
2. Meanwhile, the filter is back to good function.
   • I use filter once or twice a day, as it quickly fills and needs cleaning after each run.
   • The rest of the time pump is recirculating.
   • I'm trying to keep CYA to at least 30, preferably 40. Rain reduced my CYA; added powder dissolves slowly in 55F water.
   • I'm trying to keep FC to SLAM levels corresponding to CYA.
   • Amount of DE on the pool floor is decreasing (captured by the filter).
3. I still have few other issues that - air in my system, potentially missing valves/plugs in my skimmers, and discovery of autofill system.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!
I'm grateful for all of you, your knowledge, the community you've built here, and for all the patience and help I've got here.
THANKS!

 

[ajw22]

Thank you! I'll get water tested for metals. Could I trust Leslie's for this?

Testing the water for metals will not be conclusive.

See if a paste of vitamin C cleans it up. If Vitamin C cleans up a spot then it is iron staining. If it is then you will need to do Ascorbic Acid Treatment - Further Reading after you clear the algae.

 

[ajw22]

1. Draining the pool is an option. But I want to keep the pool empty for few days so I can scrub the algae really well, and douse them with LC (diluted in half, maybe). So I'm waiting for guaranteed dry spell for this.

Scrubbing the algae is not necessary. If you drain the pool and immediately refill it then you do the SLAM Process it will clear the walls with brushing in a few days. Right now I think you are looking at your SLAM Process taking weeks if you can only raise the FC once a day. That is not enough to get way ahead of the algae growth 24 hours a day.

How often are you able to check the FC and increase it back to SLAM FC level?

 

[Ignoramus]

Testing the water for metals will not be conclusive.

See if a paste of vitamin C cleans it up. If Vitamin C cleans up a spot then it is iron staining. If it is then you will need to do Ascorbic Acid Treatment - Further Reading after you clear the algae.

Oh wow! It was like magic! (I know, i know, chemistry is better than magic )
Last remaining return eyeball that had those stains was clean in a jiffy.

Some of that brown crud on the walls might be due to iron staining, too - it's all similar color, and i do not feel sliminess everywhere where these spots are.

Then I will not get disheartened by all that brown staining on the walls and just focus on doing SLAM by the numbers.

THANKS A LOT!

 

[Ignoramus]

Scrubbing the algae is not necessary. If you drain the pool and immediately refill it then you do the SLAM Process it will clear the walls with brushing in a few days. Right now I think you are looking at your SLAM Process taking weeks if you can only raise the FC once a day. That is not enough to get way ahead of the algae growth 24 hours a day.

How often are you able to check the FC and increase it back to SLAM FC level?

Right now, we're on a break so I drive there once in 2-3 days.
Before this, and after school resumes, I was and will be there every weekday and can (and did) adjust FC several times. I can tell by the smell when FC drops.

I usually brush the pool after I have added chlorine. Then I check and adjust FC level. Then I run the filter (30 minutes). Then I get distracted by some other thing I need to clean around the pool. And repeat.

 

[ajw22]

When you get tired of tinkering around the pool then consider that a drain and a few days of your time there with the SLAM Process should get the algae out. Then the AA treatment to get rid of the brown stains will require another drain the dump out the iron.

You may want to take a sample of the schools fill water to a pool store and have them test it for iron. If you have iron in the fill water then we have more to discuss.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Ig,

I suggest that you drain and start over... It will be quicker and cheaper.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Ignoramus]

Then the AA treatment to get rid of the brown stains will require another drain the dump out the iron.

If fill water is ok regarding iron, can I do it in this order:
Stop SLAMing and let FC drop to 0.
Algae won't grow that much as water is in mid-50s.
Do AA.
Drain.
SLAM.

 

[ajw22]

If fill water is ok regarding iron, can I do it in this order:
Stop SLAMing and let FC drop to 0.
Algae won't grow that much as water is in mid-50s.
Do AA.
Drain.
SLAM.

You have an unusual chemical soup with algae and cold water. I don’t know how the AA treatment will work with the slime on the walls and cold water. The algae slime may not let the AA be effective.

@JoyfulNoise thoughts on this?