My first SLAM

[Michelle22]

Should be fresh but if they fill them & leave them outside in the sun it may be degraded some.
Just use more & forge ahead!
After dealing with ph….
You definitely want the oclt to be all in the dark for accuracy.
What about the ladder/steps? Those are suspect #1

They store it outside, but in the shade. I'm torn on whether it's better to go back to 10% gallon jugs from WM.

I think I'll let the FC get back down to 9ish and lower the ph then try another slam in the dark.

The ladder was removed when I started the slam just in case it was an issue. And I've cleaned the flap of the bottom seam several times since that was my issue last year. I don't have any floating things in the pool.

 

[Newdude]

Could the high pH be the problem?

No. Other way around. High FC may make the PH look abnormally high.

I didn't wait that late on purpose...just worked out that way last night and I wondered if it mattered much. Looks like it doesn't as long as it's dark?

Ok great. Was just checking. Obviously do whatever is easiest for you. 6 to 8 hours of dark is plenty to see if you lost any FC.

 

[Mdragger88]

At the price I get my bulk chlorine for it still beats out the Walmart price even if it is degraded a little.
Be sure to let them know what you’re experiencing with the potency- they may have just gotten a weak batch. They paid for it to be full strength too so they would need to take it up with their supplier.

 

[Michelle22]

Chlorine prices in my area:
$14.18 for 10% 2.5 gallons @ Walmart
$15.49 for 12.5% 2.5 gallons @ pool store

 

[Newdude]

The pool store is the better value. Click the upper left corner if poolmath for the bleach calculator.

It is what it is sometimes. If I'm at one or the other, I'm not wasting an hour across town (and on line) to save $5.

 

[Mdragger88]

Most 12.5% doesn’t remain that way for long. Usually it’s 12% or even 11% at best.

 

[kellyfair]

Yikes, your price for chlorine is high! I pay around $8.5 for 2.5 gallon refill at Pinch-a-Penny.

 

[Michelle22]

I haven't added chlorine for 20 hours and I'm testing at 14.5 FC. Hoping to get under 10 by morning so I can bring down my ph.

 

[Michelle22]

7:42pm last night FC 14.5
6:15am this morning FC tested 11
1:15pm this afternoon FC tested 13.5

What is happening?? FC seems to be going up. I have to be doing something wrong, but I can't figure out what it is. The SWCG is unplugged, so it's not that. No chlorine has been added to the pool since Monday at 11pm.

 

[kellyfair]

How are you doing your testing? Are you squeezing the bottle of reagent, or holding upside down and allowing drops to form? Is it possible you miscounted drops?

 

[Michelle22]

I hold it upside down. I suppose I could've miscounted before coffee...or misdivided. lol

I'm not sure what to do now...keep letting the FC drift down over the next couple of days to below 10 so I can lower the ph then do another SLAM? I feel like the FC is staying pretty high if I really do have an algae issue.

 

[Newdude]

I have to be doing something wrong, but I can't figure out what it is.

The morning test may have been a fluke. You're also terrible at the morning test. Girl, you know I'm a HUGE fan, but let's be honest.

But if the morning test was a fluke, you lost about 1ppm from last night until 1pm so that's entirely reasonable for Ohio on a partly cloudy day

Why is last night a .4 and today is .5 ? Do all the tests at 10ml and each drop is 1/2 fc to save supplies.

 

[Michelle22]

The test was .4 because I can't type!! lol, it was really .5.

I do use 10ml water and divide total drops in half...so, same.

Wwyd at this point? Should I lower ph and slam again? Or lower ph and see how it goes as normal?

 

[Newdude]

Wwyd at this point?

Do another OCLT. Be extra gentle on the squirt bottle in the morning. Do some jumping Jack's first to get the brain blood flowing. (I myself need an hour or so to unzombie-ify, so I'm not judging ).

Is the pump on overnight, or are you mixing in the AM ?

Have you cleaned the hoses on the equipment ?

A new SLAM warrants a new deep clean of the sand also. You just filtered out new algae.

 

[Michelle22]

Can I do the OCLT test without raising my FC level tonight? The pump is running 24/7. I soaked the hoses in a 50/50 chlorine water mix before I fired it all up this season. I think I will get a new filter type next year....I really dislike dealing with the sand.

 

[Newdude]

Can I do the OCLT test without raising my FC level tonight?

Yes. 10 (ish) is likely better for your AM woes.

I soaked the hoses in a 50/50 chlorine water mix before I fired it all up this season.

Ok great.

 

[Michelle22]

I'm calling it. I passed my OCLT that I really didn't even do correctly. I will lower my ph today and see how it goes overnight tonight. Hopefully I'll get a chance to test my CYA today if the sun cooperates.

Maybe my living stuff finally died in my higher chlorine days and I'm good...

 

[Mdragger88]

I'm calling it. I passed my OCLT that I really didn't even do correctly.

I assume this means there was some sunlight involved? If so & you still passed
If not do another.
I will lower my ph today and see how it goes overnight tonight. Hopefully I'll get a chance to test my CYA today if the sun cooperates.

Maybe my living stuff finally died in my higher chlorine days and I'm good...

Let’s hope so -

 

[Michelle22]

I meant that I didn't get my FC up to SLAM levels even after adding what pool math suggested. I realized it yesterday when reading a different thread on the subject. Mine just never got to 31. Also, that I didn't lower my ph before starting my "slam".