SLAM woes...

[wgipe]

I lost my Intellicenter control board at some point around May 1. Apparently, that let the chlorine drop below minimums for a bit, and I ended up in a SLAM due to a failed OCLT. It's been going since May 3. My tests are all over the place, and I guess I'm just looking for some assurance that I should stick with it and I'm not doing anything wrong. I brushed everything super well, even to taking the lights out of the niche and scrubbing the niches, and have been running the robot several times per day. I scrubbed the skimmer doors and interiors with a brush, and then commenced the SLAM. My logs are linked here - you can see that chlorine usage slows, and then spikes.... Just about the time I think I may be getting there, it spikes back. The CCs in particular are all over the place. Would you guys mind having a look at logs and either making suggestions or affirm that I'm on the right track? It's worth noting that we heat the pool to 88 frequently to swim at night, so I know that warner water can be more problematic. That said, water temp has been in the mid 70's since I started the SLAM.

Thanks in advance for your help! -Wes

 

[wireform]

Looks like you did all correctly but somewhere something is hiding.

 

[wgipe]

Looks like you did all correctly but somewhere something is hiding.

Surely a dumb question, but it wouldn't be the cartridge filter, correct? That's literally the only place I haven't opened and scrubbed.

 

[wireform]

It would be a good time to open it and clean. It's probably greenish brown and my be holding things back .

 

[PoolStored]

Surely a dumb question, but it wouldn't be the cartridge filter, correct? That's literally the only place I haven't opened and scrubbed.

Cleaning the filter is one of the steps in the SLAM process. Clean the cartridges. Note clean pressure. When pressure rises 25%, clean them again.

Print this out, read it 3 times, click your heels, follow the process...Link-->SLAM Process

 

[wgipe]

Cleaning the filter is one of the steps in the SLAM process. Clean the cartridges. Note clean pressure. When pressure rises 25%, clean them again.

Print this out, read it 3 times, click your heels, follow the process...Link-->SLAM Process

Curiously, filter pressure is exactly as it was when I opened - not a pound higher - so I didn't think that applied given the 25% threshold.

 

[PoolStored]

Did you have visible algae? Are you sure your gauge is in good working order? Does it zero when pump is turned off?

 

[wgipe]

Did you have visible algae? Are you sure your gauge is in good working order? Does it zero when pump is turned off?

No visible algae ever. Gauge does zero and is a high quality Winters glycerine filled gauge.

 

[PoolStored]

Have you removed the weir doors and looked at the foam for algae?
Do you have an autocover? Any part of that touch the pool?
Do you have a main drain? (Couldn't tell from your media).

 

[wgipe]

Have you removed the weir doors and looked at the foam for algae?
Do you have an autocover? Any part of that touch the pool?
Do you have a main drain? (Couldn't tell from your media).

I did remove the weird doors. Maybe I should do that again. I do have an auto cover, but it has been open the entire time so not touching the water. No main drain.

 

[PoolStored]

Clean the filters and see what happens...

 

[wgipe]

Clean the filters and see what happens...

I just cleaned them. They did have some brown residue, but not much. Worth a shot.... Skimmer doors look brand new (pic).

 

[wireform]

Skimmers can also have scum and grime beneath where the basket sits. What I've done once was shut the pump, remove the basket and then put a winter plug in the line to the filter pour some chlorine in the water and brush around well to rid anything that could have been a cause. When done fill a 5 gallon bucket and pour it into the skimmer with the plug still there so that the water will overflow into the pool and dilute the mix in the skimmer in order not to suck that strong solution into the pump. After you can return to your normal programming.....

 

[Mdragger88]

If you have an auto fill check it, also any overflow line.
I’d also still give the cover a look before calling it good.

 

[wgipe]

If you have an auto fill check it, also any overflow line.
I’d also still give the cover a look before calling it good.

I have an irrigation valve that hooks to a return fitting to fill, but no auto fill. I don't know how I'd clean back in that pipe if it was needed. I did run the fill line to flush it out tonight just in case.

As for the auto cover, I don't think I can get under it to look without disassembling it. If it doesn't go e up in a few more days, it may come to that.

 

[Newdude]

Would you guys mind having a look at logs and either making suggestions or affirm that I'm on the right track?

You good sir, are what I like to call being 'extra'. If it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing. Your logs were exactly how i suspected with an admirable effort. Carry on.

You mentioned brushing well. Is that daily or just many times in one occurrence ?

Our large filters can hold a ton of crud with little/no psi rise. My carts were what I considered fairly clean after this black swamp.





3 and change weeks later after cleaning, this was the spring debris for comparison, also with little psi rise, but way worse than the slam carts.





Clean your vials and bar well too.

You got this.

 

[Newdude]

Also get all up in the auto cover basin. Somebody found theirs all gunked up recently in a similar situation.

 

[wgipe]

You good sir, are what I like to call being 'extra'. If it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing. Your logs were exactly how i suspected with an admirable effort. Carry on.

You mentioned brushing well. Is that daily or just many times in one occurrence ?

Our large filters can hold a ton of crud with little/no psi rise. My carts were what I considered fairly clean after this black swamp.

View attachment 572794
View attachment 572795


3 and change weeks later after cleaning, this was the spring debris for comparison, also with little psi rise, but way worse than the slam carts.

View attachment 572796View attachment 572797



Clean your vials and bar well too.

You got this.

Thanks!! I was starting to lose heart, but we may be making progress. Lost 1 ppm with CC of .5 last night. Perhaps cleaning the filters did something. I am on my way to Japan, so my wife is stepping in. Perhaps she'll have the magic touch and make it go away.

I brushed a lot in the beginning and then have been running the robot several times a day. Does that count?

Duly noted on the cover box. I'll have her check that.

Thank you!!!

 

[Newdude]

I brushed a lot in the beginning and then have been running the robot several times a day. Does that count?

It does, but there's no brushing/vac like the manual versions. For anyone. 10x that when that anyone is you.

 

[wireform]

The robot does count but still won't get to all the places. So around latter's, steps, lighting and other protruding areas just use the regular brush.