New to TFP, new to pool ownership, extremely lost and I think I messed up

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You reported a CYA level of 65. CYA is measured in whole numbers, so you round up to 70. To do a SLAM you use the chart attached to find your slam chlorine number based on your cya. For a CYA of 70, your chlorine needs to be 28 to kill algae. Your goal is to keep your chlorine at 28 all day and all night until your water is clear. This may take a week, it may take more. The more you check and top up your chlorine the faster the process goes. (side note, clear water is only one criteria of finishing a SLAM, we can discuss more later). For now, don’t bother testing anything but chlorine. Test every couple of hours when you can. Keep your chlorine at 28. Let us know when your last test of the day is fc 28 and the first test in the morning before sunlight hits the water is fc 27 or 28.

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If you can test 30 min after adding chlorine, do so just to check to see if your chlorine has hit 28. Add more chlorine and get it to 28 - then you can test every 2-3 hours. Algae and organics in the water will consume the chlorine quickly. Be sure you are brushing the pool too. Brushing breaks biofilm. Biofilm is like armor that protects the algae from the chlorine. If there are any leaves or debris in the pool make sure you’ve vacuum’d that out as well as it will quickly consume chlorine.
 
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Just encouraging, advice should only come from the experts.

Hang in there @hvstle, these experts and moderators really know their stuff and your pool experience will be greatly simplified by following the advice/process. Seems daunting at first, but it’s worth completely. Going on three years now and only had to SLAM my year round open pool after the pool builder finished their 3 month initial maintenance plan…. My local pool store (also is my pool builder) doesn’t like me since I’ve only bought a couple rafts that my wife really liked.

After you get out of your current issue, reread the pool chemistry sections in pool school especially what chemicals NOT TO USE. Totally counter to what your local pool store will try hard to sell you on. Plus, after you build your confidence, any problem you may encounter has been solved several times over so search within the TFP site prior to posting questions.
 
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And once you have read pool school enough that it all sinks in, head to the bottom of any forum page for the TFP Wiki link.

Everything is explored further there to really get into it. And it will make sense after having a grasp on the basics. Work your way through the list with anything relevant to you in your spare time. :)
 
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Pool_Doctor said:
Just encouraging, advice should only come from the experts.

Hang in there @hvstle, these experts and moderators really know their stuff and your pool experience will be greatly simplified by following the advice/process. Seems daunting at first, but it’s worth completely. Going on three years now and only had to SLAM my year round open pool after the pool builder finished their 3 month initial maintenance plan…. My local pool store (also is my pool builder) doesn’t like me since I’ve only bought a couple rafts that my wife really liked.

After you get out of your current issue, reread the pool chemistry sections in pool school especially what chemicals NOT TO USE. Totally counter to what your local pool store will try hard to sell you on. Plus, after you build your confidence, any problem you may encounter has been solved several times over so search within the TFP site prior to posting questions.
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I've never been to a pool store. :) Skipped that step.
 
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I will admit, this is feeling daunting. I've added so much chlorine and it doesn't seem to be clearing up. I had to run to an appt but going to Menards again for more chlorine.

I need to look over my kit again but I'm a little confused how I can get a reading of 28. I'm probably missing something. This is not my forte, I never took chemistry and am awful at math.
 

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hvstle said:
I need to look over my kit again but I'm a little confused how I can get a reading of 28. I'm probably missing something. This is not my forte, I never took chemistry and am awful at math.
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If using the FAS-DPD test (add powder, turns pink, add drops until clear) then a 10ml pool sample will require 56 drops to get a 28 FC reading. If it turns clear before that, you do not have FC of 28 (and instead your reading would be number of drops divided by 2).

We got you - keep at it.
 
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Also kinda wondering if I should have cleaned my sand filter or replaced the sand in it. That sounds super daunting though. I will do that test again when I get home!
 
hvstle said:
Also kinda wondering if I should have cleaned my sand filter or replaced the sand in it. That sounds super daunting though. I will do that test again when I get home!
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When you most recently backwashed, was the water dirty in the sight glass and eventually turned clear? If so, your sand filter is working well enough for what you've got going on right now.
 
Oh! Side question.
Vacuuming. I have one, I think, and there are tubes in the garage, but I'm not sure what I plug it into to make it work. Also, with this 30ft pool with the fencing around it, it's difficult to really scrub much without being able to get into it.

Do you guys have a recommendation on where to attach the vacuum or what to do there? Or, a better vacuum to purchase from Menards?
 
Your sand is fine. It doesn’t wear out. It can get dirty. Backwash to clean the sand and then rinse to re-seat the sand. If you had to you could wash the sand, but don’t bother until after your SLAM. Dirty sand catches more fine particles than clean sand. You backwash when your pressure gauge (on a single speed pump) raises 10 psi over what it was when you last backwashed it and it was clean. Sometimes I can feel the pressure coming out of my returns weaker and then I know I need to backwash. Someone else can chime in if there is a different pressure value on VS pumps.
 
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hvstle said:
Oh! Side question.
Vacuuming. I have one, I think, and there are tubes in the garage, but I'm not sure what I plug it into to make it work. Also, with this 30ft pool with the fencing around it, it's difficult to really scrub much without being able to get into it.

Do you guys have a recommendation on where to attach the vacuum or what to do there? Or, a better vacuum to purchase from Menards?
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there are a few different ways above grounds are set up. Here are a few videos:

 
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PoolStored said:
When you pressure rises 25% over clean pressure, please.
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I was thinking it was 25%, then doubted myself. Does a single or VS make a difference then? Or is 10 psi more an old school rule of thought? For example my gauge is clean at 18 psi and dirty at 28psi. That’s a 10 psi change.
 
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JodieM said:
For example my gauge is clean at 18 psi and dirty at 28psi. That’s a 10 psi change.
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And a 155% psi increase. :shock:

For me at 4psi with a VS pump running low, it's a 250% increase for the same 10 psi.


So yeah. 25% factors your equipment, and your baseline, regardless of what they may be.
 

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