*HELP* First time SLAM / Newbie pool owner SLAM confusion

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FC is currently sitting at 21ppm as i am getting ready to go to bed.

And i think i may have improperly performed the TA test earlier as using the dipstick it shows definitely under 40 - and using the kit im having trouble identifying the right color, it does turn pinkish red after just 1 drop
 
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Do you have R006? Take a new sample, 5 drops of the r004, mix, add a drop of 006, mix, add a drop etc, until your color gets to 7.4.

Report the number of drops.

How old are your reagents?
 
saltygunz said:
Same result, added 5 drops to 44 ml

Looks more like 7.2- 7.4 from the top

I know dip sticks are not accurate, but im getting same results
Click to expand...
Thats way below 6.8 in that case. I see the note about the TA being low as well. Bring up the pH before you start the SLAM.
 
PoolStored said:
Do you have R006? Take a new sample, 5 drops of the r004, mix, add a drop of 006, mix, add a drop etc, until your color gets to 7.4.

Report the number of drops.

How old are your reagents?
Click to expand...
Done, took 8 drops of r006 to get it to 7.4 see pictures , what does that tell me?

Regents are new just got them yesterday it says best by 9/25

Bperry said:
Thats way below 6.8 in that case. I see the note about the TA being low as well. Bring up the pH before you start the SLAM.
Click to expand...
Do i need to raise TA before attempting to raise pH?
 

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not
PoolStored said:
If your FC is above 10, the pH test is invalid. Are you confident in your TA being 100?
Click to expand...
not at all, I can attempt to retest , I was having trouble testing with the kit the colors seem too close to me. hard to differentiate when the last color change is. TA is under 40 that I know. I tried using the test strips and the color is not turning green which is the 40 mark.
so its probably safe to assume it is under 40.
 
Add enough baking soda to raise your TA by 20. Use pool math to figure out how much. Keep pump on, and brush around a bunch. Then test TA 30 minutes later. Post result.
 

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  1. Rinse the sample tube with pool water.
  2. Fill the sample tube with pool water to the 25 ml mark. The top of the sample will be curved. This curve is called a meniscus. The bottom of the meniscus should be level with the 25 ml mark.
  3. Add 2 drops of R-0007 and swirl to mix.
  4. Add 5 drops of R-0008 and swirl to mix. The solution should turn green or blue. If the sample turns red, pink, or yellow, you are done, your Total Alkalinity is zero, and your PH is very very low (4.5 or lower).
  5. Counting the number of drops as you go, add R-0009 one drop at a time, swirling to mix after each drop.
    1. Continue adding drops until the color changes to something more or less red, pink, yellow, or clear. The sample may switch between green, blue, and gray while you are adding drops. That is not the color change you are waiting for.
    2. Continue adding drops as long as the color continues changing. The final drop, that does not change the color any further, does not count.
  6. Multiply the number of drops by 10 to get your TA level. Remember that the final drop, which didn’t cause any further color change, doesn’t count.
  7. Dispose of the sample safely. It is best to pour it down the drain with the water running. Do not add it back to the pool.
  8. Rinse the sample tube with tap water and store for next time.
Notes

  • Sometimes a static electric charge can build up on the R-0009 dropper bottle tip, causing the drops to be smaller than usual and making the test read higher than actual. You can prevent this by wipping the tip of the dropper bottle with a damp cloth or tissue before you start and after each drop.
  • Hold the dropper bottles vertically and squeeze gently, so that drops come out slowly and seem to hang on the tip of the dropper bottle for a moment before falling.
 
PoolStored said:
  1. Rinse the sample tube with pool water.
  2. Fill the sample tube with pool water to the 25 ml mark. The top of the sample will be curved. This curve is called a meniscus. The bottom of the meniscus should be level with the 25 ml mark.
  3. Add 2 drops of R-0007 and swirl to mix.
  4. Add 5 drops of R-0008 and swirl to mix. The solution should turn green or blue. If the sample turns red, pink, or yellow, you are done, your Total Alkalinity is zero, and your PH is very very low (4.5 or lower).
  5. Counting the number of drops as you go, add R-0009 one drop at a time, swirling to mix after each drop.
    1. Continue adding drops until the color changes to something more or less red, pink, yellow, or clear. The sample may switch between green, blue, and gray while you are adding drops. That is not the color change you are waiting for.
    2. Continue adding drops as long as the color continues changing. The final drop, that does not change the color any further, does not count.
  6. Multiply the number of drops by 10 to get your TA level. Remember that the final drop, which didn’t cause any further color change, doesn’t count.
  7. Dispose of the sample safely. It is best to pour it down the drain with the water running. Do not add it back to the pool.
  8. Rinse the sample tube with tap water and store for next time.
Notes

  • Sometimes a static electric charge can build up on the R-0009 dropper bottle tip, causing the drops to be smaller than usual and making the test read higher than actual. You can prevent this by wipping the tip of the dropper bottle with a damp cloth or tissue before you start and after each drop.
  • Hold the dropper bottles vertically and squeeze gently, so that drops come out slowly and seem to hang on the tip of the dropper bottle for a moment before falling.
Click to expand...
thank you! this is very helpful!
do i bother at all with the SLAM levels of FC? or do i not add any chlorine until i get TA and pH under control?
 
Its fine, we can go either way. pH will rise on its own, now that we got TA up. You have two choices,
1) Start the slam.
2) Let FC come down below 10, then raise pH in .4 increments until you get to 7.4., then start the slam. Either is ok.

'Twer it my pool, and has a vinyl liner, I'd get the pH up...
 

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