If you started the SLAM only because of excess FC loss, then it seems to at least be doing better than when you started. How long has it been now?
6 Days Into Slam - Still Losing FC
- Thread starter SteveSwims
- Start date
The bottom of the Meniscus should just touch the line.
Hard to read the ingredients but it looks like it says it contains a stabilizer. Does it say what that is anywhere? That’s a red flag.
Test 11:09pm: 12ppm FC
Test 6:20am: 12.5ppm FC / CC 0.5 (did 2 tests this morning, using different batches of reagent for each and got the same results)
I guess the rise in FC can just be down to test tolerance / variation but it looks like a pass!
I’m working from home today and we have a long weekend in the U.K. this weekend so I’ll keep it at SLAM level for another day or so and see what happens (as FC loss started to rise again after my last OCLT pass a few days ago).
Test 6:20am: 12.5ppm FC / CC 0.5 (did 2 tests this morning, using different batches of reagent for each and got the same results)
I guess the rise in FC can just be down to test tolerance / variation but it looks like a pass!
I’m working from home today and we have a long weekend in the U.K. this weekend so I’ll keep it at SLAM level for another day or so and see what happens (as FC loss started to rise again after my last OCLT pass a few days ago).
I believe that’s the heat exchanger from the boiler
I hadn’t noticed that! There’s no mention of a stabiliser anywhere else on their page or on the packaging so I’ve just contacted them and asked for copies of the specification and Material Safety Data Sheets to see what they show:
I’ve also recently bought this Liquid Chlorine but am yet to use it:
Sodium Hypochlorite 14-15% | Patio Cleaner 5-20 Litres
Sodium Hypochlorite can be used for water purification, surface purification, bleaching, odour removal and water disinfection. It is also considered the best patio cleaner chemical on the market. 100% UK product.
liquipak-shoponline.co.uk
Just to be sure though, I’ve also just asked this manufacturer to send me the same info.
Have received the MSDS for the Liquipak liquid chlorine (the product I’ve not yet used, mentioned above).
Not sure what I’m looking for though so is there anything here that doesn’t look so good?
Not sure what I’m looking for though so is there anything here that doesn’t look so good?
Only seen 0.5ppm FC loss since topping back up to SLAM level 7 hours ago (currently 4:30pm in the U.K.) 
I don’t see anything odd there. You just want sodium hypochlorite.
Test 11:00pm: 12ppm FC
Test 6:30am: 12.0ppm FC / CC 0.5
My heart sank when I tested this morning as I got 9.5FC and 1.5CC! I thought that can’t be right though so I rinsed the tube out and tested twice more and both of the other tests have 12pm FC and 0 CC.
Would it be safe to assume that the first test was an error?
If yes then I think the SLAM is finally over!
Test 6:30am: 12.0ppm FC / CC 0.5
My heart sank when I tested this morning as I got 9.5FC and 1.5CC! I thought that can’t be right though so I rinsed the tube out and tested twice more and both of the other tests have 12pm FC and 0 CC.
Would it be safe to assume that the first test was an error?
If yes then I think the SLAM is finally over!
When you test, use pool water to pre-rinse the tube before testing and then rinse it out after each test. It’s very possible your test tube was contaminated.
Lost 1.5ppm overnight last night, after only losing 0.5ppm overnight for the previous 2 night!!
How much should I take the test tolerance levels into account at this stage (ie +- 0.5 / +-10% if using over 20 drops)?
How much of an impact can bugs at the bottom of the pool have on FC realistically (about 3/4 bugs at the bottom this morning)?
How much of an impact can condensation from the plastic roof panels dripping back into the pool have on FC realistically (these don’t seem to be too clean (moss, debris etc… - pics attached )at least on the outside but I’m sure there’s stuff on the inside too?
I’m really just wondering if this is down to user error / test tolerances at this point!
How much should I take the test tolerance levels into account at this stage (ie +- 0.5 / +-10% if using over 20 drops)?
How much of an impact can bugs at the bottom of the pool have on FC realistically (about 3/4 bugs at the bottom this morning)?
How much of an impact can condensation from the plastic roof panels dripping back into the pool have on FC realistically (these don’t seem to be too clean (moss, debris etc… - pics attached )at least on the outside but I’m sure there’s stuff on the inside too?
I’m really just wondering if this is down to user error / test tolerances at this point!
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Test tolerance is +\- 1 drop. So about 0.5ppm, which is why the test allows 0.5ppm loss and still pass.
IMO, you passed a couple days ago and given that you only started the SLAM because of excess FC loss, I’d run the FC at the high side for a bit and monitor it. At the same time I’d clean the enclosure the best you can, keep the skimmers clean, and sweep up any bugs that collect on the bottom. Though I’m not following how some many bugs can get in an enclosure like that. Is it not completely screened off?
I’d also switch chlorine sources to one without the secret stabilizer.
I’m really wondering how much of this is down to user error / user variations in the tests at this point (meaning me 
).
I tested 11ppm FC at 7:00pm tonight then added 500ml (of the new Liquipak Liquid Chlorine for the first time as suggested) straight away. I tested again (twice) an hour later and got 14.5ppm and 13.5ppm.
According to pool maths “effects of adding”, even if the LQ actually was the advertised 15%, 500ml of 15% should only have raised FC by 1.4ppm (according to my test results it raised 2.5/3.5 ppm).
If the “effect of adding” info is correct then I must have either wrongly tested low with the 7:00pm test or wrongly tested high with the 8:00pm tests.
).I tested 11ppm FC at 7:00pm tonight then added 500ml (of the new Liquipak Liquid Chlorine for the first time as suggested) straight away. I tested again (twice) an hour later and got 14.5ppm and 13.5ppm.
According to pool maths “effects of adding”, even if the LQ actually was the advertised 15%, 500ml of 15% should only have raised FC by 1.4ppm (according to my test results it raised 2.5/3.5 ppm).
If the “effect of adding” info is correct then I must have either wrongly tested low with the 7:00pm test or wrongly tested high with the 8:00pm tests.
11.5ppm this morning (from 13.5ppm last night), although it was 10 hours between the tests this time which isn’t ideal.
This morning there were more dead bugs at the bottom of the pool then I’ve seen before (maybe 8/10 dead wood lice).
I never (or rarely) see any at the bottom of the pool during the day so something is making them fall in at night!
Could that’s sort of number of dead insects at the bottom of the pool result in a 2ppm FC loss?
The pool is indoor but it’s not “sealed”, as mentioned, the roof panels all have small holes (assume for ventilation) and they drip when it rains etc… and so it’s always got bugs around the floor etc…
I have had rhe pool cover off permanently for the last few weeks as I got paranoid that it was dirty and causing the FC loss / CC increase. Should I just try leaving it on tonight and seeing what happens?
This morning there were more dead bugs at the bottom of the pool then I’ve seen before (maybe 8/10 dead wood lice).
I never (or rarely) see any at the bottom of the pool during the day so something is making them fall in at night!
Could that’s sort of number of dead insects at the bottom of the pool result in a 2ppm FC loss?
The pool is indoor but it’s not “sealed”, as mentioned, the roof panels all have small holes (assume for ventilation) and they drip when it rains etc… and so it’s always got bugs around the floor etc…
I have had rhe pool cover off permanently for the last few weeks as I got paranoid that it was dirty and causing the FC loss / CC increase. Should I just try leaving it on tonight and seeing what happens?
I dunno. Pool covers seem to cause more loss sometimes. It’s certainly reasonable the rain and bugs are the source of your chlorine loss, especially if both the bugs and the loss are occuring at night. How difficult is it to clean the “roof”?
Not the easiest to clean the roof as the enclosure basically forms part of the boundary with the neighbours property, so cleaning the roof on our garden side would theoretically be doable but cleaning from the neighbours side would be trickier.
Cleaning the inside would be relatively easier with long enough poles etc.. I just guess I’d need to be ready to vacuum the pool up pretty quickly afterwards!
I’m really starting to think dead bugs are the cause actually. I’ve had 0 FC loss during the day today according to tests and have also had 0 dead bugs at the bottom of the pool (just a few flies in the skimmer).
The nights when I’ve not had any bugs at the bottom of the pool (or maybe just 1/2) are the nights where I’ve passed the OCLT, the nights I’ve failed have almost all had multiple dead bugs at the bottom)
One thing after the other though, my R0871 has just run out again and the refill that was due to arrive today hasn’t come yet
). Really difficult to schedule refills etc… when I’m having to ship from the US.
Given my situation, ie flipping between pass and fail on the OCLT but consistant minimal FC loss during the day & minimal CC at all times, I wonder if I could instead do a DCLT (Daytime Chlorine Loss Test) and pass the slam
Cleaning the inside would be relatively easier with long enough poles etc.. I just guess I’d need to be ready to vacuum the pool up pretty quickly afterwards!
I’m really starting to think dead bugs are the cause actually. I’ve had 0 FC loss during the day today according to tests and have also had 0 dead bugs at the bottom of the pool (just a few flies in the skimmer).
The nights when I’ve not had any bugs at the bottom of the pool (or maybe just 1/2) are the nights where I’ve passed the OCLT, the nights I’ve failed have almost all had multiple dead bugs at the bottom)
One thing after the other though, my R0871 has just run out again and the refill that was due to arrive today hasn’t come yet
). Really difficult to schedule refills etc… when I’m having to ship from the US.Given my situation, ie flipping between pass and fail on the OCLT but consistant minimal FC loss during the day & minimal CC at all times, I wonder if I could instead do a DCLT (Daytime Chlorine Loss Test) and pass the slam
- Jun 1, 2018
- 16,007
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
I know it drives you crazy but only do 1 test & move on.
Doing it multiple times each time is adding more confusion & wasting expensive & hard to aquire reagents.
Your theory about the bugs and the oclt sounds somewhat reasonable but I get lots of bugs sometimes and have no noticeable problem. At this point I would aim for somewhere above target range and see how you fare since you have passed multiple oclts & this has really dragged on.
Doing it multiple times each time is adding more confusion & wasting expensive & hard to aquire reagents.
Your theory about the bugs and the oclt sounds somewhat reasonable but I get lots of bugs sometimes and have no noticeable problem. At this point I would aim for somewhere above target range and see how you fare since you have passed multiple oclts & this has really dragged on.
I butt up to a farm and my skimmers are entirely for collecting beetles and 500 other flying insects.
I'm flat out overrun at times and see no excess loss.
Even if they were covered in bacteria, thousands and thousands of gallons of properly sanitized water would laugh at them.
I'm flat out overrun at times and see no excess loss.
Even if they were covered in bacteria, thousands and thousands of gallons of properly sanitized water would laugh at them.
Only other thing I can think of is make sure you test at least 30 minutes AFTER the pump has been running and adding chlorine to make sure the initial FC test is accurate.Not the easiest to clean the roof as the enclosure basically forms part of the boundary with the neighbours property, so cleaning the roof on our garden side would theoretically be doable but cleaning from the neighbours side would be trickier.
Cleaning the inside would be relatively easier with long enough poles etc.. I just guess I’d need to be ready to vacuum the pool up pretty quickly afterwards!
I’m really starting to think dead bugs are the cause actually. I’ve had 0 FC loss during the day today according to tests and have also had 0 dead bugs at the bottom of the pool (just a few flies in the skimmer).
The nights when I’ve not had any bugs at the bottom of the pool (or maybe just 1/2) are the nights where I’ve passed the OCLT, the nights I’ve failed have almost all had multiple dead bugs at the bottom)
One thing after the other though, my R0871 has just run out again and the refill that was due to arrive today hasn’t come yet
Given my situation, ie flipping between pass and fail on the OCLT but consistant minimal FC loss during the day & minimal CC at all times, I wonder if I could instead do a DCLT (Daytime Chlorine Loss Test) and pass the slam