Help With SLAM Please!

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H

huskerfan

0
Jul 12, 2016
53
Lincoln, Nebraska
Pool Size
14000
Surface
Vinyl
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
Hi everyone! Long time lurker, first time posting here! I have had my pool for 6 years now. It came with my house when I bought it back in April of 2016. Struggled with a couple algae blooms the first summer, but was able to get the hang of it by the end of summer. Next 4 summers, it was pretty easy to maintain. I had a routine of testing the chlorine and pH every other day or so, and would add those 3” dichlor tablets to my automatic chlorine feeder, as well as a weekly shock and algaecide. Worked wonderfully for those 4 summers…..until this summer. My automatic chlorine feeder cracked and I replaced it and filled it up with tablets prior to being gone for a week over the 4th of July. Unfortunately, when I cracked open the valve on the feeder line, an o-ring got pinched, and my pool went without chlorine for a week. Came back home to a pool starting to bloom algae. Quickly took a sample to the pool store, and they had me add algaecide, and a bunch of bags of shock. That didn’t work, so then they had me floc the pool. That worked, and I thought I was home free. But about a week later, it started to turn green again. So I added floc again, and removed the pool ladder this time, and a bunch of dark green water spewed out of it. That would make sense that was why it went back to green again. Cleared up the water, and left the ladder out. But a week later, it started to go green again. Not sure why this time, neither were the pool store workers, so I changed out the sand and then added floc to the pool again. Once again, it worked, but then a week later, the pool started to go green again. That’s when I came back to TFP for answers. Read up on the pool chemistry info and SLAM and all of that, and decided to go the TFP route. Ordered the TFT-100 test kit after calling the pool store and having them tell me what my CYA reading was on my last sample, and sure enough, it was 80 ppm. So I figured it was too high and all the shock I was adding was doing nothing. Also realized that the tablets would just be raising my CYA as well, so I stopped adding them. While waiting for my TFT kit to arrive, I did a partial drain and refill to lower the CYA. Once the kit arrived, I tested the CYA, and it was at 40 ppm. However, pH was high, so I added some muriatic acid to lower it. Anyways, below are my additions and testing results so far. Just want to make sure I am on the right track and that I am not missing anything. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

8/20/21 – 1700
pH: 8.4
FC: 0
CYA: 40
Added ¾ gallon of Muriatic Acid

8/21/21 - 1300
CYA: 40
pH: 7.2
FC: 0

8/22/21 - 2100
pH: 7.2
FC: 0
Added 405 oz of bleach

8/23/21 – 1000
FC: 1
CC: 0
Added 365 oz of bleach

8/23/21 - 1215
FC: 11
CC: 0
Added 121 oz of bleach

8/23/21 – 1245
FC: 14
CC: 0
Added 40 oz of bleach

I was able to run home quick from work mid morning today to add the 365 oz of bleach, and then again over lunch to do the 121 oz and 40 oz additions. Won't be able to get home again until about 1600 to add more bleach. Question I have is I thought you are supposed to maintain your FC level at a SLAM level of 16 for as long as it takes - does that mean I will have to run home every couple hours to add some more bleach?
 
huskerfan said:
I thought you are supposed to maintain your FC level at a SLAM level of 16 for as long as it takes - does that mean I will have to run home every couple hours to add some more bleach?
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In theory, yes. In actually reality does that always happen? No. If you can keep that FC at SLAM level, the shorter your SLAM could be. I think the recommendation is once every 2 hours but no less than twice a day. If you're on the twice a day end of things, then it could take longer.

Also, try to brush and vacuum the pool daily. I know you took the ladder out but make sure you scrub the heck out of that thing. Any lights in the pool? They are great spots for algae to live too.
 
Nope, no lights or anything in the pool. I will scrub the pool tonight. I wont be able to vacuum anything up (at least not yet) as I cannot see the bottom. I will add some more bleach when I get home after testing and seeing where the level is at. Then I will see if i can add in the morning before work, over lunch, and after work. Fingers crossed!
 
Hey Huskers and Welcome to being in control !! You got this now and we got you. ;)

post some pics and keep em coming so when the filtering out process takes some time, you can go back and see how far you’ve come.
 
Newdude said:
Hey Huskers and Welcome to being in control !! You got this now and we got you. ;)

post some pics and keep em coming so when the filtering out process takes some time, you can go back and see how far you’ve come.
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Thank you! So after work yesterday, added some more bleach, and then some more at 1 am. Testing results below:

8/23/21 - 1845
FC: 10
CC: 0
CYA: 35
Added 162 oz bleach

8/24/21 - 0100
FC: 10
Added 162 oz bleach

8/24/21 - 1000
FC: 8
Added 205 oz bleach

Forgot to mention that I scrubbed the entire pool yesterday after work as well as added some water since the level was getting low (been hot as all heck here for the past week). Stopped and picked up some more bleach mid morning today, and went home and added some. Pool is still green, but on the bright side, it DID seem like even though it was green, that I could start to see through to the bottom of the pool! Making progress I hope! Also I am definitely on some sort of list somewhere after having cleaned out my local grocery store of all of their bleach for the 3rd day in a row lolol this is only 1/3 of the bottles, you should see my trash can! Headed home shortly for lunch and will test and add bleach as needed.
 

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Great job so far. We get that it’s mid week and busy. We do. But 3X testing will prolong the SLAM. It can be done and it will work, just slower. But. You have several days still to rework your schedule to be freer on the weekend to hit it hard and often.

Work all your chores around the pool. Now the lawn, then hit the pool. Take a kid school supply shopping and hit it as soon as you’re back. Usually one good day of staying on top of it every few hours makes the FC hold several hours on day 2. So a valiant effort on Saturday will make it last 4- 6 hours on Sunday. Keep at it Sunday and by Monday you can go all day being back at work/etc. once you go cloudy instead of green, the algae is either dead or mostly dead and the battle shifts from a chemistry fight to patiently waiting for the filter to get rid of it all. Vac and brush daily to stir it up and get out anything that settles. You got this. (y)
 
Does Lincoln NE have a Menards or Home Depot or Lowes or Ace Hardware? Check those places for liquid chlorine/shock. Most household bleach is low concentration and has other stuff in it.
 
Newdude said:
Great job so far. We get that it’s mid week and busy. We do. But 3X testing will prolong the SLAM. It can be done and it will work, just slower. But. You have several days still to rework your schedule to be freer on the weekend to hit it hard and often.

Work all your chores around the pool. Now the lawn, then hit the pool. Take a kid school supply shopping and hit it as soon as you’re back. Usually one good day of staying on top of it every few hours makes the FC hold several hours on day 2. So a valiant effort on Saturday will make it last 4- 6 hours on Sunday. Keep at it Sunday and by Monday you can go all day being back at work/etc. once you go cloudy instead of green, the algae is either dead or mostly dead and the battle shifts from a chemistry fight to patiently waiting for the filter to get rid of it all. Vac and brush daily to stir it up and get out anything that settles. You got this. (y)
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What do you mean 3x testing? So I should only test twice a day? And makes sense on the rest of your comment - thank you!
 

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huskerfan said:
What do you mean 3x testing? So I should only test twice a day
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I meant that you posted what appeared to be 3 tests/adds in a 24 hour period. Every 4 hours (6 tests) is preferred. Every 2 hours is highly encouraged. But it’s the work week and we get it. Do the best you can. :)
 
Newdude said:
I meant that you posted what appeared to be 3 tests/adds in a 24 hour period. Every 4 hours (6 tests) is preferred. Every 2 hours is highly encouraged. But it’s the work week and we get it. Do the best you can. :)
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Oh I thought you meant that I was testing too OFTEN - I was very confused for a second there! lol

Understood - I will keep at it and keep updating! Thank you!
 
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Tested yesterday after work and in the evening - FC was at 10, and then 13 ppm. Tested this morning and FC was at 8 ppm, so i added 128 oz of 12.5% liquid shock after picking up some jugs from Menards. We did get a decent amount of rain last night. Pool looking slightly less green, but still not great. Fingers crossed.
 

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Results:

8/25/21 - 1015
FC: 16

8/25/21 - 1230
FC: 12
Added 64 oz of 12.5% liquid shock

I know it varies, but is there a general timeline from when the pool should start clearing up once you have hit and maintained the shock level for your CYA level? Obviously it depends on a lot of factors, just didn't know what other people's experiences have been
 
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Curious ..... besides the algae, no one has mentioned the potential for metals in your water. That water has a bit of a shine to it, and I know you used algaecides for quite some time in the past. Have you considered having the water tested for metals (coper or iron)?
 
All blooms being different of course, usually 2 days of hitting it hard is enough to get over the hump where the FC mostly holds for 8-10 hours. You are making progress no matter what but it’s slower by less time Maintained at SLAM level in between tests.

I bet that if you stay the current course, the weekend battle will be a bit easier and hitting it every 2-3 hours on Saturday will make longer holds on Sunday. By Monday you should have shifted into the filtering out part of the battle while the FC mostly holds ok as everything is dead.

The more you do between now and then is that much less to kill on the weekend when you have more time.
 
Texas Splash said:
Curious ..... besides the algae, no one has mentioned the potential for metals in your water. That water has a bit of a shine to it, and I know you used algaecides for quite some time in the past. Have you considered having the water tested for metals (coper or iron)?
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Never considered it - is that a test that comes in the TFT-100 kit I bought?
 

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