I'm SLAMing and desperately need guidance

JamesW · Dec 14, 2022

You can try putting some sort of descaler solution into the anchor cups to break the bond.

Note: Acid can be dangerous and it can squirt out in some cases if you use force.

Wear eye protection if you use any type of descaler solution.

Be careful to prevent a situation where the solution can be forced out of the cups under pressure like if you put descaler in the cups and then try to rotate the rails to break them loose.

Maybe wrap a towel around the base of the rail at the cup to prevent descaler solution from squirting out.

If you use an acid based descaler, it might damage the anchor cups.

Aluminum will be damaged much more than brass, so be extra careful if the cups are aluminum.

Can you tell if the cups are aluminum or brass?

Hercules Haymaker Tankless Water Heater Descaler 35230 - The Home Depot

Hercules Haymaker Tankless Water Heater Descaler quickly and easily dissolves inorganic deposits that restrict flow to restore circulation and heat transfer efficiency. It's safe for potable water systems

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Durgol Universal Clear Multi-Purpose Descaler/Decalcifier (2-Pack) 0296-2 - The Home Depot

Serve your guests, family, or just yourself the perfect cup of coffee with the selection of this Durgol Universal Clear MultiPurpose Descaler Decalcifier.

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JamesW · Dec 14, 2022

Ignoramus said:
Full strength? For how long?

What exactly are you trying to clean?

Is there some sort of stuck-on scale or what?

What parts are you trying to clean?

What are they made of?

The instructions seem to indicate that the product is safe for different materials?

What do the directions say?

Ignoramus · Dec 14, 2022

JamesW said:
What exactly are you trying to clean?

Parts of pool vac, Polaris P825. Photo is from September, when I was talking inventory of pool equipment. (The cat is my foster kitten Xena who cried entire time she was left home alone and so she went with me everywhere.

)

JamesW said:
Is there some sort of stuck-on scale or what?

No scale. DE, algae, organic debris. I cleaned them with a toothbrush. And I want to bathe them in algaecide in case I missed a corner or so.

JamesW said:
What parts are you trying to clean?

What are they made of?

Majority is ABS plastic.
Tracks are rubber.
Cleaning brush feels like silicone.
Filter baskets are most likely polypropylene. These seem to trap some tiny particles that I wasn't able to get out completely in 2 attempts with water jet and hand scrubbing.

JamesW said:
The instructions seem to indicate that the product is safe for different materials?

What do the directions say?

The product I have is designed to be sprayed on and rinsed off the next day (per instructiond for play structures). I was going to put all parts (except for motor module) in trash can filled with full strength solution. My hope was that submerged parts might need a shorter exposure.

Thank you for your guidance! It's truly appreciated!

Ignoramus · Dec 20, 2022

HELP PLEASE!
New challenge, new questions. Freeze spell.
We're expecting 5 days with overnight temperatures below freezing. And I have decided to drain all equipment on the deck.

Is it enough?
Should I also cover with equipment deck with blanket and tarp?
Should I get few solar heating blankets to float in the pool? I've seen 3-4' round ones.

Thank you very much!
Ig

Background:

Nobody on premises
No guarantee of steady power, no generator
I'm away and can't easily monitor conditions at the pool.
Forecast below

Bperry · Dec 20, 2022

Ignoramus said:
HELP PLEASE!
New challenge, new questions. Freeze spell.
We're expecting 5 days with overnight temperatures below freezing. And I have decided to drain all equipment on the deck.

Is it enough?

Should I also cover with equipment deck with blanket and tarp?

Should I get few solar heating blankets to float in the pool? I've seen 3-4' round ones.

Thank you very much!
Ig

Background:

Nobody on premises

No guarantee of steady power, no generator

I'm away and can't easily monitor conditions at the pool.

Forecast below

View attachment 465851

Houston? You may be fine just draining above ground equipment with that forecast, but north Texas looks like it’s gonna be a rough day or two. But you know how weather forecasters are about as accurate as Leslies CYA testing…

heffnejp · Dec 20, 2022

Bperry said:
Houston? You may be fine just draining above ground equipment with that forecast, but north Texas looks like it’s gonna be a rough day or two. But you know how weather forecasters are about as accurate as Leslies CYA testing…
View attachment 465902

I’m in Chattanooga with a new pool, I keep my pool open year round and just had it remodeled from liner to concrete, I’m not risking it, homemade shelter, dipping into the teens Thursday night and not getting above freezing until Monday, with strong NW winds. It may be overkill, but I’m ok with that…

Bperry · Dec 21, 2022

heffnejp said:
I’m in Chattanooga with a new pool, I keep my pool open year round and just had it remodeled from liner to concrete, I’m not risking it, homemade shelter, dipping into the teens Thursday night and not getting above freezing until Monday, with strong NW winds. It may be overkill, but I’m ok with that…

Why not just drain your equipment? That’s what I’ve done. Pool isn’t covered in my case.

Ignoramus · Dec 21, 2022

heffnejp said:
I’m in Chattanooga with a new pool, I keep my pool open year round

I will keep our newly sparkling pool open - kids and i enjoy the sight too much.

Besides, I'm hoping to get it inspected and get operating permit from the county in January.

Bperry said:
Houston? You may be fine just draining above ground equipment with that forecast,

Thank you! I hoped it would be enough.

Bperry said:
But you know how weather forecasters are about as accurate as Leslies CYA testing…

heffnejp said:
View attachment 465907

i would add tarp or some other waterproof membrane over the whole thing. And probably stake down perimeter to keep heat in.

Bperry said:
Why not just drain your equipment? That’s what I’ve done. Pool isn’t covered in my case.

If it was my pool (and my expenses), I would build some sort of cover for my equipment deck, with detachable tarp sides. It would make working in the rain and during summer much easier. I'll feel better having it ready for long freezes, that keep happening more and more.
P. S. I spent too much time in the rain these past 3 months working on this pool, so I might be overcompensating.

Lilypad · Dec 21, 2022

EDIT: Was in response to @heffnejp and @Bperry comments

^^^^^^^^^^^
This!

Just drained my equipment pad yesterday.
Took about 15 min.
Remove plugs at bottom of pump.
Bleed filter pressure and remove plug at bottom to drain.
Add pool noodle pieces or liter bottles filled 2/3 with Marine/RV antifreeze to protect skimmers from ice.
Remember to turn OFF the circuit breaker to the pool!

Ignoramus · Dec 21, 2022

Lilypad said:
EDIT: Was in response to @heffnejp and @Bperry comments

^^^^^^^^^^^
This!

Just drained my equipment pad yesterday.
Took about 15 min.
Remove plugs at bottom of pump.
Bleed filter pressure and remove plug at bottom to drain.
Add pool noodle pieces or liter bottles filled 2/3 with Marine/RV antifreeze to protect skimmers from ice.
Remember to turn OFF the circuit breaker to the pool!

Great guide! Thank you!

Ignoramus · Dec 29, 2022

After 2 weeks of rain, freeze and no circulation, my pool is likely back to non-slam condition.

Should I rebalance it before I restart SLAM?
At the very least, the pool needs calcium and I would like to get it in asap.

Thank you!
Ig

ajw22 · Dec 29, 2022

Ignoramus said:
After 2 weeks of rain, freeze and no circulation, my pool is likely back to non-slam condition.

Should I rebalance it before I restart SLAM?
At the very least, the pool needs calcium and I would like to get it in asap.

Thank you!
Ig

Why do you think you need to do a SLAM?

What do you think needs to be "rebalanced"?

Ignoramus · Dec 29, 2022

ajw22 said:
Why do you think you need to do a SLAM?

I doubt I was done with SLAM before school break began. Last time I've checked OCLT on Dec 16, it was 3ppm. Since then till freeze the pool was minimally maintained. I focused on deep cleaning the filter (TSP, acid, the works), and took apart pool vac to clean.
After the freeze, everything is off.

ajw22 said:
What do you think needs to be "rebalanced"?

Pool CH is consistently around 200 ppm. That's too low for plaster pool. PoolMath tells me I should aim for 450.

I might need to lower TA and pH, if they are still high after FC comes down to maintenance level. So that's a "maybe".

And I have rust staining in the pool. I figured I will do ascorbic acid wash after all other procedures are finished.
Here's last complete water test, Dec 19.

Thank you!

duraleigh · Dec 29, 2022

CH of 200 is only borderline low. Most pools will see a slow, steady rise in CH so I would leave it alone. 400 or greater is what you would try to avoid.

Ignoramus · Dec 30, 2022

duraleigh said:
CH of 200 is only borderline low.

This pool sat for a about a year without care. Some calcium had been leached out of plaster during that time, so I want to be extra careful not to damage it any further.

duraleigh said:
Most pools will see a slow, steady rise in CH so I would leave it alone.

Where would calcium come from? Hard water?

duraleigh said:
400 or greater is what you would try to avoid.

Why? 450 is the middle of recommended range in Pool School?

Thank you!
Iggy

ajw22 · Dec 30, 2022

Your CYA is 40, we round up. You cannot eyeball values in between the lines. Halfway in between a line is not 5 since the scale is logarithmic, not linear. If the dot disappears between 40 and 30 then you call it 40.

Turn on CSI Tracking so PoolMath will calculate your CSI.

Reduce your pH to 7.6-7.8.

What is your TA?

If you want to increase your CH I would only increase it by 100 ppm to around 300 ppm. More CH is not better. Once you are over 250 ppm your CH is good.

That is all that is necessary to "balance' the water.

Do a Overnight Chlorine Loss Test and see if the SLAM Process is needed.

Bperry · Dec 30, 2022

Ignoramus said:
Where would calcium come from? Hard water?

Yes, from fill water evaporating and leaving behind the calcium. A slow process over time that requires exchanging water to lower.

Ignoramus · Dec 31, 2022

Bperry said:
Yes, from fill water evaporating and leaving behind the calcium. A slow process over time that requires exchanging water to lower.

I reckon, til summer, my fill water would be rain. Tap water I've tested today has CH=100.

Pool water today (Dec 28) (Dec 19)
FC. 4.0 (6.0) (7.5)
CC 1.0 (0.5) (0.5)
CH. 175 (200) (-)
TA. 110 (-) (-)
CYA. (-) (30) (37)
CSI. -0.17 (-0.3) (0.05)

I added 2 gals on bleach after Dec 19 test and none afterwards.

ajw22 said:
Turn on CSI Tracking so PoolMath will calculate your CSI.

Done

ajw22 said:
Reduce your pH to 7.6-7.8.

Before adding calcium?

ajw22 said:
What is your TA?

110

ajw22 said:
If you want to increase your CH I would only increase it by 100 ppm to around 300 ppm. More CH is not better. Once you are over 250 ppm your CH is good.

That's what I was thinking of, in anticipation of a dry summer, like last one.
Also, I will have some CaCl left over from 50 lbs box I've procured, in case we have too many rains.

ajw22 said:
That is all that is necessary to "balance' the water.

Do a Overnight Chlorine Loss Test and see if the SLAM Process is needed.

I'll do OCLT after the school starts and report the results. At the moment, our pool is full of leaves, equipment is still drained, and I am finishing reassembly of freshly cleaned vac.

Thank you @Jaw and @Bperry !
Happy New Year to all!

Ignoramus · Jan 3, 2023

New kind of fun. I've arrived at the pool today to find the pump off. The breaker was tripped.

What could be the cause of this?

Thank you!
Happy "Monday" and New Year, everyone!

ajw22 · Jan 3, 2023

Ignoramus said:
What could be the cause of this?

Reset the breaker and see if the pump motor failed.

Rotate the impeller and see if the motor is locked up.

Search

I'm SLAMing and desperately need guidance

JamesW

Hercules Haymaker Tankless Water Heater Descaler 35230 - The Home Depot

Durgol Universal Clear Multi-Purpose Descaler/Decalcifier (2-Pack) 0296-2 - The Home Depot

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