First SLAM. Taking forever. Need encouragement/pointers.

Jump to latest Follow Reply
J

jibletgreyv

Member
May 8, 2022
16
Georgia
Pool Size
7700
Surface
Vinyl
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
Been SLAMming for about a week. the water was blue by day 2, it's been foggy though and doesn't seem to be getting any clearer. I had already added CYA before reading the SLAM procedure, so my CYA is at 50. PH was at 7.2 when I started, TA at 75ish. My SLAM chlorine maintenance level is 20ppm, I have been dosing with 12.5% bleach to 25ppm in the AM and again in the PM order to maintain a minimum of 20ppm. It's taking forever and feels like it's not getting any clearer. It's looked just like this for about 3 days straight now. Also, I'm running a 1.5 horse pump, and giant sand filter. Have also been brushing daily, and I vacuumed 2 days ago. This is my 3rd season with my setup, but the first time I've opened to an algae mess, thus the first time I've done a SLAM. Thoughts?




IMG_2667.jpegIMG_2668.jpeg
 
This is the hardest phase and can take a while to let the filter clear it. It's all on the filter at this point. I can't really advise on sand filters as I always had DE filter & now large cartridge. I do know that sand filters are the slowest at clearing the cloud.
 
jibletgreyv said:
Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Thoughts:
1) Dose to 20ppm. Dosing higher does not help.
2) Dose when you can. If you are constrained by daytime distractions, dose every 2 hours when you are home, even late into the night.
3) Have you done an OCLT yet? Link-->Overnight Chlorine Loss Test
4) Might consider adding DE to your filter to help it along.
www.troublefreepool.com

Add DE to a Sand Filter

A clean pool filter will increase the efficiency of your pool! ... your filter are to backwash it, clean the manifolds and grids, and add new DE.
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
5) You will get there...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mdragger88 and Newdude
Ugh, sand filters are the slowest. It's not noticeable when you are in regular pool maintenance mode but they show their weakness when it comes to clearing a pool! Based on your picture, there's no steps in the pool yet but you didn't put them in without scrubbing by any chance?
 
PoolStored said:
Thoughts:
1) Dose to 20ppm. Dosing higher does not help.
2) Dose when you can. If you are constrained by daytime distractions, dose every 2 hours when you are home, even late into the night.
3) Have you done an OCLT yet? Link-->Overnight Chlorine Loss Test
4) Might consider adding DE to your filter to help it along.
www.troublefreepool.com

Add DE to a Sand Filter

A clean pool filter will increase the efficiency of your pool! ... your filter are to backwash it, clean the manifolds and grids, and add new DE.
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
5) You will get there...
Click to expand...
Thank you for the tips, I have not done a proper OCLT yet. perhaps tonight is the night. I was mulling over the idea of adding DE.. are there any drawbacks to doing this?
Thanks
 
V___25 said:
Ugh, sand filters are the slowest. It's not noticeable when you are in regular pool maintenance mode but they show their weakness when it comes to clearing a pool! Based on your picture, there's no steps in the pool yet but you didn't put them in without scrubbing by any chance?
Click to expand...
I haven't put steps in at all yet. I yanked them on day one. Will definitely scrub them before I drop them in though!
 
jibletgreyv said:
are there any drawbacks to doing this?
Click to expand...
Just a few...from the article I linked...

DE is a very fine powder which can cause skin irritation and is classified as carcinogenic when breathed in. Some areas prohibit the release of DE into sewers or the environment. Follow handling precautions as indicated on the product packaging. Gardening DE, while safer to handle, has not been heat treated and therefore is not suitable for use in pool filters.
 
This is the prettiest cleanest cloud I've ever seen. The waiting is killing me.
CC is less than .5, and OCLT is right at 1ppm. Hurry up sand!!! I called all the local pool shops and no one has DE in stock until friday :-/

IMG_2675.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Newdude

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
PoolStored said:
Thoughts:
1) Dose to 20ppm. Dosing higher does not help.
2) Dose when you can. If you are constrained by daytime distractions, dose every 2 hours when you are home, even late into the night.
3) Have you done an OCLT yet? Link-->Overnight Chlorine Loss Test
4) Might consider adding DE to your filter to help it along.
www.troublefreepool.com

Add DE to a Sand Filter

A clean pool filter will increase the efficiency of your pool! ... your filter are to backwash it, clean the manifolds and grids, and add new DE.
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
5) You will get there...
Click to expand...
4) Don't be a stupid like me and add garden grade DE before learning that it's not the same thing. OOPS
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: PoolStored and Newdude
Webster said:
4) Don't be a stupid like me and add garden grade DE before learning that it's not the same thing. OOPS
Click to expand...
Kenan Thompson Snl GIF by Saturday Night Live
 
SLAM for a week isn’t very long. Depending on what caused the cloudiness in the first place, it may just come right back if you don’t finish the SLAM to completion. The clarifiers can gum up your filter sand so be warned about that.
 
Bperry said:
SLAM for a week isn’t very long. Depending on what caused the cloudiness in the first place, it may just come right back if you don’t finish the SLAM to completion. The clarifiers can gum up your filter sand so be warned about that.
Click to expand...
I was on my 3rd week of slamming, and I doubt 4 total oz of clarifier is going to clog up anything.
 
To be crystal clear (pun intended) I used 2 small 2oz doses of clarifier for 2 days. I have absoulutly zero intention of using it again. For the last 2 pool seasons I never used it. I was in the 3rd week of the SLAM and I was passing my OCLT and had been below .5 CC for over a week. With my CYA at 50, I was having to maintain 20 PPM FC, which was getting expensive, so I resorted to a small dosage of clarifier to help my sand filter get the super fine particulate out of the water. I waited 24 hours between 2 doses, and on the third morning I woke up to sparkling water.
Now, I would rather have not needed it, and I have zero intention of using it again, however with my current equipment it's apparently what I needed this particular season (pun intended again) to get over the hump.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mknauss

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply