Does Cloudy Mean SLAM?

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K

kawisser

Well-known member
Sep 1, 2022
84
Indianapolis, IN
Pool Size
18500
Surface
Fiberglass
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
Is it that simple? If the pool is cloudy then follow the SLAM process?

When i first opened the pool, it was crystal clear. We had a week of rain, and I neglected it for 8 days. Upon opening, it was cloudy. I gave it a good brushing and vacuuming today and am doing the OCLT tonight.
 
kawisser said:
Is it that simple? If the pool is cloudy then follow the SLAM process?

When i first opened the pool, it was crystal clear. We had a week of rain, and I neglected it for 8 days. Upon opening, it was cloudy. I gave it a good brushing and vacuuming today and am doing the OCLT tonight.
Click to expand...
Depends on why it’s cloudy. The OCLT will tell you what it is.
 
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No CC in your PoolMath logs, but yes, the long period with FC very low (1!) That fast drop of FC after you added yesterday seems to want to tell the tale, in addition to the cloudiness. An OCLT will double confirm what you pretty much know.

Cloudiness can be for a number of reasons, so is not the automatic sign to SLAM. The OCLT would be. But you've got multiple things throwing flags on the field.
 
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sande005 said:
No CC in your PoolMath logs, but yes, the long period with FC very low (1!) That fast drop of FC after you added yesterday seems to want to tell the tale, in addition to the cloudiness. An OCLT will double confirm what you pretty much know.

Cloudiness can be for a number of reasons, so is not the automatic sign to SLAM. The OCLT would be. But you've got multiple things throwing flags on the field.
Click to expand...
Glad you mentioned CC. Tbh I never test CC. I didn't even know that was available to track in the app. I see now that I had CC disabled in the settings. I'll measure that in the morning as well.
 
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CC is a measure of chlorine that has been converted by organics into chloramines (and other stuff) - it's that "chlorine" smell for a pool that people notice and hate. Essentially how "dirty" the pool is. 0 to .5 is fine. 1 or above, and something is consuming the CL. Could be those worms from the rain, could be from those 238 people you had in the pool this afternoon. Or many other organics. They escape from an open pool into the air fairly quickly. If nothing continues to use CL, it will then reduce on it's own (you got those worms out, everyone went home, etc.). Adding extra CL will help move it along. Algae by itself does not make CC. But a higher CC may mean conditions are better for algae to have nutrients to use. So another flag to help with "To SLAM or not to SLAM?"

CC - Further Reading
 
It appears I have to SLAM. My FC dropped from 4.8 to 3.0. First time doing this.

I'm reading the instructions and it says CYA must be at least 30. Mine is hovering right around 30 - I'm bad at this test. Am I better off just getting it to 40 before starting? I had to refill about 1/3 of my pool at the end of last year and that's probably why the CYA has dropped.
 
Test CYA again to confirm, but 30 for now is fine. Less CL needed to get to SLAM level. This time of year sun protection is a bit less of an issue, so less problem of that being an additional user of the SLAM CL. Monitor CL levels very frequently (every few hours) and build back as needed. After you complete the SLAM, then increase the CYA. Really, really important to find all the nooks and crannies (ladders, lights, etc.). Truly meet the final SLAM criteria. I'd even suggest making sure that you pass OCLT two nights in a row, before assuming the SLAM is done.

From the descriptions, you likely won't have to do it very long to complete. A couple/few days. Others with true swamps may have to go weeks!

It is safe to swim even at the SLAM level of CL.
 
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As background -with a lot more depth in the Wiki and FAQ's here -
CYA locks up a lot of the CL we add. As active CL is lost (sun, organics) CYA releases some back into the pool. There is a limit as to how much it will let go, however. So a buffer, but not a strong one. But does help a lot to smooth out normal ups and downs that happen during a day.
Our drop test actually measures Total CL - that held by CYA, and that active. You need a lab with expensive equipment to judge directly the true active level. The CYA/FC chart takes that into account. Hence why the amounts seem so much higher than you hear from traditional sources. They don't compensate for that that has been locked up by the CYA.
 
kawisser said:
It appears I have to SLAM. My FC dropped from 4.8 to 3.0. First time doing this.

I'm reading the instructions and it says CYA must be at least 30. Mine is hovering right around 30 - I'm bad at this test. Am I better off just getting it to 40 before starting? I had to refill about 1/3 of my pool at the end of last year and that's probably why the CYA has dropped.
Click to expand...
Also switch to the 10 mL water sample for the chlorine test. Then each drop you add to make it go clear will be 1/2 FC. It’s easier to do math. on reagent, especially if you SLAM. There’s no need for the finer accuracy of the 25 mL sample
 

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