SLAM to open a SWG pool - ignore salt for now?

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C

cbosterhus

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Oct 23, 2015
23
Lynchburg, VA
Here are my numbers: FC=0, pH=8.2, CYA=0, salt is somewhere between 800 (strip test) and 1400 (SWG reading). Pool is deep green.

No question I need to lower pH, but with the salt this low, should I still raise CYA to 70-80 before SLAMing, or can I treat it as a non-SWG pool for now and just raise CYA to 30 and start with the bleach?

Or would dichlor be the right combo for me? I bought a dozen bottles of 8.25% bleach already, but I can save them for shock.
 
I would ignore the salt and treat it as a non-SWG pool until cleaned up.

Did you previously have CYA in the water?
If so, dropping to 0 with 0 FC, could be ammonia.

Do this first, with the pump running, lower the pH to a target around 7.2, add 10ppm of FC and retest the FC and CC after 10 minutes and report back.
 
I have to run out.

If you do the above and the FC has dropped a lot and the CC is high, keep dosing the FC up to 10ppm and checking every 10 minutes until the FC mostly holds and the CC is lower. Then continue with the below.

Once the FC mostly holds and CC is fairly low, then raise the CYA up to 30ppm and follow the SLAM process.
 
cbosterhus said:
OK so I added the muriatic acid, got a little too much in there, and now my kit is reading 6.8. I have a good amount of sodium carbonate, so I am going to add that and let it circulate for a while, then check again.
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If your TA is 90 or better, the pH will rise fast enough that you don't need to bother with the pH adjustment. Get the algae before it grows any more.
 
cbosterhus said:
And if TA = 40?
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Raise pH to 7.2 and then it's jugs away!

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OK, pH is in the 7.2-7.5 range so I added 4 121-oz jugs of 8.25% chlorine. PoolMath said add 444 oz or 3.7 of the 121 oz jugs to increase FC from 0 to 10 - but I only get FC = 5 with the scoop test. Just repeated the test 30 min later and it's still only 5.

Good news is, I can see it's doing something to lighten up the deep green! And we have a cloudy day.

Should I add 4 more jugs of Cl right away?
 
cbosterhus said:
OK, pH is in the 7.2-7.5 range so I added 4 121-oz jugs of 8.25% chlorine. PoolMath said add 444 oz or 3.7 of the 121 oz jugs to increase FC from 0 to 10 - but I only get FC = 5 with the scoop test. Just repeated the test 30 min later and it's still only 5.

Good news is, I can see it's doing something to lighten up the deep green! And we have a cloudy day.

Should I add 4 more jugs of Cl right away?
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No. 2 Jugs is what poolmath calls for. It will go through bleach fast early on, but don't just assume that 4 jugs equals 5 FC. You don't want to bleach the liner.
 

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Well, I should have waited for your reply :( I added four more bottles and got an initial FC of 11.5, then checked again 30 min later and it is up to 25! I haven't added any CYA yet, and conditions are cloudy and drizzle, air temp in low 60's. Guess I'll leave it alone for now; anything else I should do today?
 
cbosterhus said:
Well, I should have waited for your reply :( I added four more bottles and got an initial FC of 11.5, then checked again 30 min later and it is up to 25! I haven't added any CYA yet, and conditions are cloudy and drizzle, air temp in low 60's. Guess I'll leave it alone for now; anything else I should do today?
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Brush and vacuum. Recheck FC and CC in a couple hours. Post your results.
 
It rained all night Saturday night.

I tested at 1:45 pm and had FC=4.5, CC=1, pH 7.2 and TA=50. Added 4 lbs CYA and about 1.5 gal 10% bleach (only $2.50 at WalMart!)

Tonight's numbers: FC=13, botched the CC test*, pH=7.2, CYA=37, TA=60. Water is clearing up well. I'm thinking I'm on the right track; am I right?

*I think I now figured out that when the FC drop test goes clear color (not necessarily transparent, it still is a bit cloudy) then it's time to record the number. I put some extra drops in to see if it would get any clearer, but it didn't. After that I couldn't add enough R-0003 reagent to get it back to pink, even after 20 drops.
 
cbosterhus said:
It rained all night Saturday night.

I tested at 1:45 pm and had FC=4.5, CC=1, pH 7.2 and TA=50. Added 4 lbs CYA and about 1.5 gal 10% bleach (only $2.50 at WalMart!)

Tonight's numbers: FC=13, botched the CC test*, pH=7.2, CYA=37, TA=60. Water is clearing up well. I'm thinking I'm on the right track; am I right?

*I think I now figured out that when the FC drop test goes clear color (not necessarily transparent, it still is a bit cloudy) then it's time to record the number. I put some extra drops in to see if it would get any clearer, but it didn't. After that I couldn't add enough R-0003 reagent to get it back to pink, even after 20 drops.
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What did you target for CYA?

Anyway... with CYA at 37, shock level is now 16. If you calculated higher, then assume it's higher already and target the right FC for that CYA.

Is the color improving?
 
I was aiming for a CYA of 30, but did the test indoors after dark so I'm not sure how accurate it was. Waiting for a 25 lb tub to come in the mail tomorrow before I add more CYA.

Since I have a SWG system I'm headed for a CYA of 80 eventually, but probably not until I get salt in the water, right? Trying to get the water clear first, I think? The cell is turned off for now.

Color is improving, yes, although I didn't get home until dark. I'll do a visual and test levels again in the morning before work.
 
cbosterhus said:
I was aiming for a CYA of 30, but did the test indoors after dark so I'm not sure how accurate it was. Waiting for a 25 lb tub to come in the mail tomorrow before I add more CYA.

Since I have a SWG system I'm headed for a CYA of 80 eventually, but probably not until I get salt in the water, right? Trying to get the water clear first, I think? The cell is turned off for now.

Color is improving, yes, although I didn't get home until dark. I'll do a visual and test levels again in the morning before work.
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In that case, it sounds like you have things under control!

Keep the CYA down until you finish the SLAM, then add the rest when you add the salt.
 

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