New To Site, Need Help with my first test

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GatorJim

GatorJim

0
Silver Supporter
Apr 9, 2016
23
Charleston, SC
First off thanks to the contributors of this site, I'm really impressed at how friendly and helpful this site is to newbs like me.

Recap of my situation. Just moved from Tampa, FL to a home in Charleston, SC. Had a very nice pool in Tampa (Pebble Tec, In Floor cleaner, SWG, DE filter) but was enslaved to enriching the pool store coffers. The home I purchased here in Charleston has a very basic Fiberglass pool with no "frills". The home has been rented for a while so I don't know the long term history of pool maintenance other than they were using a service while it was for sale. I've been in the home for about 3-4 weeks and have ignored the pool, so I need your help in getting things correct.

The pool gets a significant amount of leaves in it with lots of strong, direct sun. I do know when/if the filter has been deep cleaned for even back washed for that matter. The water is a little cloudy but I'm starting to see some limited algae. After searching online I discovered this site, spent a few nights reading the forums, and ordered my test kit. So I'm strapped in and ready to go....did my first test this morning, and YIKES!

Chlorine: 0
ph: 6.8
FC: 0
CC: 0
TA: 50
CH: 75ppm
CYA: 100

I realize I need to SLAM my pool, but do I address the high CYA (drain about 50% of pool) or low PH (add Borax) before doing so?
Also the filter, should I just backwash, do a deep clean, replace the sand. And whatever I do, should I do it before or after the SLAM?

Thanks in advance for your help and for letting me tap into your knowledge :)
 
HI Jim and welcome. :wave: Yes, you need to lower the CYA first. Because CYA can often times be higher than 100, you can always try to dilution method:
Add pool water to bottom of sticker.
Add tap water to top of sticker.
Shake.
Pour out half so mixture is to bottom of sticker.
Add reagent to top of sticker.
Shake.
Test outside with back to sun and tube at waist level.
Pour back and forth a few times to see if you get the same result.
Double the result.

Once you get that CYA down to something more manageable (at least 60 or below), then we can help you get ready to SLAM. If you chose to replace more water to get the CYA between 30-50, that will help you to use less bleach during the SLAM. Do that first and post back with new tests and we'll help you along. Great to have you with us.
 
Thanks, been draining and refilling with a hose. Unfortunately my pool does not have a main drain, so I'm draining through the skimmer with a hose refilling at the bottom...it's a slow process. Currently have CYA down to 80, hopefully will have to 60 by morning.
 
Ok, it's a new day! Happy to say I woke up to a CYA level of 60, so I'm just about there. Drained some more water and refilling now with a hose. Want to get it down to at least 50.

Water looks clear (it should as I've replaced about 40 to 50% of it), but definitely seeing alge growth in the deep end along the bottom edges. Running the Dolphin again while filling the pool to suck up as much of the algae as possible.

So once I get CYA down to 50'sh, do I try to get the ph up, or should I start the SLAM? I'm eager to get so chlorine in the pool so the alge doesn't turn the whole pool green, and patience is not one of my strengths :)

Again, thanks for the good advice so far and for being a part of this community.

GatorJim
 
Once you confirm the CYA, then adjust pH first to about 7.2 (up with borax/soda ash or down with acid), then increase FC to SLAM/shock level with regular bleach. If your CYA turns-out to be 50, your SLAM FC will be 20. Don't forget to do all the daily items listed on the SLAM page as well. Good luck!
 
Let the SLAM begin!! ...was that Caesar or Churchill who said that? :)

Got the CYA down to acceptable levels...tested twice and both times it landed between 60 and 50, so I'm calling it 55.

Let the Dolphin run one more time, and while it was doing its thing I ran up to Wally World and bought so 20 Mule Team Borax and a bunch of that 10% bleach on sale for $2.50 a gallon.

Once back home I got the pH up to 7.6 using 20 Mule Team, then added a little over 2 gallons of the bleach (281 oz. to be exact).

Pool has been brushed and pump is running. Water looks great! Very clear! At what point should I be checking the FC to make sure I have it up to 22 as recommended on the Chorine/CYA chart...do I need to wait a while or is it relatively quick after adding the bleach?
 
Just to clarify Jim ..... the pH is supposed to be adjusted "down" between 7.2-7.5 before raising the FC. :hammer: That's because pH has a tendency to rise with the higher FC (bleach). If you want to let the FC drop below 10 tomorrow just long enough to verify/adjust pH, that won't hurt much at all. Levels will begin to increase within 15-30 min with the pump mixing everything. Sounds like you have the right idea. Good luck!
 
In my original post my pH was 6.8 and it has held steady there while I was draining and replacing water to get the CYA from 100+ down to 55. Once I verified CYA was at acceptable level, I INCREASED pH UP to 7.6 ... is that not correct?
 
OK, something new for me, I have chlorine and a lot of it! Hot off the press, here are my chlorine readings:
FC: 23.5
CC: 1.0
TC: 24.5

Unfortunately, my pH now is very high, 8.2 based on the color chart. Should this be a concern? Prior to starting the slam I tested pH at 7.6

As always, thanks for your help, advice, and for sharing your wisdom.

Jim
 

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That's okay Jim. You were correct to increase pH initially when it was below 7. Ideally only to about 7.2-7.4... but that's water under the bridge. Your pH will show as high now because you have such a high FC. When the FC is over 10, it gives a false pH reading. That's why we don't both testing pH anymore during the SLAM.
 
Pat, first of thanks for keeping me on track. This is great news on the pH.

The sun is setting here in the Charleston, so the results I just gave you are at sunset, so does that mean I am done for the day and can sit back, have a beer, enjoy the sunset, and forget about my pool for the evening?

Seriously, just so I have it clear, I next need to test the water early tomorrow AM:
If my FC is > or = 22.5, and my CC is .05 or less, then I get to celebrate as my SLAM was successful and I can allow the FC level drop back down to a normal level.
If my FC is < 22.5, that means I still have living algae or organics in the pool and I need to continue my SLAM adventure for another day by keeping the FC at the recommended SHOCK level for another day.

Am I on the right track? Scary, I think I'm starting to understand all of this...today has brought back fond memories of Chemistry Lab in college :)

GatorJim
 
Yes Jim, you are on-track. If you lose more than 1 ppm of FC overnight, you'll need to continue with the SLAM process. Of course you want no more than 0.5 CC and clear water as well. You're getting it. :goodjob: Now is a perfect time to kick-back and :cheers:. Let us know how things look tomorrow morning and we'll go from there. Have a good evening.
 
Couldn't help myself. Ran one more test after the sun completely set...and glad I did. FC is now at 20 (a 2.5 drop from my last test). With that big of a drop, for some reason I suspect tomorrow mornings results will tell me I'm not quite done with my SLAM.

Thanks again for all your help today.

GatorJim
 
Another day of SLAM for me. FC this morning is at 18, and CC is at 0.5. So the pool calculator said to add another 50 oz of 10% bleach, so I will check it again around lunch time to make sure I'm at the recommended SHOCK FC level of 22

Two questions:
How frequently do I need to test FC and CC during the SLAM?
At this point, can I skip all the other tests beyond testing for FC and CC until the SLAM is complete?

Thanks.

GatorJim
 
Afternoon update...the saga continues. Just re-checked my pool for the first time since this morning. FC is all the way down to about 10.5! Just added another 1.4 Gallons of 10% bleach.
Pool does look nice and clear. We've had a windy, sunny day so a bunch of leaves had blown into the pool that I skimmed out using a net.
 
Day 3: FC was 22 last night after sunset, this morning it is 19, so another day. Just brushed the pool and added half a gallon of 10% bleach. While the water looked clear, brushing the pool shows there is still organic matter in the pool as I can see it when I brush. Hopefully day 3 of SLAM will do the job. Will check back in this afternoon.

GatorJim
 

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