Test kit in ... let the SLAMing begin!

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If you maintain, maintain, maintain, I'll bet your hard work on the cover will pay off and you'll be done, but yep, Caco's right, SLAMS are very hard to predict.

If you do get there, it will useful to remember your pump run time and SWC % from back when the pool was fairly new. You could set it at those levels and FC should be fine, or perhaps a bit extra to be on the safe side. If that info is completely unavailable, I can suggest hours and percentage based on volume and the chlorinator, and then we can add some to be on the safe side.

You could also lower pH to 7.4, and there would be nothing worth worrying about for 4 days.

Caco's suggestions are all good if the SLAM is still on. The only adjustment might be if you want anyone to be able to swim while you're not there. If so, you'd keep FC under SLAM shock level, and resume the SLAM when you get back. Nothing that can't be accommodated when it comes to summer fun and cooling off through this heat wave!
 
Thanks gents.

So tested chlorine again and now 11 from 12 it was hot day though but I think I had a quick dab at testing CC's and stopped when I knew it was above 1. Oh well.

Got a new attachment for my pressure washer and to be honest, if this dont work the I have nothing left.
 
Ok... I think I did good today. I will know more in the morning when it is dryer. I also brushed and vacuumed the pool, back washed and rinsed. Pool topping up. I did not add any chloring from my last test a couple of hours back...is that bad.

The pool is filling now from the vaccum to waste and was planning on testing at 8 is (2 hours from now and adding chlorine. I have just answered my own question. I will add a dollup in now and test late and adjust.

I cannot do anything more with the cover. It is what it is, But I have one more mission tomorrow. Remember the gunk at the bottom of the pit that last 150mm I couldnt do anything with. I will dive in the water tomorrow and vacuum...I probably cant fit the vacuum hear will it be effective without it you thing. Problem is it will take a while and it has to go to waste, but I may need 2 or 3 nights to do it.
 
With the gunk at the bottom of the pit
Can you get the hose in there to mix it up into the water when you do top ups??
If you can stir it up into the water the filter will catch it, or it would settle to where it was easier to vacuum

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Did you ever figure out if it was algae or sediment in the cover?
You mentioned that you have the cover closed a lot of the time
If it is algae, by retracting the cover into the water a couple of time a week, to get hit by chlorinated water, you might be able to prevent a reoccurrence

I also like the idea of the pool being able to 'breath' a couple of times a week. No science on that one, it just 'feels right' to me
 
Yeh, I would open many times a day. Some when there's sun on the pool.

Two-person job likely, but if there's a safe way to use the hose with no attachment and suck gunk out of the vault to waste or filter, it would help.

Minimum 12 FC. Maintain maintain maintain. Kill that algae. Kill it real good. Friday is looming.

Great work all along :stirpot:
 
Caco said:
With the gunk at the bottom of the pit
Can you get the hose in there to mix it up into the water when you do top ups??
If you can stir it up into the water the filter will catch it, or it would settle to where it was easier to vacuum

- - - Updated - - -

Did you ever figure out if it was algae or sediment in the cover?
You mentioned that you have the cover closed a lot of the time
If it is algae, by retracting the cover into the water a couple of time a week, to get hit by chlorinated water, you might be able to prevent a reoccurrence

I also like the idea of the pool being able to 'breath' a couple of times a week. No science on that one, it just 'feels right' to me
Click to expand...

I agree with the breathing toio. The cover needs to be opened and closed a couple of times a week for self lubrication as well. I throught of pressure washing under there but decided to vacuum. If I disturb the gunk in the pit it will just go back into the cover so if I can suck it out whilst being settled it may be the less obtrusive way forward.

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needsajet said:
Yeh, I would open many times a day. Some when there's sun on the pool.

Two-person job likely, but if there's a safe way to use the hose with no attachment and suck gunk out of the vault to waste or filter, it would help.

Minimum 12 FC. Maintain maintain maintain. Kill that algae. Kill it real good. Friday is looming.

Great work all along :stirpot:
Click to expand...

Definitely a 2 person job as am worried about the water level too so will over fill before doing it. Was showing the Mrs how to operate the filter before as well.

Just measure the FC and it was still 12. Chloramines were above 1.

Chlorine
I am ok with the chlorine test but not confident in the CC test. How clear is clear for the first time you are measure FC and the same for CC. The mixing tube is a cylinder and sometimes is not perfectly clear as it was prior to adding titrating reagent for both FC and CC. When I add the 5 drops of detection reagent to test CC the sample goes a very faint pink which is expected as I am still fighting a bit of algae and SW has chloramines its water supply too. When I add 1 drop at a time of the titrating reagent it never goes as clear as the original position after FC is tested. Is this normal or should it go back to the same position?
 
The FC test vial in the CCL test kit has a white cap. If you put that on the bottom of the vial, it provides a better background. +2 to what Kim says above... it's all about no pink for the endpoint.

Technically, each endpoint gets one extra drop that is not counted and that extra drop on the FC test helps it be a little more clear on the CC test.

At this stage, you can skip CC if you like. Presence of organic contamination is enough reason to SLAM, as well as FC not holding overnight. So the CC can be done when the first two criteria are met (morning with 1.0 ppm FC loss or less).
 

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Caco said:
If you are not sure if you have reached the end of the test, add one more drop
If that last drop didnt change anything then you were done

My FC and CC tests have no hint of pink in them at all
They are totally clear or gray
Click to expand...

So I missed the OCLT today as I woke up at 7am and sun was out. Measure FC it was 10.5, a 1.5 drop from last night. Now I think this is positive as it is a bigger drop than normal and am hoping it was a result od me dislodging and cleaning the stuff in the cover but not sure.

I added 6 more drops after the 10.5 and no colour change and still a hint of pink, I even put it under a light. I emailed clear choice labs a day or so ago as I was concerned then too. I usually put the white laminated card under the tube for background and tried needsajet way of placing the lid at the bottom with no change.

needsajet said:
The FC test vial in the CCL test kit has a white cap. If you put that on the bottom of the vial, it provides a better background. +2 to what Kim says above... it's all about no pink for the endpoint.

Technically, each endpoint gets one extra drop that is not counted and that extra drop on the FC test helps it be a little more clear on the CC test.

At this stage, you can skip CC if you like. Presence of organic contamination is enough reason to SLAM, as well as FC not holding overnight. So the CC can be done when the first two criteria are met (morning with 1.0 ppm FC loss or less).
Click to expand...

I skipped CC and tried the lid flip with no luck.

Caco said:
With the gunk at the bottom of the pit

Did you ever figure out if it was algae or sediment in the cover?
You mentioned that you have the cover closed a lot of the time
If it is algae, by retracting the cover into the water a couple of time a week, to get hit by chlorinated water, you might be able to prevent a reoccurrence

I also like the idea of the pool being able to 'breath' a couple of times a week. No science on that one, it just 'feels right' to me
Click to expand...

I think it was a combination of algae and sediment but the algae could have been dead...is there a way of distinguishing? When I poured the chlorine in today I poured it over the width of pool the cover runs up out of under the pit and ran the cover through it.
 
Anyone seen one of these in effect. My pool was pumped out with it once. Avoids needing to pump out large amounts of water to waste whilst vacuuming. It relies on water pressure from your hose to create the "venturi effect". I am thinking of getting one to do underneath pit. There is one made for pools but unsure how good it is (second link). I wish I had thought of this when I had the pool emptied to be honest. Could have taken out most of the gunk by placing it in the lowest main drain.

Link 1: Pumps, Water Pumps, Waste Pumps, Pipe fittings and more you find at Quality Pumps | Quality Pumps Irrigation

Link 2: Supavac Underwater Vacuum / Venturi Pump w. 1.2m Telescopic Pole for $49 - MyShopping.com.au

Caco, thinking more about what you said, after I vacuum the pit I think you are right I will still need to hose or probably pressure wash to get anything under the pit that cant be vacuumed loosened up.

I have that right angled attachment now to the pressure washer which should be useful in getting the whole pit clean I hope, just unsure of the pressure I will get at 2.4m deep.
 
I have no idea about the venturi you posted and how well that would work
I wouldnt jump out now and get anything because once you have finished your slam you may find you dont get a lot of sediment down there and it may only need a pre or post season cleanout.

How did the test go today

Also on the tests could you get your SO to have a look when you are doing them
A different set of eyes may help
Also, dont let the FC or CC test sit for too long, they will fade back to pink over time

Normal loss of FC on a TPF pool is 2-4ppm per day
So its within realms of possibility

I am fairly keen on you continuing the slam until you leave on Friday
Then bump it up to mustard algae levels just before you leave
I think then when you return the slam would be complete, or maybe 1-2 days left
Just at that level of FC we dont recommend anyone swims
 
V-pump worked a treat. If I had something better than the pool vac hose it could have been more effective. It is not quick but gets into tight spaces. The bottom of the pit was full of sediment or algae. I vacuumed what I could then I got the pressure washer in to where it could go and the pool went from crystal clear to this:

2017-01-11 18.35.52.jpg2017-01-11 18.35.48.jpg

Im a bit perplexed at what to do now to be honest. The pit covers are still off. I still have the v pump and filter going. I am worried about all the algae/ sediment getting back into the cover. I added the 400mL of chlorine before I went in...do I nuke it now with chlorine whilst all of it is exposed. If so...how much do you think?

PS - from the pictures can you tell what it is?
 
Lol, you are nuking with chlorine
You have it at the most effective algae killing rate we know of
I would bump it up to slam level now and check again and redose if required before bed

We are still trying to figure out if its algae or sediment yes?
Can you capture any? Maybe get some water and drain it through a paper towel?
Sediment/dirt will feel gritty/grainy to the touch
Algae wouldnt, if you could get any it might feel a bit slippery or like there is nothing really there
Algae would kinda poof away in the water too. If you get it while vaccuming you have to go real slow or the vac head just pushs it away, where it clouds the water
Live algae is green, dead algae is grey

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BTW there is not a lot more you can do
You just have to give the chlorine time to work
You brush your pool to disturb the algae so the chlorine can get to it
It also helps get the algae up into the water so the dead algae can get filtered out

The best and fastest way to clear is to keep your FC up at slam level
 
"Poof away" it did so I would say it was algae...it is greyish green...hard to tell. I left the pit lids open to get full exposure to chlorine.

I am going to to a back wash and rinse in and hour or and test the chlorine then and that would be it for the night. The stuff is settling so will do a full pool vacuum either tomorrow afternoon or Friday morning before I leave.

I think I can make the pit spotless by then and with everything vacuumed go from there. What do you think I should get the FC level to before I go to last me till Tuesday sometime?

By the way, today I felt like I went a long way to winning the war :)
 
A gray green algae means that some is alive, some is dead
If you think of it this way, at the moment every time the algae doubles in numbers you are reducing their number by 4
Figures just for illustration purposes ;)

You dont really want to push your chlorine levels much higher than your slam level
It will not kill it any faster
Instead the higher FC will start trying to oxidise your rubber seals, your cover, your plumbing etc
Or it will just be burnt off by the sun before it does anything

The normal process is if someone has to leave during a slam is to figure out from their latest test how many ppm they lose a day
Then they either set their swg to produce that much while they are away or set out jugs of chlorine of that amount for someone else to blindly add while they are away

Now I dont think you have enough CYA in your pool to rely n your SWG and we would just be guessing on needsajet's figures
The risk with that is that the slam level will drop quickly and the algae will regain a foothold

Someone dumping jugs of chlorine is a risk, will they forget to turn up or not be able to make it for some reason.
Unless you could teach them to test and dose its also blind dumping, you may end up will over where you need to be or under

Raising to mustard algae level (18) and leaving the cover closed is an option
Based on your overnight you lost 1.5ppm
So if we say 3ppm per day loss that would mean that you would come back to 6ppm, which is low
However you should stay above slam for the first 48hrs

I think your ideal would be to bump to mustard slam and have someone come round on sunday morning and add 10ppm (1.5 l) of chlorine

Whats your thoughts on which way to go? Do any of the above options appeal more than others?

We should be able to make a better guess on tomorrows test results
 
Thanks Caco. I will need to assume no one is helping unfortunately. I may be able to get my old man to come past, but my wife really doesnt like dealing with chemical etc.

My shock level for mustard is 19 I think and am losing 1 to 1.5ppm per day and the same overnight = 3ppm in 24 hours.

On the first day when I started the process 8/1 I put in 3.8 L of Chlorine. Now since the I have put in 1.6 L of Chlorine. Assuming the first day was a normal day it would come to just under 2L chlorine added in the same period of time I will be away.

I will probably be back Monday night and if I leave Friday morning I think we could manage something. To get from 12 to 19 I need to add 1.14L of chlorine. Assuming 3ppm drop per day = 240mL chlorine per day = 1L over 4 days.

This means FC will be:

Friday 25ppm drop to 22ppm
Saturday 22ppm drop to 19ppm
Sunday 19ppm drop to 16ppm
Monday 16ppm drop to 13ppm

Do you think that would work?
 

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