total newb, don't know where to start with my TF-100

[garybtru]

I was going to only add one gallon of the stabilizer last night, but rather than lose another day of waiting, I added both. (Label says 1 gallon = 32ppm per 10,000 gallons & our pool is about 18k-20k gal). So I checked the CYA this morning even though it's pretty overcast, and it was about 50. Mayyybe 40 if I "cheat" a little. Here's the result of the other tests:

FC: 0.5 - 1
pH: 7.5
CYA: 50 (maybe 40 if lax)
CH: 375-425 (do I drop R-012 until the entire pink part is blue? even when looking from the side? no mixing?)
TA: 90

What do you guys think? Shall SLAM Round 2: The Reckoning commence??

 

[mknauss]

I would add acid to get to 7.2 pH and SLAM.

You should be mixing the CH sample when testing. Get a SpeedStir. Wonderful little device.

Take care.

 

[kcindc]

The key to SLAM and maintaining appropriate fc levels when not SLAMing is knowing your CYA level. The test is light sensitive and you need full sunshine, back to the sun and vial at waist level. Without sunshine the test is invalid. Also the results are always rounded up to the nearest 10. So if you had sunshine the results you see would be 50 and not 40.

For now you can SLAM at level 50 and redo the CYA test when the sun comes back out.

 

[garybtru]

I would add acid to get to 7.2 pH and SLAM.

You should be mixing the CH sample when testing. Get a SpeedStir. Wonderful little device.

Take care.

Ugh, I really hate working with that acid! Made me cough last time I used it, but anyway earlier this afternoon I carefully lowered it to 7.2 and let the SLAM BEGIN! I have a SpeedStir, it's great. It's just that the CH instructions don't say to stir for the last step, when you're waiting for the water to turn blue.

- - - Updated - - -

The key to SLAM and maintaining appropriate fc levels when not SLAMing is knowing your CYA level. The test is light sensitive and you need full sunshine, back to the sun and vial at waist level. Without sunshine the test is invalid. Also the results are always rounded up to the nearest 10. So if you had sunshine the results you see would be 50 and not 40.

For now you can SLAM at level 50 and redo the CYA test when the sun comes back out.

Aw, ok, I'll give it a go again if/when we ever see the sun again here in upstate NY. (Which is not very likely, apparently.) What a horrible summer.

 

[garybtru]

Passed the OCLT last night! Here are some progress pics... this first one was taken a couple of days before the SLAM, July 21st. Can you guess which part has already been vacuumed to waste? Pretty sure this was after draining to 12" in the shallow end and refilling.

This was taken this morning, July 30 after passing the OCLT last night! Woo!

I re-checked my CYA now that it's super sunny out (finally) and it was exactly 50.

CYA: 50
CC: 0
FC: 18.5

The SLAM actually went a lot more smoothly now that I have _REAL_ sand (not ZeoSand). I didn't even have to brush a ton, just a couple times here and there. I mostly just vacuumed where I saw some dead algae settling. No DE needed at all.

Hooray!