A Swamp or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the green

[ssmartt]

Hopefully this doesn’t get too long… I bought a foreclosure with a pool. It’s been sitting for 7 months or longer with a crazy overengineered yet awful cover made out of 10mil plastic, wood beams going across the pool and wire mesh over that nailed into the wood stringers running across the pool. I got all of that off to expose the green swamp/frog breeding ground underneath. Got the pump running and everything, came back the next day to start SLAM after ensuring pump ran overnight with no issues.

When I started testing, my pH was below 6.8, and my TC was 0. Dumped 4 gallons of chlorine and a 6.5 lb container of CYA. Some of that went into the pool before I realized I shouldn’t do that. I poured the rest into the skimmer with the basket removed per the instructions. Then it clogged up my pump basket, so some was lost when I cleaned that up. I’m sure after backwashing I lost even more. Now I know about the sock trick.

Anyway, here’s my test result so far. My FC is super duper high and I’m worried it’s too much. I’m looking for some reassurance or advice on where to go from here. What about my TA? Can I get that up without the 27 lbs of baking soda poolmath says I need? Also, what do y’all think about using this: http://amzn.com/B0007PZN9Q to get the rest of the leaves out of the deep end? Have you ever pulled a live frog out of the pump filter basket, or is that just me?

This is all testing using a tf-100 (see, I did read the website before I got started, just not the part about CYA in the sock)

First test (5/4 AM):
0 FC
0 CYA
pH <6.8
After this test is when I added the CYA and 4 gallons of chlorine.

Second test:
5.5 ppm FC
1.5 ppm CC
10 TA
pH <6.8

added 3 more gallons bleach and 2.25 lb box of borax, left the house for the night


This morning (5/5)
Added 3 gallons bleach without testing (I was in a hurry)

About 3 hours later I was able to test. My chlorine levels are now super high so I did the chlorine test multiple times because I was surprised by the results.

pH 7.2
TC >10 (from k2006 test)
CYA 40 (maybe 50 if it’s not fully obsurced and only partially, still not sure I’m doing this test correctly)
TA 30
FC: 22, 25, 21, 22 (all different results)
CC: .5, .5, 1


If you’re still reading, thanks, and here’s some pictures of my fancy frog pond:

 

[ssmartt]

Other details in sig.

 

[jblizzle]

For a 26k pool, 6.5 pounds of CYA would raise it by 30ppm, you admittedly lost some, so not sure how you are reading a 40-50ppm CYA now Unless it was not truly zero, which is a little odd in such a swamp.

So, saying it is 40ppm, you SLAM level FC should be 16ppm, so yes you are adding too much bleach. Are you using PoolMath to calculate dosages?

Really, you should have fixed the pH first before raising the FC up so high. When FC > 10ppm, the pH reads artificially high.
I would suggest letting the FC drop below 10ppm, and then getting the pH up to a reading in the low 7s using borax.
Then go back to SLAMing.

 

[macgulley]

Your chlorine is a little high for your CYA level but not too much. ( http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/128-chlorine-cya-chart-slam-shock ) It will certainly go down very quickly. If I were in your shoes, I'd probably let the chlorine drop to 5 or so and adjust your pH to 7.2. You started at 6.8 and although you are reading 7.2 now, that can't be trusted at the chlorine level you have. Follow the SLAM process and you'll soon have a sparkling clear pool. http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/125-slam-shock-level-and-maintain-shockingl

 

[Casey]

I'm going to have to agree. Let the chlorine drift down and adjust the pH with borax. Once you're at 7.2 then you can start SLAM'ing again.

You have a nice green pool full of potential and just waiting to be a sparkly oasis.

 

[ssmartt]

For a 26k pool, 6.5 pounds of CYA would raise it by 30ppm, you admittedly lost some, so not sure how you are reading a 40-50ppm CYA now Unless it was not truly zero, which is a little odd in such a swamp.

So, saying it is 40ppm, you SLAM level FC should be 16ppm, so yes you are adding too much bleach. Are you using PoolMath to calculate dosages?

Really, you should have fixed the pH first before raising the FC up so high. When FC > 10ppm, the pH reads artificially high.
I would suggest letting the FC drop below 10ppm, and then getting the pH up to a reading in the low 7s using borax.
Then go back to SLAMing.

Thanks. I will do just that. How long would you expect it to take for the chlorine to get down to ~9-10ppm. Also, how long after adding borax should I wait before testing pH again where I can feel confident to move FC back up to 16ppm?

I found a broken polaris 280 at the bottom of the pool after getting the cover off. Until I get it working, should I run the aux pump periodically to create more circulation? I have 2 skimmers on the left hand side, no main drain (I think? There's 2 pvc pipes feeding together that are pushing water to the pump where the equipment is). 2 returns in the steps pointed lengthwise, and 3 additional returns on the same side as the skimmers.

Like I said in the OP, I'm not 100% confident I'm reading the CYA test correctly. Should the black dot be totally 100% gone? Just a cloudy white? I'm pretty darn confident there was 0 cya when I started, the view tube was crystal clear filled all the way up to the top. I am using pool math but I got in a rush this morning and just tossed a few gallons in without fully testing, I assumed the level would've gone down more than it must have.

 

[Divin Dave]

What all the others said. Let the FC drop and raise Ph. Measure CYA Then slam according to the appropriate FC level.


Im still fairly new at this pool biz, so I learned my lesson about sticking my hand in the skimmer to pull the basket. Frog jumped on it and went up my arm and scared teh **** outta me. They are not uncommon, even in a clean pool they can survive a little while. I now use a wire clothes hanger that I twisted and bent the end into a hook to remove the skimmer basket. So NO, it's not just you.

PS. Since the first frog incident, I have found a couple more in there too. Dead ones.

 

[jblizzle]

The dot should be completely gone. There are pictures on the Taylor website somewhere. Sounds like you are close to zero.

You can retest the pH about 30-60 minutes after adding the borax.

 

[Casey]

Once FC gets below 10ppm adjust pH and check pH within a half hour and adjust again if necessary. If you're good then go ahead with the SLAM process in relation with your CYA. If you've added CYA, SLAM to the level that you added. If you haven't added any yet, SLAM to 10ppm and no higher until you get some in there. You can find that chart in pool school under handy references.

 

[ssmartt]

Thanks for the advice everyone. Two more questions until I get back out to the new place in the morning to test again...

1) Should I be running in filter or 'whirlpool' mode? I'm running in filter mode at the moment.

2) http://amzn.com/B0007PZN9Q Is this thing any good?

 

[Richard320]

Love the pictures!

Get as much sludge out or you'll be burning chlorine trying to oxidize the leaves. I've not had any experience with that leaf gulper, but others here have and give it good reviews.

And I'll go ahead and pile on and say adjust pH then go back to the SLAM. Don't forget SLAM includes brushing and scooping leaves.

As far as filter or whirlpool, do you mean recirculate? If you're not around to watch filter pressure, then recirculate might not be a bad idea. Otherwise, run water through everything you can, so you kill all the algae.

 

[macgulley]

Run through the filter.

 

[ssmartt]

Still waiting for TC to drop, I didn't abandon y'all. Yesterday morning I got FC 19 CC 0 CYA 30. This morning I got FC 11.5 CC .5 CYA 30. Hopefully by tonight I'll be under 10 ppm TC and can get an accurate pH test.


Also, the hose vacuum thing came in and I tried to use it this morning without much luck. I may have been expecting too much, or maybe I wasn't using it properly. Either way, I'm going back to the leaf rake, no matter how much my back complains. Spent my time this morning sweeping the excess leaves and debris off of the deck.

 

[macgulley]

It looks like you have at least two skimmers. If you're using the skim-vac you need to at least partially close the inlet of the skimmer you're not using (mine have little circular "tabs" under the skimmer basket that can be rotated to close the inlet.)

 

[Casey]

You should be well under SLAM level by this evening. Adjust the pH and start SLAM'ing again.

 

[ssmartt]

It's not a skim vac, it's one that hooks up to the garden hose. Not being able to see the bottom makes me wary of using a skim vac unless I got a canister for it too.

This website is amazing, and I'd be totally lost and buying tricholor and whatever else they'd try to sell me by the bucket without this site.

 

[ssmartt]

Ok. Back at the house with the pool (don't live here yet). Here's my numbers this morning after adding 2 boxes of borax last night:

FC 9.5
CC .5
pH 7.2 (not exact color match but closest as far as I could tell)
CYA 30 (much more confident now that I'm doing this test correctly)


Pool math says to get to 7.5 pH add 2.25 lbs of borax. Need to go to walmart as they only had one box last time.

Once I get a 7.5 pH back do I go back to SLAM? 12ppm FC for my CYA is correct, right? Do I want to go a little over or try to get to 12ppm exactly?

Headed out to walmart right now, thanks for all of the help!

- - - Updated - - -

As I go back and re-read the thread, it sounds like 7.2 is close to ideal? I guess I'll go ahead and get the borax anyway, we can use it for laundry or something if I don't need it. Probably won't do the whole borates thing I've read about here this year, possibly next.

 

[jblizzle]

You can SLAM now. The pH is fine (ideal even) for going back to SLAM level.
You want to keep the FC at SLAM level as much as possible, if you are not able to be around the pool for awhile, then aiming a little higher would be fine.

 

[karmabiker]

7.2 is fine for the ph.

Time to slam! Target 12, if you are going to be away for a while overshoot by 10% or so so it doesn't drop too far while you are out.

 

[ssmartt]

Hooray! Ok. It says I need 3 quarts 8.25 to get to 12. Should I just add almost an entire bottle of Walmart bleach to last 24 hours if I can't get back tonight?