First time BBB opening

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phpbutcher

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May 26, 2014
20
New Jersey
Hi everybody,

This winter I had decided to go with the BBB method for my AG pool this year, and this is also the first year I've taken the cover off to a green water. I've done some reading of the other posts, and checked out the pages about algae control in the pool school, but my question for now (I'm sure many more will follow) would be is it worth it just to run the filter for 24 hours before I try and do anything? Or should I test the CYA level and get to slamming as soon as possible?

Any help or suggestions are apprieciated.

Thanks,
phpbutcher

13,000 gal AG
Cartridge filter
1.5 HP 2 speed pump
 
If the pool is green, filtering alone won't clear it.

But Jason's right. Circulate for an hour. and run a battery of tests. Then you'll know if a partial drain is called for or not, if the pH needs adjusting, whatever. You know where you want to go, but you have to figure out where you are before you can plan a course.
 
Thanks for the quick replies guys.

There's no chance the waters going to look good as it's really green. I had to run a bunch of water out to replace some pieces on the inlet, but I'll fill it back up and run it for an hour and then do the tests. Then I'm sure I'll be back with more questions.

Thanks again.
 
I'm back!!...

So I've swapped out the parts that needed it and made the adjustments for PH the calculator told me to make. It also said I needed 188 oz. of 12.5% chlorine that I added to reach a 14 FC level to slam it. I checked the chlorine an hour after the application and my FC was at 2, so I added another 155 oz. of chlorine. Should I just continue this until I get it to FC = 14 or am I doing something wrong already?

Thanks
 
No, a sludgy green mess will suck up bleach almost as fast as you can pour it.

The more debris you can drag out manually, the better. That way the bleach will work on killing algae, not oxidizing leaves. And the more religious you are about maintaining FC and brushing, the faster it will go.
 
Thanks for the fast reply Richard.

I'm afraid I took up my battle too late in the day and that I'll loose ground over night. I guess I'll chalk up what I've done so far to experience and vacuum tomorrow as soon as I get home from work, clean the filter, and start all over again.
 
phpbutcher said:
Thanks for the fast reply Richard.

I'm afraid I took up my battle too late in the day and that I'll loose ground over night. I guess I'll chalk up what I've done so far to experience and vacuum tomorrow as soon as I get home from work, clean the filter, and start all over again.
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Don't neglect to dose the pool before you leave for work. You'll kill more without the sun stealing your FC, so don;t lose ground!
 
I've been slamming the pool for about 3 days now with chlorine tests and additions being more frequent the last 2 days. The pool is a much nicer color and I can see the bottom again. I would just like to check and make sure I'm not doing anything wrong and that it's not unusual to have to slam it for so long. So far I've gone through almost 15 gallons of chlorine. When I tested it last night, my FC was at 16, and my CC at 1. When I tested again this morning, my FC was at 7 and my CC at 2. I know it's not surprising that the FC dropped that far, but is it unusual for the CC to go up at this point? I balanced the PH and Alkalinity before I started slamming, but I haven't checked either of them again because the slamming explanation page said they weren't reliable to test during slamming. Is there a point at which I should do this anyway or not until I have the chlorine under control.

Thanks again for all the help and fast responses!
 
Your doing fine. Don't worry about the PH or TA now. Your CC can rise and fall during a SLAM.
It's going to take some time do get thru the process. Depending on how bad the pool was it can take a week 2 weeks or longer. Nobody can give ya a good answer on that. The main thing is to maintain the SLAM level as best you can, back wash, clean your filter as needed and brushing.
Also your going to have to get POP, Pool Owner Patience. The pool didn't get to this stage in a couple of days it'll take some time to fix it. Stay with it. It'll come around. ?
 

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phpbutcher said:
I've been slamming the pool for about 3 days now with chlorine tests and additions being more frequent the last 2 days. The pool is a much nicer color and I can see the bottom again. I would just like to check and make sure I'm not doing anything wrong and that it's not unusual to have to slam it for so long. So far I've gone through almost 15 gallons of chlorine. When I tested it last night, my FC was at 16, and my CC at 1. When I tested again this morning, my FC was at 7 and my CC at 2. I know it's not surprising that the FC dropped that far, but is it unusual for the CC to go up at this point? I balanced the PH and Alkalinity before I started slamming, but I haven't checked either of them again because the slamming explanation page said they weren't reliable to test during slamming. Is there a point at which I should do this anyway or not until I have the chlorine under control.

Thanks again for all the help and fast responses!
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Sounds normal. Combined chlorine is sort of halfway used up bleach and sunlight will break it down. Since there was no sun overnight, the level went up. You're doing good.
 
Hi guys,

I just wanted to say thanks for the help and encouragement. I went through 20 gallons of chlorine but the pool looks great!! My overnight test didn't lose anything and my CC is at .5. Now on to regular maintenance... I know it said PH and Alkalinity tests can't be trusted while slamming, but at what point is it okay to go ahead and test those again?

Thanks again for everything.
 
Do you have a CH level? Normally not important in AGPs, but if TA is really high, CH is really high, and pH gets really high, it could be a problem.

In general, the answer is no, you don't have to actively lower TA, you just need to keep pH in range and it will work itself out. Post back a CH reading, and we can help you decide what to do.
 
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