@pooldv - Thanks, I've already read them all, prior to touching my pool or posting here. Some multiple times. Calculator is bookmarked and recommended levels printed and laminated in my test kit.
New Pool Owner - Chemistry & Procedure Questions
- Thread starter phibroptic
- Start date
Wa-hoo!
After only (sarcasm) 7 drain/fill sessions, I finally have a Respectable CYA level.
CYA- 40-45
pH- 7.4
TA - 80
CH - 80
Borates - just under 30
Hoping to SLAM this weekend, but right now the forecast calls for 80% chance of rain Friday-Sunday. So, I may have to push it back a week.
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After only (sarcasm) 7 drain/fill sessions, I finally have a Respectable CYA level.
CYA- 40-45
pH- 7.4
TA - 80
CH - 80
Borates - just under 30
Hoping to SLAM this weekend, but right now the forecast calls for 80% chance of rain Friday-Sunday. So, I may have to push it back a week.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Are you planning on another drain? You can do this at 40, it just takes a little more FC/Bleach. At that Cya, you'll be looking at about 4 jugs for the first dose. How fast you lose it is the question, but you can easily get started now, rain or no rain. It just depends on whether or not you want too, but the rain won't hurt you. unless its a whole lot. If you are getting 6" at a whack, you might want to wait, but it would still be do-able.
I wasn't planning on another, since I've already added roughly $400 to my water bill with the draining and filling so far.
I won't be able to give it the attention and monitoring it would need until Friday, but if you think moderate rain won't impact it too much, I might go for it. It will just make vacuuming and brushing a bit less fun. (50-60 degree cold snap this week after 80-90 the last couple.)
I bought 2 cases of 12.5% (4 gal to a case) last week, I may pick up one more on Friday in prep.
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I won't be able to give it the attention and monitoring it would need until Friday, but if you think moderate rain won't impact it too much, I might go for it. It will just make vacuuming and brushing a bit less fun. (50-60 degree cold snap this week after 80-90 the last couple.)
I bought 2 cases of 12.5% (4 gal to a case) last week, I may pick up one more on Friday in prep.
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7 drains! Good work and congrats on that 40! I would start asap. The sooner the better. At least get the FC up to shock and keep it there as much as you can until the weekend to give you a headstart.
Awesome! Then you are ready as soon as you are ready. I hate the weather for you, but it would be better the sooner you can start. Algae is growing all the time in there. 12% will help a lot too. Less addition per dose. I like it.
Moderate rain... Meh, the worst it can do is make you backwash a little. No biggie.
The plus to the rain is that it means less sun so that's helpful in keeping chlorine levels up...and cooler weather is probably good too! Of course...standing in cold rain pouring bleach isn't fun but it doesn't take too long. I bet we've all been there at one point or another. ;-)
Round the CYA up from 45 to 50 (which I believe is correct from reading other posts) and I need a shock level of 20. 26k gallons, starting at 0, using 128oz jugs of 12.5%, and pool math gives me almost exactly 4 jugs. (I wanted a sanity check that it matched what Patrick_B said)
I kicked on the filter and (slowly) dumped in 4 jugs around 5AM (two in front of each return) and I will test levels with my fancy new speedstir before I leave for work in about a half hour.
Is it wrong to feel like a kid before Christmas? I was up and down through the night thinking everything over and hoping it turns out nice. Even if it will be too cold to swim for a while up here.
I don't want to sound like a broken record, but thank you all again for all the help along the way, as well as the depth of knowledge this site offered me long before I touched the pool or posted any questions.
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I kicked on the filter and (slowly) dumped in 4 jugs around 5AM (two in front of each return) and I will test levels with my fancy new speedstir before I leave for work in about a half hour.
Is it wrong to feel like a kid before Christmas? I was up and down through the night thinking everything over and hoping it turns out nice. Even if it will be too cold to swim for a while up here.
I don't want to sound like a broken record, but thank you all again for all the help along the way, as well as the depth of knowledge this site offered me long before I touched the pool or posted any questions.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Finally got to work and put out some fires, and now I can post an update.
Measured after about an hour and a half of circulation.
FC - 23.5-24*
CC - 0
*Adding drops, I got to 47 (10ml test) and it "flashed" clear, then went to a very light pink, drop 48 made it completely clear. Do I count that as 23.5 or 24?
So, with the 0 CC, either there is very little for the chlorine to burn through, or the circulation in the pool isn't getting to the debris, and I won't get to brush/vacuum until tomorrow to kick things up.
I already readjusted what I thought my volume was once (mentioned previously in this thread) and I'm wondering if I should do it again. PoolMath said that 518 oz of 12.5% should take 26k gal from 0 to 20 FC. Adding 512 oz of 12.5 took me from 0 (unless the tap water raised the chlorine significantly during my repeated drain/fills) to 23.5-24. (I didn't consider the tap water raising the chlorine until now, I should have tested prior to adding.)
Back calculating on PoolMath says that I more likely have ~22k gal. I know I'm still under the mustard algae shock level, so I hope I don't have to worry about the liner with the higher FC level.
Any advice on the FC drop counting, possible volume discrepancy, or liner concerns would all be appreciated. Also, good morning.
Measured after about an hour and a half of circulation.
FC - 23.5-24*
CC - 0
*Adding drops, I got to 47 (10ml test) and it "flashed" clear, then went to a very light pink, drop 48 made it completely clear. Do I count that as 23.5 or 24?
So, with the 0 CC, either there is very little for the chlorine to burn through, or the circulation in the pool isn't getting to the debris, and I won't get to brush/vacuum until tomorrow to kick things up.
I already readjusted what I thought my volume was once (mentioned previously in this thread) and I'm wondering if I should do it again. PoolMath said that 518 oz of 12.5% should take 26k gal from 0 to 20 FC. Adding 512 oz of 12.5 took me from 0 (unless the tap water raised the chlorine significantly during my repeated drain/fills) to 23.5-24. (I didn't consider the tap water raising the chlorine until now, I should have tested prior to adding.)
Back calculating on PoolMath says that I more likely have ~22k gal. I know I'm still under the mustard algae shock level, so I hope I don't have to worry about the liner with the higher FC level.
Any advice on the FC drop counting, possible volume discrepancy, or liner concerns would all be appreciated. Also, good morning.
Morning!
Drinking water FC specs are 0.5-4.0 most places, but you can test your tap to see. I wouldn't worry about it too much though, I could be very wrong, but chances are it didn't add more than a couple of PPM at most. Either way, that's pretty close on the calc, and the more you stay right there the better this will go. No worries about CC yet. You haven't had FC in there long, so it hasn't had much reaction time. As for your vinyl, its great you are thinking about it, but you are safe, no worries. About 50 PPM is where you want to be careful approaching or going over. If this was mine, I would target that 23-24 every time I dosed to help keep me at SLAM value until the next round of testing/dosing. What slows you down is slipping below that minimum value. You're doin great man, and based on your post, this will go well for you. It looks like you get it, and that's half the battle for more than you would think. See how it goes later, and if you think you have debris in there, do your utmost to remove every piece. Oh, count the 48th drop, but one drop is only 0.5 as you know, so its not a deal breaker with FC. I push end points of everything to the very end so I err to knowing the high side if anything. Check your reagent stock, you may need to go ahead and order more R0871 liquid, and 0870 powder. You're going to burn through that stuff pretty quickly. Lastly, pour in the bleach as far from the edge as possible to avoid it being in contact with the liner right there. Wouldn't hurt to give a good swipe or two with the brush in that area to move it around either.
Drinking water FC specs are 0.5-4.0 most places, but you can test your tap to see. I wouldn't worry about it too much though, I could be very wrong, but chances are it didn't add more than a couple of PPM at most. Either way, that's pretty close on the calc, and the more you stay right there the better this will go. No worries about CC yet. You haven't had FC in there long, so it hasn't had much reaction time. As for your vinyl, its great you are thinking about it, but you are safe, no worries. About 50 PPM is where you want to be careful approaching or going over. If this was mine, I would target that 23-24 every time I dosed to help keep me at SLAM value until the next round of testing/dosing. What slows you down is slipping below that minimum value. You're doin great man, and based on your post, this will go well for you. It looks like you get it, and that's half the battle for more than you would think. See how it goes later, and if you think you have debris in there, do your utmost to remove every piece. Oh, count the 48th drop, but one drop is only 0.5 as you know, so its not a deal breaker with FC. I push end points of everything to the very end so I err to knowing the high side if anything. Check your reagent stock, you may need to go ahead and order more R0871 liquid, and 0870 powder. You're going to burn through that stuff pretty quickly. Lastly, pour in the bleach as far from the edge as possible to avoid it being in contact with the liner right there. Wouldn't hurt to give a good swipe or two with the brush in that area to move it around either.
This morning was the second time I have measured with the FAS/DPD chems, after I opened to absolute 0. I have the remainder of my K-2006 as well as the TFTestKits XL pack I ordered with my extra CYA reagent. If that starts to get low, I'll order another XL kit. 
Also, I may have had a "forest-through-the-trees" situation while draining and filling, but just the replacement of water and brushing/vacuuming I did since opening made a decent difference in the look of the pool when I looked back at my photos I've been periodically snapping. I'll try to post them here soon.
(PITA to post pics at work, because they block photo-sharing sites. So I have to turn on my phone's hotspot, upload, and grab the url's to post, and I can't access work e-mail or documents during that time, ugh.)
Also, I may have had a "forest-through-the-trees" situation while draining and filling, but just the replacement of water and brushing/vacuuming I did since opening made a decent difference in the look of the pool when I looked back at my photos I've been periodically snapping. I'll try to post them here soon.
(PITA to post pics at work, because they block photo-sharing sites. So I have to turn on my phone's hotspot, upload, and grab the url's to post, and I can't access work e-mail or documents during that time, ugh.)
Photo Timeline (some repeat from earlier this thread)
5/4/15 - PM
5/7/15 - PM
5/12/15 - PM
5/14/15 - AM (The low light makes it look more blue than the evening shots, don't be fooled.)
It won't be an epic swamp conversion, by any means, but I hope you still enjoy!
5/4/15 - PM
5/7/15 - PM
5/12/15 - PM
5/14/15 - AM (The low light makes it look more blue than the evening shots, don't be fooled.)
It won't be an epic swamp conversion, by any means, but I hope you still enjoy!
Post em later when it's easy...yes we want to see, but don't make it painful. Thanks for doing these BTW, we LOVE having SLAM progress pics.
AWESOME, this may not be too rough at all. It's not the conversion of the pool I love the most anyway, it's the owner conversion I like the best. :lol:
AWESOME, this may not be too rough at all. It's not the conversion of the pool I love the most anyway, it's the owner conversion I like the best. :lol:
Managed to swing it where I am working the second half of today from home.
Tested at 1:15
FC - 22
CC - 0
Picture right before testing.
I need to brush/vacuum that **** up... tomorrow. (Wife is going out with friends tonight, and I'm with my son, so working on the pool is out for tonight.)
Tested at 1:15
FC - 22
CC - 0
Picture right before testing.
I need to brush/vacuum that **** up... tomorrow. (Wife is going out with friends tonight, and I'm with my son, so working on the pool is out for tonight.)
Oh wow, that looks pretty good! What's the stuff in the corner? This will be an easy one by the looks anyways...
Thanks for the pics. Not enough people show the SLAM, and we love seeing it. (We actually want to be there) :joker:
Thanks for the pics. Not enough people show the SLAM, and we love seeing it. (We actually want to be there) :joker:
Seems to be either algae or general debris. It's where stuff seemed to settle in the shallow end after the last 1-2 drain/fill sessions.
The dark patch just above and left of center is either more settling or just spots on the ramp to the deep end that I missed when I last vacuumed and couldn't see the bottom of the pool.
I still can't see the bottom of the deep end, but until this afternoon I couldn't even see the liner on the wall at the deep end, so there's definitely improvement.
Quick question, I inherited an automatic pool cleaner (Hayward Pool Vac XL) from the previous owners. While I plan on getting up those big dark spots with a manual vacuum, is it safe to run the automatic vac during the SLAM, or is it bad for the vac?
The dark patch just above and left of center is either more settling or just spots on the ramp to the deep end that I missed when I last vacuumed and couldn't see the bottom of the pool.
I still can't see the bottom of the deep end, but until this afternoon I couldn't even see the liner on the wall at the deep end, so there's definitely improvement.
Quick question, I inherited an automatic pool cleaner (Hayward Pool Vac XL) from the previous owners. While I plan on getting up those big dark spots with a manual vacuum, is it safe to run the automatic vac during the SLAM, or is it bad for the vac?
Is that a Robot/Automatic Cleaner? Sorry I dont know it.
If there is any debris you can scoop out, do that first.
If there is any debris you can scoop out, do that first.
Re: New Pool Owner - Chemistry & Procedure Questions
Suction powered automatic cleaner.
I will get as much out manually as possible, I just didn't know if I should avoid using the automatic cleaner with the high chlorine levels the SLAM uses. I don't see anything in the manual about not using while shocking or anything that stands out to me, but I will give it another once over.
- - - Updated - - -
Never mind.
I don't know how I missed it, but it says, clear as day, "if you are going to super-chlorinate or shock your pool, make sure the cleaner and its hoses are out of the pool."
Suction powered automatic cleaner.
I will get as much out manually as possible, I just didn't know if I should avoid using the automatic cleaner with the high chlorine levels the SLAM uses. I don't see anything in the manual about not using while shocking or anything that stands out to me, but I will give it another once over.
- - - Updated - - -
Never mind.
I don't know how I missed it, but it says, clear as day, "if you are going to super-chlorinate or shock your pool, make sure the cleaner and its hoses are out of the pool."