FC won't increase....is this normal at startup?

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L

Lovrpool

0
Sep 1, 2013
38
Ohio
Opened pool 5/17.....levels tested using TF-100 kit:

FC 0
pH 7.0
TA 70
CH 125
CYA 0

Water dirty/cloudy but not green. Couldn't see bottom drains.

Added cal-hypo (48%) 16oz bag and 64oz solid stabilizer.

I'm in Ohio ...all week has been cold and cloudy (temps 50s). Added salt 5/18 and salt levels are now 3100.

5/20 pm levels:

FC 1
CC 7 (eek)
CYA 50
pH 6.8
TA 70
CH 125

water more clear but little cloudy. Can now see bottom drains.

Added 400oz liquid bleach (8.25%) and turned off swg.

Tested one hour later...no increase in FC. Pump remained on all night. Water temp 48 degrees.

Tested 5/21 am and levels:

FC 1
CC 4
All other levels remained same

Is this normal that I can't increase my FC even after dumping that much bleach in? Do I continue the SLaM method and add 340oz bleach every day??

I feel like I'm going crazy. :confused:
 
I think I know what is going on with your pool. We have seen it a LOT this spring. Your CYA turned in to ammonia. We are not sure why it is happening so much this year but your CC is what points to it. IF you really want to know if that is what happened you can go buy an ammonia test kit from a pet store in the fish department.

You DO need to keep on with the SLAM. The harder you hit it the faster you will get ahead of the ammonia. It is going to take a LOT of chlorine :(

You may even find that your FC is gone within an hour of putting it in at the beginning. Just keep testing and adding.

What test kit are you using?

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Kim
 
Your CH level is low enough that using cal-hypo for a while is fine. But keep your calcium level in mind and don't use so much cal-hypo that calcium gets out of control.

It is difficult to predict how much chlorine you will need in total. Your CC level suggests that it might not be all that much chlorine, but you never know for sure until you finish the process.
 
I added 64oz of cal-hypo before leaving for work this morning which was according to the pool calculator. Do I continue to add liquid bleach today (amount according to the pool calc) and test an hour later and add more until I can get it up to the fc shock level (24)?
 
Update - I took a pool water sample with me before leaving for work so I could get ammonia test strips when pet fish store opened. Just picked up ammonia test strips and tested with pool sample. It appears to be zero (attached the pic). The pool sample was 1.5hrs old, so not sure how much difference that makes. I won't be able to test fresh pool water until later today when I get home. IMG_0312.JPG
 
Having the water sample 1 1/2 hours old shouldn't make too much of a difference, though it could in theory cause the test to read a little lower than actual.

Either way, your ammonia level can't be too high, which is a good thing.
 
I am hopeful yours will not be that bad. We have had some with a cc of LOTS more than yours.

I really have no idea how much bleach you will need. Just make sure it is as fresh as you can find in your area.

Good luck!

Kim
 

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Lovrpool said:
Tested water just now:

FC 29
CC 0.5

As long as I don't have a drop in FC overnight with my reading first thing in a.m. am I okay to let FC fall down to normal range?
Click to expand...
That depends. How does the water look? How does the pool itself look? If it's still cloudy, or there's still debris on the floor, or you see patches of algae anywhere, or the walls feel slimy, you're not done. You need to pass all 3 tests at the same time to end a SLAM.
 
Update on testing #s after several days:

Water still slight cloudy but can see bottom and drains. When brushing sides it doesn't make water any cloudier. Sides are not slimy. But I am still losing FC overnight. Been continuing SLAM process with liquid bleach. Water temp 50.

5/22 PM:
FC 24
CC 0

5/23 AM:
FC 18
pH 6.8
CC 0
(Added 89oz bleach, 79oz Borax to raise pH)

5/23 PM:
FC 39 (whoa did my granular cal-hypo I put in on 5/21 just kick in??? Or did raising pH affect this?)
pH 7.2
CYA 40
CC 0.5

5/24 AM:
FC 32
CC 2
CH 175
CYA 40

Maybe I will get my water balanced by August...ugh. What's going on? Should I add stabilizer today to increase CYA?
 
The pool is looking good. Nice work so far. I wouldn't test pH until after the slam. It isn't accurate over 10 FC. Stick with it, I think you are almost home :)
 
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