Opening SLAM

[giersj]

I've been reading lots of posts about SLAMing my pool and you guys helped me decide on a new DS pump when mine was DOA this year so I'm hoping for a little more help!

Getting ready to start SLAMing my pool tonight. I didn't cover it so I've spent the last couple days cleaning out all the gunk from the bottom and think that I've got at least 90% of the leaves etc out. Just had my water tested at a pool store and these are their results. (I bought a test kit last year but didn't realize it didn't have the FAS DPD test in it until this year(I might not be a smart man but I now know what FAS is and I'm stopping on the way home from work to buy some.) My water is way out of whack as you would suspect so I'm wondering if I need to just jump right in to throwing chlorine in or if I have to get other numbers closer to what they should be before putting in the bleach so I won't just be wasting time and money.

FC - .12
CC - .07
TC - .19
PH - 8.6
TA - 37
Cal - 113
CYA - 2
Salt - 1500
TDS - 2000

My current water is green and slimy. Filter is starting at about 20lbs pressure and builds to around 30 over the day.

I put my numbers into the Pool Math calculator and think this is what I need to do.

Start with adding 20lbs of Baking soda (10lbs at a time) wait a couple hours and add 2 cups of Muratic Acid then a couple hours later add 30 lbs of calcium chloride. Go to bed and in the morning test and see where I am. If my numbers are close to what they should be I'm going to start the SLAM process by adding 10 Gal of bleach first thing in the morning. I just have to teach my wife how to do the FAS-DPD test and have her maintain the FC levels until I get home tomorrow from work.

Do I really need to add 11 bags of salt? Or will that change with the SLAM? If so can I go ahead and throw that in the pool when I start this process or should I wait?

I would appreciate anyone who can correct me on anything I need to do different.

thanks for any help!

 

[JasonLion]

Welcome to TFP!

First get your PH down into the 7.2 to 7.4 range. Then retest your TA and raise TA to around 70. That is unlikely to need anything like 20 lbs of baking soda.

There is no reason to add any calcium to a vinyl liner pool.

You need to get CYA up to around 30 or 40.

You will need a significant amount of salt, but there isn't any short term rush on that as SLAMing is normally done without the SWG.

 

[giersj]

Thanks! PoolMath says that means adding 14oz of muriatic acid. Is there a general timeframe to wait for the ph to balance out after adding the acid? Since it's really slimy and green will all the junk in it affect how much acid I need to use?
And can I go ahead and start pouring in the salt since it takes days for it to dissolve?

 

[Richard320]

Thanks! PoolMath says that means adding 14oz of muriatic acid. Is there a general timeframe to wait for the ph to balance out after adding the acid? Since it's really slimy and green will all the junk in it affect how much acid I need to use?
And can I go ahead and start pouring in the salt since it takes days for it to dissolve?

Green slime shouldn't affect the pH adjustment.

I'd wait to add salt. Odds are, you'll be loading up the filter and backwashing a lot during the SLAM, and losing salt with the backwash water. Why add it only to flush it out again a day later?

Just get the pH down and forget it. From then on until it's clear, it's strictly test and adjust FC, brush, and vacuum.

 

[giersj]

Thanks for saving me some salt! I've added about 5 cups of muriatic acid over 3 hours and the PH is testing about 8.2. Nowhere near where it needs to be but it's moving the right direction. I added 6lbs of baking soda and will see how that changes the water in the morning. Hopefully by Saturday night there will at least be no green left in it.

 

[giersj]

So last night I tested the water and got:
FC 14
CC 1

and this morning when I tested I got:

FC 12.5
CC .5

So does that mean I'm done slaming? I think that passes the OCLT.

- - - Updated - - -

OK so going back and reading the OCLT post maybe not. But I'm close!

"If you lost more than 1.0 ppm of FC, then there is something in the water that needs to be removed and you should SLAM, or continue SLAMing, the pool."

 

[pooldv]

Is the water clear? Here is the process for SLAMing Your Pool

 

[giersj]

just tested again and FC = 4.5 and CC = .5
As far as clear, you can see the bottom in the shallow end if you squint. So I'm guessing that I need to keep pouring the bleach in it. Here goes three more gallons.

 

[Azgirl71]

Welcome to TFP! Just continue to follow the SLAM process until you pass all 3 criteria.
Pool sparkling clear
Pass OLCT with a loss of 1ppm or less
CC .5 or lower.