Just starting out, New to SLAM and TFP

[reylas]

Long time reader, first time poster....

20x40 rectangular vinyl pool with sand filter and chlorinator (tablets). Just got my TF-100 test kit in today and tested for the first time.

PH 7.2
FC 0
CC 0
CYA 40
TA 170
CH 100

I had already dumped $300 of stuff into the pool since mid April. Got tired of getting no where, so I turned off the pump and waited till my testing kit came in. I have 40 gallons of HTH that I got at the ACE sale over the weekend, did not want to throw that into the pool until my kit came.

I have dredged the bottom as best I could, but cannot see the bottom. Closest I got just guessing, I could see a faint white circle which was the fountain in the shallow end. Never could see the bottom.. After 5 days of waiting, it is totally back to green. Post pictures later.

With a PH of 7.2 and a CYA of 40, I am guessing 335K of water so I have a shock level of 16. I have a free weekend this weekend so I am going to start tomorrow night with the slam. I can at least get up in the night to keep the shock level up. Without the kit, I did not know how much to add, so I was wasting it.

I have half a box of borax, should I dump it in to raise PH a little more? I know 7.2 is good, but 7.5 would be perfect.

I will post pictures as I can so others can see the progress.

Thanks
Mark S.

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Current picture. I have swept and vacuumed the steps.

 

[tim5055]

No, do not add Borax. You want to start the SLAM at 7.2

Tell me your pool is 33,500 gallons, not 335,000

16 is your shock level for CYA 40, so SLAM away.

Keep brushing and scooping to get anything out of the water you can.

 

[reylas]

Yes, sorry, 33.5K gal. Can't wait to get started.

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Oh, and I do have a question for someone out there. As you can see in my picture of the steps, that is the air intake control for the jets located in the steps. One return from the pool is connected there and the first season, when you turned that knob counter clock-wise, it would control the amount of air that mixes in and makes a Jacuzzi type effect. When the pool company closed it that year, they took the jet inserts out of the ports and it has never worked since. I can get the jets back in, but when I turn the knob, water shoots out of the top. Am I missing something? How do you prime air back into the system?