Thank you for the responses! So according to Pool Math for my size pool, I would want to add 239 oz of 12.5% bleach to go from 0 FC to 12 FC. I would pour this SLOWLY into the pool and then wait an hour and check the FC level. If for example the FC level was 1 then I would want to recalculate my chlorine addition to go from 1 to 12, correct?
Is there an optimal time of day to begin a SLAM? I would hate to start adding bleach and then lose all progress throughout the night.
2. You do not lose any more than 1ppm of FC overnight (that's the OCLT)
Is this calculation based on once I get the FC level to hold at 12?
Do I then need to let the FC come down to 4 naturally before swimming? How long does this usually take?
Just curious, but once I am done SLAM'ing and the pool comes back down to a 4, how often ideally would bleach need to be added? I know I'll have to check everyday but would I be adding everyday?
I would be curious to hear how much everyone spends to open a pool and maintain it all summer. It's actually quite embarrassing how much money I have spent at the pool store this year with no results.
-hopefully your FC level doesn't drop from 12 to 1 in an hour, but yes that's the idea.
-Since you will lose the most FC at the beginning, I'd say start in the morning of a day you can babysit the pool. Shoot for 14 or 15 before you go to bed to lessen the chance of it dropping over night.
-for the OCLT, your FC will never really "hold" at 12. It will constantly fall due to organics and sunlight. Even in a "perfect" pool. You'd do your last dose of the night, overshoot a bit to say 14, and then come back out an hour later and get a reading. Don't add any more CL though. Then in the morning before sun comes out, preferably, do another FC test. If you lost less than 1.0 ppm FC then you've passed that criteria. Still need to pass the other two.
You can safely swim at or below the SLAM level, but you are likely to experience the typical chlorine side effect of poorly maintained pools like green hair and degraded fabric. Certainly, shower off afterward.
After you've passed all three, let your CL drift down, should only take a day or two. Recheck your CYA level (and your pH), and use pool math to find what you minimum FC level is. You will need to add chlorine EVERY DAY to keep the FC level above the minimum. You will lose FC every day, so you will need to add every day. As you go through the seasons with some regular testing you'll get an idea of how much you lose, and how much you add every day. I just do testing once a week to make sure I didn't drift more than expected. For my 11k gallon pool in full AZ summer sun, with a CYA around 40, I add 32 oz a day. in the winter that dropped to like 16 oz.
So, all told, in the summer, a gallon (of 10%) every four days. Two gallons is like $7. So $7 a week in the summer. $84 dollars for the 3-month peak. I might like to keep a one-year log of bleach purchases to get an actual number though, that's a good idea. Just so when your friends tell you they just spent $300 at the pool store, you can tell them what you spent.
Welcome to TFP!!!
