about to give up!

[andyjames]

It's been a few weeks now....third attempt at a SLAM and pool won't hold a shock (pool math showed 7 bottles of bleach at the time) so we can (S)LAM. We put in bleach about 9p, and in the morning it had FC of 1.0. We are terribly frustrated and are seriously thinking of closing the pool and just giving up. Please help -

CL: 0
CC: 0
CYA: 38
TA: 100

photos attached. we have worked many many hours with the leaf eater (with hose), leaf rake, silt rake, and have a polaris that now is working becuase most leaves and pine needles are out and it's getting filled with silt. There is still a lot of silt at the bottom, and or algae. Pool guy told me we were stupid to buy a DE filter and I just about punched him in the nose.

I am assuming the organic matter and algae are eating our chlorine but in a few hours?!? We can't stay up all night doing water tests and adding chlorine. Something is off and it's never been this hard. Last year we found TFP and had it clear within days!

we are going keep working on the bottom but please help us on what is the best method? And at what point should we try a SLAM again?

 

[Richard320]

It can take a LOT of bleach to do the Shock Level And Maintain process. SLAM Process

You are doing well to try to clean out as much debris as possible. You're not doing so well following the process. You got as far as SL.

The tradeoff for the superior filtering of a DE filter is the speed at which it clogs. If you have a multiport valve, you could try brushing all the debris into a pile, then vacuum to waste.

Your pool can't look worse than some of these did at the start. Check out a few links. Look at the pictures. Then do what they did, Recovering my old inspirational links

 

[mknauss]

Follow the SLAM Process process. It is not one application and done. It is repeated, often, applications of chlorine. Hit it hard, every hour to start. Obviously you can leave it overnight but when you can, keep the FC at SLAM level (CYA of 40, FC of 16 ppm).

 

[andyjames]

how do I know I have a multiport valve?

is the pool ready to SLAM or do I have too much organic matter in it?

- - - Updated - - -

i totally get it, but never before did it eat up so much chlorine. We couldn't leave it overnight last SLAM attempt, so maybe wake up every few hours and test?

Is the pool ready to SLAM according to the silt level?

 

[mknauss]

It would be better if you could vacuum the solids to waste. But if it is really silt, as in sand, that does not consume chlorine.

Your DE filter either has a rotating valve or a push - pull valve. Let us know which one.

 

[andyjames]

It would be better if you could vacuum the solids to waste. But if it is really silt, as in sand, that does not consume chlorine.

Your DE filter either has a rotating valve or a push - pull valve. Let us know which one.

I have no idea . photos attached.

 

[mknauss]

That is a multiport valve. Whenever you plan to turn it be sure your pump is OFF.

I suspect that if you set it to Waste and turn the pump on water comes out the black outlet with nothing attached to it. It would be wise to get a hose to direct the water to were it will not make a big mess.

 

[borjis]

You're getting there...frustrating, but keep up the good fight.
And think of this bonus, once it is done, as long as you maintain trouble free methods,
you will never have to go through this again.

Richard, I miss that photo of the bleach truck!

 

[andyjames]

so we turn it to waste and turn pump on, we can vacuum and it'll come out the black outlet? that is what we need to do....can attach our backwash hose onto it. or wait, wont' it just go out of the backwash hose ?

 

[mknauss]

Right. Now, you will be losing water from the pool. So you will need to make it up with your fill water. So it is best to raise your water level as high as you can in the pool prior to starting.

Also, it will effect your CYA level some. But not until you do it several times.

Be ready to hit the SLAM hard after you do the Vac to waste. Time is of the essence.

 

[andyjames]

we lose water every time we backwash too, though.... need to get this thing DONE! Could we SLAM now, it's 6pm? and risk overnight? Or should we do in morning?

 

[mknauss]

Now. Night is the best. You are not losing any chlorine to the sun.

 

[andyjames]

That is what we did last time, though - put it in at 9p, 100% gone at 7a...

 

[mknauss]

It also would be advisable to put your filter on recirculate until you have killed the algae. That way live algae is not plugging your filter.

 

[andyjames]

OK so please advise on the filter. We just backwashed, should we add DE (not 100% sure how much we should add each time), and then put on recirculate until pool clear? I'm confused. No one has ever mentioned recirculate. Do tell!

 

[mknauss]

Add the DE. But while you are INITIALLY killing the algae, put it on Recirculate. That might be for a day or two. Then go back to filter and get ready. Another vac to waste after the initial kill may help.

 

[andyjames]

ok here are our steps, please confirm:

1) add DE
2) vac to waste
3) top off water
4) filter on recirculate
5) shock tonight per pool math
6) vac to waste again tomorrow or sunday (how will we know it's time?)
7) at what point do we go back to filter?

 

[mknauss]

When the pool turns murky blue/aqua you go back to filter. If it takes more than two days, let us know. It will only go that fast if you stay on top of the SLAM. Every couple hours.

 

[borjis]

I didn't see in your list and this may be obvious, but the pump needs to run 24/7.
Only turning it off when you operate that valve to switch to filter / recirculate / waste mode.

- - - Updated - - -

if you see more sediment settle to the bottom after 2 days (I suspect you might) then you would
want to vac that to waste.

When all the junk is off the bottom, your slam will go faster.

 

[Mike1162]

When was the last time the filter was disassembled to clean it?
What is the filter's clean pressure & what pressure do you backwash at?