TL;DR: Opened yesterday. A little visible algae appeared today. How much risk am I taking if I hold off on starting SLAM until tomorrow (or possibly following day) to allow time to adjust pH and TA first? Other factors:
1. FC is likely very low.
2. I will have to add water after vac, which will mess with pH/TA even if I adjust it before SLAM.
3. Weather = temps in 80s with storm on Thurs.
Opened up the pool yesterday; it looked absolutely lovely. (First time closing and opening myself so feeling pretty proud lol.)
Left the pump/filter running (still running now) with plan to test water about 24 hours later so it had time to circulate and I could get more accurate readings. (Using Taylor K-2006 FAS-DPD)
Checked on it this AM and pump pressue had gone up 6 psi. Was really hoping it was just doing it's job to get out the used up CL molecules and such (okay, fine, it was less hope and more denial). A few hours later, I noticed some green accumulating in the middle.
I know the SLAM instructions (and pool chem order of operations in general) say to adjust pH (if needed) before SLAM. Seeing as how I JUST opened it up, FC is quite low. Another factor is that I don't have a "to waste" option, so I just siphon vac when I have to SLAM. Obviously, I then have to add water, which always requires adjusting pH and TA after as well. A third factor - temps in the 80s next several days with storms expected Thursday.
With all of this in mind - should I still put off adding any CL whatsoever in order to prioritize adjusting TA and pH first? If so, then I likely won't be able to start SLAM until maybe Wednesday, which feels pretty risky.
Thanks in advance!
P.S. I've read the SLAM instructions and had to do it twice last year so I know there's more to it than I'm stating here. I will follow the process in it's entirety this time too.
P.P.S. This is only my second season as a pool owner. Last year, we used the FROG system that came with our pool (has a mineral cartridge and uses trichlor tablets) bc I didn't know better, despite having done extensive research about pool care/chems. By the end of last season, I was over it all, regretting getting a pool (for many reasons, not just the FROG), and swearing the only way I was going to have anything to do with the pool care (of which, I do all
) was if we used liquid chlorine and went all in on the TFP way. So, officially consider me a convert lol.
1. FC is likely very low.
2. I will have to add water after vac, which will mess with pH/TA even if I adjust it before SLAM.
3. Weather = temps in 80s with storm on Thurs.
Opened up the pool yesterday; it looked absolutely lovely. (First time closing and opening myself so feeling pretty proud lol.)
Left the pump/filter running (still running now) with plan to test water about 24 hours later so it had time to circulate and I could get more accurate readings. (Using Taylor K-2006 FAS-DPD)
Checked on it this AM and pump pressue had gone up 6 psi. Was really hoping it was just doing it's job to get out the used up CL molecules and such (okay, fine, it was less hope and more denial). A few hours later, I noticed some green accumulating in the middle.
I know the SLAM instructions (and pool chem order of operations in general) say to adjust pH (if needed) before SLAM. Seeing as how I JUST opened it up, FC is quite low. Another factor is that I don't have a "to waste" option, so I just siphon vac when I have to SLAM. Obviously, I then have to add water, which always requires adjusting pH and TA after as well. A third factor - temps in the 80s next several days with storms expected Thursday.
With all of this in mind - should I still put off adding any CL whatsoever in order to prioritize adjusting TA and pH first? If so, then I likely won't be able to start SLAM until maybe Wednesday, which feels pretty risky.
Thanks in advance!
P.S. I've read the SLAM instructions and had to do it twice last year so I know there's more to it than I'm stating here. I will follow the process in it's entirety this time too.
P.P.S. This is only my second season as a pool owner. Last year, we used the FROG system that came with our pool (has a mineral cartridge and uses trichlor tablets) bc I didn't know better, despite having done extensive research about pool care/chems. By the end of last season, I was over it all, regretting getting a pool (for many reasons, not just the FROG), and swearing the only way I was going to have anything to do with the pool care (of which, I do all
) was if we used liquid chlorine and went all in on the TFP way. So, officially consider me a convert lol.
