Algae keeps coming back after SLAM

[splashpad]

Also my pool gets a ton of direct sunlight.. should I run my CYA at 40,50 or 60?

I would lean towards 50-60, depending on your daily FC loss

What’s the best technique on the black dot test? Honestly sometimes I think it disappears at 35 and sometimes I think it’s 50. I even invested in the blue devil test and still having trouble grasping it.

Bright indirect light, link in my sig to Taylor's CYA test info

 

[mknauss]

When you do the CYA test, try this next time.

Once you have your solution ready, back to the sun, etc. Fill the vial to a line, say 80, lower the vial to your waist level and glance for the dot, you see it, add solution to the 70 line, glance, see it, repeat until you no longer see it with a glance. Then use the CYA value one step above the line you read. So if you stopped at 50, use 60 ppm CYA.

The vial is in logarithmic scale. So it is not viable to interpolate between the lines. Just use the whole numbers, such as 50, 40, 30, ....

Try 40 ppm CYA. If your FC consumption is greater than 3 ppm per day, bump that to 50 ppm CYA.

 

[wozzy]

What’s the best technique on the black dot test? Honestly sometimes I think it disappears at 35 and sometimes I think it’s 50. I even invested in the blue devil test and still having trouble grasping it.

You want to have the sun at your back, hold the vial at waist level, then slowly drop the slider until it completely disappears. Hold the slider firmly in place then put it on an even surface and take a peek .

 

[djdonte]

Tried the test how you guys said and on both the blue devil test, and squirting the solution into the vial, the black dot disappears between 30 and 40. So this means 40?

 

[Texas Splash]

So this means 40?

Yes, we typically round-up if there's any doubt.

 

[Mendy48]

What’s the best technique on the black dot test? Honestly sometimes I think it disappears at 35 and sometimes I think it’s 50. I even invested in the blue devil test and still having trouble grasping it.

Yeah! I honestly understand how you feel. I've since gotten better with the CYA testing. With your back against the sun and the tube at waist height...just "glance" at the black spot...just a quick glance. The first time you don't see the black dot at a "glance" is your CYA.

Also my pool gets a ton of direct sunlight.. should I run my CYA at 40,50 or 60?

My pool gets direct sunlight as well and I have my CYA at a 50 for a non - SWG pool.

 

[djdonte]

I’m going to see how 40 works and if I need to I will bump it up with some tabs. There is about 7ppm of CYA in each 3” trichlor puck I think I read sound right? If I pass the OCLT in the morning I will end my slam and let levels drift back down to 20 percent of CYA.

 

[mknauss]

Using Effects of Adding Chemicals in PoolMath an 8 oz trichlor tablet will add 4.9ppm FC and 2.9 ppm CYA to your pool.

 

[djdonte]

My testing says I lost 4 FC last night.. honestly I don't believe it as I passed my drop test the night before, and my powder is at the bottom and looking clumpy. I am going to continue my SLAM and buy new reagent for tonight/tomorrow.

Also I was looking at my pool math records and I was losing 2-4 FC when it was in the 70s during the day. Now that is is getting warmer I may need to bump the CYA up. I guess I can put 3 pucks in my in line chlorinator and that will give me about 9 CYA.

 

[splashpad]

My testing says I lost 4 FC last night.. honestly I don't believe it as I passed my drop test the night before, and my powder is at the bottom and looking clumpy. I am going to continue my SLAM and buy new reagent for tonight/tomorrow.

So how long have you been in SLAM Process?
Is the water clear, with no cloudiness when you brush?
The tests don't lie
If you recently bumped your FC up to match the correct shock level for your CYA, it could be working on hidden algae.

Also I was looking at my pool math records and I was losing 2-4 FC when it was in the 70s during the day. Now that is is getting warmer I may need to bump the CYA up. I guess I can put 3 pucks in my in line chlorinator and that will give me about 9 CYA.

• I have a link to Taylor's CYA instructions in my sig
  • Lighting is the most critical factor (the testing reagent is reflective)
  • It needs to be bright, indirect light
    • Too bright (over exposed) and you get a false high reading (you use less solution to obscure the dot)
    • Too dark and you get a false low reading (you use more solution to obscure the dot)

 

[djdonte]

I have been at SLAM for 5 days. Water has been sparkling pretty much the whole time, and havent had cloudiness from brushing since the first day.
Now that I have the hang of the CYA test, which is 40, I have actually been at a SLAM level for 50 CYA, 20-25FC at all times during the SLAM. I have never got to 0 CC but never got above 0.5 CC

 

[splashpad]

I have been at SLAM for 5 days. Water has been sparkling pretty much the whole time, and havent had cloudiness from brushing since the first day.
Now that I have the hang of the CYA test, which is 40, I have actually been at a SLAM level for 50 CYA, 20-25FC at all times during the SLAM. I have never got to 0 CC but never got above 0.5 CC

I would keep that up for 2-3 days myself ? Especially since you know your algae likes to have an encore

 

[djdonte]

I would keep that up for 2-3 days myself ? Especially since you know your algae likes to have an encore

You're saying go 2-3 days more?

 

[splashpad]

You're saying go 2-3 days more?

I lean towards safe rather than sorry

 

[setsailsoon]

D J,

Are you running the pump 24/7 and cleaning/ Vacuuming? How often care you testing? Any possibility You are weak on one of the components of a SLAM?
Your FC levels along with the other SLAM requirements usually are extremely effective.

 

[djdonte]

Yes running pump 24/7 and brushing 1-2 times a day. I was running my MX8 for the first few days to clean the floor but decided I shouldn't subject it to those FC levels, so I've been manually vacuuming every day. Testing 2 times min, morning and evening, also testing at lunch when I can to make sure the sun isn't killing my SLAM.

 

[LTPOrangePool]

For me I got under some bright, "natural" wavelength light inside, and got on a side I wasn't casting a shadow over the vial, put on table waist height; it was fairly repeatable for me. You can pour it back into the bottle and start over. Refilling my pool now, hope I drop the cya significantly.

 

[setsailsoon]

Yes running pump 24/7 and brushing 1-2 times a day. I was running my MX8 for the first few days to clean the floor but decided I shouldn't subject it to those FC levels, so I've been manually vacuuming every day. Testing 2 times min, morning and evening, also testing at lunch when I can to make sure the sun isn't killing my SLAM.

dj,

That should do it. How long has it been since you passed all the other SLAM completion requirements while maintaining the FC?

Chris

 

[setsailsoon]

Also, if you have a spa be sure to run the pump several times per day to make sure there isn't any algae hibernating there. I hope this helps!

 

[djdonte]

Water has been clear/algae free since the first of the SLAM. CC never got above 0.5, FC drop was 0-0.5 every night except last night, where I lost 4 FC. No spa, but I have a waterfall that never gets used.