Awesome. ... a net would be worth the investment. I would have already spent more on beer getting the rake frustration out than a net cost.
Algae - SLAM (or use Shock?)
- Thread starter Trishanna
- Start date
LOL.
I have a net, but maybe I need another one. I have a BIG net, on a LONG pole - the pole was broken and my husband fixed it, but now it's always fully extended. The net is bigger, making it maybe easier to be in the right place to catch leaves? But I am amazed at the effort needed to pull the thing through the water, and if I lift the pole out without getting closer to the middle, it weighs a ton or two. I told my daughter I ought to have PopEye arms by now, I've been working so hard!
The leaves tend to lay flat on the bottom and the net won't get them up. I tried to put the hose in the pool, and push it around with the net to stir up leaves so I could catch them. I got one good puff of leaves and caught maybe 20 of them, but after that it didn't work anymore.
I'm starting to wonder how pool vacuums work. Or if I can get the hose to work as a siphon. A siphon would be awesome.
One day I will know how to use all this stuff and will look back and laugh at myself for all the effort I put into this.
I have a net, but maybe I need another one. I have a BIG net, on a LONG pole - the pole was broken and my husband fixed it, but now it's always fully extended. The net is bigger, making it maybe easier to be in the right place to catch leaves? But I am amazed at the effort needed to pull the thing through the water, and if I lift the pole out without getting closer to the middle, it weighs a ton or two. I told my daughter I ought to have PopEye arms by now, I've been working so hard!
The leaves tend to lay flat on the bottom and the net won't get them up. I tried to put the hose in the pool, and push it around with the net to stir up leaves so I could catch them. I got one good puff of leaves and caught maybe 20 of them, but after that it didn't work anymore.
I'm starting to wonder how pool vacuums work. Or if I can get the hose to work as a siphon. A siphon would be awesome.
One day I will know how to use all this stuff and will look back and laugh at myself for all the effort I put into this.
10 am added 1 gal
2:45 pm FC 14! added 3 gal
Wondering if the fresh leaves that float on top cause more chlorine to be consumed? I have 5 oak trees behind the pool and the wind is blowing the wrong way - they are all losing leaves like rain, and I have to skim twice a day at least. In that time it still covers 1/3 of the surface with leaves on a windy day like today. I'm wondering if that's why the FC dropped so low.
2:45 pm FC 14! added 3 gal
Wondering if the fresh leaves that float on top cause more chlorine to be consumed? I have 5 oak trees behind the pool and the wind is blowing the wrong way - they are all losing leaves like rain, and I have to skim twice a day at least. In that time it still covers 1/3 of the surface with leaves on a windy day like today. I'm wondering if that's why the FC dropped so low.
Chlorine will be consumed in odd patterns when fighting a swamp. Stirring up the leaves increase the water circulation through the part that needed chlorine the most, thus burning through more FC. Completely normal to happen. The more leaves you get out the better! Pics?
OK, I have pics. I don't want to load them all, and I'm afraid I don't know how to resize them. I'll put them all here if you want, but I'm afraid of making a huge download for some folks or something?
Let me see if this works. This should be one of the pool overall, taken from the shallow end. Considering a week ago, the shallow end was green, the deep end was black, almost zero visibility, and scummy stuff on top - this is an incredible improvement!
One of the big questions I have is this ... I had scrubbed ALL the stuff from the sides and bottom, swept it down near the drain, tried to drain to waste but not sure it got any, left the rest near the drain, and there were a couple places where a few leaves were left that I couldn't get.
Then today, I go out and once again there are waves of dark stuff on the bottom and sides. Any idea what this stuff is???
And yes, I skimmed the leaves and cleaned the skimmer again before I came in to post the pics ... I just took a minute to take them as soon as I got home. That's about a half-day worth of leaves, and the skimmer was so full it probably couldn't even draw water - I think I got enough leaves to fill a 13-gal trash can just from the skimmer and getting the leaves from the top.
Usually every day I get EVERY leaf out of the pool, and the past few days I've had to do it twice a day (though I end up not getting every single one or I'd never leave, they keep falling in!)
Let me see if this works. This should be one of the pool overall, taken from the shallow end. Considering a week ago, the shallow end was green, the deep end was black, almost zero visibility, and scummy stuff on top - this is an incredible improvement!
One of the big questions I have is this ... I had scrubbed ALL the stuff from the sides and bottom, swept it down near the drain, tried to drain to waste but not sure it got any, left the rest near the drain, and there were a couple places where a few leaves were left that I couldn't get.
Then today, I go out and once again there are waves of dark stuff on the bottom and sides. Any idea what this stuff is???
And yes, I skimmed the leaves and cleaned the skimmer again before I came in to post the pics ... I just took a minute to take them as soon as I got home.
That's about a half-day worth of leaves, and the skimmer was so full it probably couldn't even draw water - I think I got enough leaves to fill a 13-gal trash can just from the skimmer and getting the leaves from the top. Usually every day I get EVERY leaf out of the pool, and the past few days I've had to do it twice a day (though I end up not getting every single one or I'd never leave, they keep falling in!)
And last night when I finally gave up, this was all the gunk I had not been able to get out down near the drain, and most of the leftover leaves piled along the deep end. There were just a few leaves in one other spot.
View attachment 28187
View attachment 28187
Looks like dead algae. Some folks with sand filters have had some success with adding a bit of DE to help trap the last of the algae. I personally don't have any experience with it so I'll leave it to Jason or one of the gurus to support or shoot down.
IMHO it looks great, not done yet but certainly on top of it
IMHO it looks great, not done yet but certainly on top of it
I too would guess dead algae on the bottom.
Here is the DE article from Pool School:
http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/133-add-de-to-a-sand-filter
Here is the DE article from Pool School:
http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/133-add-de-to-a-sand-filter
Thank you for the information.
I may have to find a way to siphon it out or vaccuum to waste to help clear the clumps of it that keep coming up.
I wouldn't mind at all adding DE to the filter, but right now the gauge is broken. I'll have to replace that first.
Thanks so much for the help.
I may have to find a way to siphon it out or vaccuum to waste to help clear the clumps of it that keep coming up.
I wouldn't mind at all adding DE to the filter, but right now the gauge is broken. I'll have to replace that first.
Thanks so much for the help.
I would wait on the DE in the filter for now. You still have a ton of stuff to get out. If you put DE in now, you'll be backwashing every hour.
I agree to wait on DE. Sand will do the job of cleaning the pool, it just takes it longer.
7:45 pm FC 30.5 since I'm supposed to target 27 or so and I have been losing only 1-2 FC level most nights, I'm not going to add more tonight.
I vacuumed to waste and got all but maybe a dozen or so leaves out. Something else heavy and round, I think it's a handful of acorns. I'll sweep them to the shallow end tomorrow and just fish them out (I hope that chlorine level won't kill me - I'll do it right before I shower).
I also vacuumed out as much of the sludgy stuff as I could. Some puffed up, but I probably got 70% maybe? The sides actually looked worse today than normal - I saw a dark film. But I stirred the water a LOT yesterday, so it could be more dead algae. As long as it's not live algae. I scrubbed the pool and got it all off anyway.
Got a bit of water changed out too, because of the vacuuming. I can't check the CYA with levels of chlorine so high though, can I?
One more question - I notice I am burning almost all the chlorine I use between 10:30 am and 2:30 pm. What would happen if I let the level drop to around 14-17 as it did today (not try to boost it high in the morning)? I'm afraid my husband is going to get upset with me having to buy too much chlorine sooner or later. Either that, or if there's anything else I can do to speed up getting it cleaned out, or if I can give him an idea of how long it's likely to take?
But when I add chlorine to bring it up around 3pm, it stays until late the next morning, seems like.
I need to know myself how long to anticipate to make sure I don't run out of testing chemicals.
I'm not complaining - y'all have helped tremendously, it's looking great, and I don't feel bad when I go to the pool store and spend $14 and the other guy who is buying everything they tell him to buy spends $200. I believe in this. I just need to know what to tell my husband as he's kind of stressed out.
Thanks so much.
I vacuumed to waste and got all but maybe a dozen or so leaves out. Something else heavy and round, I think it's a handful of acorns. I'll sweep them to the shallow end tomorrow and just fish them out (I hope that chlorine level won't kill me - I'll do it right before I shower).
I also vacuumed out as much of the sludgy stuff as I could. Some puffed up, but I probably got 70% maybe? The sides actually looked worse today than normal - I saw a dark film. But I stirred the water a LOT yesterday, so it could be more dead algae. As long as it's not live algae. I scrubbed the pool and got it all off anyway.
Got a bit of water changed out too, because of the vacuuming. I can't check the CYA with levels of chlorine so high though, can I?
One more question - I notice I am burning almost all the chlorine I use between 10:30 am and 2:30 pm. What would happen if I let the level drop to around 14-17 as it did today (not try to boost it high in the morning)? I'm afraid my husband is going to get upset with me having to buy too much chlorine sooner or later. Either that, or if there's anything else I can do to speed up getting it cleaned out, or if I can give him an idea of how long it's likely to take?
But when I add chlorine to bring it up around 3pm, it stays until late the next morning, seems like.
I need to know myself how long to anticipate to make sure I don't run out of testing chemicals.
I'm not complaining - y'all have helped tremendously, it's looking great, and I don't feel bad when I go to the pool store and spend $14 and the other guy who is buying everything they tell him to buy spends $200. I believe in this. I just need to know what to tell my husband as he's kind of stressed out.
Thanks so much.
Have him do the fishing for the leaves and acorns. Getting those out will help more than anything else you can do. .
.I'm going to ponder the let it drop to 14 during the day. It's not ideal but given the limited drop you have overnight ... It may not be a bad way to go. Still enough cl to keep ahead of the algae and not losing as much to the daylight. Your logic is sound but practical application of the SLAM process says stick with it.
I think the clearing would slow down further. Not sure if it would yield any savings at the end of the process or not.
I think the clearing would slow down further. Not sure if it would yield any savings at the end of the process or not.
I like karma's idea. Hand him the net and the brush.
Also, find some of those threads that show a successful conversion. You'd be surprised how many new members come on here doing all the work, and it's the other half who stands on the sidelines and can't understand why it's taking so long and seems like so much work and why don't we just go to the pool store?!? (Does anyone remember it was the pool store that got us into this mess in the first place? But I digress....)
Show him the science and show him the proof. It's the lack of knowing and lack of understanding that's the problem. We really can't tell you how long it will take. Sometimes it's 4 days. Sometimes it's 4 weeks. The SLAM is done when it's done.
Also, find some of those threads that show a successful conversion. You'd be surprised how many new members come on here doing all the work, and it's the other half who stands on the sidelines and can't understand why it's taking so long and seems like so much work and why don't we just go to the pool store?!? (Does anyone remember it was the pool store that got us into this mess in the first place? But I digress....)
Show him the science and show him the proof. It's the lack of knowing and lack of understanding that's the problem. We really can't tell you how long it will take. Sometimes it's 4 days. Sometimes it's 4 weeks. The SLAM is done when it's done.
Ah, I see. Four weeks, yikes, I hope not, LOL.
Well, I'm 6 days into it. Had tremendous improvement by 4 days. Chlorine is lasting MUCH longer than it did at first.
I got as much as I could out today, and will see what settles overnight, and get the acorns and hopefully last few leaves tomorrow.
He's not so good at taking the net and brush, LOL. I had him out there with me today and he wandered back into the house while I needed him to help me with the switching stuff around and getting vacuum started, and didn't come back.
A few days ago he was asking me repeatedly if I was sure I knew what I was doing. (Which I don't, I'm taking y'all's word for it, but it sure seems to be working, I think y'all know what you're doing, and I'm willing to go with it!). But yes, I can test the water in my sleep, and the pool math calculator does all the work for you. I can read it, LOL.
Since the water turned blue all over he hasn't asked again.
I will try to get him to hang in there.
And yes, I can see, maybe if I use less chlorine during the day, I might in the end not save any. But ... I think I am using around 60% of my total chlorine just keeping the level up for a 4-hour period each day. I know it's not exact and making a change might change the totals, but it might be somewhere around half of my chlorine is doing it's job for 20 hours a day then?
I know it's not pure chemistry but also biology, so it's not going to be an exact science.
For now, I'll keep doing what I'm doing. Maybe I can make a good bit more progress, since I really hope I got a good bit of the remaining dead stuff out today.
Over the past 3 days, I've taken out a huge mess of leaves, and today I got as much of the black muck as I could.
Oh, I think the stuff around the drain is actually SAND. It's not moving with the vacuum. I seem to have sand coming into the pool from the two eyeballs near the steps too, because I brushed everything in the pool to the drain yesterday, and today there are little piles of sand there again.
I saw a few grains of sand in the little glass bottle by the pump (the viewer-thing) as well.
I hope this isn't terribly bad news of any kind.
Well, I'm 6 days into it. Had tremendous improvement by 4 days. Chlorine is lasting MUCH longer than it did at first.
I got as much as I could out today, and will see what settles overnight, and get the acorns and hopefully last few leaves tomorrow.
He's not so good at taking the net and brush, LOL. I had him out there with me today and he wandered back into the house while I needed him to help me with the switching stuff around and getting vacuum started, and didn't come back.
A few days ago he was asking me repeatedly if I was sure I knew what I was doing. (Which I don't, I'm taking y'all's word for it, but it sure seems to be working, I think y'all know what you're doing, and I'm willing to go with it!). But yes, I can test the water in my sleep, and the pool math calculator does all the work for you. I can read it, LOL.
Since the water turned blue all over he hasn't asked again.
I will try to get him to hang in there.
And yes, I can see, maybe if I use less chlorine during the day, I might in the end not save any. But ... I think I am using around 60% of my total chlorine just keeping the level up for a 4-hour period each day. I know it's not exact and making a change might change the totals, but it might be somewhere around half of my chlorine is doing it's job for 20 hours a day then?
I know it's not pure chemistry but also biology, so it's not going to be an exact science.
For now, I'll keep doing what I'm doing.
Maybe I can make a good bit more progress, since I really hope I got a good bit of the remaining dead stuff out today. Over the past 3 days, I've taken out a huge mess of leaves, and today I got as much of the black muck as I could.
Oh, I think the stuff around the drain is actually SAND. It's not moving with the vacuum. I seem to have sand coming into the pool from the two eyeballs near the steps too, because I brushed everything in the pool to the drain yesterday, and today there are little piles of sand there again.
I saw a few grains of sand in the little glass bottle by the pump (the viewer-thing) as well.
I hope this isn't terribly bad news of any kind.
Not a big deal at all. I get some sand in the pool and I have a cartridge, not sand filter! If the eyeball has a stream of sand coming out, then you have a problem.
Nope, just a bit of sand near the steps, where the two strongest eyeballs are and closest to the filter too. I don't know, maybe a couple of tablespoons after a day? But then again, the amount in the whole pool is not that much more, and I've never gotten it out yet, so I guess not a problem, thanks.
And the dead algae on the bottom is back in the same places and amounts as yesterday. I guess the vacuuming yesterday didn't help much. But I'm getting better circulation than I thought - the acorns were moved to another area.
BTW ... my husband wants to swim? Besides the fact that it's probably dangerously cold, I'm thinking FC of 27 is WAY too high to be in? Assuming even the algae is not posing a safety issue?
The water sometimes feels slippery to me, it has so much chlorine.
I do need to talk him into waiting, don't I?
And the dead algae on the bottom is back in the same places and amounts as yesterday. I guess the vacuuming yesterday didn't help much. But I'm getting better circulation than I thought - the acorns were moved to another area.
BTW ... my husband wants to swim? Besides the fact that it's probably dangerously cold, I'm thinking FC of 27 is WAY too high to be in? Assuming even the algae is not posing a safety issue?
The water sometimes feels slippery to me, it has so much chlorine.
I do need to talk him into waiting, don't I?
It's theoretically safe to swim UP TO slam level but not above. Given the amount of water replacement you have had with back washing in would wait until you get a good cya test at the end of the slam.
If he does swim have him wear an old suit ... And have him get the acorns out.
If he does swim have him wear an old suit ... And have him get the acorns out.
I just thought I would comment with regard to the Cal-Hypo shock you got at the pool store. Unless you have problems with high Calcium hardness in your water, there is no reason you can't use the shock during the SLAM process. With a vinyl liner, you probably don't have much to worry about with Calcium causing problems, unless it is extremely high.
The results from the pool store say CH=35, which is very low. If your own tests confirm that CH is in fact anything but high, feel free to use the Cal-hypo shock.
The results from the pool store say CH=35, which is very low. If your own tests confirm that CH is in fact anything but high, feel free to use the Cal-hypo shock.