Keep the pump running 24/7, your FC should come down pretty quickly since you weren't able to deep clean the sand yet (you're prob ok there)
What are the actual measurements of your pool? (length/width, max depth, min depth?)
Beginner with TFP method - when to test after pool store opened?
- Thread starter jlsmith123
- Start date
What are the actual measurements of your pool? (length/width, max depth, min depth?)
To refer back to this, The closer the better, mostly so there isn't overshooting. It's much better to need a little more.
Thanks @splashpad. Clear I should undershoot rather than overshoot with the chemicals, a good lesson. Pump will run 24/7 until under control.
Measurements are 16' wide x 40' long, min depth is ~3' and max is ~5' to 6. My error here can come from 1) sloped sides 2) the depths are approx, as I haven't gone inside the pool yet to measure so it's approximation from the pool deck using a metal rod and 3) we have stairs at both ends. I'm guessing I'm off here by a couple thousand.
Bleach strength was ok in the app. I have 12.5% sodium hypochlorite - is it correct I select "bleach" from the chemical list for any type of liquid sodium hypochlorite?
Thanks again
Measurements are 16' wide x 40' long, min depth is ~3' and max is ~5' to 6. My error here can come from 1) sloped sides 2) the depths are approx, as I haven't gone inside the pool yet to measure so it's approximation from the pool deck using a metal rod and 3) we have stairs at both ends. I'm guessing I'm off here by a couple thousand.
Bleach strength was ok in the app. I have 12.5% sodium hypochlorite - is it correct I select "bleach" from the chemical list for any type of liquid sodium hypochlorite?
Thanks again
Once your FC goes down, just use partial doses and verify FC levels after 30min or so, until you can get honed on the size!
Yes! (selecting 'bleach'). It's because before COVID plain household bleach was often cheaper or easier to get than liquid pool chlorine.
Yes! (selecting 'bleach'). It's because before COVID plain household bleach was often cheaper or easier to get than liquid pool chlorine.
- Jun 8, 2019
- 4,574
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
If you do want to deep clean the sand, you'd take off the union at the heater and (I hope you have one) at the pump. With those two unions off, the piping is disconnected from the system. Remove the collar at the bottom of the MPV by undoing the thumb screw all the way, and you can wiggle the whole top off the standpipe with all the waste, in, and out pipes still attached. I did something similar last year. (Now I have cut and put unions on everything to make it easier to disconnect closer to the filter.)
TheDeuce
Gold Supporter
I had the exact same issue with my now nearly-completed SLAM. I was meticulous in adding 10.8% liquid chlorine as recommended by Poolmath to the millilitre but I still ended up with an FC level way over my target. My best guess is that I, in using my pool installer volume spec in litres, may have used a faulty conversion from litres to gallons. I've since learned how to change Poolmath to Metric and will take a 'add less, add more later if needs be' approach.
We're doing our first SLAM simultaneously. I hope yours goes as well as mine is - I think I'm pretty much done.
One piece of advice I'll share, having learned from my first go round. If you have a UV sanitizer in your system, turn it off. I kept mine on 24/7 not knowing that it would consume FC during the OCLT. I couldn't understand why I was losing FC overnight when my CC's were near zero and the clarity was pretty darn good.
m.
Thanks @IceShadow. Will take a closer look tonight at the unions.
Congrats @TheDeuce on nearly completing your first SLAM successfully. Hope I’m not too far behind. I’ll check re the UV sanitizer I have no idea about that.
For testing today - I just tested and I’m at 22 FC and 5 CC. I’ll test again late evening and then likely add some more liquid chlorine to make sure level remains high enough overnight. Is a drop of 8 ppm FC in ~12 hours indicative of something out of ordinary? The pool isn’t that dirty, almost no organic matter and already looking better. I’ll post an end of day pic later.
Congrats @TheDeuce on nearly completing your first SLAM successfully. Hope I’m not too far behind. I’ll check re the UV sanitizer I have no idea about that.
For testing today - I just tested and I’m at 22 FC and 5 CC. I’ll test again late evening and then likely add some more liquid chlorine to make sure level remains high enough overnight. Is a drop of 8 ppm FC in ~12 hours indicative of something out of ordinary? The pool isn’t that dirty, almost no organic matter and already looking better. I’ll post an end of day pic later.
TheDeuce
Gold Supporter
TheDeuce
Gold Supporter
I don't know if it's 'out of the ordinary' but I had an OCLT drop from 33 to 26 (7 ppm) on the night of the 12th to the 13th, but I was slow in getting the AM reading. The sun rises early up here and I have no yen to drag myself out of bed at 4:45 AM...
m.
The CC level was 5 (it took 10 drops for the 10 ml sample to turn clear). So I guess consuming a lot of organic matter.
@TheDeuce ok so you’ve seen a similar drop in FC. My pool did have a lot of sun today. Only reason I get up early (and can do pool stuff late) is because we have an infant. May as well do something useful while I’m awake anyway.
Pics of current status attached, looks way more clear today I can now see small dirt remnants in bottom which were very difficult to see 24 hrs ago.
Attachments
That more likely oxidizing the pool opening chemicals... With the water looking so much better!
Ah so the chlorine zaps unneeded chemicals also, producing CC? Going to reread the pool chemistry article again. Thanks for all the help.
- Jun 8, 2019
- 4,574
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
A lot of pool companies add ammonia-based algaecide. Ammonia will react with FC to make CCs.
Don’t bother going over SLAM level. You want to be at SLAM level as often as you can.
Don’t bother going over SLAM level. You want to be at SLAM level as often as you can.
Making progress.
- Evening test - 17 FC. Added liquid chlor to make sure we were at slam overnight
- Morning test - 21 FC and 1 CC
Attachments
- Jun 8, 2019
- 4,574
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Not sure if this has been recommended yet but if you get stalled on improvement on clarity you could deep clean the sand filter.
Sand filters do take time to clear. So long as you see improvement in the clarity day to day (check the steps and that's usually a good indicator) then you're on the right path. Backwash whenever your filter gets to 25% above standard "clean" pressure.
It's safe to swim in a pool that has FC up to SLAM levels and that you can see the entire bottom of.
Sand filters do take time to clear. So long as you see improvement in the clarity day to day (check the steps and that's usually a good indicator) then you're on the right path. Backwash whenever your filter gets to 25% above standard "clean" pressure.
It's safe to swim in a pool that has FC up to SLAM levels and that you can see the entire bottom of.
Took a couple more tests today, needed to add chlorine once to get it back up to slam level of 20 after the high sun peak.
Ended day at 20 FC and .5 CC, that was my second .5 CC reading so seems CC is decreased significantly from yesterday.
Pool is so much more clear and blue now. Pic attached - I need to take them from same vantage point to better track. But we tried it out this evening for a quick first swim! Doesn’t smell like chlorine and feed fine.
We’ll see how much FC I lose tonight.
I don’t want to count my chickens before they hatch, but so far this method is working. Thanks for all the help.
Ended day at 20 FC and .5 CC, that was my second .5 CC reading so seems CC is decreased significantly from yesterday.
Pool is so much more clear and blue now. Pic attached - I need to take them from same vantage point to better track. But we tried it out this evening for a quick first swim! Doesn’t smell like chlorine and feed fine.
We’ll see how much FC I lose tonight.
I don’t want to count my chickens before they hatch, but so far this method is working. Thanks for all the help.
Attachments
Flying Tivo
TFP Guide
- Jan 24, 2017
- 2,926
- Pool Size
- 7500
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
You need to add unions at this points so you can service your equipment easier in the future.
An update as I may be stuck. So my water is very clear, and my CC has been stable at .5 for two days. I’m stuck at the OCLT, last two nights I did it and:
Tuesday night I lost 4 FC overnight —->
-Tuesday night: FC 20, CC .5
- Weds morning: FC 16, CC .5
Wednesday night I lost 5 FC overnight —->
- Weds night: FC 21, CC .5
- Thursday morning: FC 16, CC .5
Do I just keep maintaining slam levels of FC, daily brush, vacuum and backwash as needed? Or do I need to do something else?
I’d like to stop running filter 24/7 soon as it’s been on full time for a week now.
Tuesday night I lost 4 FC overnight —->
-Tuesday night: FC 20, CC .5
- Weds morning: FC 16, CC .5
Wednesday night I lost 5 FC overnight —->
- Weds night: FC 21, CC .5
- Thursday morning: FC 16, CC .5
Do I just keep maintaining slam levels of FC, daily brush, vacuum and backwash as needed? Or do I need to do something else?
I’d like to stop running filter 24/7 soon as it’s been on full time for a week now.
