Best practice after high bathing load

[joecords]

Hi all,

New pool owner here, but rapidly getting up to speed on best practices from this forum. I've been hovering at about 1 ppm FC since a gathering I just had with a high bathing load.

Conventional wisdom from other pool owners was that you "shock" the pool after such a gathering, but I followed the instructions and dont meet the criteria for a SLAM. Should I just raise the SWG output to increase chlorine levels or would it be a good idea to add some liquid chlorine to raise the levels quickly to prevent an algae bloom?

Also, we have an auto cover and pool is closed when not in use if that changes anything (figuring less sunlight might stabilize FC levels)

PH 7.5, CYA is 70 fyi

Joe

 

[lager1829]

You should get some liquid chlorine in there ASAP. The SWG is just to maintain the proper level. Use the below to determine your target FC. BTW, I raise my FC before the high bathing load.

FC/CYA Levels

 

[Richard320]

If your big bathing load is planned, crank up the SWG to max the day before. So long as you're below SLAM level, it's safe to swim in and nobody will smell it or notice a thing. And leave it on max until the water returns to normal. Or keep a jug or two of bleach in reserve for these occasions and add an extra 5 ppm FC before people get in and again after they get out.

 

[JJ_Tex]

I think the key is to test right afterwards. I did that the other day when we had a high bather load and I did the quick FC test. I was pleasantly surprised when I still have a FC of around 5, but I have 2 jugs of liquid chlorine stored in case I ever need to quickly bring it back up.

 

[joecords]

Thank you! I re-tested and got a CC level of 1 and am starting to smell chlorine. Other levels were appropriate so I used Pool Math to get up to SLAM level which should be 31 FC (3 128 oz liquid chlorine).

1) How long should I wait to measure FC and make sure it got to the right level? I tried after 30 mins and FC was at least 55. I'm hoping I sampled the water from a place where the shock was still circulating and that's why it is so high! Otherwise I'm at a loss as to how the math was wrong..

2) Is there a more efficient way to take measurements at such high FC? I'm going to run out of reagent before I finish the SLAM for sure (just ordered more)

Thanks as always.

Joe

 

[Richard320]

Thank you! I re-tested and got a CC level of 1 and am starting to smell chlorine. Other levels were appropriate so I used Pool Math to get up to SLAM level which should be 31 FC (3 128 oz liquid chlorine).

1) How long should I wait to measure FC and make sure it got to the right level? I tried after 30 mins and FC was at least 55. I'm hoping I sampled the water from a place where the shock was still circulating and that's why it is so high! Otherwise I'm at a loss as to how the math was wrong..

2) Is there a more efficient way to take measurements at such high FC? I'm going to run out of reagent before I finish the SLAM for sure (just ordered more)

Thanks as always.

Joe

Use 10 ml sample, one scoop of powder, and divide drops by 2. 11 drops =5½ FC and so on.

If all you're seeing is 1 CC and it's after a huge swim load, a full-blown SLAM seems like overkill to me. You know what caused the CC and it wasn't algae. It was swimmers and their sweat and snot and dead skin and whatever else they left behind. Same with the cloudiness. Everyone got a good bath and now the bath water is dirty. Boost the FC some and let the chlorine oxidize stuff and give the filter time to work.

 

[joecords]

Ahh.. I just followed the SLAM criteria to a tee and I should have checked first. I guess beginners mistake.

That's how I'm doing the test, was wondering if there is a more efficient way to do it. Even at 31 FC which is the target, that's 60+ drops of reagent every time I test the level. Seems kind of extreme so wasn't sure if I was missing something.

 

[Richard320]

Ahh.. I just followed the SLAM criteria to a tee and I should have checked first. I guess beginners mistake.

That's how I'm doing the test, was wondering if there is a more efficient way to do it. Even at 31 FC which is the target, that's 60+ drops of reagent every time I test the level. Seems kind of extreme so wasn't sure if I was missing something.

Now you know why we push the C version of the K2006 and why the TF100 has the XL option. You can burn through reagents at an amazing rate doing a SLAM.

I suspect that at 31 FC for a couple hours your water already looks better.

 

[Wobblerlorri]

Everyone got a good bath and now the bath water is dirty.

Now that's just funny right there!