Cannot get FC up, pool water foaming

[BigDaddyJeepin]

Hello,

I am having trouble getting our pool clear. It is a 10,000 gallon in ground concrete pool. It is green and you cannot see the bottom.

I purchased a TF-Pro test kit and have a CYA of 50. I am attempting to SLAM it via PoolMath. I cannot get the FC up to 20 which is what PoolMath recommends. I am using Walmart liquid pool bleach at 10%. PoolMath recommended 2 gallons; I used 3 gallons two nights ago, 3 gallons yesterday, and 6 gallons today.

Before the 6 gallons I had numbers of:

.5 PPM FC
1.5 PPM CC

A few hours after the 6 gallons today the water over the deep end was extremely foamy and I had the following numbers:

2.5 PPM FC
4 PPM CC

Our pool is a round/oblong shape, it has 1 skimmer, a main drain in the deep end that isn't functioning correctly, two return jets that are on opposite sides of the shallow end. It uses a pentair style cartridge filter.

I am just at a loss with all the foaming and lack of free chlorine. Do I need to just keep adding more? Thank you in advance!

 

[PoolStored]

You are killing off and oxidizing whatever organics are in there. Trust the process.

Test, dose enough to get to 20, don't test again for at least 2 hours, test again, repeat. Do not add more than what pool math tells you to add to get to 20, you will just waste chlorine. You likely will never get a 20 result, that is not the intent of the SLAM.

 

[PoolStored]

What is your pH? Can you also run another CYA test for me? When did you test CYA last?

 

[BigDaddyJeepin]

You are killing off and oxidizing whatever organics are in there. Trust the process.

Test, dose enough to get to 20, don't test again for at least 2 hours, test again, repeat. Do not add more than what pool math tells you to add to get to 20, you will just waste chlorine. You likely will never get a 20 result, that is not the intent of the SLAM.

Thank you, I appreciate that, because I am about at my wit's end I feel like. I guess I have been misunderstanding that I should be seeing the target of 20 and being nowhere close to that is what has had me so frustrated. Is the foaming the oxidation?

 

[BigDaddyJeepin]

What is your pH? Can you also run another CYA test for me? When did you test CYA last?

pH is at 7.6 down from over 8.2 when I started a couple days ago, I used MA to get it down.

My first CYA a couple days ago was 50; a couple hours ago it "seemed" to be right in the middle of 40 and 50, but that could be my error.

 

[PoolStored]

Is the foaming the oxidation?

Foaming can sometimes happen during the SLAM, for a number of reasons. In either way, we deal with the algae first. If there is residual foaming after you pass all three slam criteria, we can deal with it then. Either way, in my book and experience at this point in the process, foaming is telling you the SLAM is working.

 

[PoolStored]

pH is at 7.6

middle of 40 and 50

Great, that rules out Ammonia as an issue...

SLAM ON!

 

[BigDaddyJeepin]

Thank you! I will keep trusting the process.

 

[PoolStored]

Link-->How Clear is TFP Clear?

 

[BigDaddyJeepin]

Foaming can sometimes happen during the SLAM, for a number of reasons. In either way, we deal with the algae first. If there is residual foaming after you pass all three slam criteria, we can deal with it then. Either way, in my book and experience at this point in the process, foaming is telling you the SLAM is working.

Thank you for the insight! I will keep trusting the process.

 

[BigDaddyJeepin]

Great, that rules out Ammonia as an issue...

SLAM ON!

I will get some pics, what kind would be most helpful? I had some of the green water with the foaming but they were too big to attach apparently.

 

[BigDaddyJeepin]

Link-->How Clear is TFP Clear?

Wow! That is what I am hoping we can accomplish!

 

[BigDaddyJeepin]

I will also say, one of the things that has been worrying me, I haven't really seen much of a color change since starting the process. The green (fairly dark green) has stayed consistent.

 

[PoolStored]

I will get some pics, what kind would be most helpful? I had some of the green water with the foaming but they were too big to attach apparently.

Take a picture of the pool every day from the same spot, so we can see the entire pool. put that picture on your phone and take a screen shot of the photo and post that. It won't be too big.

 

[PoolStored]

I will also say, one of the things that has been worrying me, I haven't really seen much of a color change since starting the process. The green (fairly dark green) has stayed consistent.

Have you gotten everything off the bottom you can? How often are you testing and replacing? Do it every 2-3 hours and you will see a change. That is also why I recommend a pic a day.

 

[BigDaddyJeepin]

Have you gotten everything off the bottom you can? How often are you testing and replacing? Do it every 2-3 hours and you will see a change. That is also why I recommend a pic a day.

I'm not sure what's down there, as I can't see the bottom anywhere, but we just got a manual vacuum with a skimmer plate, so I am hoping we will be able to get more using a methodical vacuuming grid.

Currently it has been morning and night due to work schedules, but I will up it to every 2-3 hours if that's what it will take to get it right. I will also start the pics tomorrow. Thank you for all your knowledge and assistance!

 

[PoolStored]

Oh, yeah, twice a day ain't cutting it.

When I found TFP, I had 8 days to the 4th. I was a maniac. 7am to 1am, every two hours. Stalled at 5 days with 2.5ppm loss at night, until I looked at the ladder and said, "there's water in there." Pulled the ladder, cleaned inside, lots of some sort of bacteria. Passed oclt the next night. 4th was saved!!!

3.jpg

• PoolStored
• Aug 2, 2022

 

[Bperry]

Thank you for the insight! I will keep trusting the process.

You arent using grocery store clorox bleach with soap and fabric softener by chance? Foaming may happen with that stuff. It also happens to be way weaker than the chlorinating liquid from hardware stores/walmart.

 

[BigDaddyJeepin]

Oh, yeah, twice a day ain't cutting it.

When I found TFP, I had 8 days to the 4th. I was a maniac. 7am to 1am, every two hours. Stalled at 5 days with 2.5ppm loss at night, until I looked at the ladder and said, "there's water in there." Pulled the ladder, cleaned inside, lots of some sort of bacteria. Passed oclt the next night. 4th was saved!!!

3.jpg

• PoolStored
• Aug 2, 2022

Wow, I will definitely be stepping up my process and testing. I haven't done an oclt yet either. I also know that with a cartridge filter I need to be cleaning it every 2-3 hours as well correct?

I also have a SWG but have it turned off per the SLAM guide until after SLAMing is done.

 

[BigDaddyJeepin]

You arent using grocery store clorox bleach with soap and fabric softener by chance? Foaming may happen with that stuff. It also happens to be way weaker than the chlorinating liquid from hardware stores/walmart.

No I am not, I got pool chlorinating liquid from Walmart, it is the gallon jugs at 10% bleach.