- May 3, 2014
- 58,961
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Can't hold TC or FC with a SWG?
- Thread starter prettyblues80
- Start date
@mknauss I added the LC and then tested 30 mins later. My FC was at 22ppm and CC was less than .5. So do I check the levels again tonight or just do the OCLT in the morning? If I pass the OCLT tomorrow morning, the water is already clear, and test the water and have no CC, do I stop the SLAM, or push through another day to be sure?
- May 3, 2014
- 58,961
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Do the test in the morning. I would push through one more day even if you pass in the am. Be sure to brush, attack those areas that showed algae.
If the low cya is correct, at least you’ve likely found the answer to your original question.
i don’t remember you saying you saw any algae anywhere other than mentioning a little tinge in the color of your filter sock. Pool still clear and have you been supplementing to maintain chlorine level? Hopefully you’ll pass and just have to raise your CYA to help your SWG maintain on its own.
i don’t remember you saying you saw any algae anywhere other than mentioning a little tinge in the color of your filter sock. Pool still clear and have you been supplementing to maintain chlorine level? Hopefully you’ll pass and just have to raise your CYA to help your SWG maintain on its own.
@mknauss and @outpost Thank you for your replies. I really didn't see any algae in the pool itself, only in the skimmer sock and the sock in the vacuum, BUT I did see a little in one of the intake hoses which I thought was interesting. It is one that we have had issues with it pulling in a bit of air, not enough to really increase the amount of air in the filter basket when running, but enough that needs to be bled off before starting the pump again.
Anyway, all that to say, that little tiny bit is now gone this morning, but we did fail the OCLT test. I tested last night 30 minutes after dosing the pool and we were at 22ppm, this morning we tested at 12.5ppm, so while the water looks GREAT, I dosed the pool back up to 20ppm. I will test again in a few hours and will run the vacuum. I brushed the sides and bottom of the pool yesterday anyway even though they didn't show signs of debris.
Should I be paying attention to anything else? Just test periodically today to keep the pool at 20ppm and do the OCLT in the morning?
OH, also the water tested 0 on CC too, so that is a plus!
Anyway, all that to say, that little tiny bit is now gone this morning, but we did fail the OCLT test. I tested last night 30 minutes after dosing the pool and we were at 22ppm, this morning we tested at 12.5ppm, so while the water looks GREAT, I dosed the pool back up to 20ppm. I will test again in a few hours and will run the vacuum. I brushed the sides and bottom of the pool yesterday anyway even though they didn't show signs of debris.
Should I be paying attention to anything else? Just test periodically today to keep the pool at 20ppm and do the OCLT in the morning?
OH, also the water tested 0 on CC too, so that is a plus!
@outpost What do you think a SWG pool should be at consistently for CYA? I am still unsure on that. Of course, when I am done with the SLAM I will bring up the CYA to the levels it should be and pay closer attention to maintaining that value. It is what got me here in the first place. That and using 6-way test strips instead of a real test kit. LOL!
Sigh, we failed the OCLT again this morning. To be fair, I tested at dusk and added chlorine to get me back up to 20, but didn't test 30 mins later to confirm that is where I was at. The calculations on pool math should have brought me up to 20 last night and we tested at 14ppm this morning. Another day of SLAMming today?
Pretty,
I think you're missing something here. Firstly make sure the slam level is in line with the cya level which brings up another point. You have to be absolutely sure what the CYA is otherwise by adding more chlorine then the ratio of chlorine/CYA will not let the chlorine hold even without algae. Secondly, the chlorine needs to hold during your slam before you move on to OCLT. If the FC keeps dropping then keep slamming UNTIL it's not losing any or very very little. At that point check the CC level to see in reality if that's ready to move forward.
I think you're missing something here. Firstly make sure the slam level is in line with the cya level which brings up another point. You have to be absolutely sure what the CYA is otherwise by adding more chlorine then the ratio of chlorine/CYA will not let the chlorine hold even without algae. Secondly, the chlorine needs to hold during your slam before you move on to OCLT. If the FC keeps dropping then keep slamming UNTIL it's not losing any or very very little. At that point check the CC level to see in reality if that's ready to move forward.
@wireform I am sure of what my CYA was when I started the SLAM, am I supposed to be checking it throughout the process too? I didn't think I was. Also, the FC is going to be somewhat depleted by the sun during the day, is it not? I didn't think we were too concerned with CL during the day, I thought that we were supposed to pay attention to the FC level at sun down and then retest in the morning to determine if there is any loss, since we can rule out that the sun isn't causing the loss, it is assumed it is organics that is causing the loss.
@mknauss can you help us out a bit here? Did I miss something? Should I expect a little FC loss during the day even with the cover on or should the FC being completely stable during the day?
@mknauss can you help us out a bit here? Did I miss something? Should I expect a little FC loss during the day even with the cover on or should the FC being completely stable during the day?
- May 3, 2014
- 58,961
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
You will still see loss from UV with a solar cover. If it is a winter cover, it will be less loss.
Read SLAM Process. You need to monitor your FC as often as possible, not less than 3-4 times per day, and add liquid chlorine to raise FC to SLAM level.
Read SLAM Process. You need to monitor your FC as often as possible, not less than 3-4 times per day, and add liquid chlorine to raise FC to SLAM level.
I shouldn't be checking my CYA frequently too during the SLAM though, right? The only criteria I am not meeting to stop the SLAM is the OCLT. Water has never looked better and absolutely no green tinges anywhere. Once we pass the OCLT, when do I restart my SWG and bring up my CYA to 75? The same day I stop the SLAM?
- May 3, 2014
- 58,961
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Your CYA should not have changed in this short time. Unless you have a large water exchange or add CYA containing products, testing CYA every month is fine.
Pass the OCLT, let the FC come down near target range for your CYA, restart your SWCG. Start dissolving some CYA to get to 70 ppm.
Pass the OCLT, let the FC come down near target range for your CYA, restart your SWCG. Start dissolving some CYA to get to 70 ppm.
CYA will be what it was as long as you haven't drained off lots of water say to to rain. The FC will drop some but if you check it 3-4 times a day you will not be off by too much as long as there is only uv burning it up. When you have drastic drops then its not sun but organics which is why your slamming in the first place. To help the slam you should be brushing well twice a day and watch the filter psi. A rise of 25% above clean psi reading means time to clean out the filter. Sometimes even without a 25% rise it's its going for a week I'd recommend you backwash well.
@wireform I am doing this slam specifically because I couldn't hold chlorine but didn't have much algae established at least visible to the eye. I have been checking the FC first thing in the morning (which reveals the overnight loss) add LC, check again around now, had 1.5ppm loss from this morning so added more FC. I will re-test again in a few to make sure I am back up to 20ppm, and will then test again at 7:30 to make sure we are settled at 20ppm for the night and pray that I pass the OCLT in the morning.