Chlorine loss

[Trex48]

We opened a swamp this year due to closing with only a leaf cover on the pool. So my 'disclosure' begins including all the no-no's: We replaced our pump on May 13, I had no liquid chlorine so I used Cal- pro that was already here, quiet a bit of it with the pool with the hose in the pool because I was backwashing a lot. The pool turned a milky blue but wouldn't clear up. I needed the hose for the Big Sucker to try to get debris off the bottom but when I removed it the metal was covered with scale. I ordered something called Jack's MagicThe Magenta Stuff....I don't know what that did, but I was beginning to see further into the pool but it was ultra hazy so for the second time I did a no-no and added 12 oz. of flocculent that did nothing. Desperate that the pool was still full of particles I then added 3 lbs. of MPS (this past Wednesday but in the meanwhile I was pouring a gallon and half bleach in at various times that my husband bought on June 2 (12 gal. 12.5%). In the interim, before the flocculant, our valve spewed sand out the waste port. The pipe to the laterals was totally broken off so we replaced both the laterals and pipe and the valve on June 2. When I could finally make out the bottom of the pool it had a bunch of sand under the return and around the sides. We vacuumed that into hairnets....6 hairnets full of sand. Sorry for the long diatribe but I'm trying to cover the obvious mistakes I've already made. On June 1, I replaced my reagents that expired 2017 with new reagents from TFTestkits. All the bleach bought June 2 ran out yesterday morning so he bought another 12 gallons of 12.5% yesterday 2:30P raised FC19.0 - CC 1.0. (By the way, the pool is crystal clear, hot and sunny all day (full sun on pool)
9:30P. FC14.5 no CC test......did the overnight test but didn't test until 9:30 (pool in shade until noon)
9:30A FC10.0 CC 1.0

as of 1:55 today

FC. 9.0
CC .5
CYA 40 (can see dot if I stare at it-should I drain to 30?)
PH 7.2
TA.?? 90? *
Temp 86

* I needed help with this test...I did it twice with these results. At 8 drops the sample turns pinkish; at 9 drops it turns a much deeper pink....and it may/ or may not turn a tad darker at 10. But never even after 15 drops is there a difference....it doesn't turn red at all.

i just took another chlorine test 3:50 pm -88 degrees and mostly sunny.
FC 6.5
CC .5

I cannot figure why the pool isn't holding chlorine. Any help will be appreciated (I've not any chlorine since yesterday,excuse typos please).

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum!

You can leave CYA at 40.

Your statement on something covered with scale is a concern. Can you test your CH?

You need to SLAM Process. Test your CH first and report back.

Take care.

 

[kellyfair]

Your TA is 90. The deeper pink is the red.

 

[Trex48]

Thank you both.
At 7:00P I added 72 oz. chlorine. At 9:00P the results is

FC 8.0 CC .5

as for the calcium test:

when I use the speed stir for all 3 reagents the result are 125'

when I don't use the speed stir the results (22 drops) is 550! I'm afraid this is the right number!

Please direct me on the SLAM.

 

[kellyfair]

I’m afraid that your CH could be the higher number, with the cal-hypo that you added. If that’s the case, you should watch for scaling. Having said that, I always use the Speed Stir when I test, so...

You could do the CH test with your fill water, to see what you started out with.

Marty gave you the link to the SLAM instructions in his message above. In a nutshell, you repeatedly raise FC to the SLAM level according to the Chlorine/CYA chart, every two hours if you can. If you can’t, do as often as possible. Consistently keeping FC at SLAM level will kill algae and bacteria. Pump should run 24/7 during SLAM, and filter should be backwashed when PSI rises 25%.

Once water is crystal clear, which can take a few days, you do two checks. The Overnight Chorine Loss Test, and test CC.

If OCLT shows you are losing 1 FC or less, you passed that part. And if CC is .5 or less, you pass that part, and your SLAM is over.

 

[Trex48]

Thanks Kellyfair. My first question. Did I read correctly that when you perform the CH test that you use the speed stir even on step 3....you speed stir even with R-0012? My confusion is from Step 3. "add one drop at a time until color changes to blue"...no stirring mentioned. The 'mixture' (without speed stir) begins to change to blue without stirring earlier BUT without stirring it took 20 drops of R-0012 to be totally blue. Okay, fill water is what I put in the pool through my hose? Third question, it seems my chlorine is lowering about 4 ppm at night (I've been kind of checking that in mornings) so should I add enough chlorine at 9:00P (usually I don't go outside after that at night) to keep water at slam level until the morning? I've likely already wasted a lot of chlorine earlier BUT I want the slam to be successful. Oh, and another question, before I start I should adjust my PH leve, I just want to get it right. I again, thank you.
(as info, my water is crystal clear)
I thought of one more thing. I just use a 16 oz. (for liquids) cup to measure when it comes to volume. What do you use to measure by volume? Or, if you measure ny weight, what do you use?��

 

[Jezza]

Yes you can use the speed stir through the whole process of testing for CH.

The test is complete when you there is no color change- you keep adding drops until the final drop doesn't register a change, which you then subtract from your total. ( It can be tricky trying to see whether the blue has changed color at times so it's good to go nice and slow when you get near the endpoint ).

If your going to SLAM you need to raise your FC to 16 based on a CYA reading of 40. Then you need to maintain that level as much as possible, retesting every few hours ideally but at least 3-4 times a day. The process usually takes at least a few days.

 

[Trex48]

Gosh , Jeeza! You're a mind reader!! After loooking at the SLAM instructions and going to the chart I was going to ask someone if my SLAM level would be 16. Thank you for more info about the CH test. I will start the SLAM after I raise my PH to 7.5 tomorrow. Is approximately 2 hours appropriate to test for PH after adding Borax given the size of the pool and pump HP?

 

[Jezza]

No don't add borax- your perfectly placed to perform your SLAM at 7.2 pH.

 

[kellyfair]

Ahhh! Now I see what you meant about not using the Speedstir! Yes, even if you didn’t have one, you’d need to swirl to mix!

I just use a measuring cup and assume 8 ounces is one cup. Probably not as scientific as it should be, but it seems to work!