Doing a SLAM without liquid chlorine

[gwtw]

We just opened up our pool and it is extremely green and full of leaves and sticks that somehow blew under our mesh cover. Our pool pro blindly removed some leaves and sticks but I imagine that he didn’t get all of them since he cannot see the bottom. I’ve SLAMMED a pool many times before but I never have done it when it was this green and full of leaves and sticks before. I’ve also never SLAMMED a pool with Cal-Hypo shock but it looks like I have no choice because Walmart, Lowe’s, Home Depot and all of the farm and hardware stores in my small town are out of liquid chlorine. Bleach without fragrances and additives is also impossible to find due to COVID-19. Before I start the SLAM, I have a few questions:

1. How long do I need to run the pump before I can test the PH and CYA so I can determine my shock level and start the SLAM?

2. Thunderstorms with high winds are expected tonight and tomorrow so I’m going to have to turn the pump off tonight and keep it off until tomorrow afternoon since my pool is surrounded by trees. Should I go ahead and shock the pool with some Cal-Hypo today so the pool doesn’t get any greener than it already is before I turn the pump off tonight, or would this be a waste of pool chemicals?

3. Since I have a fiberglass pool with a low calcium level (100), can I broadcast the cal-hypo shock and brush afterwards, or do I need to dissolve it in a bucket and pour it around the pool? I have a bad back so dealing with a heavy bucket full of water is difficult for me.

4. Am I going to be able to clear up this pool enough to see the bottom if our pool pro wasn’t able to get all of the leaves out? Once I can see the bottom, can I vacuum up the leaves to waste since these are tiny birch tree leaves that are in there, or do I need to manually remove them with a net?

5. If CYA is 0 like I anticipate, can I start off the SLAM with Dichlor and then switch to Cal-Hypo when CYA reaches 30 instead of putting some CYA in a sock in the skimmer when I start the SLAM?

 

[gonfishin]

1. How long do I need to run the pump before I can test the PH and CYA so I can determine my shock level and start the SLAM?

2. Thunderstorms with high winds are expected tonight and tomorrow so I’m going to have to turn the pump off tonight and keep it off until tomorrow afternoon since my pool is surrounded by trees. Should I go ahead and shock the pool with some Cal-Hypo today so the pool doesn’t get any greener than it already is before I turn the pump off tonight, or would this be a waste of pool chemicals?

3. Since I have a fiberglass pool with a low calcium level (100), can I broadcast the cal-hypo shock and brush afterwards, or do I need to dissolve it in a bucket and pour it around the pool? I have a bad back so dealing with a heavy bucket full of water is difficult for me.

4. Am I going to be able to clear up this pool enough to see the bottom if our pool pro wasn’t able to get all of the leaves out? Once I can see the bottom, can I vacuum up the leaves to waste since these are tiny birch tree leaves that are in there, or do I need to manually remove them with a net?

5. If CYA is 0 like I anticipate, can I start off the SLAM with Dichlor and then switch to Cal-Hypo when CYA reaches 30 instead of putting some CYA in a sock in the skimmer when I start the SLAM?

1. You need to run the pump for at least 30 minutes.

2. The sooner you get chemicals in and mixing with the water, the sooner the nasties can be killed. Do you have a cheap submersible pump you wouldn't mind sacrificing? You could use it to circulate water if you think the storms could cause problems for your pool pump.

3. I haven't used cal-hypo, but if I remember correctly, when it is mixed with water, it gets hot. I think broadcasting into the pool and brushing is the best way to do it.

4. When I used to help my mom with her pool, we'd scoop as much as we could blindly before vacuuming. This helped reduce the number of times we'd have to stop to empty the pump basket with all the tiny leaves and other debris picked up by the vacuum. Even doing it blind, if you run the pattern, you'll be amazed how much you can get out of the pool.

5. You can certainly use dichlor to get CYA and FC into the water and then switch to cal-hypo when you've got enough CYA.