First SLAM/OCLT - question

[malcomtent]

Hi,

Earlier this year I bought a house with a pool. It has been winter here in Australia, so I have done nothing more than dip a toe in so far. But I've been doing basic maintenance - keeping the FC/PH level reasonable and digging out leaves constantly for the past 5 months. And I've been reading the Pool School book and the forums.

The weather is starting to warm up, so I am now getting it ready for actual use. Pool looked a bit cloudy on the weekend so I'm doing a SLAM - first OCLT tonight.

Academic Question: Is it possible to have CC of zero, even though you are algae fighting? e.g. Can the CC be wiped out quickly by the SLAM level Chlorine? i.e. is this why we watch FC drop, rather than look at CC levels?

Practical Question: I'm brushing the walls/floors and see a small murky looking cloud kicked up by the broom. I'd say it has a yellowish tinge to it. Anything I need to do other than keep brushing and keep SLAMing until I pass the OCLT? I am thinking vacuum to waste?

FYI - am using the Australian equivalent of the Taylor test (Clear Choice) so am happy with my levels. There was zero CYA originally so I am slowly increasing this now my pool is actually getting sunlight.

Thanks all

 

[riley00dog]

Hi and welcome [emoji1309] where abouts in Australia are you? We’re in Brisbane. It is really starting to feel that swimming is in the very near future! My boys have been swimming since we completed the build (mostly) back in May as we have a heat pump but outside temp has been too cold for me.

It sounds like you have been doing a lot of reading, which is great, as is the test kit you have. I think as long as you’re following the slam protocol to the letter as set out in pool school, you just keep going. Some slams can take longer than others I think. I’ve never had to slam yet so I can’t really offer specific advise. Do you have photos you can share? If you take one each day you will be able to see your progress over time which should be a little encouragement to keep going.

 

[Jezza]

Can you post a full set of results?

FC
CC
pH
TA
CH
CYA

Ideally CC's should be between 0 and 0.5. High levels above this band can indicate a problem with your water but you can also have algae with CC's of 0. CC's are broken down by sunlight (UV) and/or chlorine.

Before entertaining the idea of an OCLT when performing a SLAM you need to make sure that your water is clear. Vaccuming to waste will help clear the dead algae. Are you running your pump continuously?

 

[duraleigh]

xxxxxxxxx

Hi,

Earlier this year I bought a house with a pool. It has been winter here in Australia, so I have done nothing more than dip a toe in so far. But I've been doing basic maintenance - keeping the FC/PH level reasonable and digging out leaves constantly for the past 5 months. And I've been reading the Pool School book and the forums.

The weather is starting to warm up, so I am now getting it ready for actual use. Pool looked a bit cloudy on the weekend so I'm doing a SLAM - first OCLT tonight.

Academic Question: Is it possible to have CC of zero, even though you are algae fighting? e.g. Can the CC be wiped out quickly by the SLAM level Chlorine? i.e. is this why we watch FC drop, rather than look at CC levels? Read more about CC's in Pool School.........they are an indicator that chlorine is working on contaminates BUT an indicator ONLY. So, yes, you can have fluctuating levels anytime. The goal is to get them down to .5 ppm or less.

Practical Question: I'm brushing the walls/floors and see a small murky looking cloud kicked up by the broom. I'd say it has a yellowish tinge to it. Anything I need to do other than keep brushing and keep SLAMing until I pass the OCLT? I am thinking vacuum to waste? That's algae. I am not a huge fan of vacuuming to waste. Algae is a chemistry problem, Fix your chemistry (the SLAM) and let your filter and frequent brushing take care of the dead algae.

FYI - am using the Australian equivalent of the Taylor test (Clear Choice) so am happy with my levels. There was zero CYA originally so I am slowly increasing this now my pool is actually getting sunlight. Stop your CYA at 30 ppm until you complete the SLAM.

Thanks all

 

[malcomtent]

xxxxxxxxx

Thanks mate. I've read the excellent ebook cover to cover a few times. I love it. I'm actually trying to understand a little more about shock breakpoint chlorination (as it is referred to in Australian literature) and how the ratio between CC and FC plays into this. I am sure the science is baked into the SLAM guidelines, I'm just curious as an (ex) scientist. Aussie guidelines say 10:1 ration of FC to CC should be needed to oxidize CC.

My CYA is currently <30, I've kept it low to try to make my life SLAMing a little easier. My pool is pretty shaded, so I want to keep it as low as practicable - I read enough horror stories in the forum/book to be very very wary of things that don't degrade quickly on their own!

Question on vacuuming - the guidelines here say I should vacuum. You are saying not to? To be clear, the SLAM is ongoing, the Chlorine is flowing with abandon, everyone knows that is the solution to the chemisty. But why not remove the junk on the bottom of my pool? Or is it just the "to waste" bit that would be wrong?

Cheers

- - - Updated - - -

Hi and welcome [emoji1309] where abouts in Australia are you? We’re in Brisbane. It is really starting to feel that swimming is in the very near future! My boys have been swimming since we completed the build (mostly) back in May as we have a heat pump but outside temp has been too cold for me.

I'm in Sydney. I'm from the UK, so really this is already 'summer temp'. But it is too cold for me. We have no heater, it is on the to-do list (as is a SWG) once I fix a bunch of other things. The fact that the pool is cold might help to keep my Chlorine costs down in the meantime.

Failed the OCLT last night (went down about 2), though early sunrise means the pool got a bit of sun in the morning. It is now raining all day so I'm not hopeful - the rain tends to wash a lot of junk into the pool and I cannot do anything during the day at the moment. Looks like a weekend job so I can monitor and adjust as need during the day. Will just try to keep close to SLAM levels until then.

Cheers
M

 

[malcomtent]

Hi Jezza,

Thanks mate.

Yeah pump is running* and CC is 0. OCLT was about 2 (but I probably should have got up earlier to be honest). CYA levels are on the low side (about 15-20) which I am fine with for now, but it compounds the problem of being away during the day as nobody is home to add bleach until I get back (late)

I'm struggling with vacuuming due to work-schedule and air-leak. But should be able to fix on the weekend. At least the high FC levels should keep things in check until then. It is raining now, which isn't going to help any of my issues.

It sounds like I am going to need to just need to keep things under control until the weekend when I can vacuum and add bleach as needed during sunlight hours to really get on top of this.

Although there is no timer function on my pump, and no apparent timer anywhere on the power source, it does seem to turn off/on on occasion. But judging by electricity usage (!), it is mostly on.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[Costas > DownUnder]

One of the hardest things for some when performing a SLAM is to ensure that you stay on top of the regular chlorine additions (ensuring SLAM level is maintained) in the early phase of the process otherwise you end up fighting a losing battle with the algae growth.

Usually this requires someone to add chlorine quite regularly at the initial phase eg: every 2 or 3 hours etc.

 

[duraleigh]

the guidelines here say I should vacuum. You are saying not to?

You should absolutely, ABSOLUTELY vacuum. You can not vacuum too much and vacuuming and brushing is one of the most neglected parts of the SLAM.

What I indicated is I am not much in favor of vacuuming to waste. Many people assume vacuuming to waste is a good way to rid your pool of algae (your wording seemed to imply that).......it just doesn't work like that. Algae (even dead algae on the bottom of the pool) is a chemistry problem......not solved significantly by vacuuming.

I would rather see people use the filter to catch debris (and then backwash/clean your filter) rather than trying to pump it out of the pool by vacuuming to waste.

 

[malcomtent]

You should absolutely, ABSOLUTELY vacuum. You can not vacuum too much and vacuuming and brushing is one of the most neglected parts of the SLAM.

What I indicated is I am not much in favor of vacuuming to waste. Many people assume vacuuming to waste is a good way to rid your pool of algae (your wording seemed to imply that).......it just doesn't work like that. Algae (even dead algae on the bottom of the pool) is a chemistry problem......not solved significantly by vacuuming.

I would rather see people use the filter to catch debris (and then backwash/clean your filter) rather than trying to pump it out of the pool by vacuuming to waste.

Got it - thanks mate. I misunderstood. Am trying to stay on top of it, totally nailed by the weather now though. Heaviest rain so far this year! So I'm going to be out there in a raincoat brushing

- - - Updated - - -

One of the hardest things for some when performing a SLAM is to ensure that you stay on top of the regular chlorine additions (ensuring SLAM level is maintained) in the early phase of the process otherwise you end up fighting a losing battle with the algae growth.

Usually this requires someone to add chlorine quite regularly at the initial phase eg: every 2 or 3 hours etc.

Understood - Luckily the drop during the day seems pretty tame. I wonder whether I can get away with going a little higher on the initial FC, so that the drop during the day keeps my in the right range. I am not keen on going too high on the FC. I can't see my boss letting me work-from-home for pool management reasons, she is already cranky that I have a pool and she doesn't

 

[malcomtent]

Update

Thanks for the advice and help

Passed my oclt and fc drop during daytime is tame (weather is cloudy which helped me maintain decent fc even when not home)

Pool looks good still getting lots of dirt daily off the overhanging tree but that is something I can't fix.

Thanks again. Hopefully can keep on the straight and narrow and start on repairs now.