First SLAM

[Texas Splash]

If you added no chlorine, then from last night to this morning you lost just under 1 ppm, so techincally you passed the OCLT. The reading of 14 ppm might have just been a testing variance.

For FC testing, it appears you are using the 25ml sample (multiplied by 0.2). No need to get that specific. Simply use the following:

10 ml water sample with ONE generous scoop of powder. Add drops until clear and divide the results in half. Example: 20 drops equals an FC of 10.

 

[Newdude]

Switch to 10ml samples and each drop is 1/2 FC to save 2.5X the supplies. .5 is plenty good enough for what we need to do. The # before the decimal point is the important one. Whether it's a 13.4 or 13.5 is of no concern. The fact it's a 13X is golden.

 

[nymickey]

From last night (9:13pm) and this morning (6:46am) did you add any chlorine at all? Was the SWG off?

No ... I only added 1/2 gallon at 6:34pm and the SWG is still off.

 

[C&HSewell]

Thanks for all your help guys !!!
I do use a speed stir and I will take pics when the sun comes up.
Here is the latest and greatest:
3/23 @ 3:21pm = 12
3/23 @ 6:34pm = 9.6 so I added 1/2g of chlorine
3/23 @ 9:13pm = 13.5
3/23 @ 11:49pm = 14
3/24 @ 6:46am = 12.6

I am confused about the OCLT. Although it's only been 2 days, the FC level from 3/22 to 3/23 showed a .2 increase but I guess the bad news is that it went down from 3/23 to 3/24 by 1.SOme

Just out of curiosity, are you changing your testing method? It appears that some look to be with a 25Ml sample(.2) and then a 10Ml(.5). Want to make sure you are not mixing up your calculations.

 

[nymickey]

I was initially doing the 25ml sample until I read @mknauss's comments. I do see debris on the bottom when I brush. I use that "whale" brush ... hopefully that's a good one
3/24 @ 9:28am = 13
3/24 @ 12:11pm = 10 so I added 1/2 Gallon
3/24 @ 2:11pm = 11
3/24 @ 5:47pm = 9 so I added 1/2 Gallon
3/24 @ 9:46pm = 13
3/25 @ 12:20am = 15
3/25 @ 9:55am = 14 NOTE: we had 1" on rain overnight
3/25 @ 1:24pm = 10
3/26 @ 1:03pm = 8 so I added 1/2 Gallon
It looks like it kind of got away from me over the weekend due to other responsibilities. I hate to hear the answer ... but do I just keep slamming?
Wouldn't it be easier just to dump a gallon or 2 every night and chlorinate the heck out of it?
Going through a lot of that powder on these tests !

Just out of curiosity, are you changing your testing method? It appears that some look to be with a 25Ml sample(.2) and then a 10Ml(.5). Want to make sure you are not mixing up your calculations.

Any further advice? Can I turn the chlorinator on ?

Just out of curiosity, are you changing your testing method? It appears that some look to be with a 25Ml sample(.2) and then a 10Ml(.5). Want to make sure you are not mixing up your calculations.

OK Folks,

Getting tired of all this testing and I am hopeful I am done slamming.
So last night (3/27@10:07pm) I tested twice ... one 25ml and one 10ml
I got 13 on the 25ml and 15 on the 10ml
This morning (before sunrise) it was 12.6 on the 25ml and 14 on the 10ml ... BUT ... cc was not present as the samples never were pink.
What do I do now? Waiting for the sunrise to see if debris is on bottom of pool and if the water looks clear.

 

[C&HSewell]

I would hold off on turning on the chlorinator unitl you pass. Do you see any visible signs of algae dead or alive? Sometimes what you are seeing when you brush can be legitimate dirt and not dead algae. Have you vaccumed this to waste?

 

[PoolStored]

Getting tired of all this testing and I am hopeful I am done slamming.
So last night (3/27@10:07pm) I tested twice ... one 25ml and one 10ml
I got 13 on the 25ml and 15 on the 10ml
This morning (before sunrise) it was 12.6 on the 25ml and 14 on the 10ml ... BUT ... cc was not present as the samples never were pink.
What do I do now? Waiting for the sunrise to see if debris is on bottom of pool and if the water looks clear.

I would recommend slamming one more day for insurance. If you are tired now, you will kick yourself if you have to start slamming again.

You are done with slam when
1) OCLT <=1 FC
2) CC <=.5
3) Water is clear. That includes no dead algae or debris!

 

[nymickey]

I would recommend slamming one more day for insurance. If you are tired now, you will kick yourself if you have to start slamming again.

You are done with slam when
1) OCLT <=1 FC
2) CC <=.5
3) Water is clear. That includes no dead algae or debris!

Thanks for the inspiration !!!

 

[PoolStored]

Thanks for the inspiration !!!

Looked at pics, none have a full view of the pool. Did you scrub everything? Scrub the skimmers? Check the weir doors for algae in the foam? Remove any/all lights and scrubbed behind and around them? Do you have a ladder? Did you remove it and scrub inside the tubes (ask me why I ask)?

 

[nymickey]

I would hold off on turning on the chlorinator unitl you pass. Do you see any visible signs of algae dead or alive? Sometimes what you are seeing when you brush can be legitimate dirt and not dead algae. Have you vaccumed this to waste?

No ... I do not see any visible signs of algae dead or alive. Also, I have never vacuumed to waste. Do I just turn the filter to waste and start vacuuming?

 

[PoolStored]

No ... I do not see any visible signs of algae dead or alive. Also, I have never vacuumed to waste. Do I just turn the filter to waste and start vacuuming?

You don't HAvE to vacuum to waste. That is valuable if you have a large volume of dead algae, dirt or debris. Assuming that you have been filtering, have you been backwashing? You should backwash, then note your filter pressure when clean. When the filter pressure rises 25%, you should backwash again.

Can you post new pictures of your pool and water so we can see current state?

 

[nymickey]

You don't HAvE to vacuum to waste. That is valuable if you have a large volume of dead algae, dirt or debris. Assuming that you have been filtering, have you been backwashing? You should backwash, then note your filter pressure when clean. When the filter pressure rises 25%, you should backwash again.

Can you post new pictures of your pool and water so we can see current state?

It looks WAY better !!!

 

[PoolStored]

Oh, YEAH!!! That is progress!

have you been backwashing? You should backwash, then note your filter pressure when clean. When the filter pressure rises 25%, you should backwash again.

How is this going?

I'm assuming you did one more day of SLAM. Where are you on OCLT, CC and your water looks CLEAR!!!

 

[nymickey]

You are correct ... I did one more day of slamming.
Now I have to order more of that powder and R-0871!
Here's the weird part:
3/30 @ 8:30pm I put a whole gallon of liquid chlorine in
@ 11:15pm I got FC = 12.8 using the 25ml sample and 14 using the 10ml sample.
Both had zero cc
3/31 @ 7:32am FC = 14.8 using the 25ml tube (how the heck did it go up !!!) and 13 using the 10ml sample. Again, no cc but the water looks clear.
Q1. - Am I done slamming (i.e. I think I passed the OCLT test) ?
Q2. - Can I turn on the chlorinator and start to get the other levels balanced (pH, TA, CH, etc.)
Q3. - What order do I start on ... 1st pH, then CH, etc.?

 

[Newdude]

3/31 @ 7:32am FC = 14.8 using the 25ml tube (how the heck did it go up !!!)

Because you used 2.5 X the number of drops. Did you really make 37 absolutely perfect drops ? With a shaky hand from the morning coffee ? I know I wouldn't.

Q1. - Am I done slamming (i.e. I think I passed the OCLT test) ?

While I'm more comfortable believing the 10 ML sample with less room for human error, I'd hold SLAM for another day. With the FC holding its far easier than starting over in a few weeks because you stopped too soon.

 

[PoolStored]

@ 11:15pm I got FC = 12.8 using the 25ml sample and 14 using the 10ml sample.
Both had zero cc
3/31 @ 7:32am FC = 14.8 using the 25ml tube (how the heck did it go up !!!) and 13 using the 10ml sample. Again, no cc but the water looks clear.

Testing errors. Watch this video. 7 minutes, but well worth it.

Q2. - Can I turn on the chlorinator and start to get the other levels balanced (pH, TA, CH, etc.)

If you are going to slam another day as @Newdude says, no.

Q3. - What order do I start on ... 1st pH, then CH, etc.?

Either post a full set of results, or if you are using pool math, go to the gear in the upper right corner, then scroll to bottom and enable sharing with TFP. Then we can click on you avatar and see your pool math results. Remember, pH test is invalid above 10ppm. You need to get below 10 before you can get a true pH number.

 

[Newdude]

If you are going to slam another day as @Newdude says, no.

Don't let @PoolStored fool you. He's letting me take the fall for being 'bad cop' making you SLAM another day. He votes hands down for an extra day of SLAM everytime too.

 

[PoolStored]

Don't let @PoolStored fool you. He's letting me take the fall for being 'bad cop' making you SLAM another day. He votes hands down for an extra day of SLAM everytime too.

+112 Yes I do. If I EVER have to perform a slam again, I would insist on FC loss during OCLT to be <=.5 (but I'm "extra").

 

[nymickey]

+112 Yes I do. If I EVER have to perform a slam again, I would insist on FC loss during OCLT to be <=.5 (but I'm "extra").

OK ... I put in 2 gallons of liquid chlorine yesterday. I wanted to kill ANYTHING possible so I can stop the SLAM. FC at night was 21 using the 10ml bottle. This morning it was 22 ?!?!?
I dropped the tube (the 10ml to 25ml one) and it cracked so I have to find out where I can get another one.
Water looks clear and the cc test still did not go to pink so I guess cc would be 0.
P.S. I watched the video on how to test properly and learned a few things.

 

[PoolStored]

I wanted to kill ANYTHING possible so I can stop the SLAM.

I feel you. I went through 40+ gallons my first and only SLAM.

Bleach.jpg

• PoolStored
• Aug 5, 2022

P.S. I watched the video on how to test properly and learned a few things.

Nice.

This morning it was 22 ?!?!?

Sorry for that. Only thing that crops up somewhat consistently is how you use the reagent bottle. You want to hold them vertically. You want to squeeze VERY slowly/minimally so that the drop forms and drops under/because of its own weight. That allows the drops to be of consistent size and the size the test is expecting. If you squeeze quickly/hard and force them out, they will be a variable size and you will get variable results.