Getting awfully frustrated in the process

[lmohall]

I have been a lurker for a while and have been "successful" this summer using this process to rid our pool of some green algae (we for sure got to the clear water point), but I never cleared the last hurdle of meeting the 3 requirements. We were out of town and I had the next door neighbor girl helping me out...it became clear for her, but by the time we returned I was back to my usual habits of adding shock and some pucks (I have been successful with shock and pucks for as long as we've had the pool...19 years this summer). I am now really frustrated. It took awhile for the test kit to show up, but I am now on day 5 with very high CYA. We have been unseasonably warm this September, but closing time is upon us and things are not looking good. Here are my #'s (although probably not the order you are hoping for):

CYA: 90
FC: 39 (I've been aiming for the last 2 nights because I read somewhere to add 10 to whatever you get on your CYA. )
CC: 0
Ph: 7.2 (when I started)
TA: 130 (although it might be 120...I wrote in my notes that I might have miss counted)
CH: 108 (we have a vinyl pool...I don't this this matters much to me, but maybe???)

What did I forget? A picture? I'll try to get that. Also, we got a new liner last year and started completely from scratch. It's as if I knew what to do the first 18 years and the nuances of how our pool behaved and now I am completely lost. We fill from a well. We tried to keep the iron out to start with using batting to try and collect as much as we could and when we opened this year we did not have any of our usual iron issues.

UGH! I told my husband that if things didn't look like they improved today I would need to reach out to this group because I am completely lost. We are considering trying to drain and refill to lower our CYA (I didn't do that initially because we are so close to closing season). I had my husband look at my CYA results to see if we got the same number. I've been testing every 3 hours (roughly), but with such high CYA levels I keep worrying that I am going to run out of testing reagent. I'm getting in and brushing everyday (we have no stairs...just a deck that goes up to the edge) Any help will be much appreciated and I am starting to get overwhelmed TIA!

 

[ajw22]

Welcome to TFP.

Patience, patience.

The SLAM Process can take a few weeks on some pools. It depends how much algae you have and there is no way to measure that. 5 days is not a long time.

Are you brushing all the pool surfaces once or twice a day to break the algaes biofilm and maximize chlorine effectiveness?

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum.
It is very difficult to be successful with a SLAM process with a CYA above 60 ppm.

 

[TinFoilHat]

Don't continue testing the CYA as it won't change enough to matter and it's wasting your reagents. You do need to correct that so that you can do an easier SLAM and then SLAM the heck out of it. Just to make sure, what test kit did you get? K2006c, TF100 or TF PRO? Those will allow the DPD test for FC which hopefully you are doing. I think your downfall, which isn't your fault, was the new liner with all new water and testing levels. It's good that you found this forum as the chemistry based testing and treating that is recommended here will serve you for the rest of your pool years. Keep on it!

 

[PoolStored]

When CYA is 90, do the diluted test #8 in link below. Make sure you are outdoors, sun at your back. Fill to each line, hold at your waist in the shade of your body. GLACE. When the dot is obscured (you can't see it at a glance, take the number next to the line and add 10. That is your CYA.

Try the diluted test. Report back, we'll get you going on replacing water.

CYA - Cyanuric Acid Test

Cyanuric acid (CYA) is the chemical name for the product commonly called “pool water stabilizer” … Read more…

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[lmohall]

Welcome to TFP.

Patience, patience.

The SLAM Process can take a few weeks on some pools. It depends how much algae you have and there is no way to measure that. 5 days is not a long time.

Are you brushing all the pool surfaces once or twice a day to break the algaes biofilm and maximize chlorine effectiveness?

Thanks for the reminder!!! I think my frustration comes from the high CYA levels and also because when I started this process earlier this summer (CYA of 30 roughly that time) it was clear in a week. Now that it's not happening the same way it's even more frustrating. I am brushing once a day getting in and trying to be mindful of getting everything. (with cooler nights now it's getting harder to do that...luckily I have a layer of fat protection. HA!)

 

[lmohall]

Welcome to the forum.
It is very difficult to be successful with a SLAM process with a CYA above 60 ppm.

I know. I've already decided to go ahead and start replacing water. Hopefully that helps!! It's hard to water replace so late in the season...

 

[lmohall]

Don't continue testing the CYA as it won't change enough to matter and it's wasting your reagents. You do need to correct that so that you can do an easier SLAM and then SLAM the heck out of it. Just to make sure, what test kit did you get? K2006c, TF100 or TF PRO? Those will allow the DPD test for FC which hopefully you are doing. I think your downfall, which isn't your fault, was the new liner with all new water and testing levels. It's good that you found this forum as the chemistry based testing and treating that is recommended here will serve you for the rest of your pool years. Keep on it!

I've only checked CYA twice. When I first got it and then again after I tried to replace a little bit of water. But I read on here that you could keep your sample and look at it again...which is what I had my husband do just to verify my numbers. I have the TF100. Unfortunately some of the CYA reagent leaked though because the cap wasn't all the way clicked close. I wished I'd found the forums last year when we completely refilled. It would have saved me a lot of this headache. But hopefully someone else sees this that needs to... Thanks for the encouragement!

 

[lmohall]

When CYA is 90, do the diluted test #8 in link below. Make sure you are outdoors, sun at your back. Fill to each line, hold at your waist in the shade of your body. GLACE. When the dot is obscured (you can't see it at a glance, take the number next to the line and add 10. That is your CYA.

Try the diluted test. Report back, we'll get you going on replacing water.

CYA - Cyanuric Acid Test

Cyanuric acid (CYA) is the chemical name for the product commonly called “pool water stabilizer” … Read more…

www.troublefreepool.com

I did NOT see line #8 before. I will do that...thank you!!

 

[Bperry]

CYA: 90
FC: 39 (I've been aiming for the last 2 nights because I read somewhere to add 10 to whatever you get on your CYA. )

No one mentioned it but that’s not part of the SLAM process and isn’t a TFP recommendation. You just follow the FC/CYA chart for the SLAM, and don’t go above the SLAM level or you risk wasting chlorine or bleaching surfaces.

 

[reggiehammond]

I know. I've already decided to go ahead and start replacing water. Hopefully that helps!! It's hard to water replace so late in the season...

Just want to make sure you acknowledge the distinction between replacing water and diluting water. A lot of people make the mistake of removing a few inches, then adding a few inches, and repeating. Once you commit to replacing water; do it all at once or you'll use considerably more water if you're just diluting the bad water, rather than replacing it.

 

[lmohall]

No one mentioned it but that’s not part of the SLAM process and isn’t a TFP recommendation. You just follow the FC/CYA chart for the SLAM, and don’t go above the SLAM level or you risk wasting chlorine or bleaching surfaces.

I know it's definitely NOT the recommendation. However, when you are starting out you have a choice to make. And I chose (maybe wrongly, but it felt like the right decision at the time) to use this chart from the website. Do I regret it? Maybe. Has it been frustrating? Most definitely. Have I learned something? Yes. Am I grateful for you and everyone else on this site? Most definitely.

I know I'm not alone when first starting out with this with these choices. And the beautiful thing is that I have a chance to learn from others and do better next time... ~Laura

 

[lmohall]

Just want to make sure you acknowledge the distinction between replacing water and diluting water. A lot of people make the mistake of removing a few inches, then adding a few inches, and repeating. Once you commit to replacing water; do it all at once or you'll use considerably more water if you're just diluting the bad water, rather than replacing it.

Thank you for saying this...

 

[PoolStored]

And I chose (maybe wrongly, but it felt like the right decision at the time) to use this chart from the website.

You chose correctly. @Bperry note was that there is no need to dose higher than slam level. It will not help. SLAM is about maintaining SLAM level. Going over is just a waste of chlorine, and SLAM level and below is safe for people, pool and equipment.

 

[lmohall]

I think this group is going to think I am crazy (because I sort of think I'm crazy), BUT there is a part of me that truly believes that just reaching out to everyone here and taking that step has improved my pool. I FINALLY woke up this morning and it looked better!!! Just knowing that I am not alone in this process has helped...you have no idea (or maybe you do!). I will try to post pictures so that you and people from the future can see them (because I know that has helped me!).

 

[Mdragger88]

To clarify- the recommendation I think you may have gotten confused about is in regards to cya testing.
If the dot “dissapears” between two values you’re to round up to the next “10”. Not add 10.
Example: dot dissapears between 40 & 50 (ie. Looks like 45) you would consider the cya to be 50 for chlorination purposes.

 

[lmohall]

To clarify- the recommendation I think you may have gotten confused about is in regards to cya testing.
If the dot “dissapears” between two values you’re to round up to the next “10”. Not add 10.
Example: dot dissapears between 40 & 50 (ie. Looks like 45) you would consider the cya to be 50 for chlorination purposes.

I think you're right.

I was doing the line test (because I think for me I felt I was doing it more accurately that way), but I think I misread the "add 10" part.

 

[Mdragger88]

I think you're right.

I was doing the line test (because I think for me I felt I was doing it more accurately that way), but I think I misread the "add 10" part.

Yea its just round up- so many want to extrapolate between the lines and come up with an exact value but that isn’t really how the test is calibrated.
Better to just go to each line & decide if you can see it or not.

 

[Bperry]

To clarify- the recommendation I think you may have gotten confused about is in regards to cya testing.
If the dot “dissapears” between two values you’re to round up to the next “10”. Not add 10.
Example: dot dissapears between 40 & 50 (ie. Looks like 45) you would consider the cya to be 50 for chlorination purposes.

If that’s the confusion it makes more sense. I think the OP was saying the FC target was 10ppm over the CYA test result. Just didn’t want anything to be confused about that.

 

[lmohall]

Update: Things this week have been progressing slowly but surely. It's been warm enough that I have been continuing to get in and brush every day except the day that it was raining and lightening. I haven't been able to test as much since I started working this last week, but it's been enough that I can finally see my legs all the way down to the bottom of the pool. "I can see my legs!!"

Next question: On Thursday we had a storm blow through right before my alarm went off to get up and test. I thought I had stuck my arm down far enough, but I had also fallen down my deck steps getting to the pool and was still waking up. My levels were the lowest they had ever been. 23 (with a CYA still really high it just means a lot of chlorine to add). I have been keeping it at 35. I also was at the end of my first bottle of reagent. Well my DH was stopping for more bleach on his way home from work that day as I knew that I didn't have enough to make that big of a jump from 23 - 35. So I dumped in what I had left (roughly 3/4 of a 121 oz bottle 7.5%). I started with my new bottle of drops that afternoon. Then my reading was extremely high. The highest I had ever seen. I stopped at 100 drops and just wrote down +50 in my notebook. All of this finally leads me to my question...is it possible that my readings are off with the start of a new bottle? The drops DO seem smaller than the last bottle, but there's no way I am going to be able to confirm that for you. I tested only once yesterday and I was still at 44. Should I just trust that I am still doing everything right and wait until my levels come down to 35...especially since I am seeing improvements? (I want to say that Thursday was the full moon too, right? HaHa. It was a rough day subbing middle school math that day as well... )