Getting Ready for a good old fashioned SLAM

[kimkats]

You're SLAMming because of this?

Why, I've stayed at hotels that had cloudier pools than that!


I ratted them out to the health department, too.

Oh and don't even start on the hot tubs! EWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Our standards have gone up because of the forum for sure!

Kim

 

[aboykin2269]

Well that and there is a green tint and my CC was high and the cloudiness. And after i posted my readings for first time a couple of posters said i needed to SLAM. my add tonight my FC went way high. 19.5. THINK I Need To Rethink my pool size probably closer to 5060 rather than 6000 gal. Anyway I'll check numbers in the AM and post. Until I can pass the 3 criteria, I'm in in it until my pool is where it should be. Crystal clear and TFP.

 

[aboykin2269]

Checked my FC this morning about 5:00AM. FC was at 16.5 and CC was at 1. So there's something going on in there. Water is still cloudy and I lost 3ppm FC over night. That was from 8:30PM to 5:00AM with no sunlight. It was still over my SLAM level so I didn't add any this morning.
Taught my Darlin' how to do the FAS/DPD test yesterday so she can check it about mid-day. I'll post her numbers later today.

 

[kimkats]

Happy short SLAMing! This should be a short one with a jewel at the end!

Kim

 

[aboykin2269]

Happy short SLAMing! This should be a short one with a jewel at the end!

Kim

Thanks Kim. I have read thru some real horror stories on this site, but I have yet to see one that didn't come out perfect with the help of you fine folks. Oh, and I do hope it's a short one. Although, it's really not that hard and I'm learning TONS about pools.

 

[kimkats]

Did she have fun? Mine husband has watched me do the test but he has of yet to do them. He is worried he will mess it up LOL. I guess he has to keep me around to keep the pool clear!

Kim

 

[aboykin2269]

Did she have fun? Mine husband has watched me do the test but he has of yet to do them. He is worried he will mess it up LOL. I guess he has to keep me around to keep the pool clear!

Kim

LOL. She's a little intimidated but finds it interesting. Afraid she'll mess something up. But I showed her step by step and I think she can do it. She has a Doctorate in Education, so I think she can figure it out, LOL.

 

[kimkats]

AND it is just water so if she does "mess" it up it is easy to fix!

Kim

 

[aboykin2269]

Thought I'd share this pic while waiting for mid-day #'s from my Honey. We built the patio ourselves with the intent of putting the pool there. Our back yard slopes really steep away from the house...

 

[aboykin2269]

Alright. She did it! At 1:10 PM at FC=12.5. Refigured my pool volume to 5061 gal and adding 11oz 8.25% bleach to reach 14ppm. Slam level is 12. That should hold above SLAM level until I get home.

 

[kimkats]

See dear one, it was not that hard. Great job!

That is quite a slope for sure! Did you put any padding under the pool. I see the tarp but wondered if there was any padding.

Kim

 

[aboykin2269]

See dear one, it was not that hard. Great job!

That is quite a slope for sure! Did you put any padding under the pool. I see the tarp but wondered if there was any padding.

Kim

I put a Gorilla Pad under it, but it's really not bad on the feet. Thanks for your help.

 

[kimkats]

At least you KNOW nothing will grow up through it!

I bet it is nice to just walk out and climb right in!

Kim

 

[aboykin2269]

Yep. I put it there on purpose. I have a better ladder on order with a platform at the top and a roll lock ladder for safety.

 

[aboykin2269]

Interesting day yesterday. After a FC reading of 12.5 at 1:00PM I added 11oz of bleach which should have raised the FC level to 14. My SLAM level is 12, so I thought surely that would hold until I got home. I tested as soon as I got home at 6:00PM and my first reading was 3! I thought no way that was right. So I tested again from a different area and got 8, which was better, but how could I possibly lose that much FC in only 5 hours? The pool by the way is mostly in the shade from about 2 or 3 PM on. Ladder taken out and scrubbed, pool vacuumed.

I tested again at 7M and got an 8. I wanted to boost the level to ABOVE SLAM level for overnight to 15. So following pool math, I added 52oz and waited 1-1/2 hours to make sure the chlorine had time to mix. I checked at 10:30 and FC was 18ppm. I checked it 3 times to make sure. 18 everytime from 3 different areas of the pool. Got up this morning and checked it at 4:45AM. FC was 15.5 and CC was barley 1 (almost tunred clear with only 1 drop, but still had a slight tint).

So what is going on with this pool? The water is still cloudy and how on Earth could I lose so much Chlorine during the day? Am I missing something or do I just need to be patient and keep after it? Should I even be SLAMing or do I have another issue? The water is just ever so barely tinted green but more cloudy than anything. Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[kimkats]

The sun is a greedy fellow for sure! Between the sun and what the cloudy stuff is you will lose quite a bit during the day. Just look at what you lost overnight. It is not a great bit but that was ONLY what is in the water "eating" your FC so add sun in and..........you get a big lose.

I skimmed over and did not find where any one has talked about adding DE to your sand. Here is a link talking about it. It will help polish your water like you have never seen before.

Pool School - Add DE to a Sand Filter

You can buy the DE at lowes and such. It will come in a big box but does not weigh much. Do you know of anyone that has a pool? They might already have some you can get. It does not take much. I use is off and on and it does not even look like I have used any when I look in my box.

Kim

 

[aboykin2269]

Thanks Kim. I'll read into it and get some.

 

[aboykin2269]

The sun is a greedy fellow for sure! Between the sun and what the cloudy stuff is you will lose quite a bit during the day. Just look at what you lost overnight. It is not a great bit but that was ONLY what is in the water "eating" your FC so add sun in and..........you get a big lose.

I skimmed over and did not find where any one has talked about adding DE to your sand. Here is a link talking about it. It will help polish your water like you have never seen before.

Pool School - Add DE to a Sand Filter

You can buy the DE at lowes and such. It will come in a big box but does not weigh much. Do you know of anyone that has a pool? They might already have some you can get. It does not take much. I use is off and on and it does not even look like I have used any when I look in my box.

Kim

Kim, another quick question regarding adding DE to the filter. With the DE being so small and light, how does it not just blow thru the sand and back into the pool?

 

[kimkats]

Hummmm,, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh,,,,,,, I don't know...................I have never thought about it. I will have to ask the experts.

I DO know it works. I have seen it with my own eyes.

I THINK because you pour it into the skimmer it has to go through the sand so it gets trapped in the sand and helps the sand polish your water by filtering out the tiny stuff.

Good question. I am off to ask that question.

Kim

 

[Patrick_B]

Kim, another quick question regarding adding DE to the filter. With the DE being so small and light, how does it not just blow thru the sand and back into the pool?

It's a testament to how well a sand filter works. The DE is simply trapped in the sand column. In doing so, it makes the filter even tighter, giving it the ability to trap even more, and smaller particles than before.