Hello all! Looking for some help...SLAM Complete (THANKS!) Balance Time!

[roblock]

Hello!

Hoping for some advice to get our pool up and running ASAP! It was very green and is now very cloudy but has been for about a week and had felt stuck till I landed here this morning .

Fair warning I started off the season using pool store / HTC product advice so roast away

We have an 18' 6000 gal Round Coleman pool and I just switched it out to a Hayward 1HP Pump with Sand Filter this season.

This is what I started with about a week ago:




This is where I am at now:



Obviously a marked improvement but not clear at the very least.

I am going to read / follow every guide I can on this site but am hoping for some quick guidance to make sure I am moving in the right direction.

Here are my current numbers: (Warning: Based of Leslie Test Strips. Waiting for new kit in mail..)
Hardness: 250
Total Chlorine: 10+
Free Chlorine 10+
pH: 7.6
Alk: 180
Stab: 100

These numbers were what I had this morning before I found this website in a desperate attempt to find some better answers. I see the Stabilizer is way higher then suggested (In range on my strip bottle ). I have been backwashing/filling a lot this weekend. Will this start to lower it or should I drain some?

I have Liquid Chlorine. Is my best bet to follow the S.L.A.M guidelines? I am limited with my testing capabilities but was going to attempt to find something better faster if needed.

I also just added fresh sand yesterday & am going to use the advice on here to backwash as 25% of the base!

Thanks in advance for the advice! Looking forward to a trouble free pool this year!

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum!
While you are waiting on your test kit, add 5 ppm FC worth of liquid chlorine / plain bleach to your pool each evening with the pump running. This will replenish the FC lost each day to the sun and also inhibit any algae in the water from growing further.
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry.

 

[Texas Splash]

Welcome to TFP! Have fun! SLAM Process

Pool Care Basics Archives

Your one-stop shop for all things TFP to include: ABCs of Water Chemistry, Recommended Chemicals/Levels, Test Kits, Troubleshooting, and much more!

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[roblock]

Welcome to the forum!
While you are waiting on your test kit, add 5 ppm FC worth of liquid chlorine / plain bleach to your pool each evening with the pump running. This will replenish the FC lost each day to the sun and also inhibit any algae in the water from growing further.
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry.

Thanks for the welcome! I will start adding for sure and keep you all posted! I am really considering today the first day I am officially doing it right (hopefully )

Welcome to TFP! Have fun! SLAM Process

Pool Care Basics Archives

Your one-stop shop for all things TFP to include: ABCs of Water Chemistry, Recommended Chemicals/Levels, Test Kits, Troubleshooting, and much more!

www.troublefreepool.com

Thanks! Just read it over and it makes much more sense then adding these silly "shock" packets.

At this point I am backwashing about every 2 hours it seems like. Is that normal?

 

[roblock]

Although the pic doesn't look I feel like the water is starting to finally clear. I hope at least haha. Test kit should arrive Wednesday.

Guess I will keep backwashing and brushing and hoping for the best

 

[roblock]

I did have another question with someone I read from another post.

Prior to finding TFP I added a small amount of Clorox Pool & Spa Clarifier also. I'd guess 2oz tops of it. I did actually change out the sand after I added it but cannot 100% remember if I added a little more after that or not.

Should I change out my sand again? Or do you all think it will be okay?

Thanks!

 

[mknauss]

If only clarifier and a small amount, the sand should be fine. Plan to do a deep clean at the end of the season.

 

[roblock]

If only clarifier and a small amount, the sand should be fine. Plan to do a deep clean at the end of the season.

Okay good. Things are going very slow and it maybe it looks a little clearer then yesterday but really about the same.

I have noticed my pump PSI is now only going down to 11 when it was 9-10ish after a backwash. Any ideas on this?

Also it used to climb to 13-14 PSI within a couple hours and I would backwash. Now it seems it can go all do and maybe get up to 12. I still backwashed it but is this normal too?

 

[roblock]

Okay so my test kit arrived and here are my numbers right now:

FC: 12
pH: 7.5
cYA: 55
CC: 1

And that is all I had time to test right now. Had to head back to work.

is SLAM now my next step? I have the app and it is telling me I need an FC of 22 for SLAM. Does this sound correct?

 

[Oly]

Hi Rob,
Figure your CYA is 60ppm, round up as there is no 55 (logarithmic scale) and use 24 ppm for your SLAM.
You will be over the hump in no time.

 

[roblock]

Hi Rob,
Figure your CYA is 60ppm, round up as there is no 55 (logarithmic scale) and use 24 ppm for your SLAM.
You will be over the hump in no time.

Okay I didnt know that about the CYA reading! Thanks! Adding chlorine now

 

[roblock]

Hi Rob,
Figure your CYA is 60ppm, round up as there is no 55 (logarithmic scale) and use 24 ppm for your SLAM.
You will be over the hump in no time.

Thanks! Just added and hoping to finally see some results!

 

[Oly]

Take pictures of your pool water column every day. Use your pool brush or net on a pole to help gauge the clarity to the bottom.
Reread and follow the SLAM Process to a "T", It may be the last time you ever have to do this.

 

[roblock]

It actually looks worse now then it has but I've also had to backwash my filter twice already so I'm guessing it's doing something

Keeping my FC level up at 24 as best I can so time will tell

 

[roblock]

SLAM is going good!

I wanted to add how much easier / more accurate the new test kit is to use. Worth the investment for sure!

I am just checking my FC levels now and keeping them up @ 24 and backwashing at 25%.

I do have to top off my pool probably once a day. Should I be checking my cYA level every couple days during this process?

Thanks again for all the help! Cannot believe I went so many years fighting with these pools!

 

[Newdude]

I wanted to add how much easier / more accurate it is to use. Worth the investment for sure

Glad to hear you feel the same way we do. It’s a tough upfront sell but not one newb has ever comeback and been anything but thrilled with it. Instead, People are THRILLED to catch the early season refill sale next time.

I am just checking my FC levels now and keeping them up @ 24 and backwashing at 25%.

Perfect !!

I do have to top off my pool probably once a day. Should I be checking my cYA level every couple days during this process?

A few inches of top off / rain will equate to an appropriate percentage. 2 inches in a 48 inch pool will lower the CYA by 4%. So if it’s a 40 it will be 38.4, Immeasurable and rounded up anyway to 40. Now, 2 inches.... 6 times. Yeah. Lol. Keep an eye on it and make a mental note of how much is enough to register. Make as many practice tests as you’d like. Reuse the test water over and over. Just keep pouring back and forth until you get some that match.

Cannot believe I went so many years fighting with these pools!

It’s easy peasy now !! Glad to have you.

 

[roblock]

It’s easy peasy now !! Glad to have you.

It's amazing all the BS info out there that makes it 1000% more difficult then it needs to be! And go figured they sell fix-a-flat style products for pools like clarifier haha. Well now I know..

 

[Newdude]

It's amazing all the BS info out there that makes it 1000% more difficult

It makes you that much more confused. And running to the pool store to just let them figure it out. While you empty your pockets over and over. Just to find out they were behind all the misinformation in the first place.

You’re here now. We got you.

 

[mguzzy]

When you get a handle on how your pool responds with the new test kit you will find you won't be testing as much. For example it sound like you get a lot of rain dilution.. you will get a feel for when you need to test your CYA based on how much rain you got that month or in the last 2 week period. Oop, time to test. The other parameters you will test more frequently until you get into a rhythm... well done! Don't forget to post a pic of the end product in the How clear is your pool thread!

 

[roblock]

Going to be raining all day. Not stopping me haha. FC 21.5 after the evening. Added more and off we go!

Thoughts on adding a little D.E. Filter to help the filter out? At first I was hitting the 25% at least 1 once or twice a day. But it has been holding steady at 1 psi over my normal. I check all the baskets / hoses and everything looks to be running normal so I assume it just isn't filtering as much junk now but I am still really cloudy. Maybe 12" visibility right now.