I switched from this sustain system a couple of years ago. I don't remember having the trouble you are having, but then again I was not exactly as well versed in all the chemical balancing acts back then either. I do remember my pool store telling me that I would need to add this summer shield once at pool opening and then again once more about 1/2 way through the season. I am not sure if they were figuring that back flushing/splashing would reduce it or if it actually dissipated overtime. Either way, just a thought. Once you get your pool off this stuff you (and your wallet) will be so much more happier.
Help switching from Sustain System to BBB
- Thread starter 4myBitsy
- Start date
Ok so I used up the last of my Sustain tabs & started BBB yesterday. I am hoping to get some comments to see if I am on the right track & let me know if there is anything else I should be doing. Last night at 8:30pm I measured the FC at 2.5 so I added 78oz of 12.5% bleach to get to 8.5 hoping that will keep me over my min. of 2 through the next day (today). Tested again at 9:30pm & it brought FC to 9. Tested again 7:30am today & FC was 7. Just did a full set of tests now:
Water Temp 88, water looks perfect.
FC 5.5
CC 1
PH 7.5
TA 110
CH 220
CYA 30
So it is a very sunny & hot day the pool will get full sun until around 6 then part sun until 8-9pm. I am thinking I need to up my CYA, what do you think? From what I understand I will just need to play around with the amount of bleach I add at night to see what will get me through to the next night, is that correct? Am I on the right track? Is there anything else I should be doing?
P.S. If you are commenting don't forget the Sustain Summer Shield I added in March show up as CC's so I am pretty much ignoring them right now.
I am amazed & so thankful for all the knowledge you all have on this site!! Thank you for all the help!
Water Temp 88, water looks perfect.
FC 5.5
CC 1
PH 7.5
TA 110
CH 220
CYA 30
So it is a very sunny & hot day the pool will get full sun until around 6 then part sun until 8-9pm. I am thinking I need to up my CYA, what do you think? From what I understand I will just need to play around with the amount of bleach I add at night to see what will get me through to the next night, is that correct? Am I on the right track? Is there anything else I should be doing?
P.S. If you are commenting don't forget the Sustain Summer Shield I added in March show up as CC's so I am pretty much ignoring them right now.
I am amazed & so thankful for all the knowledge you all have on this site!! Thank you for all the help!
4myBitsy said:
My FIL put his in in late May....yours maybe wearing off, while mine is still going strong....Good luck!
4myBitsy said:
I am going through a conversion to just bleach....
The summershield really holds the chlorine, plus with the CYA that was added, really made my FC ineffective at the regular shocking levels for CYA chart.
Last night, after reading some posts on Summershield from chemgeek, I upped my FC from 14-16 to 26-28....
I checked at 6 am and I had lost 3.5 of FC, which I haven't done any night since I started last Saturday, my nighttime FC drops were alway very little(which I am now blaming on the Summershield), and the water had lost its green tint, and was just hazy.
Thinking I was on to something, I dosed it back up to 26-28 at 6am before work.
I ckecked at Lunchtime, and I was down to a FC of 16, didnt bother checking CC,as Summershield does strange things to CC it seems....So I dosed it to 26-28, and will see what my 430PM test shows...I will tell you that it looks dramatically better today than it has in the prior 6 days....
I can tell you this pool was a green mess, and it seems as though yours was fine, so keep that in your mind. I also know that the Summershield was put in my FIL pool in late May, and yours was earlier...I dont know at what level it breaks down..
I just have been adding much more FC, and so far it seems to be working....Don't know what tomorrow will bring, as this is all unchartered waters....but my eyes tell me its working
Hope that helps...
As for whether to bump up the CYA, see what kind of chlorine usage you get during the day. If it drops by 50% of the FC or more, then yes you could bump up your CYA to 50 ppm. However, the remaining summer shield should be reducing the amount of chlorine loss, but also the chlorine effectiveness, so you don't want to up your CYA yet if that is the case. Think of the summer shield as CYA in the pool that you aren't able to measure. The fact you still show CC probably means that summer shield is still there. Raising the CYA now could be risky as it could put the active chlorine level too low and allow algae to grow. Again, see what your FC drop is during the day -- let us know.
Thanks Dmsattelberg, I have been watching your thread also. Thanks chem geek that makes since. I actually brought the pool up to shock level last night because I believe we had a kid get in the pool that had poop on him. I have SLAMed it all day partly because I am interested to see if it does anything to my CC SLAMing it. Thank you so much for you expertise!
4myBitsy said:
Let me know if/when CC get to zero.... that is another weird thing about the Summershield....seems to hold it, but since your pool is much closer than mine, it will be neat to find out if yours disappear eventually after SLAM is complete...
OK, I have an update that I am happy to pass along to those that helped me.
As of today, I can now say that I can see where the side of the pool meets the bottom. Each time I look at the pool, it is slightly better than the last time. I don't know if is the only way, but its working for me. Let me start by giving you some pool parameters. I wont include a pH value, as the FC has been greater than 16, and have been dosing it at 34. I can say that upon starting the SLAM, it was 7.2.
CH 660
ALK 100
CYA 25
CC .5
I have tested basically the same times every day, to try to be somewhat scientific about it.
600 AM
12PM
430PM
800 PM
Yes I have it on a spreadsheet, don't laugh...going back and looking at results shows trends that are very valuable.
The Summershield and CYA combination just seemed to hold too much FC. I was dosing it as high as 16, and when I would check later, I would have only lost 1-2 FC in that time. Still looked like Pea soup.
Chemgeek said to try increasing by 10 to see if it has any impact, and it definately did. After dosing my FC to 25-26, I would often lose as much as 10 in 2 hours. So I upped the dosage to 30. That to me is when I really noticed the difference. I am lucky in that I get my 12.5% Bleach in a 55 gallon drum, because I have used about 27 gallons of it so far.
I have been checking it 4 times a day, and it seems as though in that 4 hours the FC has gone as far down as 16, but averages a loss of about 10. My biggest loss came on a hot sunny afternoon, since then I always add extra in that "test period" between 12 PM and 430 PM.
My evening loss has been much less but is still there. My FC at my 600 AM has averaged 26, so am still using FC overnite which is expected with the cloudiness that is still present.
Prior to adding my last dose of chlorine for the evening, I vaccuum to waste. I realize that my CH is high, and figured that each time I backwash and waste, I am removing some CH. I then add water if needed, then dose the Bleach. After dosing I religiously brush the walls, and brush the floor, even if I see nothing on them. Filter has been running 24/7. Backwasted just a few times when pressure has shown increase. Backwash water is very cloudy for first 45 seconds, then clears after 1 minute. Rinse until clear, then resume normal filter operation.
I may look to add some DE later in the week, but it is closer and closer each day to being that sparkling blue pool.
I am grateful that I have found this site. Two weeks ago I knew nothing about pool care, now am confident that I will make this thing sparkle in another 4-5 days!!!
Thanks to those that have commented, your help is immeasurable!
Pictures will follow in a few days!!!
If after reading this you too are switching to the BBB method, get the TF-100 test kit with the upgrade option. You will be doing lots and lots of tests during your SLAM. I just ordered more of the FC reagents. I should have gone with the XL option.
Not a paid spokesman, just a FAN :lol:
As of today, I can now say that I can see where the side of the pool meets the bottom. Each time I look at the pool, it is slightly better than the last time. I don't know if is the only way, but its working for me. Let me start by giving you some pool parameters. I wont include a pH value, as the FC has been greater than 16, and have been dosing it at 34. I can say that upon starting the SLAM, it was 7.2.
CH 660
ALK 100
CYA 25
CC .5
I have tested basically the same times every day, to try to be somewhat scientific about it.
600 AM
12PM
430PM
800 PM
Yes I have it on a spreadsheet, don't laugh...going back and looking at results shows trends that are very valuable.
The Summershield and CYA combination just seemed to hold too much FC. I was dosing it as high as 16, and when I would check later, I would have only lost 1-2 FC in that time. Still looked like Pea soup.
Chemgeek said to try increasing by 10 to see if it has any impact, and it definately did. After dosing my FC to 25-26, I would often lose as much as 10 in 2 hours. So I upped the dosage to 30. That to me is when I really noticed the difference. I am lucky in that I get my 12.5% Bleach in a 55 gallon drum, because I have used about 27 gallons of it so far.
I have been checking it 4 times a day, and it seems as though in that 4 hours the FC has gone as far down as 16, but averages a loss of about 10. My biggest loss came on a hot sunny afternoon, since then I always add extra in that "test period" between 12 PM and 430 PM.
My evening loss has been much less but is still there. My FC at my 600 AM has averaged 26, so am still using FC overnite which is expected with the cloudiness that is still present.
Prior to adding my last dose of chlorine for the evening, I vaccuum to waste. I realize that my CH is high, and figured that each time I backwash and waste, I am removing some CH. I then add water if needed, then dose the Bleach. After dosing I religiously brush the walls, and brush the floor, even if I see nothing on them. Filter has been running 24/7. Backwasted just a few times when pressure has shown increase. Backwash water is very cloudy for first 45 seconds, then clears after 1 minute. Rinse until clear, then resume normal filter operation.
I may look to add some DE later in the week, but it is closer and closer each day to being that sparkling blue pool.
I am grateful that I have found this site. Two weeks ago I knew nothing about pool care, now am confident that I will make this thing sparkle in another 4-5 days!!!
Thanks to those that have commented, your help is immeasurable!
Pictures will follow in a few days!!!
If after reading this you too are switching to the BBB method, get the TF-100 test kit with the upgrade option. You will be doing lots and lots of tests during your SLAM. I just ordered more of the FC reagents. I should have gone with the XL option.
Not a paid spokesman, just a FAN :lol: