Help With SLAM Please!

[Newdude]

Hey Huskers !! It could easily be the angle of the pic, or the overcast skies, but I want to make absolutely sure that the water is stupid clear. Heads or tails on a nickel, clear. If not there is more filtering to do and while passing the OCLT is huge, you’ll want to keep the FC up as a preventive measure just in case you stir something loose from the walls or filter.

If it is in fact stupid clear, awesome. If not quite yet, it’s still awesome as you’ve made Mondo progress.

 

[PoolStored]

^^ What @newude says. In addition to OCLT, what was your CC? I think, from a TFP perspective, clear pool means no "material in the middle." I would recommend keeping the slam up until the pool is clear and CC <= .5. Hate to see you have a re-bloom. Even one more day for insurance.

 

[huskerfan]

^^ What @newude says. In addition to OCLT, what was your CC? I think, from a TFP perspective, clear pool means no "material in the middle." I would recommend keeping the slam up until the pool is clear and CC <= .5. Hate to see you have a re-bloom. Even one more day for insurance.

Sounds good - will keep it up for another day or so. Water is pretty dang clear. Hard to tell since
Pump runs 24/7 and makes
Ripples on the surface, but water is very very clear. Will check tonight on CC’s. Checked a couple of times over the course of this SLAM and every time it was .5 or less.

 

[Newdude]

Hard to tell since
Pump runs 24/7 and makes
Ripples on the surface, but water is very very clear

Turn off the pump for 15 mins and toss a nickel in. You’ll know TFP clear when the nickel is clear as day heads. You will then try to read the date, but that part is just for fun.

 

[PoolStored]

Turn off the pump for 15 mins and toss a nickel in. You’ll know TFP clear when the nickel is clear as day heads. You will then try to read the date, but that part is just for fun.

@Newdude, He will be in perpetual SLAM if it lands tails.

 

[huskerfan]

Well guys, all seems to be going well now. I could definitely pass the nickel test. Had some friends over this weekend and the water was, and still is, crystal clear! Checked last night and FC was at a 2, so I added 40 oz of bleach (went to refill on the stronger liquid chlorine from Menards, but they are sold out, so had to just settle for some regular 7.5% bleach from the store) to bring it back up just a touch. Targeting 4 ppm for FC now. Thank you all for all of your help!!

 

[Texas Splash]

So what was the date on that Nickle? Ha ha. Kidding. Looks great.

 

[PoolStored]

Looks great! Congrats.

One recommendation: with your CYA at 40, maintain your FC at 7. You will not smell or feel it. 3 is a minimum, and even at that you are dancing with algae. You really shouldn't let it go below 5, or you will be slamming again. FC/CYA Levels

You should check your FC daily until you get a feel for what your pool consumes in FC on a daily basis.

 

[Newdude]

I could definitely pass the nickel test

Pics or it didn’t happen.

 

[huskerfan]

Looks great! Congrats.

One recommendation: with your CYA at 40, maintain your FC at 7. You will not smell or feel it. 3 is a minimum, and even at that you are dancing with algae. You really shouldn't let it go below 5, or you will be slamming again. FC/CYA Levels

You should check your FC daily until you get a feel for what your pool consumes in FC on a daily basis.

Thank you! I am going to test the CYA again and target the higher corresponding FC number from that chart.

Pics or it didn’t happen.

Now that you called me out, I am going to have to do it when I get home and see if you can pick out the date! haha!

 

[huskerfan]

Pics or it didn’t happen.

Well Newdude, I think that if I had gotten home at a decent time to where I could have dropped a nickel in the pool while it was still in the sun, I probably would have passed the test! Best I could do after work yesterday:

 

[Newdude]

Best I could do after work yesterday:

BOOM. Tails. With a bad pic and low lighting nonetheless.

Well. Done.

 

[huskerfan]

Oops, I was looking to be able to see the DATE on the nickel guess that's why I always make things so hard on myself!!

 

[Newdude]

Oops, I was looking to be able to see the DATE on the nickel

That’s your eyes fault. Not the pool.

Trying is just for fun.

 

[huskerfan]

Ok guys, pool is still looking great, but I am curious how much liquid chlorine you usually have to add for maintenance. Been having to add regular 7.5% bleach since the local menard's is out of the 12.5% liquid chlorine. Here's my numbers and additions since 9/4 - weather has been sunny and hot each day, so maybe that's why it seems like I am adding more than normal:

9/4/21 - 1400 - FC: 11 - Added 81 oz 7.5% Bleach
9/7/21 - 2000 - FC: 2 - Added 40 oz 7.5% Bleach
9/9/21 - 2100 - FC: 1 - Added 81 oz 7.5% Bleach
9/11/21 - 1300 - FC: 3 - Added 40 oz 7.5% Bleach
9/12/21 - 2000 - FC: 1 - Added 40 oz 7.5% Bleach

 

[Texas Splash]

Maybe I'm missing something ...... .... but why the exceptionally low FC level starting on the 7th? Are you saying that you can't increase the FC to the 6-8 range and keep it there? Our FC level should never be below 3 ppm, and depending on your current CYA maybe no lower than 4 or 5.

To answer your original question though, my pool (just under 18K) required 1/2 gallon of 10% chlorine each day with a summer CYA of about 60-70.

 

[Newdude]

To answer your original question though, my pool (just under 18K) required 1/2 gallon of 10% chlorine each day with a summer CYA of about 60-70

To further Pats answer, it depends. Lol. The amount needed changes throughout the season. You start with much less demand, then it increases as the days get longer and the sun angle causes more UV burn off. Then for the back half of the season it wanes slowly back to much less demand.

Regular testing let’s you ‘feel’ that it’s been using XX ounces a day for the last two weeks and the next two weeks should be close to it, either up or down.

 

[JohnGn]

Here in St. Louis, I was easily going through 1.5-2.0 quarts of ~11.5% liquid bleach (pool shock) per DAY at the peak of the summer, with sunny days and 95+ temps to keep my 20k gal pool at about 10ppm. In fact, that's also with a CYA of 60, which I designed in to my calculations just so I didn't have to add as much chlorine. Having said that, I also did NOT use the solar cover this summer at all, so there was additional daily loss because of that. The solar cover, under those ambient conditions, would make the pool be spa-like temps, not fun to swim in. I also found out (through this great forum) that bleach has a shelf life, and I went through the trouble of measuring my bleach strengths on occasion. For example, some of the "10%" bleach was actually only 8% by the time I got around to using it, which of course affects the quantity needed to keep my FC levels where I wanted them to be. Lastly, I discovered two things that have helped keep my pool "read the date on the nickel" clear this entire summer: Skimmer socks (what a great thing!) and adding a layer of DE to my sand filter.

 

[huskerfan]

Hey guys, thanks for the info! So been targeting 5 ppl FC over the past couple days. Thought I would hit it after last nights Clorox addition, but still was at 3 ppm after work. Tested my CYA and it was at 25. Tested my pH and Chlorine on the smaller testing vial, and Chlorine matched up at 3 with that I got from using the DPD powder method, and pH was at 7.8

9/13/21 - 1800 - FC: 1 - Added 121 oz 7.5% clorox

9/14/21 - 1600 - FC: 4 - Added 40 oz 7.5% Clorox

9/15/21 - 1600 - FC: 3 - Added 80 oz 7.5% Clorox

Do I need to up my CYA level to prevent having to add so much Clorox everyday? Or is my slightly high pH my issue? Pool still is crystal clear and looks great, and I know it’s nearing the end of pool season - I’m just trying to get a feel for my pool and chemical additions using the TFP method

 

[Texas Splash]

Your CYA needs to be a rock solid 30 minimum, even 40 is fine. Then be sure to keep the FC elevated. It's falling much too low and will allow algae to creep into the water. Always refer to the FC/CYA Levels. Is Clorox the only brand of bleach you have available? The Clorox brand has fabric polymers which can disrupt good pool chemistry. Just about any other generic bleach or liquid chlorine will do. But you must keep it higher.