help....yep another Slam issue....

[Sbgamecock]

Hey everyone,

A big thanks to all of you who help those of us on this forum, the info is invaluable.

Please tell me what I am doing wrong. MY FC started dropping prior to me going out of town for about a week -2 weeks ago. I got the FC up to 20 ish and came back to it around 7-8 last week. I was admittedly using the wrong reagent for the CC so kept showing it at 0 and it may not have been. My water has always been clear, never cloudy and no visible signs of Algae that I have picked up on.

I have the TF-PRO kit and do not use Pool store but the occasional Im bored to see the differences. My reagants for FC were new replacements from Amazon about 1-2 weeks ago.

Fast forward to 4 days ago and I started my first full on SLAM due to the FC loss. I am going through Gallons of Bleach/day. I have tried to stay around 25 with my FC as my CYA has been around 55. Then I tried to get to 30 and If I make it there, it drops a ton within a few hours. I am vacuuming daily, brushing the walls daily, have scrubbed my weir door, pressure hose to my autofill pipe, bleach in the actual autofill and pressure hose to my umbrella sleeve.

I know this is algae based on every thread I have read, but I can't find it, or maybe I am blind. There is no ladder or other nooks.

I have a couple rust spots forming on my 2 year old pool, but I don't see that as being related as they have been there.....

What am I missing. How much bleach should I expect to burn through on a given day. ......

==========================================
Scott’s pool
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Build Type: Plaster
Volume: 14400 gallons
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Latest Test Result Summary:
FC: 17.0 (16 minutes ago)
CC: 1.5 (16 minutes ago)
pH: 7.2 (4 days ago)
TA: 60 (4 months ago)
CH: 500 (4 months ago)
CYA: 55 (3 days ago)
SALT: 2950 (5 months ago)
TEMPERATURE: 75° (2 years ago)
CSI: -0.59 (16 minutes ago)
==========================================
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Test Results 06-13-2023 @ 04:19 PM
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Free Chlorine: 17.0
Combined Chlorine: 1.5
CSI: -0.59

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Chemical Addition 06-13-2023 @ 03:16 PM
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+ 96 FluidOunces of Bleach

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Chemical Addition 06-13-2023 @ 09:45 AM
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+ 2 Gallons of Bleach

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Test Results 06-13-2023 @ 09:31 AM
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Free Chlorine: 24.0
Combined Chlorine: 2.0
CSI: -0.59

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Test Results 06-13-2023 @ 06:46 AM
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Free Chlorine: 25.0
Combined Chlorine: 1.5
CSI: -0.59

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Chemical Addition 06-12-2023 @ 10:24 PM
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+ 2.5 Gallons of Bleach

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Test Results 06-12-2023 @ 10:14 PM
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Free Chlorine: 18.5
Combined Chlorine: 1.5
CSI: -0.59

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Chemical Addition 06-12-2023 @ 08:53 PM
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+ 64 FluidOunces of Bleach

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Test Results 06-12-2023 @ 08:49 PM
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Free Chlorine: 20.0
Combined Chlorine: 0.0
CSI: -0.59

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Test Results 06-12-2023 @ 08:35 PM
------------------------------------------
Free Chlorine: 24.0
Combined Chlorine: 0.0
CSI: -0.59

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Chemical Addition 06-12-2023 @ 05:00 PM
------------------------------------------
+ 64 FluidOunces of Bleach

------------------------------------------
Test Results 06-12-2023 @ 02:15 PM
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Free Chlorine: 25.0
Combined Chlorine: 0.0
CSI: -0.59

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Maintenance 06-12-2023 @ 02:06 PM
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Vacuumed

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Maintenance 06-12-2023 @ 11:35 AM
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Brushed

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Test Results 06-12-2023 @ 10:58 AM
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Free Chlorine: 27.0
Combined Chlorine: 0.0
CSI: -0.59

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Chemical Addition 06-12-2023 @ 06:45 AM
------------------------------------------
+ 24 FluidOunces of Bleach

------------------------------------------
Test Results 06-12-2023 @ 06:11 AM
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Free Chlorine: 28.5
Combined Chlorine: 0.0
CSI: -0.59

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Test Results 06-11-2023 @ 09:21 PM
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Free Chlorine: 33.0
Combined Chlorine: 0.0
CSI: -0.59

------------------------------------------
Chemical Addition 06-11-2023 @ 04:17 PM
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+ 2 FluidOunces of Bleach

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Test Results 06-11-2023 @ 04:16 PM
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Free Chlorine: 24.0
Combined Chlorine: 0.0
CSI: -0.59

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Test Results 06-11-2023 @ 09:43 AM
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Free Chlorine: 32.0
Combined Chlorine: 0.0
CSI: -0.59

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Chemical Addition 06-11-2023 @ 07:43 AM
------------------------------------------
+ 192 FluidOunces of Bleach

------------------------------------------
Test Results 06-11-2023 @ 07:42 AM
------------------------------------------
Free Chlorine: 23.0
Combined Chlorine: 0.0
CSI: -0.59

------------------------------------------
Chemical Addition 06-10-2023 @ 06:02 PM
------------------------------------------
+ 24 FluidOunces of Bleach

------------------------------------------
Test Results 06-10-2023 @ 06:02 PM
------------------------------------------
Free Chlorine: 21.5
CSI: -0.59

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Test Results 06-10-2023 @ 03:35 PM
------------------------------------------
Free Chlorine: 28.0
Combined Chlorine: 0.0
CSI: -0.59

------------------------------------------
Chemical Addition 06-10-2023 @ 02:19 PM
------------------------------------------
+ 36 FluidOunces of Bleach

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Test Results 06-10-2023 @ 02:19 PM
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Free Chlorine: 21.0
CYA: 55
CSI: -0.59

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Test Results 06-10-2023 @ 08:36 AM
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Free Chlorine: 31.0
CSI: -0.58

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Chemical Addition 06-09-2023 @ 08:51 PM
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+ 1 Gallons of Bleach

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Test Results 06-09-2023 @ 08:49 PM
------------------------------------------
Free Chlorine: 21.0
Combined Chlorine: 0.0
CSI: -0.58

------------------------------------------
Chemical Addition 06-09-2023 @ 03:05 PM
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+ 3 Gallons of Bleach

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Test Results 06-09-2023 @ 03:02 PM
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Free Chlorine: 5.0
pH: 7.2
CSI: -0.58

------------------------------------------
Maintenance 06-09-2023 @ 02:41 PM
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Vacuumed, Cleaned Filter, Brushed

 

[dBsooner]

Welcome to posting! These experts will be able to help you in no time! I only have two comments to start:

CYA has been around 55

This would mean your CYA is 60. We don’t read between the lines. You round up to the next 10. The way some teach it is you add enough drops to raise the level of the solution to the next line then check for the dot. If seen, add enough drops to raise to the next line, look again.

Secondarily, thank you for such detailed notes! To make it easier next time, your pool math logs are available for us all to see via the API. It’s awesome for ease of everyone helping. Here are yours:

PoolMath Logs

 

[proavia]

For the CYA test - fill to the lines on the vial.
If you see the dot at 60 and not at 50, round the CYA reading up to 60.

SLAM Process FC level is 24 for CYA 60.

 

[JupiterFL]

Have you done an OCLT?

Am right that you went out of town for 2 weeks and your FC went from 20 to 7 over that 2 weeks?

 

[dBsooner]

Have you done an OCLT?

Am right that you went out of town for 2 weeks and your FC went from 20 to 7 over that 2 weeks?

I read it as went out of town for a week about two weeks ago.

 

[wireform]

Hope your brushing the spa too and the water in there needs to be moving just like in the pool or else there will be winning the fight.
If you haven't cleaned the filter recently I'd highly recommend that you do it now.

 

[Newdude]

Have you done an OCLT?

From the times on the logs, it's reasonably close to OCLTs. Not perfect, but in no way losing 5 to 10 ppm to an hour of early morning sun.

Something is way off here to be losing that much FC overnight with clear water and every inch scrubbed.

Sb, have you tested after adding FC to ensure its hitting the target ? It might be a bad batch not nearly adding what you expect.

 

[Sbgamecock]

Thanks. I should have added I have done the OCLTS every night since Thursday and massive drops. I realized I was using the wrong reagents in the cc test 2 days ago and clearly showed when I used the correct. 003.

I have been brushing the spa and it circulates either the pool which had been on non stop.

I have cleaned the filter I think 3 time in the past week. Definitely twice.

Multiple trips to the pool store for the chlorine and one fromAce so don’t think that is bad.

 

[Sbgamecock]

well, another OCLT and same result.
33 after my chlorine add last night. 25.5 FC 1.0 CC this morning. I am doubling sometimes tripling my Chlorine drop test to make sure I am accurate...Now I will be running out of my R-0871 today....it is a week old....yikes. Have another one coming Friday but that is the quickest I can get it. This is maddening....I will be cleaning my filter again today, but no real increase in pressure.

 

[JJ_Tex]

Ladders, skimmers (including the weir door), light niches, and drains are good hiding spots for frustrating hidden algae. Have you looked at each of those as they apply to your pool?

 

[tikoh]

well, another OCLT and same result.
33 after my chlorine add last night. 25.5 FC 1.0 CC this morning. I am doubling sometimes tripling my Chlorine drop test to make sure I am accurate...Now I will be running out of my R-0871 today....it is a week old....yikes. Have another one coming Friday but that is the quickest I can get it. This is maddening....I will be cleaning my filter again today, but no real increase in pressure.

When I've struggled with this, I've taken everything out of the pool that can come out...ladders, stairs, weir doors, thermometers, any floaties...Do you use a solar cover? Get it out of there. Soak what you can in bleach and scrub everything outside of the pool. For safety reasons you're obviously not going to want to use the pool without ladders or stairs, and if you have kids you'll have to take that into your risk assessment, but the more variables you can remove, the better.

 

[Sbgamecock]

Thanks. Problem on my pool, there is basically nothing to pull out. No ladder, only LED lights. I can only hope at some point I don't have to buy chlorine every day to keep pumping it in. I need to get in with googles and look at the drain covers, that is about the only thing left I can think of.

 

[PoolStored]

Take the drain covers off and scrub inside...lots of slams have drains full of algae...

 

[Sbgamecock]

so, just cleaned the filter (again). it was really pretty clean, just grayish water and no slime at all. Minor slime last time. My latest test just now @ 20FC and .5 CC.
So last night was at 32.5 for the OCLT. This morning was at 25.5 with 1.0 CC
have added 2 gallons of water between 6am and 11:33am and now I am at 20 FC with my SWG running (I have not run it at night).

Please, what else if anything is possible. I will pull the drains today, 2 gallons of chlorine in a matter of 5 hours and the FC is still lower.

and I probably only have enough 0871 reagent for one more test unitl the new one comes in tomorrow afternoon......

 

[wireform]

I'm looking at your latest logs and see CYA of 30. If you slam with higher FC then the slam /cya ratio you will lose the FC very fast as it's not stabilized.

 

[Sbgamecock]

yes, I just did a new CYA test about a an hour ago figuring we have had a couple days of monster rains. Cloudy out but ran that test in two different tubes multiple times and truly could be lower but the tube only goes to 30. So I am going to let the FC drop a bit more which at the current rate should take about 2 minutes. Hoping that will stabilize the loss. Question is when should I add CYA given the issues I am facing.

 

[wireform]

Keep to 30 CYA and slam for that level. You may be close to ending it but you need to have the FC in the range for your CYA, Anything more will burn off rapidly.