How to maintain critical chlorine level for SLAM

[Malgal]

Hi all. I am on the tail end of a SLAM. My pool has been clear the entire time since opening but I can’t get CC to remain below 1. It’s been hovering between 0.1 and 1 for the past couple of days. My CYA is 40 so I’ve been shooting for FC 16. My question is, do I keep topping the chlorine up before it dips below 16? I’ve been testing like crazy and if it’s at 16, I’ve been leaving it there. But unless I go several ppm higher than 16, it’s below that number each time I test. Last night I lost 3 ppm overnight and CC went from 0.5 before bed to 1.0 this morning. How much chlorine is too much? I don’t want it to keep dipping below 16 but don’t know what I should be doing to prevent that. I have an autocover and it’s tempting to close it to prevent loss from sunlight but I also don’t want to continuously expose it to high chlorine.

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum.
Clean the test vials you are using for FC/CC testing. You can use alcohol or bleach.

Be sure the pool cover is open before testing the pool water.

 

[Texas Splash]

Last night I lost 3 ppm overnight

That is key right there. Your water is still killing something the hours of darkness which results in more CCs. Do you have a light with a niche behind it? If so, did you remove the light. What about folds in the liner? Skimmer area inside and behind the weir door clean? No cover being used correct?

 

[Malgal]

Thank you. I have been thoroughly rinsing the test vials and the stir bar after every single test, although I don't use anything other than tap water (lots of it) and scrub the magnet. I will clean with alcohol between now and the next test. The cover is always open when I test. I take water from the deep end. I personally think the pool water has a very slight green tinge to it at the deep end, that it shouldn't have. At first, I was getting puffs of what I assume is dead algae on the bottom but that isn't there anymore.

 

[Malgal]

That is key right there. Your water is still killing something the hours of darkness which results in more CCs. Do you have a light with a niche behind it? If so, did you remove the light. What about folds in the liner? Skimmer area inside and behind the weir door clean? No cover being used correct?

I am in a cold state and can't get into the pool yet. So I can't access the pool light or the main drains. The water isn't 70. Is it safe to get in to do that when the chlorine is above the critical SLAM number? I close the cover at night because my HOA is a bunch of jerks (edited to say, the rules are the jerks, not the people, but safety in my state is a joke). I have been keeping it open during the day while slamming while I am around to keep an eye on it. I could probably keep it open at night but it makes me nervous.

 

[Texas Splash]

I see your signature is empty. When you get a chance, please add all of your pool and equipment info (including your test kit) into your signature. Refer to our sigs as an example. What type of filter do you have?

 

[Texas Splash]

Is it safe to get in to do that when the chlorine is above the critical SLAM number?

No. Once you get above SLAM level should not be in the water. Not to mention it's still quite cold. Buurrrrrrrr. As for the cover, try to leave it open as much as reasonable and to not get yourself in a pickle with the HOA. The sun will help to pull those CCs.

 

[Malgal]

I see your signature is empty. When you get a chance, please add all of your pool and equipment info (including your test kit) into your signature. Refer to our sigs as an example. What type of filter do you have?

Huh, I filled all of that out but I see it is under my profile, not in my signature. Let me do it again.

 

[Texas Splash]

I see it now.

 

[Malgal]

No. Once you get above SLAM level should not be in the water. Not to mention it's still quite cold. Buurrrrrrrr. As for the cover, try to leave it open as much as reasonable and to not get yourself in a pickle with the HOA. The sun will help to pull those CCs.

I have been keeping it open all day and only closing at night. It was in the 80s (air not water temp) the weekend before I had someone open for the season. The day it opened, it dropped to freezing (literally) so I didn't do anything with it. It sat like that for a couple of weeks and I regret not doing this SLAM thing during that time! I also figured out that my heater wasn't actually on which I didn't realize (and no, it wasn't just not working because it was too cold - stupid me). It is now and it is heating fine. If I can't resolve this before it heats up to where I can get in, what level of chlorine do I need to let it fall to before I can safely get in and attempt to clean the light and main drains?

I add chlorine when it drops to 15 but should I be trying to add the chlorine while it is still at 16 so that it doesn't fall below that number? My CYA reading is questionable but if anything, CYA is lower than I am listing. And if it is lower, then I only need 12 ppm FC and it has not dropped below 13 for the past few days and to the best of my knowledge.

 

[Texas Splash]

what level of chlorine do I need to let it fall to before I can safely get in and attempt to clean the light and main drains?

At or below SLAM level. For example if your CYA is 40, which requires a SLAM FC level of 16, then as long as your FC is 16 or below you can go in. See the FC/CYA Levels.

I add chlorine when it drops to 15 but should I be trying to add the chlorine while it is still at 16 so that it doesn't fall below that number?

No. It sounds as though you have been extremely vigilant with the FC level. Stay the course and keep doing what you're doing.

 

[Texas Splash]

As you said in Post #1, you're in the tail end of this thing. Try to continue what you're doing and be patient. Other than perhaps inspecting the light and/or drain cover later when the water warms up, you're doing everything right. From the looks of your pool there's not much else to do or check.

 

[Malgal]

As you said in Post #1, you're in the tail end of this thing. Try to continue what you're doing and be patient. Other than perhaps inspecting the light and/or drain cover later when the water warms up, you're doing everything right. From the looks of your pool there's not much else to do or check.

Thank you. It was only built last summer so this is my first full season and my first opening. I love tending the pool. I feel as though this SLAM process is never going to end but I am sure everyone feels the same way. I appreciate the help.