My first attempt at a slam

[Mike1162]

You're doing great. Any clearer this morning?
We should have had you add some muriatic acid to bring the PH down to 7.2. Have you ever used it?
I also see you never posted a full set of test results. Let's do that today.

 

[Bille]

It’s starting to clear up I think:



When I opened the back door to go outside this morning I could smell chlorine in the air which is the first day I could smell it.

This mornings test:

7:30 am
fc = 13
added 1 gal of 6%

- - - Updated - - -

I haven’t used muriatic acid before, just the “ph down” stuff from the pool store. I wish I had read your message before I added that gal of 6%, should I still do a full testing now or should I wait a little bit for the beach to burn off?

 

[Mike1162]

You can test at any time. I believe that PH is the only test that's not accurate with high (over 10 ppm) chlorine levels.

Let's assume the PH is at 7.5 & shoot for 7.2. If you still have any ph down you can use that. If you use muriatic then read the precautions on the label. Always wait an hour between adding acid & chlorine & keep chlorine & muriatic acid containers away from each other. These two chemicals produce a toxic gas when mixed.

 

[Bille]

Working on getting test results now. I have about 6 pounds of ph decreaser, but I’m not sure how much to add or how to gauge it with the fc level so high

 

[Mike1162]

Post your test results & also update pool math in the 'now' column with all the results except PH, set that at 7.5 & target 7.2. Once you do that you can post how much decreaser it says to add & post the results if you want someone to confirm.

 

[Bille]

These are my results

[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]FC 19[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]CC 1.5[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]pH assuming 7.5 [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]TA 120-130 (test started to get red at 12 drops but didn’t get fully red till 13 drops) [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]CH 325[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]CYA 40[/FONT][/FONT]


Based on those I set up pool math like this:




I think it says to add 42oz of ph down? Is that correct? Did I fill out the poolmath correctly?

 

[mknauss]

Yes. 42 oz by weight.

In the future it is safer and cheaper to use muriatic acid. The sodium bisulfate that is dry acid destroys metals and concrete over time.

 

[Mike1162]

At the bottom of pool math you can set up goals.
TroubleFreePool, Chlorine & Plaster

That might reset all of the 'nows'.
Looks like you have a typo under CH - 35 instead of 325

 

[Hayseed]

Jug size for bleach, you entered 121 oz. is this correct?

 

[Bille]

Yes both my 6% and 8.25% say 121 fl oz on the labels.

I had to add some water to top it off the deep end skimmer was getting low. I put the hose in for about 30 mins and put in about half of the 6 pounds of ph down I had.

 

[Bille]

Very strong bleach smell as soon as I enter the backyard. I think I read somewhere that means the bleach is running out of stuff to kill?

 

[mknauss]

'Bleach' or 'chlorine' smell is the CC burning off due to sunlight on the pool. That is good. Maintain your FC at SLAM level.

 

[Bille]

3:30 pm
fc 17
added nothing.

 

[Aries1]

That looks like more of a pollen problem. Have you seen algae or anything else that indicated you had need to shock your pool? Try a flocculant yet?

 

[mknauss]

That looks like more of a pollen problem. Have you seen algae or anything else that indicated you had need to shock your pool? Try a flocculant yet?

Welcome to the forum.

Flocculant is very rarely recommended as it can create far more problems than it solves. The OP also has a cartridge filter which is contraindicated with the use of floc.

As pollen is rarely seen in the fall, the pool is cloudy. Which indicates dead algae and/or algae. Algae is present far before you see it as green or other colors on your pool surface.

 

[Aries1]

You are of course right and I should have said clarifier. Pollen count in his area is moderate now and has been unseasonably high. Just something to think outside the box on.

 

[mknauss]

Clarifier is another non-recommended additive to a pool when following TFPC.

Normal filtering is sufficient to clear a pool of solids.

 

[Bille]

That looks like more of a pollen problem. Have you seen algae or anything else that indicated you had need to shock your pool? Try a flocculant yet?

The short version is we moved in July 1 to a green slime pool with a broken filter system. Pool sat for another 2 weeks while we waited for new filter system. Got new filter system and worked with pool store to shock the pool which turned it from green to blue but it was cloudy. At this time we figured out we had a leak inside the pool and had to shut it down again to first find then repair the leaks. It was down for a week during that and turned geen again.

I shocked it again with pool store stuff and turned it almost blue. That’s when I came here for help and started the slam process. I’ve never been able to see the bottom of this pool and I feel like now I almost can.

I did use clairifier (flock) when working with the pool store but not anymore.

That reminds me I have a question. I used to keep 3 chlorine tabs, 3”, in a floater. I haven’t been doing that during slam because I read the tabs can make cya go up. Should I ever use them again or just test and use bleach from now on?

 

[mknauss]

Use the tabs when you are going to be gone for a few days and no one can add liquid chlorine to the pool.

Regular use of tablets (trichlor) will add CYA and is problematic.

 

[Bille]

10:45 pm
fc 17
added nothing.

Is it weird that my fc is the same at almost 11pm as it was at 3:30 pm when I haven’t added anything? I did notice the filter needed to be swapped and cleaned so circulation wasn’t very good for s while.