My user name says it all!

[DontFillitin]

Just for giggles, I tested my chlorine tonight. I don't know where it is exactly but it was still WAY darker than the highest reading. It has been about 20 hours since I put the last gallon of bleach in it. I know this isn't anything to go off of, just saying I think the chlorine level is somewhat staying up.

 

[DontFillitin]

It will lower the CYA, but at 8 inches in a 20,000 gal pool....it will take a bit.

8" a day would render 2' in 4 days which would be the same as draining down to 1' in the shallow end as previously advised..... However, I am letting it drain while my wife brushes tonight.... yeah, she is learning it's not all fun and games! At least until after all of the work is done! 3 more days until God's test kit comes in, and I guess one could say it's on after that

 

[DontFillitin]

Not to bad considering I have been shocking it one eye blind!

 

[Azgirl71]

Looking better!

 

[DontFillitin]

Who knew bleach was magic in a bottle?! When we get home from church, I'm going to vac again. I can actually see spots of algae on the shallow end floor!

 

[Azgirl71]

Yes defiantly brush and vacuum

 

[Task]

Have you tried agressively brushing? Brushing several times a day definitely helped clear my pool up faster, although that was mainly because I was getting everything suspended for the filter to clean the water and I know you are trying to preserve your DE. It's too bad you aren't near Philadelphia, I have a 25lb box of DE that I only used about 6 cups. I used it to help my sand filter when I was SLAMMING. I'd give you the rest of it.

 

[DontFillitin]

I didn't know I could use DE in my sand filter...... as far as brushing, you guys have no idea. I have spent every waking moment doing something to that pool for 2 weeks today. Every chance I have had to brush and vac, I have done it.

 

[Task]

Oops, got this thread confused with another swamp thread, LOL. You can use a small amount of DE in your sand filter to help speed up the process of clearing the water. By small amount, I mean just enough to raise the pressure about 2 or 3 psi. Problem is, I could only find DE in 25lb boxes and over the course of my SLAM, I only used a small amount of it. Now I've got a box of DE in my garage and no use for it.

Anyhow, my SLAM sped up dramatically by increased brushing. I stopped vacuuming altogether about half way through my SLAM and just stuck to brushing 3-4 times a day and letting my sand filter pull everything out. They say sand filters are a little bit slower at cleaning the water and actually work a little better when the are a little "dirty", which might be why the DE helped get some of the really small particles out of the water.

 

[DontFillitin]

Yeah, I have to replace my pressure gauge today. Last night was the first time I had backwash ed in a few days, and it was the first time I have seen mess come out. I had been backwashing too much. I might do a FB survey to see if anyone around me has a lil DE I can rob them of. I can't tend to it during the week, which is why I have been up until midnight or later. It has been rough the last week or so with 4-5 hrs of sleep avg.

 

[Task]

Keep at it, you are making progress. It will all pay off in the end when you get it crystal clear. Not only because you will be able to use your pool, but because you will have the satisfaction of knowing you did it yourself, and you gained a ton of knowledge from your experience.

On a side note, the cheap $5-$10 pool pressure gauges kept breaking for me. Instead, I spent a few extra dollars and got a good one that should last a lifetime. It was around $50, but it seems to be a pretty high quality gauge. The link to the one I got is below. Not sure of the freezing point of the glycerin inside the gauge, so just for precautionary reasons, I remove it when I winterize my pool and screw a broken cheapy gauge in just to plug the hole for the winter.

http://www.valworx.com/product/stainless-pressure-gauge-25-30-psi-liquid-filled

 

[jblizzle]

The glycerin ones at tftestkits.net are no where near $50 ... only $11

 

[DontFillitin]

Thanks for the tip. I have one already, but if it breaks, I will look at those.

 

[Task]

The glycerin ones at tftestkits.net are no where near $50 ... only $11

Good to know. The one I purchased is a bit overkill and more of an industrial grade gauge. Either way, they should both last a lifetime with the proper care.

 

[4knights]

That is funny that the pool store thinks as little of us as we do of them

That's because what we are selling is FREE and it Works! Hard to sell potions if the locals know the truth.

 

[applgrl]

If your CYA is indeed 97 :!: then this explains your twelve days of aggravation. According to the grid in Pool School, at 100 CYA you need a FC (free chlorine) level of 39 to shock---you will never get there in all practicality. Bottom line about stabilizer: a little is really good, a lot is really bad.

Suggestion: until you get a proper test kit,
1--buy the cheaper dipsticks that test for CYA. (Just for now.)
2--re-test your water at a reliable (?) pool store and only ask specifically for the CYA level.
3--if your CYA is indeed that high, you need to do a partial drain, say 1/3 of the pool and refill with fresh water.
4--use the dipsticks all through the process to see if you can at least see a small change in colour to see that you are reducing the CYA level.
5--when you get the CYA down to at least 60, then start to shock with liquid chlorine--Costco usually has the freshest product/best value.

Keep reading pool school! Do everything you can to keep your CYA in the low-normal range and everything else is easier.

 

[DontFillitin]

I'm seeing a decent difference almost daily now. I've replaced a good bit of water since Wednesday when it read 97. Friday it was at 87, and I vac'd a TON out Friday night, and again last night. The TF100 will be to me Tuesday. If CYA is still high then, I am going to drain as needed, and refill so I can begin my SLAM Wednesday..... although I think by Tuesday it will be low enough to start. I think my SLAM is going to be short.

 

[Azgirl71]

You never know how long it might take, but you have a great plan! Have you read my SLAM process in my signature? I thought I would be done in a week or less.

 

[DontFillitin]

You never know how long it might take, but you have a great plan! Have you read my SLAM process in my signature? I thought I would be done in a week or less.

Oh, I (now) realize it's not an overnight project.... but considering how much difference I see today compared to yesterday, and how much progress I have made since Wednesday I think I'm on a downhill slope. Thanks to advice for you guys! I haven't read your SLAM yet. I will tonight after I'm finished vac'ing and brushing.

 

[Swampwoman]

Good job working blind, justFillitin -- I can't wait til you have the test kit

Re:water swapping...how you get your cya down (once you have the means to test it) is up to you....but study the cya:chlorine chart (link in my signature) so that you're very comfortable with the ratios if it will be a moving target for you during the slam.

Normally, having the cya where you want it to begin the slam makes a little more sense because to do a partial drain AFTER you've used all that chlorine and filter time to clear your water is kinda wasting the effort a bit A partial drain before just saves on bleach cost and filter time to get clear, so it expedites the process.

Its also a bit easier to slam with a lower and known/stable cya value...because to make the fastest process you are methodically testing and dosing in a way that never let's the slam value fall. A its cheaper to be dosing frequently to a lower slam level than a high one...as much as 30-50% cheaper

So whether you actively drain now, or use vacuuming to waste incrementally over days, the single most important part for speedy recovery is actually maintaining the shock/slam value to cya ratio, which is why the test kit was so critical to the process.

Eg if your cya:FC slam level was 24, for example, and you add to 24 at 8 a.m., then don't check for 2 hours, you will have spent the majority of those 2 hours between tests at less than your slam value, which gives the algae a chance to outpace you and drags out the process.

If instead you dosed a bit above that to account for the drop, you will spend more time in the effective range. (In my case, my cya was low, so if I was aiming for say 12, I'd dose to 16 initially and then see if that "lasted" til the next dose in 2 hrs...) You just don't want to overdo the overdosing because you don't want to bleach the liner or waste bleach.

So, "maintaining" is the critical part, whatever your cya:FC ratio at shock/slam level.

Slamming during the work week is a bit tougher in that you might only be able to check in a.m. and after work. If you are able, it will help if you plan to come home at lunch.

In your case, it sounds like you've already broken its back somewhat and you may find your chlorine holding decently.

Keep us posted and cheers to imminent clearing!