So overnight I lost 7ppm FC as I was down to 25. I'm beginning to lose my POP a little bit. For starting with a nice clear pool that was just having issues holding chlorine levels, I didn't expect this to go on past the weekend, or still be losing chlorine at such a high rate. After the initial dose to begin the slam last Wednesday night, the water got a little cloudy but I could still see my main drains. I assumed this was just the chlorine killing organic garbage I couldn't see before. It cleared up over the weekend and looks great again, but I'm still losing a ton of chlorine overnight. I'll stay the course, but man, I'm using a ridiculous amount of bleach jugs for a pool that didn't start out green or swampy. It's got me worried that I have some other issue...
New pool owner and first test results from my test kit
- Thread starter turbowop
- Start date
You definitely have something using up your FC, so while this may seem maddening, you will definitely be happy once you win this war.
Are you confident in your CYA measurement? What I'm thinking is, if it is higher than you think, you may be SLAMing at a lower level than optimal.
Otherwise, stay the course, you will definitely be happy once you have a TFP pool, and you are getting close.
Are you confident in your CYA measurement? What I'm thinking is, if it is higher than you think, you may be SLAMing at a lower level than optimal.
Otherwise, stay the course, you will definitely be happy once you have a TFP pool, and you are getting close.
Yes, I'm pretty confident. I even did it inside the house with less light. I bet doing the CYA test outside with the sun against my back would yield a lower number. And I had a good amount of evaporation over the weekend so I had to top up the water. Also had to top up the water after a backwash late last week so CYA should ultimately be going down. Can I do a CYA test while slamming? I'll do one after work if so.
It it doesn't help that all this bleach I've been buying has been wildly different in potency. I don't think a lot of folks in my town use the TFP method so liquid chlorine and bleach just sits on shelves decaying.
*edit* And for what it's worth, when adding bleach I've been rounding up and seeing FC in the low 30s rather than just sticking to the 28ppm that's suggested by the CYA/FC shock level chart.
It it doesn't help that all this bleach I've been buying has been wildly different in potency. I don't think a lot of folks in my town use the TFP method so liquid chlorine and bleach just sits on shelves decaying.
*edit* And for what it's worth, when adding bleach I've been rounding up and seeing FC in the low 30s rather than just sticking to the 28ppm that's suggested by the CYA/FC shock level chart.
dkimble
0
- Jun 22, 2013
- 352
I can feel your pain. When I did my slam I started with clear water. My CC just got over .5 and I couldn't pass an OCLT. It was left over from a mustard algae problem last fall.
Stay the course... You will get there. I was freaking about how much chlorine I was using per day, but now I use almost nothing.
You will end up with water that looks like this
Stay the course... You will get there. I was freaking about how much chlorine I was using per day, but now I use almost nothing.
You will end up with water that looks like this
I measured CYA again, this time outside. I tried to fill to a graduation, then look away, then glance down to see the dot. I was probably wrong the first time thinking it was 70. It could be 80 or 90. So frustrating. I don't think I'm going to be able to drain/refill in my area without having a pump truck show up to take water away. I will bump up the chlorine dosage to 35ish PPM and hope to start seeing some stability overnight within the next couple days. Not really sure what to do if that doesn't work. I've already blown so much money on jugs of bleach, I don't want it to be for nothing at this point.
So I upped the ante a bit and brought the FC level to 39ppm (confirmed by testing after letting the pool circulate for 45mins after pouring in the bleach) before going to bed. Tested this morning at 6am and it was down to 32ppm. I then poured in two gallons of 8.25% bleach which should bring the level to 41ppm. We'll see what these elevated FC levels do.
Test results last night at 11pm yielded 32.5ppm FC and less than .5ppm CC. 6am this morning showed 27ppm FC and again less than .5ppm CC. Finally using less chlorine overnight.
Alright!
You are close.
A reminder for the criteria
1) CC less than 0.5
2) OCLT less than 1.0
3) crystal clear
You are close.
A reminder for the criteria
1) CC less than 0.5
2) OCLT less than 1.0
3) crystal clear
dkimble
0
- Jun 22, 2013
- 352
dkimble
0
- Jun 22, 2013
- 352
Beautiful! I have been cleaning mine today. My first time in the pool this year. TFP water is amazing! Our pool has never been like this
Okay, much better news this morning. Yesterday I kept FC levels up, swept the pool, did a 5 minute backwash of the filter, and topped up the water afterwards. Last night at 11pm FC was 38ppm. This morning at 6:30am FC is at 37.5ppm. CC has been below .5ppm for several days now. Sometimes zero, sometimes showing just the lightest hue of pink that went away easily with one drop. Water is also crystal clear.
Should I continue the SLAM for another day just to be sure?
Should I continue the SLAM for another day just to be sure?
I decided to keep the pool at SLAM level all day yesterday and do another OCLT overnight just to be sure. Tested at 10pm FC was 32.5. This morning at 6am FC was 29.5. Ugh. Brought it back up to 39ppm. I'll do another OCLT. Any reason why it might have regressed?
What a thread! I also know the pain of sourcing bleach in Yakima! Last time I was there the Nob Hill stored 10% indoors, but had older stock while the greenway walmart stored it shaded outdoors and had fresher stock! Anyways, I ended up with the ultra fresh and indoors 8.25% from both fred and wal, whichever I was closer to when I needed it. The Nob Hill WM ended up stocking fresh 10% on the last days of my slam, better late than never.
While not an official TFP observation, I've seen higher FC demands following backwash in some pools. While this could be due to the backwash itself, it is likely due to adding the replacement water which, if city, has chloramines in it, which counts as CC, which do burn some FC to oxidize before the sun gets them. Additionally, the lower FC of the fill water must be thoroughly circulated for the sample to be representative of the average FC of the pool's current water. In most pools with good circulation, 30 mins, but some pools require longer, potentially up to 2 hrs. If well/reclaimed/river/irrigation water is used, then FC demand can be sky high after additions.
Your FC loss was a little less steady that we're accustomed to seeing, but not unprecedented. By any chance are you aware of anyone ever using or did you see any containers for green out/yellow out/swamp treat/green fix/non-chlorine shock/anything with bromine/bromide? Not important, just curious.
Because your CYA is potentially 80+, I suggest you do step #8 when you get a chance herehttps://www.troublefreepool.com/content/220-CYA
- - - Updated - - -
also see the picture of the test's endpoint linked in the lower section to confirm you're stopping at the correct look
While not an official TFP observation, I've seen higher FC demands following backwash in some pools. While this could be due to the backwash itself, it is likely due to adding the replacement water which, if city, has chloramines in it, which counts as CC, which do burn some FC to oxidize before the sun gets them. Additionally, the lower FC of the fill water must be thoroughly circulated for the sample to be representative of the average FC of the pool's current water. In most pools with good circulation, 30 mins, but some pools require longer, potentially up to 2 hrs. If well/reclaimed/river/irrigation water is used, then FC demand can be sky high after additions.
Your FC loss was a little less steady that we're accustomed to seeing, but not unprecedented. By any chance are you aware of anyone ever using or did you see any containers for green out/yellow out/swamp treat/green fix/non-chlorine shock/anything with bromine/bromide? Not important, just curious.
Because your CYA is potentially 80+, I suggest you do step #8 when you get a chance herehttps://www.troublefreepool.com/content/220-CYA
- - - Updated - - -
also see the picture of the test's endpoint linked in the lower section to confirm you're stopping at the correct look
I've been doing the CYA test using the tap water and multiply by two method. After the last backwash and refill I come up with 90ppm. I'm not in a situation where I can pump to waste 6000 gallons of water, so lowering my CYA will just have to happen over time with longer backwashes.
I have NobHill water here, which is different than city. It's pretty hard water. After adding water I made sure to also add bleach, then let it circulate for several hours before testing prior to my first real OCLT.
I have NobHill water here, which is different than city. It's pretty hard water. After adding water I made sure to also add bleach, then let it circulate for several hours before testing prior to my first real OCLT.
You're doing great! As long as don't add any more pucks to the pool (trichlor) and don't use dichlor based power shock, yes your CYA will come down. No stabilizers or conditioners either.
On the backwash cycles - in case you missed it in pool school - backwash 2 mins or until very clear, rinse 30s or until clear, backwash 30s or until clear, rinse 30s or until clear, back to filter. Turning pump off before each setting change of course. More water loss and really great cleaning. Longer between backwashes too. Win-win-win.
On the backwash cycles - in case you missed it in pool school - backwash 2 mins or until very clear, rinse 30s or until clear, backwash 30s or until clear, rinse 30s or until clear, back to filter. Turning pump off before each setting change of course. More water loss and really great cleaning. Longer between backwashes too. Win-win-win.
I guess I didn't read that section of pool school. Last backwash I did 5mins and then rinse 1min. Based on water level drop I figured about 600 gallons was pumped out.
I've visited pool school pages hundreds of times, yet I still find something that clicks weekly or so on one page or another.
https://www.troublefreepool.com/content/144-maintenance-and-cleaning-of-pool-filters.
It doesn't have the times listed, but my suggestions are a sound guide. It does explain bw, r, bw, r, filter. (always off in-between)
During the Yakima SLAM I helped with in person, I too learned of the rinse
https://www.troublefreepool.com/content/144-maintenance-and-cleaning-of-pool-filters.
It doesn't have the times listed, but my suggestions are a sound guide. It does explain bw, r, bw, r, filter. (always off in-between)
During the Yakima SLAM I helped with in person, I too learned of the rinse
So I dropped from 34ppm FC last night to 32ppm FC this morning. Based on this thread:
https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/104461-(NOT-URGENT-)-)-Ideal-Predicted-Chlorine-loss-rate
I'm gonna call off the SLAM. It seems like 1ppm is way too difficult to hit at my SLAM levels. I've had FC at mid to high 30s for a week now and even in the low 40s a couple times after adding chlorine. The pool has been crystal clear and sparkly for the past week as well. CC levels have been 0ppm. I'll do another OCLT after my FC level drops to the low teens. Hopefully it'll be easier to hit that 1ppm limit at that point and then I can just maintain and start trying to get CYA down by doing either a backwash or pump to waste once a day. Does this seem like a logical plan?
https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/104461-(NOT-URGENT-)-)-Ideal-Predicted-Chlorine-loss-rate
I'm gonna call off the SLAM. It seems like 1ppm is way too difficult to hit at my SLAM levels. I've had FC at mid to high 30s for a week now and even in the low 40s a couple times after adding chlorine. The pool has been crystal clear and sparkly for the past week as well. CC levels have been 0ppm. I'll do another OCLT after my FC level drops to the low teens. Hopefully it'll be easier to hit that 1ppm limit at that point and then I can just maintain and start trying to get CYA down by doing either a backwash or pump to waste once a day. Does this seem like a logical plan?