New Pool Owner - Learning!

[MaggieMiller]

As long as the FC is within the CYA limit you can safely swim.

We're not quite there. I'm going to continue the SLAM until I am CERTAIN. I really want to take the piece (whatever it's called) where the water flows back into the pool apart. It looks like it really needs to be cleaned. After the ladder, I want to examine everything that touches the water. But I'll have to figure out how to do that after I finish drilling big holes in the ladder. Thanks.

 

[JimMarshall]

We're not quite there. I'm going to continue the SLAM until I am CERTAIN. I really want to take the piece (whatever it's called) where the water flows back into the pool apart. It looks like it really needs to be cleaned. After the ladder, I want to examine everything that touches the water. But I'll have to figure out how to do that after I finish drilling big holes in the ladder. Thanks.

Maggie, what is your CYA level? 30 still?

If that is the case, as long as your FC is over 2 and below 12, and the water is clean enough to see the bottom of the pool, your pool is perfectly safe to be in. I raise my pool to SLAM levels every time we have a pool party/gathering at the house (sometimes every weekend)

 

[MaggieMiller]

Maggie, what is your CYA level? 30 still?

If that is the case, as long as your FC is over 2 and below 12, and the water is clean enough to see the bottom of the pool, your pool is perfectly safe to be in. I raise my pool to SLAM levels every time we have a pool party/gathering at the house (sometimes every weekend)

My CYA level is 50. The FC is 12. I can see the bottom of the pool, because I see some leaves I missed yesterday when I couldn't see as well.

 

[JimMarshall]

If your CYA is 50 you can safely swim from 4-20 FC. With the buffering effects of 50 CYA taken into the calculation, 20 PPM FC is literally less available chlorine than chlorinated tap water.

 

[MaggieMiller]

Yayyy! A dy of celebration before I get into the outflow and make sure there's no algae in there!

 

[Mdragger88]

You need to continue with slam until all 3 are true at the same time
CC is 0.5 or lower;
You pass an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test
AND
The water is clear.
(Crystal Clear w/no algae dead or alive)

 

[MaggieMiller]

Thank you. I am back to SLAM mode. Today I pressure-washed the ladder parts that have been sitting in bleach water. Next I plan to drill holes.

 

[MaggieMiller]

I emptied out the sand and things are soaking now. As if a sign from above, one of the teens that lived here before us saw my granddaughter (they were classmates) and she told her the water had "always been green" the whole time they swam in the pool. So I guess that ladder had years to set up an impressive algae colony. And that explains why they had bottles of algae remedies and clarifiers on the shelves. Upon the deep scrub this evening, there was nothing left on the bottom of the pool and the algae, even in the ladder area, is gone. The water is blue. I put a lot of chlorine in because I added algae back to the water from the wall where the ladder was and from the last bits of debris on the bottom of the pool, but MAYBE, if the chlorine isn't too high, I can let the kids swim in a ladder-less pool tomorrow. They don't need a ladder to climb right out, but when I got out after cleaning the pool, it was not pretty & I was glad no one had a camera around. LOL

I guess I need to find an old set of clothes to designate as my "bleach clothes" because I'll be bleaching and scrubbing ladder parts for a day or two...

No sand, as @Mdragger88 said!

Kellyfair, do you have any pictures of the holes you drilled in your ladder? I'm about to do that next. I borrowed my neighbor's pressure washer and the ladder is clean now.

 

[kimkats]

What I did was make some holes that would allow the turkey baster end inside the ladder a bit. I drilled 5 holes the turkey baster size on both legs evenly spread apart.. During the hot of summer I would squirt chlorine in about 3 times a week into the ladder then brush all around the ladder to make sure to get any chlorine just sitting on the bottom of the pool.

 

[MaggieMiller]

Do your steps have adequate drainage? I don't think mine do. I'm worried I'll honeycomb the thing to the point where it significantly decreases the weight it will hold. lol. I'd really like to put a turkey baster hole in each step as well.

 

[kellyfair]

Sorry - I didn’t see this until now. My stairs are not the type where I could bore a hole large enough to fit a bottle brush inside, like I think @Mdragger88 was able to do, or even a turkey baster. Mine have narrow hollow bars, so I used a larger drill bit and just put a ton of holes all over. I too was worried about compromising the strength, but I didn’t drill any of them too closely together.

I have a large syringe with long plastic tubing connected to it, and can fit the tubing through the holes and give it a dose of chlorine water every now and then.

 

[MaggieMiller]

I just went ahead and did my best and I'm pretty pleased with the outcome. I made enough holes for the water to flow through so I think occasional bleach in the ladder will be all it needs. Now to figure out how to put it back together! Thanks for the reply!

 

[MaggieMiller]

Update on my pool progress in general and why this thread has seemed eternally long:

LIFE: My addict daughter was life flighted to a trauma center. I many never know exactly why (which, as a retired trauma nurse, is driving me a bit crazy). She is stable, discharged now with a scar that looks like something from decades past on her abdomen & seems to be out of danger for the moment. But she never has a regular place to live and 75% of the time I have no way to contact her, so I just hear what I hear when I hear it. The night before her accident, I sensed something and texted her my feelings of concern for her life and told her the things you want someone to know if you're never going to see them again, so she DID text me on her way home from the hospital from someone else's phone to let me know that she is alive and okay. No one's sleeping well around here. The air is a bit thick with emotion.

TIME: The kids have friends for sleepovers and I'm 72, fairly sleepless right now, and I just plain run out of time and energy to study the things I need to study and do the things I need to do. I'm not asking for sympathy. I've been dealing with one almost impossible family situation after another for decades (somehow I got tapped to be the "responsible" one in a family that's had it's share of challenges) and I have a belief system that can support it, so I don't wallow in "woe is me." I just get on with it because there is no other choice. Pleasure and inner peace exist everywhere, so right now, I'm finding some of that in making the pool wonderful for the kids.I just never feel like I have enough hours in the day.

THE FIRST SLAM: I think I'm in the final part of the SLAM. It's still eating a lot of chlorine and did not pass the overnight test last night (though I need to look that up again, too, I know it didn't b/c when I couldn't sleep I tested the pool at 3am and had to add a good bit of chlorine) and just added the same amount again. But the water is the clearest it's been and I can see every leaf on the bottom of the pool.

POOL VACUUM: Now I need to go watch youtube video that show me how to use the manual pool vacuum where I have to plug in the tubing into the draiinage where the filter basket is. That would allow me to get what's on the bottom of the pool out without having to get in. Or I might just get in anyway.

PINCH A PENNY: We went to Pinch a Penny yesterday and I'm thrilled with the liquid chlorine prices. I found 6 containers here and filled them all. Now I'm struggling with how to best measure ounces of chlorine from those heavy containers. Last night I ended up putting my kitchen scale, a large funnel and an empty chlorine bottle outside because I can't pour without making a bit of a mess. I'm on the lookout for a clear bottle to measure into, so I can mark it at the 50,. 100, 150, etc levels and get rid of the scale.

FILTER GUAGE: My filter guage is missing. The previous owner was an electrician. The replacement filters online screw in like a light bulb, but what i have here are 2 plastic electrical connectors, so I need to spend time on the Heyward site as well to figure that out.

SAND FILTER: I took a good look at a cut-away of my specific sand filter at Pinch a Penny so I now know exactly what's inside there now. That was enlightening!

WATER OUTLET/JET: I wanted to take the water outlet off to clean it, but when I turn it to unscrew it, it just changes the direction of the water, but the central portion isn't unscrewing. I don't see anything from the other side to help, so I need to investigate that further as well. I got frustrated and quit trying.

LADDER: It's been pressure washed and soaked in bleach a week, and it's clean. I drilled drainage holes, but it's still in pieces. I have empty chlorine bottles I will use as ballast instead of filling the ladder with sand as the previous owner did.

CHEMICALS: I ordered more test reagents, so I can test as often as I like for a while now.

THANK YOU for your patience and help. I am more than grateful. I'm hoping to be done with the initial cleaning this week and am looking forward to having a pool the kids can soon swim in every day. It's HOT here, and Lord knows, we can all use physical exhaustion and good sleep in this house. I look forward to the day when I can be of help to others here.

 

[Mdragger88]

Update on my pool progress in general and why this thread has seemed eternally long:

LIFE: My addict daughter was life flighted to a trauma center. I many never know exactly why (which, as a retired trauma nurse, is driving me a bit crazy). She is stable, discharged now with a scar that looks like something from decades past on her abdomen & seems to be out of danger for the moment. But she never has a regular place to live and 75% of the time I have no way to contact her, so I just hear what I hear when I hear it. The night before her accident, I sensed something and texted her my feelings of concern for her life and told her the things you want someone to know if you're never going to see them again, so she DID text me on her way home from the hospital from someone else's phone to let me know that she is alive and okay. No one's sleeping well around here. The air is a bit thick with emotion.

TIME: The kids have friends for sleepovers and I'm 72, fairly sleepless right now, and I just plain run out of time and energy to study the things I need to study and do the things I need to do. I'm not asking for sympathy. I've been dealing with one almost impossible family situation after another for decades (somehow I got tapped to be the "responsible" one in a family that's had it's share of challenges) and I have a belief system that can support it, so I don't wallow in "woe is me." I just get on with it because there is no other choice. Pleasure and inner peace exist everywhere, so right now, I'm finding some of that in making the pool wonderful for the kids.I just never feel like I have enough hours in the day.

We’re here for ya! & life just gets in the way sometimes. It’s a ok! You’re doing great

THE FIRST SLAM: I think I'm in the final part of the SLAM. It's still eating a lot of chlorine and did not pass the overnight test last night (though I need to look that up again, too, I know it didn't b/c when I couldn't sleep I tested the pool at 3am and had to add a good bit of chlorine) and just added the same amount again. But the water is the clearest it's been and I can see every leaf on the bottom of the pool.

Marvelous! Here’s the link
Overnight Chlorine Loss Test
It’s basically-
test after your last addition (dark, pump running)
Then Test in the am before the sun comes up (pump running)
Subtract to see the difference.

POOL VACUUM: Now I need to go watch youtube video that show me how to use the manual pool vacuum where I have to plug in the tubing into the draiinage where the filter basket is. That would allow me to get what's on the bottom of the pool out without having to get in. Or I might just get in anyway.

I think you mean skimmer basket-
You basically throw the hose in the pool with the head & pole attached then get all the air out of the hose (putting it on a return jet works great)
Then keep it under water (so no air gets in) and stick the hose either onto a vac plate which sits on top of the skimmer basket or stick the hose directly into the suction opening after removing the skimmer basket.

PINCH A PENNY: We went to Pinch a Penny yesterday and I'm thrilled with the liquid chlorine prices. I found 6 containers here and filled them all. Now I'm struggling with how to best measure ounces of chlorine from those heavy containers. Last night I ended up putting my kitchen scale, a large funnel and an empty chlorine bottle outside because I can't pour without making a bit of a mess. I'm on the lookout for a clear bottle to measure into, so I can mark it at the 50,. 100, 150, etc levels and get rid of the scale.

I use a $1 walmart gallon pitcher.
Just sit it somewhere stable.
It can be a little splashy when the yellow jug is full but after that its a piece of cake.
Rinse the pitcher in the pool afterwards.
The yellow jug may also have markings (mine do) but its a little hard to maneuver over the side when its full so i use the pitcher.

FILTER GUAGE: My filter guage is missing. The previous owner was an electrician. The replacement filters online screw in like a light bulb, but what i have here are 2 plastic electrical connectors, so I need to spend time on the Heyward site as well to figure that out.

Post a pic.

WATER OUTLET/JET: I wanted to take the water outlet off to clean it, but when I turn it to unscrew it, it just changes the direction of the water, but the central portion isn't unscrewing. I don't see anything from the other side to help, so I need to investigate that further as well. I got frustrated and quit trying.

It may be easier to remove with the pump off.
Yours may be 2 or 3 pieces.




They get brittle over time - i bet pinch a penny sells them for a few bucks.
Its one of the only pool items that isn’t overpriced at the pool store usually.

LADDER: It's been pressure washed and soaked in bleach a week, and it's clean. I drilled drainage holes, but it's still in pieces. I have empty chlorine bottles I will use as ballast instead of filling the ladder with sand as the previous owner did.

CHEMICALS: I ordered more test reagents, so I can test as often as I like for a while now.

Bravo

THANK YOU for your patience and help. I am more than grateful. I'm hoping to be done with the initial cleaning this week and am looking forward to having a pool the kids can soon swim in every day. It's HOT here, and Lord knows, we can all use physical exhaustion and good sleep in this house. I look forward to the day when I can be of help to others here.

It is safe to swim so long as :
*Fc is between min & slam level for your cya
* ph is in the 7’s
AND
* you can see the bottom of the pool for swimmer safety
Go swammin!

If its close to slam level you may want to rinse the suits afterwards to preserve the lycra.

 

[kimkats]

Well done on some many levels! Mom, pool care giver, great person overall! I am glad you found TFP to help make one part of your life a bit easier.

 

[MaggieMiller]

We’re here for ya! & life just gets in the way sometimes. It’s a ok! You’re doing great

Marvelous! Here’s the link
Overnight Chlorine Loss Test
It’s basically-
test after your last addition (dark, pump running)
Then Test in the am before the sun comes up (pump running)
Subtract to see the difference.


I think you mean skimmer basket-
You basically throw the hose in the pool with the head & pole attached then get all the air out of the hose (putting it on a return jet works great)
Then keep it under water (so no air gets in) and stick the hose either onto a vac plate which sits on top of the skimmer basket or stick the hose directly into the suction opening after removing the skimmer basket.

I use a $1 walmart gallon pitcher.
Just sit it somewhere stable.
It can be a little splashy when the yellow jug is full but after that its a piece of cake.
Rinse the pitcher in the pool afterwards.
The yellow jug may also have markings (mine do) but its a little hard to maneuver over the side when its full so i use the pitcher.


Post a pic.

It may be easier to remove with the pump off.
Yours may be 2 or 3 pieces.

View attachment 589354
View attachment 589352View attachment 589353

They get brittle over time - i bet pinch a penny sells them for a few bucks.
Its one of the only pool items that isn’t overpriced at the pool store usually.




Bravo

It is safe to swim so long as :
*Fc is between min & slam level for your cya
* ph is in the 7’s
AND
* you can see the bottom of the pool for swimmer safety
Go swammin!

If its close to slam level you may want to rinse the suits afterwards to preserve the lycra.

What a thorough response! It's raining, but I'll try to get into the pool alater

We’re here for ya! & life just gets in the way sometimes. It’s a ok! You’re doing great

Marvelous! Here’s the link
Overnight Chlorine Loss Test
It’s basically-
test after your last addition (dark, pump running)
Then Test in the am before the sun comes up (pump running)
Subtract to see the difference.


I think you mean skimmer basket-
You basically throw the hose in the pool with the head & pole attached then get all the air out of the hose (putting it on a return jet works great)
Then keep it under water (so no air gets in) and stick the hose either onto a vac plate which sits on top of the skimmer basket or stick the hose directly into the suction opening after removing the skimmer basket.

I use a $1 walmart gallon pitcher.
Just sit it somewhere stable.
It can be a little splashy when the yellow jug is full but after that its a piece of cake.
Rinse the pitcher in the pool afterwards.
The yellow jug may also have markings (mine do) but its a little hard to maneuver over the side when its full so i use the pitcher.


Post a pic.

It may be easier to remove with the pump off.
Yours may be 2 or 3 pieces.

View attachment 589354
View attachment 589352View attachment 589353

They get brittle over time - i bet pinch a penny sells them for a few bucks.
Its one of the only pool items that isn’t overpriced at the pool store usually.




Bravo

It is safe to swim so long as :
*Fc is between min & slam level for your cya
* ph is in the 7’s
AND
* you can see the bottom of the pool for swimmer safety
Go swammin!

If its close to slam level you may want to rinse the suits afterwards to preserve the lycra.

It's raining, but I'll try and get in the pool later and try to get the drain outlet off without the pump running. That's a bit of common sense I guess I was lacking. lol

I'll go to Walmart and get a gallon pitcher. That's an excellent idea.

My overnight chlorine loss was 1ppm, but I''m still getting small little piles of what I think is beach sand colored dead algae on the bottom of the pool. I asked about that in someone else's thread this morning. My crappy cheap pool vacuum isn't picking it up - just mixing it into the pool water. I'd like to clear it all out so I can meet the last "SLAM COMPLETED" criteria. lol.

This has been an ordeal, but I can see how much easier regular pool maintenance will be after it's over, so I'm happy.

Thank you for your detailed help.

 

[MaggieMiller]

Well done on some many levels! Mom, pool care giver, great person overall! I am glad you found TFP to help make one part of your life a bit easier.

Thanks for the support.

 

[JimMarshall]

My overnight chlorine loss was 1ppm, but I''m still getting small little piles of what I think is beach sand colored dead algae on the bottom of the pool. I asked about that in someone else's thread this morning. My crappy cheap pool vacuum isn't picking it up - just mixing it into the pool water. I'd like to clear it all out so I can meet the last "SLAM COMPLETED" criteria. lol.

Stirring it up is a good thing. when its stirred up into the water the filter will do its job and filter it out

 

[MaggieMiller]

Stirring it up is a good thing. when its stirred up into the water the filter will do its job and filter it out

So letting the kids swim for a bit will accomplish the same thing with much less effort on my part? lol. The final SLAM sprint: Keep the CYA up, when chlorine is needed, send the kids into the pool to stir up the dead algae. Then add chlorine. Rinse and repeat and see what happens.

 

[JimMarshall]

Still keep the clorine up as much as possible. The more the pool is stirred up the better - whether by brushing, robot, kids, etc.