New (to me) pool - need equipment advice

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Sooo... I figured out the answer to the skimmer mystery - I opened the jandy valve on the pump suction side and what greeted me but a rubber plug which appears to have been sucked through the line from the near side skimmer! It was completely blocking that side of the valve! I have no idea how it got there or how it managed to make it all the way through the line, but I removed it with a pair of pliers and everything works just great now!

Two more gallons of bleach and I should be on the high side of my SLAM target for another night. The polaris keeps finding sand on the bottom so I'm suspicious that there's a broken/cracked lateral in the filter, but I'm not positive because I don't see sand shooting out the returns.

Definitely looking much more like "pool" than "swamp" now, but still nothing even remotely approaching "sparkling".

Thanks everyone for you advice
 
Yeah it was a shocker to me too. The only clue I did have was that the valve wouldn't turn over to that side but I wasn't sure if that was supposed to be like that (I'm totally new to pools).

pury6asy.jpg


Here's the bleach that I bought. Probably way too much but with my CYA at 100 I wasn't sure how much I would end up needing.




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I've read back through the history and it appears that you haven't done the dilution CYA test.
With CYA "100", I suggest you follow the re-test with 50% pool water and 50% chlorine-free water (typically distilled water), test CYA as per normal and then multiply the result by 2 to get a ballpark on your actual CYA - it may be MUCH higher than it appears.
See extended test kit instructions, post#8, step 9 for more details.

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Also, if you still get CYA "100" with the 50% dilution then you should do a 25% pool water test.
 
Great point - I just ran a 50% dilution test and the good news is that it came out at ~35, which would put my CYA at 70. It makes sense it would be down because of all of the backwashing and filling I've been doing (although perhaps not down this much). I'll re-run the test tomorrow in the daylight because tonight's test was under artificial light.

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(good thing I just ordered a TF100 because my Taylor kit CYA reagent isn't going to make it to a swimmable pool!)
 
a plug in the pipe lodged on the valve? Amazing. Glad you got it figure out and the dead skimmer back to skimming.

skyjohn said:
Sooo... I figured out the answer to the skimmer mystery - I opened the jandy valve on the pump suction side and what greeted me but a rubber plug which appears to have been sucked through the line from the near side skimmer! It was completely blocking that side of the valve! I have no idea how it got there or how it managed to make it all the way through the line, but I removed it with a pair of pliers and everything works just great now!

Two more gallons of bleach and I should be on the high side of my SLAM target for another night. The polaris keeps finding sand on the bottom so I'm suspicious that there's a broken/cracked lateral in the filter, but I'm not positive because I don't see sand shooting out the returns.

Definitely looking much more like "pool" than "swamp" now, but still nothing even remotely approaching "sparkling".

Thanks everyone for you advice
Click to expand...

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nah, thats not too much. If you dont use it all in the slam, you can use it with your stenner pump.

skyjohn said:
Yeah it was a shocker to me too. The only clue I did have was that the valve wouldn't turn over to that side but I wasn't sure if that was supposed to be like that (I'm totally new to pools).

pury6asy.jpg


Here's the bleach that I bought. Probably way too much but with my CYA at 100 I wasn't sure how much I would end up needing.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
 
There was another guy on here a while back who ran out of 0871 during a slam. He did a 4:1 dilution and used the OTO chlorine test. Not entirely accurate but you might limp through until your test kit shows up. It will be a long shot that the pool store will have any.


skyjohn said:
Ahh just ran out of R0871 - may need to make a trip to the dreaded pool store to get some more while I wait for my TF100.

Any thoughts on doing FC tests with 50% dilute pool water to save reagent?
Click to expand...
 
Luckily the Leslie's in elmsford NY had it! SLAM goes on. Fc is 39 and CYA is 84. Tested both with 50% dilution to save drops. Also handy that when you do that with a 10ml sample, drops=1ppm!

Here's a progress pic
yzaju5a9.jpg


You can actually now see the bottom in the spa and shallow end. Not the deep end yet but it's worlds better than it was!

Here's the before shot just after taking the cover off.

muby7ega.jpg



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Thanks! Yeah I love the setting too, it's very private. Of course the downside to all those trees is all those leaves! But I think it's worth it. Now all I need to so is clean up around the pool so when it sparkles the surroundings will too!

Replaced the gfci and got the lights working today, still slamming, the FC was 39 (cc was .5) before I added one more gallon of bleach to take me through the night.

Today the spa was approaching crystal clear, and the shallow end was pretty clear but the water is still a bit cloudy so I can't see the bottom in the deep end (8' deep)




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In doing all of this water testing, dilutions, chemical addition, etc., I've found that having a set of graduated cylinders and beakers to be very helpful. I bought a cheap set of plastic ones from Amazon and would highly recommend them. They're also great for making your home look more science-ey :)
 
Today was a breakthrough - I can see the bottom of the deep end and the water was completely clear in the spa and shallow end!!
Performing an OCLT tonight, current FC is 38, re-measured CYA at between 60 and 80 (60 on the 50% dilute test and 80 on the 100% test), so my new target is 31 assuming 80 worst case.

Here's some new pics!

epa8y3yb.jpg

Spa crystal clear

peta2u4u.jpg

Deep end - main drain on left, Polaris on the right

qetuqena.jpg

Looking back towards the house.

Installed a camera and wifi out there tonight so I can keep tabs on the pool from work, and of course check out TFP from poolside!

Thank you to everyone for making this possible!!


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I'm so proud of my pool for passing its OCLT!
Looks like the SLAM is complete - water is clear, CC .5 or below, OCLT passed!
pool-slam done.jpg

Hopefully will be swimming by the weekend!!

Now it's time to decide SWG or Stenner... Replace pump with VS or not, and replace filter with cartridge or leave the sand (that I can't get the lid off)
Thank you again for all the advice!
 
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