10% Hth - 2017 lot from Ace Hardware. I tried to find out from Hth what their stamp code means, but they weren't very helpful. There were boxes there that said both 1617 and 1717 on them, so I'm only buying the 1717. I've also purchased 10% from the pool store (same price as ace - about $4/gal, with 200+ date stamp). Both sources are raising my FC by the amount the calculator says it should (for the most part).
Newbie and SLAMming - questions, questions
- Thread starter Suz.E.Q
- Start date
10% Hth - 2017 lot from Ace Hardware. I tried to find out from Hth what their stamp code means, but they weren't very helpful. There were boxes there that said both 1617 and 1717 on them, so I'm only buying the 1717. I've also purchased 10% from the pool store (same price as ace - about $4/gal, with 200+ date stamp). Both sources are raising my FC by the amount the calculator says it should (for the most part).
I would ask the pool company what kind of sand they put in the filter just to rule it out. We had a member use some alternative sand product and it just ate at their FC like crazy. They switched back to regular pool sand #20 and it solved their lingering issues.
If the sand is regular pool sand #20, you might just need a little POP (pool owner patience) as you haven't been SLAMing too long.
If the sand is regular pool sand #20, you might just need a little POP (pool owner patience) as you haven't been SLAMing too long.
Ok, well, I wish there was a store for me to purchase that POP!!! So hard to see the pool looking PERFECT but not passing the overnight test!
I'm sure I'm repeating what you already know, but when doing the OCLT, you need to test your FC 30 minutes after you last addition of bleach. Make sure your pump is running overnight.
Yep. In fact, I tested 1 and 2 hours after my last addition last night. Is that something I'm messing up? Should I be literally adding my last dose 30 min before bed then test 30 min after that dose? it seems like it shouldn't matter since it's nighttime whenever it was I last added a dose so isn't the theory that it shouldn't really be dropping after dark at all?
Is there any difference between having a high FC and a target FC for this test? I see the instructions say a minimum of 3FC... It seems my levels drop faster with higher doses than lower ones - am I missing something?
I did find a teeny small pocket of actual green spots of algae today - on the backside of the weir (I think that's the right term for the skimmer flapper). I scrubbed and scrubbed but since the material on the back is foam of some sort (like a pool noodle), it just wouldn't scrub off. Could this tiny amount of algae be causing my issues??? Egad if that's true! How do I get this foam thing off to replace? Is it even possible?
Thanks!
Testing 1 to 2 hours after you add is okay, you just want to make sure that you don't test any sooner than 30 minutes after you added the last amount of chlorine. Ideally, you want at least 8 hours between the after the sun test and the before sun test.
It is possible that the algae you see is using up a lot of chlorine, have you asked about the kind of sand added to your filter? If you did not get rid of all of the algae, you should remove the weirs if you are able and soak them in a diluted bleach solution. You don't want them to soak in too strong of a solution as you don't want the foam to break down. Try 4 parts water and 1 part bleach and soak for 15 minutes. Rinse them off well when you pull them out.
Now that you see where algae can hide, can you think of any other areas where it might be hiding?
Did you add any pool store products to your pool prior to starting the TFP SLAM process? Some products can actually consume lots of chlorine until that product is completely oxidized.
It is possible that the algae you see is using up a lot of chlorine, have you asked about the kind of sand added to your filter? If you did not get rid of all of the algae, you should remove the weirs if you are able and soak them in a diluted bleach solution. You don't want them to soak in too strong of a solution as you don't want the foam to break down. Try 4 parts water and 1 part bleach and soak for 15 minutes. Rinse them off well when you pull them out.
Now that you see where algae can hide, can you think of any other areas where it might be hiding?
Did you add any pool store products to your pool prior to starting the TFP SLAM process? Some products can actually consume lots of chlorine until that product is completely oxidized.
Last edited:
I talked to the pool store - 20/40 silica sand, which they said is essentially 20?
I will have to figure out how to remove the weir - it is not immediately apparent, and when I've checked YouTube and whatnot, it looks like it might be daunting. I thought I might saturate a washcloth with diluted bleach and plaster that against the weir with the pump off...
No other places I could imagine algae hiding other than the filter or if I ended up with crud stuck in the impeller of the pump. We had a particularly harsh winter, and subsequently, the trees overproduced seeds. Our neighbor has an EVIL tree that abuts the fence line close to our pool and we get lots of that crud in our spring pool. Since this home is a vacation home, we cannot be here for every seed-dropping event. We came back once to have the floor drains plastered with debris and the pump pot fairly full too. These maple (or maple-type) seed are whirlibirds that are tiny enough to work their way through the mesh in the pump pot basket if they break down enough. We cover the spring pool with a leaf net, which gets most of the EVIL seeds, but not all. I cannot help but wonder if stuff might be in the pump, or is that simply not possible with all the water flowing through it 24/7?
IDK about whether or not there was still any BackUp2 (algae preventative) left in the pool when disaster struck...
I didn't pass the test again last night, but was darn close! 1.5 loss. Grrrrrrr
I will have to figure out how to remove the weir - it is not immediately apparent, and when I've checked YouTube and whatnot, it looks like it might be daunting. I thought I might saturate a washcloth with diluted bleach and plaster that against the weir with the pump off...
No other places I could imagine algae hiding other than the filter or if I ended up with crud stuck in the impeller of the pump. We had a particularly harsh winter, and subsequently, the trees overproduced seeds. Our neighbor has an EVIL tree that abuts the fence line close to our pool and we get lots of that crud in our spring pool. Since this home is a vacation home, we cannot be here for every seed-dropping event. We came back once to have the floor drains plastered with debris and the pump pot fairly full too. These maple (or maple-type) seed are whirlibirds that are tiny enough to work their way through the mesh in the pump pot basket if they break down enough. We cover the spring pool with a leaf net, which gets most of the EVIL seeds, but not all. I cannot help but wonder if stuff might be in the pump, or is that simply not possible with all the water flowing through it 24/7?
IDK about whether or not there was still any BackUp2 (algae preventative) left in the pool when disaster struck...
I didn't pass the test again last night, but was darn close! 1.5 loss. Grrrrrrr
Well, I had a hard time finding the MSDS for the current version of Bioguard Backup 2 to see the active ingredients. Do you still have the bottle?
I'm guessing that your FC demand is trying to get rid of what remains of the Backup 2. Just another reason to not use the pool store.
I get tulip poplar stuff in my impeller in the spring. My pump tells me when there is stuff because I can hear the difference. It is noticeable difference in sound.
I'm guessing that your FC demand is trying to get rid of what remains of the Backup 2. Just another reason to not use the pool store.
I get tulip poplar stuff in my impeller in the spring. My pump tells me when there is stuff because I can hear the difference. It is noticeable difference in sound.
Do you take the pump apart to get the gunk out? Do you do it yourself or hire it out, if you do take it apart?
I do it myself. Make sure that the pump if off and the power to the pump is turned off... you don't want the pump to start while you have your hand in there. If you had stuff in your impeller, you would hear it. With the type of pollen I get, I can reach inside with my finger tips and pull enough out so the impeller can free itself.
I doubt you have a problem in the pump.
I doubt you have a problem in the pump.
