Since there seems to be some questions about your true pool size, I used the Poolmath calculator to estimate. I used 25K as a pool size, and to increase FC from zero to "24" is 7 gallons of regular 8.25% bleach. Of course if you have some FC in there now, you won't need as much. But once elevated to "24" then it's a matter of simply maintaining it.
Don't be so tough on yourself. The elevated CYA keeps the FC safe and helps protect it from the sun. As long as you don't use tablets or add any forms of stabilizer, it will slowly/eventually go down from splashout and backwashing. For what it's worth, I keep my CYA at about 60 (sometimes higher) down here where I'm at because the sun is so intense. You probably don't have quite the same problem, but once you get past the SLAM, it will be fine.
Because those snake oils do not work. Many of them add by-products that make pool treatment more difficult. The most significant thing those products do it take your money. Bleach (chlorine) is without a doubt the best sanitizer and will kill algae when applied in the proper strength (compared to current CYA).So why are we adding gallons and gallons of bleach and running our filters for two weeks straight when the commercial products can do the job with a "set it and forget it" approach.
Exactly! Amazing right? I went to the pool store this morning to get some muriatic acid. The woman before me spent $101 on 2 jugs Pool Perfect. I was in & out for under $14 for 2 gallons of MA. My pool hasn't been green since I adopted TFP methodology 4 years ago. If I ever do get a hint of something odd (slightly hazy or something) I know exactly what to do. Bleach is cheap, reliable with no side-effects, and then I simply follow-through with my brushing, filter cleaning, etc. For pool stores, it's all about the Benjamin's ($$$$$).Yet, folks line up at the pool stores. Hmmm...
Exactly! Amazing right? I went to the pool store this morning to get some muriatic acid. The woman before me spent $101 on 2 jugs Pool Perfect. I was in & out for under $14 for 2 gallons of MA. My pool hasn't been green since I adop
ted TFP methodology 4 years ago. If I ever do get a hint of something odd (slightly hazy or something) I know exactly what to do.
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It's because everyone wants a magic bullet set it and forget it pool. Time and thousands of users have proven that don't work real well long term. Ends up costing more with the pool store fixes they offer than it did causing the problems in the first place.I still have to assume those commercial products must be doing something because people keep going back.
Ugh! Well, that could make a difference. Being so new, I normally wouldn't be so worried about a deep clean. The only things that would prompt me to deep cleaning sand so new are if I knew pool store products were added previously that could've compromised the sand, or it had been a couple seasons since being deep cleaned. Of course in our seats here at TFP, we don't see/know what you do. The amount of junk and algae on any pool system can disrupt things quickly. While I know at some point you will need to gain access to the sand, I'd hate to tell you to cut lines at this very moment for the deep clean. It's a shame unions weren't installed at the time the filter was installed. As in many cases, future maintenance isn't always considered when installing something .... like spark plugs on a car. In your case, I'm simply going to leave it up to you as a judgment call. I'll say this ..... you've been SLAMming for about a week and a half. You might SLAM for another 2-3 days and see some good clarity improvement. If not though, and assuming there is absolutely nothing else in the pool that could be contributing to the water clarity (material behind lights, inside ladders/steps, etc), then the only other thing would be the sand.so would need to start cutting pipe and installing unions...the filter was installed new last year.