Opening pool = first SLAMing (uhg)

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tbkurtz

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Mar 27, 2017
36
Syracuse, New York
Just opened the pool, and it's very green. There is algae that is growing up from the bottom, some a couple feet long. Yuck. I should also mention, last year was my first time closing the pool.

Opening went okay, got everything hooked up, the returns bubbled out air and anti-freeze came out - good sign! I cleaned the sand filter with the hose method. Put lube on the pump gasket, took out the gizmo. Mechanically, the opening went okay.... except there is bubbles coming from the returns. Bummer.

Here's my numbers...
CYA: 20 or less, test kit only goes up to 30, but going over the last line almost got it there.
PH: 7.1
TA: 60-70
CH: 130

Pictures and Video
Green pool, air in pump, bubbles in returns.
Shared album - Tom Kurtz - Google Photos

I added about 1.5 pounds of stabilizer and borax, and about 1.5 jugs of bleach. If I did my math right, this should bring it a couple PPM above shock level - added it all after the sun went down.

Questions
Did I do something to cause this?
How worried do I need to be about the bubbles?
How do I diagnose the air leak? (see pictures/video in link)
Any advice advice for my levels, or just follow the normal SLAM procedure from TFP post?
My pressure gauge is stuck at 35, and goes up to 50. That means 15 PSI right, or should I be worried about that?

THANKS GUYS/GALS!
 
Tom, the bubbles point towards a suction side air leak. Maybe tomorrow when you have daylight again, inspect everything from the poolside skimmer back to the pump basket, to include the lid O-ring and any drain plugs. They have small O-rings as well. If you have a check valve or shut-off valve before the pump, check that too. Maybe some running water over each item to see if that changes the amount of bubbles as a test.

As for the algae ... good luck! You have a forest in there. Before you go nuts with chemicals, I would definitely sweep and brush a LOT to get it detached from the pool surfaces. Fill-up the pool well and vacuum to waste as much as you can. No need to suck those trees into the multiport valve or filter. Once you've removed as much stuff as you can manually, then hit it with the SLAM. Your pH is good, so make sure the CYA is at least 30 which requires a SLAM FC of 12. If you find the CYA closer to 40, increase the FC to 16.

Last thought. Your pool has the potential to get even more tricky. When you do start the SLAM and add bleach, test it fairly quickly - say about 5-10 minutes later. Stay on it that way to maintain the FC level. If you have difficulty doing that, or find that the FC simply disappears right away, let us know. Good luck in the forest!
 
Pat,

Thanks for the reply. I did brush and skim as much as I could. After adding the bleach I could visibly see a different already, so I'm hoping if I stay on track this won't be too bad.

Do you think I did something wrong closing to cause this? What about the PSI reading?\

I'm having my wife pick up more bleach in the AM and add to the pool, and I'll be taking levels all weekend. Hopefully will be able to find the suction side air leak without much trouble. I am VERY worried that I didn't close properly (last year was my first time closing a pool) and somehow caused the leak. When you we say suction side, we mean anything up to and including the pump, right?
 
Do you think I did something wrong closing to cause this?
Click to expand...
Since I don't know exactly what you did to close, I can't say, but sometimes even the best experienced owners uncover to find algae at different stages. Next fall when you get ready to close, make sure to read our winterizing page. It should help.
When you we say suction side, we mean anything up to and including the pump, right?
Click to expand...
That's correct. "Most" suction side leaks are above ground. Something that simply wasn't lubed well or got damaged from the change in seasons. It's not always the pipe(s) underground as they have a bit more protection. So here are a couple links that should help you:
Pool School - Suction Side Air Leaks
For next year: Pool School - Closing (Winterizing) Your Above Ground Pool

Once you start your SLAM this weekend, you'll need to watch the PSI gauge closely the first couple days. As algae gets killed, it will get caught in the filter fairly quickly. So do a backwash before starting to get your baseline (clean) starting PSI. After that, backwash when the PSI increases by 20-25%. If in time you have any concerns about the efficiency of your filter, or if it's been a while since it's been deep cleaned, you might consider reviewing the TFP Deep Cleaning a Sand Filter page. Hope that helps. Good luck, and have a nice weekend.
 
Thanks Pat, it sounds like I'm on the right track. I did follow the TFP winterizing process last year, so hopefully I didn't do something wrong and it was just going to happen. I'll read the suction side air leaks article and start troubleshooting this weekend.

Regarding the PSI, my issue is that the pressure gauge reads 35 PSI even when it's not attached to the filter. Once attached, it seems to go up about 15 PSI, which seems about normal. Wondering if I need to replace it.

The good news here is that the work I did last night seems to have paid off. After brushing, skimming, balancing the water, and adding probably 8ppm chlorine, the pool already looks much better. Stocking up on bleach today, getting FC/CC readings after work, and starting the SLAM in earnest tonight :)

Added this mornings pictures to the gphotos album.
Shared album - Tom Kurtz - Google Photos
 
Regarding the PSI, my issue is that the pressure gauge reads 35 PSI even when it's not attached to the filter.
Click to expand...
Yes, it sounds as if your gauge has had enough. :hammer: If you're not sure where to get one, TFtestkits.net (from the TF-100 link below) has some very nice glycerin-filled gauges at a really good price. Glad to hear the pool is changing for the better already. Happy SLAMing! :) Have a great weekend.
 
Your pics look like mine did the day after starting. I can see you still have a goid bit of vegetation on the bottom in the deep end. You'll move the SLAM along faster by getting that off the bottom now that you can see where it is. Good luck!
 
Casey said:
Your pics look like mine did the day after starting. I can see you still have a goid bit of vegetation on the bottom in the deep end. You'll move the SLAM along faster by getting that off the bottom now that you can see where it is. Good luck!
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That's exactly my plan for when I get home from work! I was running late this morning, so I just had time to sneak and peak and take a quick picture. Liz might actually brush it before I get home - it's oddly satisfying!
 
Just a quick note: The green pool most likely means you opened too late. Or maybe closed too early. You need to wait until the water is around 50 before you close, and open as soon as it's all liquid. For sure, before it get in the 50s That way the algae won't have gotten a leg up on you.
 
tbkurtz

Just curious. What sort of cover do you have? You pools looks much like mine every year that I open.

I finally realized that my cover is shot and the sun is shining through it allowing algae to grow. I'm getting a replacement come closing time.
 

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dschribs said:
tbkurtz

Just curious. What sort of cover do you have? You pools looks much like mine every year that I open.

I finally realized that my cover is shot and the sun is shining through it allowing algae to grow. I'm getting a replacement come closing time.
Click to expand...

I hadn't thought of that... I have a safety cover, with the anchors in the concrete. But it's very old, and is losing more of the material every time I move it. Not terribly worried about the safety aspect, the pool is gated inside of a fenced yard, but it very well might be letting light through.

I didn't have this problem last year (I didn't close it, previous owners did) but I opened 2-3 weeks earlier.
 
Wanted to follow up and thank everyone for their help.

After the first day of chlorine in the pool, 99 percent of algae was already gone. Another 24 hours later and CC is less then .5. It was almost too easy. I kept the FC near shock level for a couple more days and monitored FC/CC - I think I'm good to go. Haven't done an overnight FC test, because I haven't had a day where I could test the pool before the sun could get to it. But the water is clear now. Still a little cloudy but I have a sand filter and haven't added DE, so I suspect it just needs a couple more days.

Air in the line was from one of the drain plugs on the pump - I didn't put on sealant tape. Added it, screwed it back on, and bubbles gone!

Of course, it snowed the past two days here in Central New York... will probably wait a couple weeks before turning on the heater :)
 
Still a little cloudy but I have a sand filter and haven't added DE, so I suspect it just needs a couple more days.
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Perhaps, but be careful. The SLAM isn't over until you can get to that OCLT, so that will be the final piece. Maintain that FC until you know for sure. It would be a shame to revert back to a cloudy pool and take steps backwards from all of your progress.
 
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