Opening Steps

[pb4uswim]

Is there a set set of steps for opening a pool? In my case a green pool? For example:

Drain water to proper level
Start filter
Test water
Slam
Vacuum/brush


I don’t want to make extra work for myself or use unnecessary amounts of chemicals by doing things in the wrong order.

My nature is to want to throw some chlorine in there right away to clear up some of the green, but I know that’s not the program.

 

[Mdragger88]

You’ve got the right order!
Just as with any journey you must know where you’re starting from to reach your destination most efficiently.
After circulating a few hours you’ll test & make adjustments to start a proper slam -
Ph 7.2
Then if no cya is present eliminate ammonia as a possibility before adding cya to 30ppm and beginning
SLAM Process.
Hopefully you’re not afflicted by ammonia but it only takes a few minutes to check.

Confirm that You Have an Ammonia Problem in Your Pool Water​

1. Your CYA will be 0
2. Add liquid chlorine for 10 ppm and test your free chlorine after 30-minutes. You likely have ammonia in your water if you lost 80%+ of FC in 30 minutes
3. Your CC tests > 0.5
4. Optional: An ammonia test indicates the presence of ammonia

Getting Rid of Ammonia in Pool Water​

1. Dose the pool to SLAM level of 10 ppm
2. Do not add any CYA until chlorine begins to hold
3. Test chlorine every 30 minutes until chlorine begins to hold. Add chlorine as needed to get back to 10 ppm. FC will likely test close to 0 until you get to the next step
4. You will know when the chlorine begins to hold when you begin seeing FC testing > 3 ppm after 30 minutes.
5. When you see a significant jump in FC from the prior 30 minute test CYA can be added back into the pool. Limit the CYA to 30 ppm for the duration of the process
6. Increase the FC target to 12 ppm and follow the steps in the SLAM Process until the criteria of “Done” are all met.
7. Follow the SLAM Process FC test procedures. You no longer a need to test every 30 minutes at this stage.

 

[Newdude]

In for help or moral support as needed.



Welcome BACK !!!!

 

[pb4uswim]

What do I do with my pool cover. It’s a mesh safety cover and as we removed it, it got dragged through some algae. Is that an issue? Obviously it will be bone dry by the time we put it back on in the fall. Will the algae reconstitute?

 

[Newdude]

Will the algae reconstitute?

Nope. It'll dry up and die in no time. I fold mine up enough to carry it to the front yard (dogs would LOVE their new carpet out back. ). Then I lay it out, let it dry about 2 hours, flip it, let finish drying 2 more hours, then fold it up and store it.

The Mrs helps with the unfolding/folding so it's neat.

You can lay it out and hose it down, but then you need to let it dry somewhere else.

 

[pb4uswim]

Interesting situation. I started the SLAM yesterday but I was too tired to vacuum the pool. I put two gallons in the pool of 12.5% with a 40 cya and it got up to 16 no problem. Water cleared up and because I had brushed, the sides looked good. Figured I'd resume the SLAM today and vacuum the bottom. The interesting thing is that I did an OCLT and didn't lose any chlorine overnight. I guess everything on the bottom of the pool is dead algae and that I just need to clean it up and move on - end of SLAM. Is that even possible?

My plan is to keep the chlorine at SLAM level today, vacuum and the do another OCLT tonight. Still, seems odd that it would pass the OCLT with all that stuff in the bottom of the pool and after less than one day at SLAM level of chlorine. I guess, don't look a gift horse in the mouth, or whatever that old saying was.

 

[dw9000]

3 gals of Menards 12.5% and she's clearing up, pulled the cover off yesterday afternoon to some black stinky water. Cover is drying, in the rain i'll let it dry good, fold it up and put it away until the fall.

 

[Mdragger88]

Interesting situation. I started the SLAM yesterday but I was too tired to vacuum the pool. I put two gallons in the pool of 12.5% with a 40 cya and it got up to 16 no problem. Water cleared up and because I had brushed, the sides looked good. Figured I'd resume the SLAM today and vacuum the bottom. The interesting thing is that I did an OCLT and didn't lose any chlorine overnight. I guess everything on the bottom of the pool is dead algae and that I just need to clean it up and move on - end of SLAM. Is that even possible?

My plan is to keep the chlorine at SLAM level today, vacuum and the do another OCLT tonight. Still, seems odd that it would pass the OCLT with all that stuff in the bottom of the pool and after less than one day at SLAM level of chlorine. I guess, don't look a gift horse in the mouth, or whatever that old saying was.

Keep with it until nothing recollects on the floor. Much easier to maintain slam now than to start over in a week.

 

[9753]

3 gals of Menards 12.5% and she's clearing up, pulled the cover off yesterday afternoon to some black stinky water. Cover is drying, in the rain i'll let it dry good, fold it up and put it away until the fall.

Any chance you also have a permeable, mesh safety cover for winter? I have one for my pool as a couple others have and it also was swampy black-green upon opening. I inherited the pool and so I don't know what it was like opening with a standard tarp-like impermeable cover, but I'm thinking that using one of those might solve my opening woes by preventing all the wintertime rain dilutions and phosphate seeping in.

 

[Mdragger88]

Any chance you also have a permeable, mesh safety cover for winter? I have one for my pool as a couple others have and it also was swampy black-green upon opening. I inherited the pool and so I don't know what it was like opening with a standard tarp-like impermeable cover, but I'm thinking that using one of those might solve my opening woes by preventing all the wintertime rain dilutions and phosphate seeping in.

Timing & adequate fc are the key to clear openings.
Close late, open early (while closed the water temp should be no more than mid 60’s or lower) whatever day on the calendar that works out for you.
There should be enough fc at close to make it through to opening without falling below minimum for your cya.
This is slam level for most people.
Do periodic checks throughout the closed time- especially if there are warm spells. And replenish fc if necessary. You can peel back a corner & mix a little liquid chlorine in with a brush. I usually check right around Christmas (we tend to get a little warm spell here) & then again in feb/march after things unthaw. Every locale is a little different.
Here in the south I usually fully close around Halloween & open at the beginning of April.
I tend to do soft close/open -
In the fall when stuff starts falling & its too cold to swim I deploy the cover & the pool runs on a reduced schedule until the water temp is right (low 60’s) Then i raise to slam fc - do my oclt & winterize.
I do the opposite in the spring- late march/ early April I hook everything up and run the bot, start running the swcg & pump on a very reduced schedule but leave the cover on until the sky stops falling lol usually about a month.

 

[dw9000]

Any chance you also have a permeable, mesh safety cover for winter? I have one for my pool as a couple others have and it also was swampy black-green upon opening. I inherited the pool and so I don't know what it was like opening with a standard tarp-like impermeable cover, but I'm thinking that using one of those might solve my opening woes by preventing all the wintertime rain dilutions and phosphate seeping in.

Yes I do have a mesh cover, I've never used a tarp or impermeable cover. I will say 5 years ago I use to put in two quarts of poly-quat (at closing) and maybe it was coincidental, but the spring opening was so much better than the past couple years w/o it.