You need a 0-30 psi gauge. I'd go with the one from tftestkits.com. if there is a mechanical wholesaler around you could go there and purchase they will have them in stock, you'll just pay more.
Please help. Haven't opened pool in 3 1/2 years. Never had a pool! Severe help needed
- Thread starter Flimflam22
- Start date
Ok so got the plugs out thanks for the screwdriver tip! Pump seemed to be working fine recirculating left it on about 5 mins no issues.
Fas-dpd chlorine -0
Ta 50
Calcium hardness- 50
Ph-8.2
Oto chlorine - .5.
Bromine- 1
Cya- 0
Fas-dpd chlorine -0
Ta 50
Calcium hardness- 50
Ph-8.2
Oto chlorine - .5.
Bromine- 1
Cya- 0
Get the pressure gauge if you have not, Use pool math to bring down PH to 7.5 ok to have a color between 7.2 and 7.5. Here is where I need a little advice from someone who has a plaster pool should he bring CH and TA into range before starting Slam, I have read that it is important for CH to be in range so as not to damage the plaster, but I do not think it is critical before a SLAM perhaps Swampwoman can give us some advice here. Or anyone else who really knows.
I got one at a local pool supply store. The website had ridiculous prices but in store was cheaper
Short on time on last post here are a few other points, You are going to want to buy some CYA (stabilizer) Find out how much you need in Pool Math. Also need some muriatic acid or Dry acid to bring down ph., again get amount from pool math. I prefer muriatic acid but it is a little more dangerous to handle. Wear eye protection, be careful not to splash when you pour. Keep it away from chlorine; I believe mixing them can cause an explosion. So do just muriatic acid first. It acts quickly for quick results. Whenever you add acid or chlorine pour it in slowly in front of return so it get mixed quickly. I usually put it into a quart measuring cup get close to water so it does not splash and pour slowly. You can also get some Baking soda for TA and some Calcium Chloride or Calcium Chloride Dihydrate for CH. Again how much you need will be determined from Pool Math. Also If you haven’t gotten bleach now is the time. As soon as you balance water you are ready to start SLAM.
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You will probably have a whole bunch of questions feel free to ask, asking before you do is always preferable. But you are on your way.
- - - Updated - - -
You will probably have a whole bunch of questions feel free to ask, asking before you do is always preferable. But you are on your way.
Have you determined the volume of your pool yet? I understand it is irregular shape. May want to make it into 2 sections, a rectangle for diving area and a oval for shallows. need to find average depth. Do the best you can than when you add something only add half as much as you think you need then test see what you got and adjust volume for that measurement.
Here are extended directions for the tests online.
When you get your tests results post in this format:
FC: From the FAS-DPD test only
CC: after you get FC with FAS-DPD, you add 5 drops of
TA:
CH:
CYA:
We do not need OTO chlorine we are going to be higher that scale. The dual canister is really there for the ph, Bromine we are not testing and you are not using it is an alternative sanitizer that works better for spas, not pools.
Now comes information overload, but once you get used to it and the nomenclature it is easy.
When you get your tests results post in this format:
FC: From the FAS-DPD test only
CC: after you get FC with FAS-DPD, you add 5 drops of
- R-0003 and swirl to mix. If the sample remains clear, your CC level is zero.
- If the sample turns pink again, add R-0871 one drop at a time, swirling constantly and counting the number of drops as you go. Continue adding drops until the color changes to clear. The pink color may become extremely faint before it goes away. Make sure that the sample goes completely clear.
TA:
CH:
CYA:
We do not need OTO chlorine we are going to be higher that scale. The dual canister is really there for the ph, Bromine we are not testing and you are not using it is an alternative sanitizer that works better for spas, not pools.
Now comes information overload, but once you get used to it and the nomenclature it is easy.
I have been trying to brush off the sides and seem to be noticing a problem. There is definitely some kind of stain going on around the pool that doesnt seem to brush off. Not sure if anything will change once some chemicals are in? Or if it just needs a serious serious scrubbing but it is starting to worry me. Don't know if this will be an issue in the future where water needs to be drained.
My Guess is it is black algae, that will come off during SLAM if it is. If it is a metal stain, most of time that will be dealt with without draining. The big question is what shape is the plaster in? Won't be able to tell til we clear it some more. Good news, Swampwoman is really good with stains and since she posted is probably following the thread. When you are brushing, I assume you are using a pool brush. I read someone told you to get the metal pool brush since you have plaster, I use plastic bristles since I have vinyl. From what I read, metal is fine, I just wonder if the plaster is old and has some damage, if better to use plastic. Maybe someone else will comment on that. I had black algae that was resistant to just brushing until the chlorine started to kill it then came off with a lot less trouble.
Hi again - didnt have a chance to check back again until this a.m. Had company 
With metals and a swamp, generally, you address the swamp first, metals later -- you can't treat both normally at the same time, but in this case there are other options to consider.
I have a vinyl pool so I'm actually not certain whether its best to add the calcium now or later but because there are a couple other things we should check on first that I think might help determine whether you should SLAM Process or consider instead a drain. So hold off on adding CH until we do a test and get the approach sorted out.
Don't put in the CYA just yet, but have it on hand. Be sure to have LOTS of bleach or chlorine (same thing) on hand.
There's a simple test I want you to do first given the number of years you've been closed AND the fact that you reported 0FC and 0 CYA. This happened to me with my swamp
The goal is to determine whether or not the pool has been subject to a phenom where a certain type of bacteria converts the cya to ammonia. Ammonia then "fights" the chlorine, making it impossible to hold at a slam level long enough to sanitize the water...until or unless you break the ammonia down. I'd originally hired pool techs to recover my swamp before finding TFP, and they never got the FC to hold But I was able to eventually. In my case, draining would have been dangerous because I have a high water table, vinyl pool, on well and the pool was built in a former catch basin. And it was spring So I didn't really have a sensible choice but to clear the water I had
With the filter running and your ph adjusted to 7.2, do this test and report back...I'll try to check in more today:
Diagnosing:
1. Test CYA level and record result (you've already done this)
2. With pump running, dose FC to Shock (SLAM) per level per Pool School - Chlorine / CYA Chart, then retest FC after 10 minutes. If FC level drops by more than 50%, then proceed with treatment for ammonia.
Treatment for Ammonia:
1. Begin a SLAM and dose FC up to SLAM level. Do not add additional CYA at this point.
2. Retest FC at 10-minute intervals.
a. If FC loss is greater than 50%, add FC to bring back up to SLAM level and continue retesting FC @ 10-minute intervals.
b. IF FC loss is 50% or less, add FC to bring back up to SLAM level. Go to Step 3.
***At any point in step A if you make several attempts, it might be worthwhile once you have an indication of possible ammonia to get a cheap aquarium ammonia test from pet store to find out just how much you have.
It takes approximately 10 ppm of chlorine to break down 1 ppm of ammonia. If you had a really high ammonia reading, I would instead consider possibly draining instead, refilling, then finishing with a slam -- this approach may also give an opportunity to reduce any metal concentration and possibly take action on the stains at the same time.
BUT, there are some moving parts here, and my expertise is not plaster pools -- For example, an acid wash will remove stains, but if the plaster is old, this may reduce its lifespan a bit. There is a no-drain acid wash for plaster stains that might be better, and there is also an Ascorbic Acid treatment that can be done. I may need to try to to reach out to a plaster person for advice if your ammonia is super high and if you decide to drain and replace water. I am thinking if you decided to drain that it might make sense to add stain remover (Ascorbic Acid) to the water, let it sit/filter a day, then drain, which should reduce stains.
SO - BACK to the slam scenario so you know what to do if youre lucky and the pool holds FC after a few quick additions. I would add the CH and CYA at that point, then start to slam...be sure to read the SLAM Process instructions a few times, and don't worry just yet about stains or water tint.
Step 3
3. If CYA is below 30 ppm, add enough CYA to bring level up to 30 ppm.
4. Continue SLAM as directed in the SLAM article until the SLAM Criteria of Done are met. Test as directed in the SLAM article - no longer need to test FC at 10 minute increments at this point.
When you post back, let us know if you're on well or city water, if you know the age of the pool, and if you ave any idea about the water table. If you're able to get a pic of the stain, please post it.
Cheers to clear. I know this is a lot to take in but I'm hoping to save you time and trouble on the front end here
With metals and a swamp, generally, you address the swamp first, metals later -- you can't treat both normally at the same time, but in this case there are other options to consider.
I have a vinyl pool so I'm actually not certain whether its best to add the calcium now or later but because there are a couple other things we should check on first that I think might help determine whether you should SLAM Process or consider instead a drain. So hold off on adding CH until we do a test and get the approach sorted out.
Don't put in the CYA just yet, but have it on hand. Be sure to have LOTS of bleach or chlorine (same thing) on hand.
There's a simple test I want you to do first given the number of years you've been closed AND the fact that you reported 0FC and 0 CYA. This happened to me with my swamp
The goal is to determine whether or not the pool has been subject to a phenom where a certain type of bacteria converts the cya to ammonia. Ammonia then "fights" the chlorine, making it impossible to hold at a slam level long enough to sanitize the water...until or unless you break the ammonia down. I'd originally hired pool techs to recover my swamp before finding TFP, and they never got the FC to hold
But I was able to eventually. In my case, draining would have been dangerous because I have a high water table, vinyl pool, on well and the pool was built in a former catch basin. And it was spring So I didn't really have a sensible choice but to clear the water I had With the filter running and your ph adjusted to 7.2, do this test and report back...I'll try to check in more today:
Diagnosing:
1. Test CYA level and record result (you've already done this)
2. With pump running, dose FC to Shock (SLAM) per level per Pool School - Chlorine / CYA Chart, then retest FC after 10 minutes. If FC level drops by more than 50%, then proceed with treatment for ammonia.
Treatment for Ammonia:
1. Begin a SLAM and dose FC up to SLAM level. Do not add additional CYA at this point.
2. Retest FC at 10-minute intervals.
a. If FC loss is greater than 50%, add FC to bring back up to SLAM level and continue retesting FC @ 10-minute intervals.
b. IF FC loss is 50% or less, add FC to bring back up to SLAM level. Go to Step 3.
***At any point in step A if you make several attempts, it might be worthwhile once you have an indication of possible ammonia to get a cheap aquarium ammonia test from pet store to find out just how much you have.
It takes approximately 10 ppm of chlorine to break down 1 ppm of ammonia. If you had a really high ammonia reading, I would instead consider possibly draining instead, refilling, then finishing with a slam -- this approach may also give an opportunity to reduce any metal concentration and possibly take action on the stains at the same time.
BUT, there are some moving parts here, and my expertise is not plaster pools -- For example, an acid wash will remove stains, but if the plaster is old, this may reduce its lifespan a bit. There is a no-drain acid wash for plaster stains that might be better, and there is also an Ascorbic Acid treatment that can be done. I may need to try to to reach out to a plaster person for advice if your ammonia is super high and if you decide to drain and replace water. I am thinking if you decided to drain that it might make sense to add stain remover (Ascorbic Acid) to the water, let it sit/filter a day, then drain, which should reduce stains.
SO - BACK to the slam scenario so you know what to do if youre lucky and the pool holds FC after a few quick additions. I would add the CH and CYA at that point, then start to slam...be sure to read the SLAM Process instructions a few times, and don't worry just yet about stains or water tint.
Step 3
3. If CYA is below 30 ppm, add enough CYA to bring level up to 30 ppm.
4. Continue SLAM as directed in the SLAM article until the SLAM Criteria of Done are met. Test as directed in the SLAM article - no longer need to test FC at 10 minute increments at this point.
When you post back, let us know if you're on well or city water, if you know the age of the pool, and if you ave any idea about the water table. If you're able to get a pic of the stain, please post it.
Cheers to clear. I know this is a lot to take in but I'm hoping to save you time and trouble on the front end here
Great post, Thank-you Swampwoman,
Flimflam22, After estimating pool size try to bring ph down to 7.8, then to 7.5, so you can zero in on volume of water, then 7.2. Once you know the volume of pool you hit your target with much greater accuracy, nothing worse than over correcting and then adding something else to counteract what you just did. With ph you only have to wait 15 - 30 min before testing again. Your ph may be higher than 8.2 but it is top of scale will not know til you get to a known level.
Flimflam22, After estimating pool size try to bring ph down to 7.8, then to 7.5, so you can zero in on volume of water, then 7.2. Once you know the volume of pool you hit your target with much greater accuracy, nothing worse than over correcting and then adding something else to counteract what you just did. With ph you only have to wait 15 - 30 min before testing again. Your ph may be higher than 8.2 but it is top of scale will not know til you get to a known level.
Thanks Swampwoman! Ok, so I am looking to buy muriatic acid and the only one i really see near me at lowes is JASCO Muriatic Acid. Did not give much info on lowes site but when i went to look at specs on the site it says "DO NOT MIX WITH CHLORINE-TYPE BLEACHES OR ANY OTHER CHEMICAL OR HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS. FOR EXTERIOR USE ONLY." Poolamateur i know you mentioned this before but are you talking about mixing directly together? Is this the case with all muriatic acid? Also after doing math which im not even sure im 75% right about because of odd shape, it says its 15491 gallons. I put the info in pool school and if im reading it correctly for FC, im adding 386 oz of 6% bleach? Am i getting the Ph level down to 7.2 first before I am doing anything else with the FC? Also am i running the pump to filter during all of this or recirculate? Also going out to buy some bleach, Clorox Regular bleach is fine to use? When it comes time to vacuum and i run the water to waste, where do you all usually have all the excess water go to?
also while im out getting bleach i was going to get enough to do the 386 oz requested if i read that right, should i be buying much more than that? am i constantly going to be putting bleach in?
Jasco is fine...get the full strength, not green. Its true not to MIX with chlorine, but fine to add to chlorinated water.
You will need more bleach than the initial pool Calc reading to perform the test I described and proceed with slam if all goes well. Eg. 12-20 jugs to start is my guess. You could easily use 50 or more on a slam...especially if you have to break down ammonia. That's why its worth the ammonia test strips if it doesn't hold in the beginning -- to determine cost/benefit of draining vs slam.
You will need more bleach than the initial pool Calc reading to perform the test I described and proceed with slam if all goes well. Eg. 12-20 jugs to start is my guess. You could easily use 50 or more on a slam...especially if you have to break down ammonia. That's why its worth the ammonia test strips if it doesn't hold in the beginning -- to determine cost/benefit of draining vs slam.
You do not want to mix any concentrated Muriatic Acid (not brand specific), with concentrated bleach, Ok to but in pool water because of dilution, just not at the same time.
For FC= to 12 PPM for 15,500 gal pool I get 387 oz
for ph to go from 8.2 to 7.8 I get 37 oz of 31.45% acid. I bring this up because you could posibly do this and take reading and still get 8.2 or a shade in between the 2 not because of pool volume but because of original test off hte chart and may be higher that 8.2. Once you have 7.8, use pool math again if you overshoot you know pool holds less water or undershoot pool holds more water and you still have another step to refine your water volume so you can hit # accurately. Also for your knowledge, when FC above 10, ph will not read accurately, hence the reason for ph before SLAM.
If you do not have a serious ammonium problem you will be buying more. Be sure to comparison shop and take into account the strength. I pay less than $3 a gallon for 12.5%. I saw 10% at Walmart for almost $4. When you multiply by 50 it is significant, although I do not believe I used more than 15 Gals of the 12.5 for slam but wasn't keeping close track.
For FC= to 12 PPM for 15,500 gal pool I get 387 oz
for ph to go from 8.2 to 7.8 I get 37 oz of 31.45% acid. I bring this up because you could posibly do this and take reading and still get 8.2 or a shade in between the 2 not because of pool volume but because of original test off hte chart and may be higher that 8.2. Once you have 7.8, use pool math again if you overshoot you know pool holds less water or undershoot pool holds more water and you still have another step to refine your water volume so you can hit # accurately. Also for your knowledge, when FC above 10, ph will not read accurately, hence the reason for ph before SLAM.
If you do not have a serious ammonium problem you will be buying more. Be sure to comparison shop and take into account the strength. I pay less than $3 a gallon for 12.5%. I saw 10% at Walmart for almost $4. When you multiply by 50 it is significant, although I do not believe I used more than 15 Gals of the 12.5 for slam but wasn't keeping close track.
Ok so finally had chance to do some pool maintenance this weekend but have questions still. I know you said get shock fc to chart level but that's based on 30 cya. Swampwoman I know you said don't add cya but should I at least be at 30 before attempting any of this? Also do you recommend powder or liquor for cya stabilizer? Many other posts/video says with a pool as filled with debris and algae I should just filter to waste but if I'm doing that won't the cya get lost during that process? I have bleach and muriatic acid but don't know what to do with the stabilizer that I need to buy. Pool amateur am I reading into this incorrectly?