Hello, I'm new to the site but have been doing a lot reading especially on the slam method. Long story short. My mother in law broke her hip and couldn't take care of the pool while she was in rehab...she is in Buffalo NY, with a 42000+/- gallon pool with vinyl liner and de filter, which is green since the fall of 2019. The pool was closed with it being green. I live in Florida with a pool that could swim in hers! So I've been helping her over the phone and utilizing neighbors for help. I bought a lot of powdered shock last year to keep adding to the pool to get rid of the algae. Pool store up there is not much help. I ordered her stop yellow algaecide (sodium bromide) to put in with the shock. I use it in my pool. And of course nothing happened. Kept adding shock and no change. Pool closed again green in 2020. This year I was able to get her liquid chlorine from a different pool store. Sent up 4 bottles of suncoast stop green algaecide which is edta. Added 20 gal of liquid chlorine in 48 hours with pump on recirculate as was told to do by my local pool store owner. No change. Pump runs 24/7 during the season. She still adds her daily cup of powdered chlorine in like she's been doing for past 40+years. Found your site and read about the Slam method. I want to try it but don't know if it will work since the pool has been green for so long. The pool will be closed up end if september for the winter. I really hope we don't have to drain the pool. I'm ordering her the tf-100 test kit. So any advice will be much appreciated because I'm at my wits end. Thank you for your time.
Pool green for over a year.
- Thread starter Nachos73
- Start date
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,759
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Welcome to TFP! 
You are correct that the TFP SLAM Process is the best way to go, but no one has been following it. Ordering the TF-100 is a great start, but adding all the other products in the past and following pool store advice might be a problem. In the end, she "might" have to exchange some water, but we won't know for sure until the TF-100 arrives. For now, I wouldn't add anything to the water except liquid chlorine (or regular bleach). When she gets the TF-100, post a full set of results and we'll go from there.
www.troublefreepool.com
You are correct that the TFP SLAM Process is the best way to go, but no one has been following it. Ordering the TF-100 is a great start, but adding all the other products in the past and following pool store advice might be a problem. In the end, she "might" have to exchange some water, but we won't know for sure until the TF-100 arrives. For now, I wouldn't add anything to the water except liquid chlorine (or regular bleach). When she gets the TF-100, post a full set of results and we'll go from there.
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www.troublefreepool.com
- May 3, 2014
- 58,308
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Once you add bromide to a pool, the pool has become a Bromine pool. The chlorine is no longer protected by CYA and maintaining the pool becomes very difficult.
The only way to rid the pool of Bromide is to drain the pool and replace the existing water with fresh.
You will not be able to follow TFPC processes with Bromide in the pool water.
- Jun 24, 2021
- 7,496
- Pool Size
- 30000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60
Well at least it will be a one, two punch when you drain the water. Now the hard part is it is a vinyl pool so you cannot drain it 100% without risking the liner shifting. This does depend on her water table. Do you or the neighbors have any idea how high it is?
@mknauss what are your thoughts on the tarp method for this one?
@mknauss what are your thoughts on the tarp method for this one?
- May 3, 2014
- 58,308
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
I am not a big fan of the tarp method, but if done methodically with great care about safety, it is applicable as getting a differential exchange may be difficult with not knowing the water chemistry.
Tarp method in-place water replacement
You may have accidentally invented a new way to buy some time when people have large liner rips. Awesome job and pretty cool screwup. After the initial panic, (I hear ya, I would have needed fresh pants myself) I would have kissed it goodbye and cut the tarp with a Sheetrock knife at the...
www.troublefreepool.com
How much bromide would it take to cause a problem?
OP - Has the bromide been added yet?
How far is she from N Tonawanda?
Is there a way to test the amount of Bromide in a pool? hummmmmmmmmmmmm I see there is. Not sure how good they work. How much Brominde is too much to over come? Knowing that will be helpful to know how much she needs to drain. I will do some digging to see if I can find that answer.
- May 3, 2014
- 58,308
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
You can test bromine when it is activated by chlorine, but you cannot directly measure bromide. I believe @Donldson has mentioned that any amount of bromide causes an effect, but once below about 2ppm it has less effect.
Because of the way it burns off and then instantly converts chlorine to bromine to continue the process, as little as 1-2 ppm can cause a problem. The more the worse as it allows the bromine to burn off faster, but any amount is unacceptable to add to a chlorine pool.
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,759
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Your Mother-in-Law is simply going to need to rip that Band-aid off quickly and just replace the water. It will be easiest all around. The question now is timing. Buffalo will be closing in the next month or two. If she can't do it before then and get the pool properly closed, it may just sit that way until spring. That would give her time to prepare for the water exchange and rest from those medical issues. Good luck!
It would be better to drain this time of the year vs spring. We are really dry right now but that could change by the time you drain & refill 42,000 gallons.
She's close enough that I would have been willing to help but I'm not sure how to proceed with the bromide already in the water. I'd hate to help drain the pool and end up losing the liner. Do you have any idea how old the liner is?
We put in about 8lb of the yellow treat between last year and this year.
I will get you the test numbers as soon as she gets the kit! Thanks!
I will get you the test numbers as soon as she gets the kit! Thanks!
Well that's not good...
She's got a bromine bank of about 15 ppm now (give or take, I'm sure some of that was lost over the past year) which pretty much makes it a bromine pool.
The water needs replaced and it would be a major waste of money to clear the pool up now only to then dump the water next season when it could just be replaced now and start with a clean slate, then open with good water next year. Yes, the SLAM Process can and would work on even the greenest pools. It's just a question of why dump more money in to water that's been polluted with bromide and who-knows-what-else?
So with all of the being said the consensus is the current water needs to do. Now it is time to work on the timing. If we did not need to worry about water table and liner I would say wait for next spring to dump and refill. You folks that live up there could speak to this better. See if they put new water in it now chances are it may turn green during the winter so...............they would open to a SLAM BUT if they do it now I am hearing there is little danger of high water table.
@Newdude what is your take on NY and her water table now and in the Spring?
@Newdude what is your take on NY and her water table now and in the Spring?
If you switch to a SWG, it might work because it introduces a small amount of chlorine continuously.
Even though the bromine level will be low, it should be ok as long as you pass an OCLT on a regular basis.
Bromine is not protected by CYA and it is not slowed down by CYA.
As long as the SWG can maintain about 1 to 3 ppm of bromine, you will likely be fine.
Ideally, you want to do a full water exchange, but that would damage the liner if you go too low.
I would consider going to a SWG and then monitoring the levels to see if they hold.
Maintain the CYA and watch for the FC to begin to climb over time, which will indicate a loss of bromide.
Even though the bromine level will be low, it should be ok as long as you pass an OCLT on a regular basis.
Bromine is not protected by CYA and it is not slowed down by CYA.
As long as the SWG can maintain about 1 to 3 ppm of bromine, you will likely be fine.
Ideally, you want to do a full water exchange, but that would damage the liner if you go too low.
I would consider going to a SWG and then monitoring the levels to see if they hold.
Maintain the CYA and watch for the FC to begin to climb over time, which will indicate a loss of bromide.
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We also need to know what the filter pressure is. A green pool will clog a DE filter very quickly. It could be a matter of hours & it sounds like it has been running 24/7 for awhile. Also let us know the make & model of the filter.