Question on if I have to keep up Slam Process

[Rose38478]

It's been very hot here and a day a go I saw it, the dreaded algae on my steps. My chlorine was in range so I was surprised then I remembered that my pump was still cutting off 9pm to sunrise (sometimes I'm not that smart, I do that when it's cooler...hello it's summer). Anyway, got in it, vacuumed her good, cleaned up those dang steps, brushed the walls. And then I saw it, two of the dreaded boatmen. Below are my readings when I was done with the maintenance and boatmen freak out:

Chlorine: 3.0
CC .4 (maybe .6? it was getting dark and I wonder if I missed a tiny bit of pink, you'll see why below)
PH 7.6
TA 80
CH 80
CYA 30
Temp 88
CSI -0.53

So I slammed her. And Pool Math said 12 but I went to 18 (confirmed via testing after a couple of hours) using two full bottles of 10% liquid chlorine. Cause no, I'm not having boatmen.

This morning:
Chlorine: 15.2
CC .6
1 single dreaded boatman still hanging around those steps. And I can't get them out alone, I wonder about behind them. I wonder if I should just replace them (5 years old) and I cannot see behind them to save my life. Maybe it's best to get a pool company out to pull them, clean them, put them back in? I had them out to re-tape my hard pipes from pool to filter early in the year and replaced my sand. Nice folks, reasonable pricing.

I assume I am on the right track but with my HIGH chlorine numbers do I add more today? Or just let it ride? Also I was hoping for it to be gone over night since my CC isn't that high but nooooo. I know CYA needs to come up a tad but should I wait until after SLAM?

I also popped a 8 oz floater tab in there. Ingredients:

• 99% Trichloro-S-Triazinetrione
• 1 % "other"

Thanks for your help with this. I've so rarely had an algae issue that I'm surprised and a bit concerned.

 

[bobloblaw42]

Looks like you let the chlorine get too low in the pool and the circulation cutting off didn't help either. With 30 CYA, 4-6FC is the range and most around here recommend targeting the high end of the FC range.

SLAM is a process with three exit criteria. Please refer to the SLAM article and describe whether you believe you've met the 3 exit criteria. SLAM Process

Also, if you're at 30 CYA and you've put chlorine tabs in, you've just introduced more CYA and we typically treat 31 to 40 CYA as 40 CYA. Your SLAM level is 16 now. If you determined that you haven't completed the SLAM process, test multiple times today and keep topping up the chlorine to 16 by adding liquid chlorine / plain bleach.

As for the stairs, if you've done everything short of removing them, I have a suggestion. Can you get a manual vacuum hose or vacuum head BEHIND or Under the Steps; the kind of vacuum you hookup up in your sidewall skimmer? If so, you can let it draw water through that area for a couple hours just to ensure you have SLAM level chlorinated water back there. Won't help much if there's any algae with an effective biofilm up but it may help some.

Lastly during SLAM, you may want to consider using a 10ml sample instead of 25. Helps save on reagents. One scoop of powder and each drop is 0.5 chlorine instead of 0.2.

 

[Rose38478]

Great advice here. I did move to 10ml. Definitely uses way less reagents. My CC is slowly going down, I just tested and added more chlorine and I'll keep that going until I don't have to.

The stabilizer in the tab should only raise my CYA 7ppm. Of course I'm keeping an eye on it because "should" is the operative word there. I use them very sparingly and ONLY around my steps when I feel like I need some extra help.

The hose idea is a good one. I may do that regularly until I can get someone out here to pull them out. I know my family would but frankly, I don't want to burden them with their work schedules. I kind of have a love/hate relationship with those steps. I love them for me/family/friends to get in and out of the pool easily, including the 2 year old that is learning to swim right off those steps but I HATE that I cannot see behind them.

You have been so very helpful and I thank you so very much! I didn't even think to use the 10ml mark on my test kit.

 

[Rose38478]

For anyone researching this, I did have to pull the floater tab out today. In two days it raised my CYA 8 points and that's high enough for now. So if you use one, check your CYA or you're going to go high and you'll need more and more chlorine.