I've read through the post and it is called Shock Level and Maintain but what I read just looks like the standard Chlorine shock procedure. Where's the Level and Maintain part?
Quick Question on SLAM
- Thread starter Sammy2
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Holydoc
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- Jul 17, 2016
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I am confused. You read this article?
https://www.troublefreepool.com/content/125-slam-shock-level-and-maintain-shockingl
It describes with video that you are to MAINTAIN your shock level until you have reached the SLAM exit criteria. The link above will answer this question completely.
Yes and that has always been how to shock.. Hold the Chlorine level up at an elevated level until the chloramines go away and the pool is clean. I suppose it is just a renaming of the procedure so it has an acronym due to pool stores selling "shock treatment". There is no miracle "shock treatment". There is chlorine, lots of chlorine! This hasn't changed in decades but the terminology has I guess.
I may be wrong. I have been before.
I may be wrong. I have been before.
Holydoc
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Sammy,
It could be a terminology difference. However, the term SHOCK to me generally meant bringing the chlorine up to a high level to kill off contaminants quickly and allow the water to return to normal levels. The term SLAM on the other hand means to bring the water to SHOCK LEVELS and then MAINTAIN it there for a prolong time until your pool water reaches an exit criteria. After that you let it return to normal FC levels. While a SHOCK will generally last minutes, a SLAM could last weeks.
It could be a terminology difference. However, the term SHOCK to me generally meant bringing the chlorine up to a high level to kill off contaminants quickly and allow the water to return to normal levels. The term SLAM on the other hand means to bring the water to SHOCK LEVELS and then MAINTAIN it there for a prolong time until your pool water reaches an exit criteria. After that you let it return to normal FC levels. While a SHOCK will generally last minutes, a SLAM could last weeks.
Yes, but even back then you shocked until the pool was clean and the chloramines were gone. We never had to do this BTW as our pool never once had an algae problem because we had lots of chlorine on hand all the time.
Holydoc
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From the other responses I have read of yours from other posts, it sounded like you only tested for Total Chlorine and was not able to distinguish between FC and CC. If the SLAM is done correctly using the techniques and test kits described here, the pool owner who uses the SLAM techniques will indeed know for certain that 1) no CC's are being produced (FAS-DPD), 2) FC is not still battling unseen algae or bacteria (OCLT), and 3) their pool is clear and safe.
Basically the TFP method is teaching us how to care for our pool with minimum fuss and cost while knowing that it is algae and bacteria free. While in the past, you just threw excessive chlorine to ensure that all was safe in your pool not understanding why things went awry. Today we are understanding why we add certain chemicals and know exactly why things went wrong.
Basically the TFP method is teaching us how to care for our pool with minimum fuss and cost while knowing that it is algae and bacteria free. While in the past, you just threw excessive chlorine to ensure that all was safe in your pool not understanding why things went awry. Today we are understanding why we add certain chemicals and know exactly why things went wrong.
In 1970 that wasn't available. We did shock every spring but not because there was an issue to tackle but rather to prevent one from happening. Pools should never get to the point of needing a SLAM or a shock for that matter. We knew people that had to shock their pool because the HAD to do it and when they did it they added heavy doses of Chlorine for a week or so, keeping it out of range for even reading on an OTO the whole time and sweeping an vacuuming. It is that we just called this "shocking the pool", not doing a SLAM. It is the same thing but the name has been changed.
- - - Updated - - -
I guess I'm trying to say is that nobody ever got sick or died from having higher levels of chlorine in the pool. OTOH, they did when it was too low.
I could be wrong. I have been before.
- - - Updated - - -
I guess I'm trying to say is that nobody ever got sick or died from having higher levels of chlorine in the pool. OTOH, they did when it was too low.
I could be wrong. I have been before.
- May 23, 2015
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TFP simply created a new acronym for a process that's been around forever but a term that the pool chemical industry appropriated for marketing and product purposes. As TFP says all the time - "shock is a verb, not a noun!" The pool chemical industry started using the word "shock" on just about any and every chlorine containing and non-chlorine oxidizer product they could - "TurboShock 65", "Non-chlorine Shock", "ShockPlus", etc, etc. SO people, overtime, got conditioned to thinking that a thing that was once a process was somehow magically concentrated and wrapped up in a bag.
TFP, in an effort to differentiate itself form the pool chemical industry as well as other forums teaching the BBB method, decided to coin the term SLaM in order to help people to understand that clearing an algae infested pool is a process, not a product.
I, myself, have created a better term - SHaPE - Shock, Hold and Persistently Evaluate !! As in, "Hey loser, get your pool in SHaPE!!"
Personally I think my acronym is way more snappy and cool...I may have to Trademark and sell the rights to use it.....
So yes, this is something you've been doing since the 1970's....TFP has just made you look and sound cooler doing it....you can thanks us later....
Flying Tivo
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The most important piece of information that i have acquired in this forum is the
FC/CYA relationship. You could shock a week long, but not knowing this relationship
would have you spending money like crazy.
Felipe
FC/CYA relationship. You could shock a week long, but not knowing this relationship
would have you spending money like crazy.
Felipe
Felipe!Sammy, the theoretical process isn't new, but the details/criteria for execution are more dialed in
1. FC:CYA ratio is critical, and without knowing it, one is winking in the dark (you may think you know what you're doing bu the algae doesn't). This ratio is the science behind TFP, and the former lack of adopting this science is what caused frequent failure of "shocking" per pool store advice.
Example: "shocking" at 10 with CYA at 100 is most definitely winking in the dark
2. Testing criteria and calculations are specific and performed with FAS-DPD so that the parameters for success can be predictable.
- Exactly. But most folks subjected to poolstore voodoo don't know this
Good on you that you did 
muffin_dad
Well-known member
Sammy, the theoretical process isn't new, but the details/criteria for execution are more dialed in
1. FC:CYA ratio is critical, and without knowing it, one is winking in the dark (you may think you know what you're doing bu the algae doesn't). This ratio is the science behind TFP, and the former lack of adopting this science is what caused frequent failure of "shocking" per pool store advice.
Example: "shocking" at 10 with CYA at 100 is most definitely winking in the dark
2. Testing criteria and calculations are specific and performed with FAS-DPD so that the parameters for success can be predictable.
- Exactly. But most folks subjected to poolstore voodoo don't know this
Couple things..
When I started maintaining pools with my dad there was no CyA to consider. We chlorinated. Today there is and I'm glad I found this site and also some of the independent researching I've been doing. That is where I've come to the conclusion that the putting FC at 7.5% of CyA is actually right on the line, well just above the line, of the bacteria kill rate. This is way I'm going to go a bit higher than that, maybe around 10%.
I never got caught up in pool store voodoo because I learned the old way how to maintain a pool and am putting the new (CyA) into that old way. If you do it right, you don't need anything else in your pool. My dad taught me that decades ago.
I actually was at Leslie's today because they actually have the best price for MA and heard the peeps in there complaining about their pools. I told them to take a look here before putting any of that dry chlorine in the pool or any of the other things they were being pool stored with. Hopefully they'll listen. The Muriatic Acid and Sodium Hypochlorite is nowhere to be readily found there but all sorts of other potions are, some of which don't even say what is in them. I never really looked before today because all I ever got there was maybe a pole for the brush/rake and miscellaneous whatevers if we didn't have time to order on line.
I was using a service until recently and didn't buy MA either so I didn't even go in for that. The guy I had wasn't bad, I mean our pool was clean and sanitary but it just wasn't right. He was over-chlorinating and under conditioning which was costing me a bit more than his monthly fee in wear on my salt cell.
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