Ready to slam? Need to close

[Jscottwoodwork]

Hello

I want to first say this forum has been a gift for reference and knowledge for a first time pool owner. Thank you to all who contribute!

I have been fighting what I believe is algae (mustard algae?) almost all season long. I believe I introduced it into my pool. I used the same garden hose to top off my pool at the start of season that I used to pump the mucky water off the cover prior to opening. I did flush the dirty water out of the hose until it ran clear but I believe it still was contaminated?

Anyways, live and learn, this algae appears to be a goldish color and quickly powders when brushed.

I've been doing slams without a proper testing kit without any luck up until now. I just received the Tf100 kit.

Throughout the year, I would add liquid chlorine or granulated shock and find a mess of white powder on pool floor. Brush pool,, vac to waste and find a day later it would appear again. Repeat, repeat and repeated.

I would like to properly slam and test for oclt now that I have the proper kit.

Here are my current result as of today.
PH 7.8
AL 100
CL 10
FC 22
CC 0
CYA 45

On Thursday when I received the tf100 kit I tested and ran an oclt. FC dropped from 38-35. Is that evidence of algae?

Thursday evening my results were
PH 8.2
AL 140
CL 12
FC 38
CC .5
CYA 45

My questions are should I be concerned with the ph? Should I wait for fc to drop further then adjust ph if necessary? Should I just go ahead and start the slam and not worry about the ph?

I need to close the pool soon due to weather. Would it be advised to slam the pool, add polyquat 60 and hope for the best in spring? Or should I try to defeat this before closing? I have several large trees near pool waiting to drop massive leaves.

Also to mention,, there has never been a spec of algae on pool walls , is that normal?

Lastly, why is my total chlorine so much lower than fc?

Thanks!

 

[HermanTX]

On Thursday when I received the tf100 kit I tested and ran an oclt. FC dropped from 38-35. Is that evidence of algae?

This is certainly an indication of algae because something is consuming your FC and it is not the sun.

Lastly, why is my total chlorine so much lower than fc?

I would question how are you testing what you call CL - I assume that is Total Chlorine? The TF-100 only tests FC and CC using the powder and drops. The K-1000 kit (blue box) does test chlorine but only up to 5ppm so it is unclear where you are reading levels of 10 or 12. Basically the K-1000 kit should only be used to test pH (the red side) and the left side (yellow) is for low levels of chlorine only.

My questions are should I be concerned with the ph? Should I wait for fc to drop further then adjust ph if necessary? Should I just go ahead and start the slam and not worry about the ph?

Ideally you should bring your pH down to 7.2 before you SLAM and it does appear you have moved it down from Thursday to today. I don't think it is critical but suggest you test again tomorrow to see if it has dropped further.

 

[gregsfc]

As was stated, you have no reason to test total chlorine. We're not sure where you are getting that figure to report, but we assume it's from the OTO "yellow" drop tester that is part of the blue-box test. That OTO measurement is mostly just a quick check to ensure there is chlorine in a pool; it is a rough estimate; and is of little or no use at fc levels above 5. You're true total chlorine level, as accurately as can be measured, is the FC level result added to your cc level result. In your case, that's 22+0=22. If you add the cc level result from the FAS-DPD test to the FC level result from the same test, that is your total chlorine. Normally, just test pH from the blue box and don't mess with the yellow side. It'll only confuse you and us.

 

[Mdragger88]

Glad you’re ready to do a SLAM Process
1st - your cya is 50 (there’s no inbetweens)
So your slam fc level is 20ppm FC/CYA Levels
A higher amount won’t get u there any faster & could possibly damage your pool & equipment.
After you pass * ALL 3 End Of SLAM CRITERIA * you can then move on to the mustard algae protocol & maintain that level for 24 hrs as outlined here

Mustard Algae

Today We are going to show you how you can get rid of mustard algae in your pool. By following the steps in this guide and with no expensive chemicals.

www.troublefreepool.com

Jumping ahead will only cause it to comeback w/ a vengeance.
You need to beat it down w/ the slam & then give it the knockout punch afterwards.
2) ph readings are inaccurate @ fc levels above 10ppm so you may need to let it fall & adjust ph to 7.2 or so. It often reads falsely high @ high fc levels. Ph meters are unaffected by the high fc.

 

[Jscottwoodwork]

Thank you all for your advice.
I have a photometer that I was using to read cl. It was given to me to participate in a beta testing program and had to leave reviews in exchange for $50 gc and to keep the device.

I think its possible I have pollen? Just read the mustard algae article.

I am certain I've far exceeded the 20ppm for over a week.
I have nuked this pool several times.

Never once seen any growth or discoloration on pool walls and it shows up in both shade and sunny side.

I am having a difficult time gauging the oclt because of the amount of leafs that fall into the pool overnight. Its possible the leafs are causing the drop in fc?

Just finished up brushing skimming and running vac. I will slam tonight.

Thanks again! I greatly appreciate the help!