Slam didn't work, I'm trying

[Pam in Texas]

So I have a green pool which is currently lime green as appose to the olive green it was. I posted on here and was told to get a Taylor T-100. My cya (using test 3 different types of test strips) read over 100 CYA and I couldn't get it down, via replacing water. Well, went to Pool place that uses Taylor for testing and he said it was 70 ppm on CYA. Date was 9/8/22
FC 2
CC 1
PH 6.8
AL 104
CYA 70
BORATE 23
Copper.80
Guy give me clarifier and tells me to sink it after raising FC. I tried. Long story short, my phone quit working, Lost everything, couldn't order T100, so I trusted him. My bad.
After slamming for 5 days, I stopped bc I knew my CYA was not 70. Got a new phone and then T100. Started slam with FC10, CC .5, CYA 80. Brought FC to 30 and tried to keep it there and for 5 days, it didn't work. I removed more water to drop CYA and I think I'm at 70, but my ph reads 8.4 but my FC is currently 20.
Do I add acid and proceed with slam?

 

[Newdude]

The PH is invalid at 10+ FC. Either let the FC fall to 9.5 and adjust the PH to a low 7, or charge ahead because you've already started.

You want to M(aintain) that 28 FC SLAM level as much as you can. Every 2 hours is best but we understand everyone has a life also. You can always test/add early to buy you the next couple hours away, so you can come and go dropping kids off and watching recitals while still getting a good deal of effort in with the pool. Or deputize a spouse and older kid and hit it around the clock.

Brush and vac daily, at least once.

Clean the filter at 25% PSI increases.

You got this. Keep us posted.

 

[an1vrsy]

I am sure you meant tftestkits.net TF-100 test kit. There is a Taylor K-2006C which is the other recommended test kit. Just like I am sure Newdude meant to let FC drop to 9.5 ppm not pH.

We want you to know you need to confirm what your CYA is with one of the kits. Then bring the FC up to SLAM and stay with it. Good luck!

 

[Newdude]

*corrected. Thanks.

 

[Pam in Texas]

The PH is invalid at 10+ FC. Either let the PH fall to 9.5 and adjust the PH to a low 7, or charge ahead because you've already started.

You want to M(aintain) that 28 FC SLAM level as much as you can. Every 2 hours is best but we understand everyone has a life also. You can always test/add early to buy you the next couple hours away, so you can come and go dropping kids off and watching recitals while still getting a good deal of effort in with the pool. Or deputize a spouse and older kid and hit it around the clock.

Brush and vac daily, at least once.

Clean the filter at 25% PSI increases.

You got this. Keep us posted.

Oh lawdy, my kid is 40, no recitals for her! I will proceed and hope for the best. I have been testing morning and night and brushing 2x a day. Didn't know I should be vacuuming also? I have nobody close enough to deputies and my spouse is in worse shape than I am, lol. Thank you, I will get this! Lord willing and the creek don't rise.

 

[Pam in Texas]

I am sure you meant tftestkits.net TF-100 test kit. There is a Taylor K-2006C which is the other recommended test kit. Just like I am sure Newdude meant to let FC drop to 9.5 ppm not pH.

We want you to know you need to confirm what your CYA is with one of the kits. Then bring the FC up to SLAM and stay with it. Good luck!

I understood Newdude. And I have Taylor TF-100. Sorry for the missed F in TF-100. Thank you, I will continue the process. Something has to be happening if I went from olive green to lime green, right.

 

[Pam in Texas]

*corrected. Thanks.

Btw, how soon after adding bleach can I test the FC? I have a 2hp pump on a 24' round pool. It might be a little op for the pool, but I'm good with it.

 

[Newdude]

Didn't know I should be vacuuming also?

As algae gets killed it will settle on the floor. If you brush it up enough times, it will end up in the filter. Using the vac / robot speeds the process along.

how soon after adding bleach can I test the FC?

15- 20 mins with good circulation for FC and PH.

I will get this!

You WILL. And we are here if you need.

Have another read : SLAM Process

Each time through it, something new registers. Process it all, then read it again.

 

[Pam in Texas]

As algae gets killed it will settle on the floor. If you brush it up enough times, it will end up in the filter. Using the vac / robot speeds the process along.



15- 20 mins with good circulation for FC and PH.

You WILL. And we are here if you need.

Have another read : SLAM Process

Each time through it, something new registers. Process it all, then read it again.

Oh I have! Even watched video on using the TF-100 test kit to be absolutely certain, that I understood it correctly.

 

[Texas Splash]

Hey Pam, try to post a pic or two of your water too. By the way, are you on well water there in Weatherford?

 

[Pam in Texas]

Hey Pam, try to post a pic or two of your water too. By the way, are you on well water there in Weatherford?

No, it's City. We do have a water softener and I have switched faucets, to 1 that doesn't go thru it. But we think the water softener is not working.

 

[Pam in Texas]

Hey Pam, try to post a pic or two of your water too. By the way, are you on well water there in Weatherford?

 

[Pam in Texas]

Hey Pam, try to post a pic or two of your water too. By the way, are you on well water there in Weatherford?

Here ya go

 

[Texas Splash]

Here ya go

The water color indicates algae, but I can't help but feel like I'm also seeing a slightly odd color green. It may just be the angle of the sun or clouds. No well water is good, but doesn't mean the city water doesn't have excess iron in it as well. Do any of your toilets or plastic items in the pool get faded or show signs of orange iron staining? Have you ever used any other pool store products besides the clarifier? Anything at all you can remember?

Are you confident about your CYA test? That is very important as you can imagine since it drives what your SLAM FC level should be per the FC/CYA Levels. I'll post my own CYA note below. You might also try to update your signature when you get a chance. See ours as examples. The SLAM Process is quite reliable if followed carefully. We'll continue to coach you through this.

CYA Testing:
Proper lighting is critical for the CYA test, so you want to test for CYA outside on a bright sunny day. Taylor recommends standing outside with your back to the sun and the view tube in the shade of your body. Use the mixing bottle to combine/gently mix the required amounts of pool water and R-0013 reagent, let sit for 30 seconds, then gently mix again. Then, while holding the skinny tube with the black dot at waist level, begin squirting the mixed solution into the skinny tube. Watch the black dot until it completely disappears. If it helps, pour a little, look away, then look back and pour some more. Some people like to squirt enough solution to go line-by-line for a better feel. Once it disappears, record the CYA reading. After the first test, you can pour the mixed solution from the skinny view tube back to the mixing bottle, shake, and do the same test a second, third, or fourth time to instill consistency in your technique, become more comfortable with the testing, and validate the CYA reading. If you are still questioning your own results, have a friend or two do the same test 2-3 times. Share your results only after everyone is done to see if you came up with the same average results.

 

[Flying Tivo]

Copper.80

The only results we kind off trust from a poolstore is copper and iron.
This indicates the heavy use of Algaecides. Instead of trying to conduct a SLAM i would highly suggest you drain at least to a foot from the bottom since your pool is vinyl. Its a lot easier to start fresh and follow TFP guidelines. You will still need the slam after refill but will cost you less.

Draining - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Pam in Texas]

The water color indicates algae, but I can't help but feel like I'm also seeing a slightly odd color green. It may just be the angle of the sun or clouds. No well water is good, but doesn't mean the city water doesn't have excess iron in it as well. Do any of your toilets or plastic items in the pool get faded or show signs of orange iron staining? Have you ever used any other pool store products besides the clarifier? Anything at all you can remember?

Are you confident about your CYA test? That is very important as you can imagine since it drives what your SLAM FC level should be per the FC/CYA Levels. I'll post my own CYA note below. You might also try to update your signature when you get a chance. See ours as examples. The SLAM Process is quite reliable if followed carefully. We'll continue to coach you through this.

Ok. I noticed Taylor said results from testing work better indoors, so I've done all testing there, in natural light. If I stare at the liquid, I can kind of see the dot. But at a glance, I cannot. Oh and the trees and shade are casting their elegance upon the lime green water. Thank you, I'll keep y'all posted.

 

[Texas Splash]

Good catch @Flying Tivo ! I skipped right over that in Post #1. That would explain the odd colored green I observed. As Felipe said, once copper is in the water it doesn't leave unless you exchange some water. The elevated FC (and pH) levels can/will aggravate the copper to cause a reaction. Are you seeing any staining around the pool yet? Copper stains are very difficult to remove, so if you have used copper-based products in the past, the copper level continued to increase. Copper can also come from a damaged heater if installed. A good water exchange is something to consider. If you have any other questions about metals in water, let us know or checkout the link below.

Copper in Pool Water - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[PoolStored]

Ok. I noticed Taylor said results from testing work better indoors, so I've done all testing there, in natural light. If I stare at the liquid, I can kind of see the dot. But at a glance, I cannot. Oh and the trees and shade are casting their elegance upon the lime green water. Thank you, I'll keep y'all posted.

You want to be outdoors in bright sunlight.

Very roughly speaking, direct overhead sunlight is around 100,000 lux, strong indirect light (i.e. shaded from the sun) is around 10,000 lux, an overcast sky is around 1000-5000 lux but varies on how overcast (which is why a bright white cloud overcast is still OK), indoors is usually < 1000 even in a bright kitchen (more typically 500 lux).

Makes a big difference in results. Indoor will be a lower CYA result than in bright sunlight.

CYA - Cyanuric Acid Test

Cyanuric acid (CYA) is the chemical name for the product commonly called “pool water stabilizer” … Read more…

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Pam in Texas]

The only results we kind off trust from a poolstore is copper and iron.
This indicates the heavy use of Algaecides. Instead of trying to conduct a SLAM i would highly suggest you drain at least to a foot from the bottom since your pool is vinyl. Its a lot easier to start fresh and follow TFP guidelines. You will still need the slam after refill but will cost you less.

Draining - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

The store is 1 that builds in ground pools and since I didn't have a Taylor test kit, I went there bc they use Taylor. The test for copper @ .80 was probably wrong like the CYA 70.

 

[Pam in Texas]

Good catch @Flying Tivo ! I skipped right over that in Post #1. That would explain the odd colored green I observed. As Felipe said, once copper is in the water it doesn't leave unless you exchange some water. The elevated FC (and pH) levels can/will aggravate the copper to cause a reaction. Are you seeing any staining around the pool yet? Copper stains are very difficult to remove, so if you have used copper-based products in the past, the copper level continued to increase. Copper can also come from a damaged heater if installed. A good water exchange is something to consider. If you have any other questions about metals in water, let us know or checkout the link below.

Copper in Pool Water - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Acid and Chlorine granules is all that I have put in the pool. I have a salt cell. I used granules bc we had rain, rain and more rain. When it rains at this time of year, I have to turn the pump off bc of the trees. Which makes it harder on me bc I have to clean more. I'm positive nothing I've added has copper.