SLAM Part 3

[BenTaylor]

A little background for context. BC (before COVID) I was still managing my pool with the help of the pool store and using pucks, and come last March 2020 my pool CYA was over 100 when tested at the pool store. I was fighting algae with a brush everyday, no matter how much chlorine I put in the water, nothing was helping. That's when I remember about this fantastic website and community and switched to the Trouble free way! I drained about half the pool, refilled, ordered a TF-100 test kit and SLAMed the pool. Last summer, the pool was crystal clear all season and I didn't have to do any brushing to keep the walls clean. It was trouble free! Fall and winter come and I stopped adding bleach because the water was cold and I was very likely lazy. The pool froze over here in North Texas. Spring comes around and I figured it was time get the pool back up to speed. SLAMed the pool, passed the OFCL test. Got slow with the chlorine addition and saw more green growth. SLAMed the pool again using a CYA value of 40 and took the pool light out of the niche and found organic growth. Cleaned out the gunk and eventually passed the OFCL test. I've kept the chlorine up, but over the weekend I noticed more green growth on the walls. The has been crystal clear the whole time, just growth on the walls.

Here are Saturday's test results:
FC: 4.5
CC: 0.5 (added 5 drops of DPD and saw a very slight color change, which returned to normal with a single drop from the other bottle)
pH: 7.8
TA: 90
CYA: 30 (have way between the 30 and 40 lines)
Temp: 74.8

So I'm back to SLAMing the pool again, but using a CYA of 40 as my target SLAM numbers. Could my CYA be higher than what the test is indicating? The reagents are less than a year old and stored inside. Same thing for the chlorine reagents.

Looking for suggestions to see if there's something that I'm missing.

Thanks,
Ben

 

[JoeSelf]

That could be it and Are you brushing? You need to brush once a week.

 

[BenTaylor]

I brush, but not as often as I should. There should be enough chlorine in the pool to inhibit algae growth, correct?

 

[JoeSelf]

You need to brush to break up the bio-film that will protect algae from the chlorine. During a SLAM you should brush daily or every other day, what ever you can do. We recommend once a week for maintenance.

 

[BenTaylor]

During SLAM I brush daily or every other day. It's not helping right now that we are getting rain everyday and I've had a duck take of residence in the brushes around the pool and she goes for a swim and leaves presents in the pool. Ugh.