Slam salt level

[JohnLand]

Currently have some mustard algae, looking to do a slam, currently have low CH and correct salt level. Do I need to get to optimal CH level before or not. Also if I use liquid chlorine to slam would it not raise my salt level to too much above the optimal range?
Thanks

 

[proavia]

Welcome to TFP!

Your CH of 225 is fine. No need to adjust before or after SLAM.

Use liquid chlorine and retest salt level after the SLAM.

Follow the SLAM Process to the letter - no shortcuts.
Are you sure it's mustard algae and not just plain old algae?
After the SLAM Process is complete, raise FC to mustard algae levels as outlined in the mustard algae article.

 

[sande005]

It will perhaps raise salt 8-9 ppm for each gallon. So maybe after 40 gallons will you need to think about it.

 

[JohnLand]

would using cal hypo as slam chlorine be better for my case since i doesn’t raise salt nearly as much?

 

[Bperry]

would using cal hypo as slam chlorine be better for my case since i doesn’t raise salt nearly as much?

No

 

[sande005]

Cal Hypo in the amount to treat for mustard will drive both your CH and Salt higher, and be a LOT more expensive.

Your cell can go up to 4500 for salt, so you can tolerate up to 140 gallons of liquid.

What makes you think you have mustard algae, rather than regular? Did a SLAM fail, even though you guarantee you passed all three criteria? Or perhaps did the SLAM not quite get fully complete due to impatience?

 

[JohnLand]

Hadn’t done a slam yet, my pool bottom and steps has a yellow color film on it, when brushed it forms a cloud, I thought that are signs of mustard algae.

 

[PoolStored]

Hadn’t done a slam yet, my pool bottom and steps has a yellow color film on it, when brushed it forms a cloud, I thought that are signs of mustard algae.

Might be algae, might be pollen, might be ???
Do an overnight chlorine loss test tonight. Link-->Overnight Chlorine Loss Test
You fail, you SLAM.

 

[Lake Placid]

Cal Hypo in the amount to treat for mustard will drive both your CH and Salt higher

Calcium Hypochlorite will just raise calcium. Sodium Hypochlorite (I.e. Liquid or Bleach) will raise salt.

 

[Newdude]

Calcium Hypochlorite will just raise calcium.

 

[sande005]

The vast majority of the time, the "cloud" is:
a. dirt
b. pollen
c. dead algae
They can all look/behave similarly.

c. can be dark brown, medium brown or brownish yellow. No way to tell from the look what kind of dead it is.
If it has a greenish tinge, unknown if there is still living among the dead - but it is pretty highly suspect.
Live algae tends to be a bit sticky, so you have to lean into the brush a bit to get it off. And tends to make greenish clouds.
Yellow algae is a thing, but less likely than most think. It's hallmark is being very resistant to chlorine.
Do a full SLAM, making 1000% sure you pass all the criteria, including cleaning all nooks and crannies. If you then lower CL to the recommended range (but never to minimum) and it comes back quickly (a few number of days), then you might have mustard. Or do the regular SLAM again. And if it then comes back quickly again.....

Calcium Hypochlorite will just raise calcium. Sodium Hypochlorite (I.e. Liquid or Bleach) will raise salt.

Pool Math said both, in "Effects of Adding". @Newdude beat me to it while I was typing the other!

 

[Lake Placid]

View attachment 644387

The vast majority of the time, the "cloud" is:
a. dirt
b. pollen
c. dead algae
They can all look/behave similarly.

c. can be dark brown, medium brown or brownish yellow. No way to tell from the look what kind of dead it is.
If it has a greenish tinge, unknown if there is still living among the dead - but it is pretty highly suspect.
Live algae tends to be a bit sticky, so you have to lean into the brush a bit to get it off. And tends to make greenish clouds.
Yellow algae is a thing, but less likely than most think. It's hallmark is being very resistant to chlorine.
Do a full SLAM, making 1000% sure you pass all the criteria, including cleaning all nooks and crannies. If you then lower CL to the recommended range (but never to minimum) and it comes back quickly (a few number of days), then you might have mustard. Or do the regular SLAM again. And if it then comes back quickly again.....


Pool Math said both, in "Effects of Adding". @Newdude beat me to it while I was typing the other!

Whelp happy to be wrong once today. The day isn't over....I'll be wrong again

 

[Newdude]

Whelp happy to be wrong once today. The day isn't over....I'll be wrong again

You knew deep down inside that all chlorine is chlorine once its mixed in the pool. And that breaks down to salt, so.

I had a day yesterday, so no finger pointing from me. No sir.

 

[PoolStored]

Chlorine is not Chlorine (Cl) in a pool, it exists as hypochlorous acid (HOCl and hypochlorite ions. (OCl-)

@Lake Placid and @Newdude you are both *technically correct*...

Adding cal-hypo, by itself, does not add salt to the pool.
Yes, it ultimately breaks down into salt...as the result of sanitizing the pool, but AFTER the HOCl and OCl- is used.

 

[Newdude]

Adding cal-hypo, by itself, does not add salt to the pool.

But cal-hypo is *a* salt, Its just not THE salt. Yet.

 

[PoolStored]

That's a walk off HR...book it.