SLAMing chemical results first day

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Vangar2012

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Jun 10, 2016
24
Farmington KY
Hi all, so I started a SLAM on our pool this morning, added chemicals and have gotten the below results this evening:

Now
Goal
FC
29
20 (SLAM level from this morning calculations)
pH
8
7.5
TA
80
65
CH
125
150
Cya
30
40
CC
1.5

When I entered into Pool Math it says I need to add Stabilizer and Calcium chloride...no more bleach obviously. Do I add all the extra chemicals during a SLAM? First time pool, first time messing with chemicals and a green pool! TIA!
 
Hi there

Based on the information provided above, you don't need to add anything just yet. If you are slamming to get a green pool cleared up just focus on chlorine until it's clear and not the other numbers. PH test gets wonky results with FC above 10 so you can't trust that now anyway.
 
Yay! I was hoping someone would tell me that! I don't have any other chemicals on hand at home and would have to make a trip to town this evening :) So, I'll test again in the morning and add bleach if needed again to get to that 20 FC SLAM level from earlier or do I recalculate the the FC level because my cya actually dropped from 50 (this morning) to 30 this afternoon?
 
Vangar2012 said:
Yay! I was hoping someone would tell me that! I don't have any other chemicals on hand at home and would have to make a trip to town this evening :) So, I'll test again in the morning and add bleach if needed again to get to that 20 FC SLAM level from earlier or do I recalculate the the FC level because my cya actually dropped from 50 (this morning) to 30 this afternoon?
Click to expand...

CYA is not a chemical that gets consumed in your pool. The ONLY way it could go down like that is if you drained a lot of water and replaced it. I suspect testing error on the CYA. The test is one that takes getting used to and the lighting is important. You should be in full sun to test with your back to the sun. Also it's not a perfect measurement since it's so subjective. I reccomend rounding up........so if the dot disappears at what looks to be 35 then assume it's 40.

Hope that helps. You don't really want to raise CYA during SLAM Anyway as long as you have some.
 
:)

No problem. You are on the right track with a good test kit. Don't hesitate to ask questions and one day all those chemical detail will click like a light bulb coming on.

Since you're slamming a green pool, please be sure to brush frequently, no less than once daily. If you try to take shortcuts on SLAM you will find yourself chasing the green monster later in the season.

Ask me how I know ;)
 
Can someone take a look at my SLAM results from this morning? This is day 3 of SLAM and I can't tell any difference in our green pool :( Pool math says to add some calcium chloride and stabilizer, which earlier in the week it was advised to wait on the other chemicals. So I just wait and test throughout the day and add bleach with the FC gets below the 12 SLAM level? (I tested every 2 hours yesterday and brushed the pool twice, it wasn't until 4:00 in the afternoon did the FC slip down and I added a little bleach (2 bottles i think it was). I guess I feel like I'm not doing anything but watching a green pool! Is this typical take this long? Or longer?! lol) THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!


Now
Goal
FC
17
5 (normally) 12 SLAM level
pH
7.5
7.5
TA
70
65
CH
125
150
Cya
30
40 (the 30 gave me the SLAM level of above FC 12)
CC
Forgot & dumped the FC vial ;)
 
During a SLAM, we suggest you not waste time testing CYA, pH, TA, and CH. It doesn't matter. Your CYA is not bouncing like you think.....leave it alone.

Your focus needs to be on keeping your FC right up to the max SLAM level or a bit more every time you test.

Not enough to do?

Brush the pool.

check your filter psi.....has it increased by 25%? Time to backwash/clean.

Vacuum or run your auto-vac
 
Just like Aimee said, right now the only thing you need to be worried about is FC. During a SLAM don't even bother measuring the other stuff, it's just a waste of reagents. Your CYA is exactly where you want it to be right now. 30-40 is your happy spot. All your other numbers look great, I wish I was where you are (going to start SLAM in the next day or two).

Also, don't add calcium to a vinyl liner pool unless it gets down to like 50 or so. Calcium is more important for fiberglass or plaster pools, not so much for vinyl unless you get down super low - SEE HERE. I haven't added calcium in years.
 
Thank you! I will stop testing the other stuff in the pool :) Newbie over reaction! I will brush, brush, brush today! I'm running the auto-vac during the day. I don't know much about the filter psi...I'll be honest, I was just backwashing it every couple to 3 days. I'll read up on here about that. I SO appreciate the help! Have a great Wednesday!
 

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So with a sand filter you want to hold off backwashing until your pressure is 20-25% above your clean pressure.
How often are you testing and redosing?
Be sure to brush and vacuum. Also, have you made sure that all debris is off the bottom?

How does it look today?
 
I am testing about every 2-3 hours. I'm running our auto-vac all day, off at night. I'm brushing it every day, but maybe i'm doing it wrong or not brushing hard enough. I didn't think brushing would hard to figure out lol. No debris in the bottom. We do have seed squiggly things falling off the trees constantly so I am cleaning the skimmers every time I test (2-3 hours). I didn't know what our standard pressure on the filter was so I backwashed/cleaned it and its registered at 20 psi and that hasn't changed in a couple of days. Would adding DE to the sand help? I'm kinda at a loss. It really hasn't changed in color at all and this is Day 4. I keep looking at my numbers thinking I'm doing something wrong. Hubby is threatening to go to the pool store :0
 
Have you been taking pictures each day? If not, you might want to do that. It's amazing how hard it is to see progress when you are looking at it all the time. But looking at a pic from even 1 day ago can really show you what is going on.
 
I haven't been taking pics. The pics I took this morning I sent to hubby because he's been out of town since Sunday...he even said "looks like it did when I left!"
I'm not seeing much FC loss during the day. I haven't really added much bleach this week. We've been cloudy with low temps this week and rain last night and today (don't know if that effects FC.)
 
Then Dave has it right. You don't need to test as often, once the loss between tests tapers off. What FC are seeing when you do test? Keep at it. Make sure you are getting everything with the brush. Check inside the skimmers.

Might as well post that pic, that way we might spot some thing.
 

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