SLAMming and pool won't clear

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C

catrina_sweetie

0
May 10, 2017
25
Belleville, illinois
Hi!
I'm a long time lurker and first time poster on these forums. :) I have learned so much just by lurking and I'm pretty sure that I will be told to just wait it out, but I just wanted to make sure that I'm not missing something with my pool. Last year the pool did not get closed for various reasons, so of course when I started on this venture we owned a dark green disgusting pond. I started with no test kit last Wednesday and poured 16 gallons of chlorine (12.5%) in the pool and scooping what I could out. I quickly ordered my test kit, the TF-100, which arrived today. I used a combination of test strips and the pool store to keep me going until today. I do not know my levels previously, but according to my test strips I had a whole lot of chlorine each day. One pool store told me it was way over chlorinated on Thursday and the other gave me a reading two days ago (Saturday) of:
fc 13.67
cc 1.73
ph 7.2
ta 90
cya 28

I poured another gallon of chlorine (12.5%) in last night before bed and received my kit today (Monday). My readings are:
fc 23.5
cc 2.5
ch 225
ta 120
cya approx 26?
ph 6.8

My filter is a bump DE filter (I hope that shows up in my signature). I have replaced the de in it at least 6 times and bumped it every half hour that I can. It slows to a stop within 30 minutes. I broke it down and did a tsp and acid wash on all the fingers before I started this endeavor. Is there anything else I should do, any other chemicals I should add, any other reason my filter KEEPS CLOGGING!?!? My pool has been a white cloudy mess since Thursday and it seems I can see about a foot down instead of the two inches I could last Thursday, but it is going so slow. I have vacuumed, scooped, and brushed every day. I'm tempted to go buy a sand filter just so I can clear this thing quicker!!! Thanks for those who got through my book and please let me know if you have any words of wisdom!
 
Last edited:
:wave: Welcome to TFP!!!

I would argue that you could not really even start the SLAM until today when you got your test kit.

The filter is doing its job. Starting with a green pool, a DE filter will clog VERY quickly.
Since the pool sounds mostly white, you might have most of the algae killed, and now it is just a matter of filtering everything out of the water.
 
Yep, pool has been white since last Thursday. I tried to do what I could without the test kit, but I see what you're saying. Is it pointless to test tonight and tomorrow morning to see the consumption before the pool is clear or should I just concentrate on keeping the chlorine levels above 13 until it is clear?
 
Keep maintaining shock level while you work to clear the pool.

You could try the OCLT to see if you are still killing stuff, but with the water not clear, that might be a little presumptuous.
 
Higher FC should kill everything off quicker, but it also puts your liner and equipment at risk.

The SLAM process was designed to not put your pool in danger of damage, unlike the pool store dump and pray methods.
 
Gotcha, that makes total sense! I'm trying to keep my levels closer to 12, last one was 14.5. But my ph is reading 6.8... I'm worried because when I read about the slam it says it falsely raises the ph... Now I'm worried that I started this without knowing my ph and don't know when I should adjust it or how?? Thank you so much for all your help btw! I know these sound like stupid questions to you, but to a newbie your answers are a God send!
 

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I just realized by reading another post that my steps may be contributing to my problem... I pulled them out and sure enough, under them was a whole lot of green algae and leaves... I swept and scooped everything that I could and now the waiting game continues... I have to take my kids to gymnastics, but I will check for wisdom to my ph problem later on tonight! :)
 
Okay, so update in case anyone following has the same questions I had. I let the pool drift down to fc 9.5 yesterday and tested my ph. It was showing 6.8 or below. I put in 60 oz of borax and 2 pounds of soda ash, using the calculations Poolmath gave me. About an hour later I tested and had a ph of 7.2. I added approx 98 oz of 12.5% chlorine to raise my fc back up to 15. Today my results are:

fc 14.5
cc 1.0
ph 7.2
ta 110-120 (turned very light pink at 110, red at 120)
cya 22-28 (this is the most difficult one for me to read!)

My pool is to the point I can see the bottom if I focus on it, but still cloudy. I've vacuumed everyday blindly, but today through the haze I can see a clump of yuck in the middle of the pool, so heading out to vacuum in a minute. I don't know if the low ph was inhibiting progress or not, but it sure seems like it. I will retest all once it clears and I get my OCLT test to pass to see if I need to bump up the ph further, but I finally feel like I'm on the right track!!! :kim:
 
Amazingly, thanks for asking!!! My pool looks so much better! The bottom is easily visible and just finished vacuuming the now visible white spots on the bottom. I'm guessing it was a little bit of dead algae that I hadn't done yet. Since my pool doesn't have a filter that you can vacuum to waste with, I vacuum by gravity to waste with a vacuum head and hose to the outside of the pool. My levels last night were
fc 13
cc 0.5
I added a gallon of 15% chlorine after grabbing the water for this test but before testing it because I had worked all day and not added any chlorine for a day, plus it was pouring and I received some very bad news yesterday so I was just wanting to get it done and get inside to go to bed... I was concerned that I had way over chlorinated it after I got those numbers because 13 is right where my slam level should be...

My levels at noon today were
fc 17.5
cc 0.5
cya 22-28??
I also just recharged my filter with new de. I'm hoping that it keeps filtering for longer than 30 minutes this time. We change the de out daily and bump constantly, but I think tomorrow will be the day to rebreak it down and manually clean it and then it should run for longer. :( I definitely see a major con to my de filter now!!! I understand that it cleans better, but not when it is not running half the time because it's clogged! I'm hoping to pass the OCLT tonight. Last night it was pouring rain so there was just no point to try as it fills my pool with debris and yuck when that happens. I'll update again tomorrow.
 
Sitting outside next to my crystal clear pool! It literally sparkles! Last night levels
Fc 11.5
Cc 0.5

This am
Fc 10
Cc 0.5

So keeping on with the slam... I did find green spots along the side that brushing is not touching. I don't know if its stained or what. Im gonna send my kids in there with a sponge and see if they can get them. Theyre right where the side meets the bottom, so really hard to get!14954782662471930210384.jpg1495478300376113212949.jpg14954782662471930210384.jpg1495478300376113212949.jpg
 
Thank you for your suggestions! I sent my kid's in with a sponge and they were able to get it. I think it was just in an awkward place where the brush can't reach... For reference, here's the beginning pic of the pool!20170510_155718.jpg

I am worried, however, that I messed up today. I let the kids swim again and checked at 1330 and my fc was 12. Tonight I checked and it was down to 7.5, below my slam level! Ugh! I added 3/4 a gallon of chlorine and I'm waiting for it to circulate before I take my final reading of the night. I was thinking I'd pass the oclt tonight, but I'm afraid letting it drop like that will set me back, especially when we found that bit of algae and took care of it today... I might even skip trying it and keep slamming for another day and do a (hopefully) final test tomorrow...
 
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So I did not get to do my oclt last night, planning on doing it tonight. I know my cya level is low and I have trichlor pucks from last year before realizing what I need to do! Would it be reasonable to add those in the floater every few days to get my cya up after my slam is over? I don't want to mess anything up now that I've come this far!
 

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