SLAMMING in June in Texas

[kingm0844]

Hi everyone,
I live in Dallas, Tx and need to SLAM my pool. Temp this week could reach close to 100. Is the a bad time to SLAM (ie, summer heat) the pool?

 

[mknauss]

Air temperature has little effect on pool water chemistry.
Do you have the proper test kit to follow the SLAM Process?

 

[GDN]

If you've got algae you need to SLAM or you'll just continue to fight it. The key is to get to Home Depot to get the Pool Chlorine quick, not much left around unless they get shipments in the next day or two.

I'm in Dallas too, near Coit and Campbell and my HD has been out for several days, drove out to Plano today to the HD at Parker and Custer, they are down to about 8 boxes tonight, they had 66 on Friday (their web site will tell you where the stock is). These stores usually have a couple of pallets, but with it getting hot and the pandemic, a lot is being purchased and they may be a little slow at getting stock replenished. What I bought today was 20 149 however, so it was very fresh.

I've heard of a Pool store in Plano 1 + 1 or something like that, but have never been. I hear they carry good chlorine for a reasonable price.

 

[Lilypad]

It's 1 Stop Pool Store. They have locations in
Plano, Frisco and Coppell. They do carry liquid chlorine.
Call first!

 

[JJ_Tex]

Every Walmart around us has their pool essentials liquid chlorine in stock. And it is stored inside and usually fresh. As much as I hate Walmart, they do a good job with their liquid chlorine.

 

[mmcwhorter]

Wal Mart here in Calvert County MD is well stocked lately with Store Brand Bleach. Local pool store as well. I will say when I lived in St Pete FL, we could go to PAP and similar stores and get the 2.5 GAL refills. I wonder why they do not offer that here in S MD? Does anybody know? I kept my yellow jugs when I moved here. Is there a law here against keeping your jugs and refilling? In a pinch, and if your CAL is not too high, 73% CAL Hypo works great. Just dilute 1-2 pounds in 4 gallons of water before putting it in the pool. Watch where it lands if any undissolved particles go in, and brush it off the floor....Do not let it sit on the bottom plaster/marcite, especially in clumps. Not sure what it might do to pebble or vinyl surfaces. All my pools since 1992 have been plaster.

 

[GDN]

Looks like Home Depot is just lowered their stock levels maybe. My store and most all of the other stores were finally restocked 2 days ago, but no more than about 50 at each store. I know it's kept outside so they don't want it sitting too long, looks more like just in time than keeping extra these days if it is still a little in short supply. Grab it while it's there.

 

[mmcwhorter]

If the SLAM is over, that means you are back down to normal FC levels...where is your FC? My pool took 5-6 days to get down to 5 ppm from around 20. Could be the filter is not doing its job? If it is a sand filter it's common to put a little DI power in after backwash to help better filter small particulates. There is a document on TFT that talks about how to best do this. If SLAM is completed with success, the CC will be low, less than 0.5. What is your Combined Chlorine using the TF_100? Is there a high pollen count in the area where you live? I get blasted in early spring and it's cloudy then.

 

[TiffanTX]

My test just now had me at 29.5 FC
Just I stalled a new filter about five days ago, in response to a green pool. Now the color is back to a non-algae color, but with a CYA of about 80 or 90, my FC levels are high. CC is just barely 0.5, no biggie. Tree pollen was last month, no real pollen issue right now, or at least not that I notice. Just keep on keepin’ on? Is it safe to get in and mix up the water with bodies? I have some iron at the bottom that I need to bring to the surface and filter out...

 

[mmcwhorter]

That's a heck of a lot of FC. But CYA is too high also. SLAM CYA table says for a CYA of 90 you need to maintain a level of FC at 35 till you pass an OCLT. If you never got to 35 ppm, then the SLAM never happened. I would not want to keep my pool at CYA=90, it's too high. How did it get so high? 3-inch tablets? Super shock 1 lb. bags??? If yes, get off both and go with Bleach or 73% CAL Hypo (no stabilizer). Bleach highly preferred. To much CAL Hypo runs you Calcium up. Try measuring the CYA again by adding 50% tap water and 50% pool water. You should get 45-50 as a result. Hard to measure high CYA> If it is at 90 for sure...and it was me I'd drain and re-fill about 35-40% of the water and get CYA in the 50-60 range. Otherwise, your normal FC level will need to be around 10 just to get by day by day by day. That's a lot of daily recurring cost. Last, I wouldn't swim in it till around FC was at or below 12-15, but that's me.

Chlorine / CYA Chart - Trouble Free Pool

For some reason here in MD, when I open my pool in the spring, CYA is close to Zero, so for me, it's always easy to SLAM around CYA=20....which means I don't need ridiculous amount of CL to pass the OCLT test. After I slam, I take the CYA up to normal levels for my salt pool. It has been working now this way for three years, Love it. TFP is a great place to learn.

 

[TiffanTX]

I went about five days without adding anything and it had been three or four weeks since pulling the filter out of the pump. I was washing the filter from the skimmer but not the pump, my mistake. It got saturated and seemed like it just started sending ick water out, this beginning all of this. Started the SLAM process, I put in a set of stabilizer about two weeks ago through the skimmer, no Cal Hypo or anything besides chlorine. Two days ago about a day or two into the SLAm I realized that the chlorine was being consumed so quick and I added a good 10oz of TriChlor tabs. The pool was still green so I didn’t notice the cloudiness. Ow that it’s finally back to blue I definitely notice cloudiness and the PMC tells me to continue adding chlorine. The tabs are now out.

 

[mmcwhorter]

Sounds like you are wrapped around the axle. No more tabs or stabilized super-shock. I think you need to vac the bottom of the pool directly to get the metal you described out....Vac to Waste (I assume your filter allows this)....backwash /clean out the filter properly...per mfg. instructions, drain pool water to 60% of where you are now..., refill. And start the filter again. Set pH using Muriatic down to around 7.2-7.4. Check TA if you like and get it in the 70-80 range. Use Baking Soda to get TA to the right level if low...I use cheap Store Brands... Pool Math application works good....use it for amounts to add based upon your pool volume. Then measure CYA and add bleach or CAL Hypo till you get to finish line. Do not add CAL Hypo direct, mix it up real good with water (1-2 cups per gallon) and pour it in the pool as a liquid. Quickly brush any particles that hits the bottom. 24 ppm FC for CYA = 60 on SLAM. Follow the SLAM process. I know it's a lot and a let-down. The process has to be followed. Believe me, it works. I do it once every year and I'm good for the rest of the season.