Slamming - Running out of reagents! Ruh oh.

[Oakstone]

Sooo, since I misfired and had to restart my slam, including having a higher FC target due to my CYA mistake, my brand new 2006 (not C) kit is just about out of trirating agent. I don't think I will be able to get more before the slam is complete. What to do? I have an OTO kit and strips, but neither of those go high enough. I do have a pattern of FC loss for the past couple of days. I could keep doing that, knowing I'd either be equal or over the suggested FC and then test in a day or two to try and maximize my remaining tests. Or?

Anyway, kind of a funny situation to be in. I'm still currently losing 1/2 my FC'ish both during the day (some swimming) and during an OCLT.

I'm in Canada, so the reagents are longer lead time and super expensive. Working on a solution, but either way I can't just run out and get more or overnight them etc. The 2006 was already more $$ than my pool haha.

Any tips welcome!

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Have you checked with Amazon.ca for reagent refill supplies? Googled what you need specifying Canada?
Have a kit sent to an address across the border and take a ride??

 

[Oakstone]

Yeah I’m looking to get the reagents to Washington and then pop them over via a courier who does that a lot. The amazon.ca prices are crazy. I have done all the googles

 

[frogabog]

Yeah I’m looking to get the reagents to Washington and then pop them over via a courier who does that a lot. The amazon.ca prices are crazy. I have done all the googles

If I was closer I'd be happy to help. I haven't been to Victoria since I was a kid but I remember it being gorgeous. My dad actually drove in across the sound during a major storm in a 22' cabin cruiser. 10' swells... grandpa napped in the bow, grandma and I read books in the stern (Ramona the Pest for me), while dad white knuckled it and mom freaked out silently. There was no border and tg that dad was a competent Navigator. However now it's a 5+ hr drive and I don't actually have a passport. I actually only recently (past couple years) discovered I needed one to get into Canada.

Best of luck with the courier idea!

 

[Fast7]

Not much help now when you almost out of your reagents but you can do 5 ml sample, 1 scoop of powder and 1 drop = 1 ppm.
By the end of SLAM switch back to 10 ml sample to do OCLT test.

 

[Oakstone]

Ah ok thanks @Fast7 I will do the 1ppm to save.

@frogabog looks like it's going to work out fine. There's a company that specifically does courier runs for $17 for the 1st 5lbs, so all in I'll be about about $100 CDN for the refill kit from TF Test Kits. Should give me a lot to work with.

I seem to be going through 10ppm 2x per day right now. Day 3, no reduction in consumption. Vacuumed, brushed, cleaned filter. Is that normal? It's such a small amount of water that I can't figure out why it'd not be responding faster to the SLAM. I am determined to see it out though

 

[frogabog]

I just looked at your pool math logs, and I don't think you're hitting SLAM levels. The highest I see your test results for FC is 10.5, but that's only been in the last week or so. Before that, you were testing at under 3ppm, with a lot of .5s and 1s.

Your CYA has risen to 50 now as well, which means your SLAM level is 20ppm, not 10ppm. Did you add CYA to hit 50 or did it rise due to pucks or shock powder?

Also, I see no CC results. Do you test that ever?

Maybe read up about the FC/CYA Levels. Even when your CYA was 30ppm, your SLAM FC level would have been 12ppm. The struggles you've been having are most likely due to not having yet actually reached SLAM level for your CYA level. If you're using pool math app, you need to toggle the SLAM slider on for it to show you what your SLAM level is. Once you make it to 20ppm FC, then test as often as you can and add bleach to bring it back to 20ppm (your current SLAM level). The more often you can do this, the faster your SLAM will go. Some are able to do it hourly which can speed it up quite a bit, however if you can't do it every 1-2hr, you should test and re-dose back to SLAM level at least 2 (better 3) times a day.

Toggle the slider back off after you're in maintenance mode ONLY after passing the 3 criteria.

Bear in mind at 50ppm CYA that you will need to make sure you never go below 4ppm FC (after your SLAM is complete). Any time you go below your minimum, you're risking an algae bloom (or re-bloom if you haven't quite finished SLAMming).

 

[Oakstone]

Heya @frogabog I've just been a bit spotty with doing the recordings into the app.

Typically when you see a 10.5, that's after adding up to 20 the night before or in the morning before I leave for work and it's the result after losses over that time. I've not been re-testing 30 mins after the recommended addition due to my super low reagents. Maybe I'm not making it to 20 or something, but all indications from past additions/app have been accurate so I don't believe that's the case. The nice thing with my pool size, but what led to spotty recordings, is that 100ml of bleach is 1ppm FC, so I read a 10, 12 etc. in the morning and add the corresponding amount of bleach to hit 20ppm, then leave it till the next test.

CC has been stable at 0.5 each time I've tested it, but I didn't see a way in the app to track it.

I'm trying to get to 20 more often during the day, but it's tough when I'm at work.

Things did look clearer today, which is good. I added as soon as I got home. Not sure I have enough reagent to do one tonight and one tomorrow morning, so I may just overdose it with 1L (10ppm) tonight and re-test in the morning to get a new baseline.

It's a rough situation to be mid-slam with the reagent issue, but they're on the way!

Oh and thanks so much for all the repeated help folks I'm learning a ton through these challenges and failures.

 

[frogabog]

You can add logs by using the center +add logs icon in the middle at the bottom of your device. It will allow you to do your testing, and add all your logs on one page, including CC. You don't have to fill in all the blanks, just record your tests there all at once. Adding bleach is easier from the front end of after the FC button. I like that option. Easy.