Started the SLAM.....

[Steve H]

Good Morning TFP members from Lake Havasu City AZ (A.K.A. Paradise) a brief history and update
The pool needed to be cared for the day my beautiful woman bought her house, both her and I spent nearly everything we had to get here, and just now starting to get a handle on things.

The pool had finally turned a pea soup green when we were able to get started on the SLAM, not being able to afford a K-2006 or TF 100 we found a test strip kit by hth that would give me the CYA test I needed to get started.

I started the SLAM on Thursday, it has been a long drawn out battle but we're finally winning, the water is nearly crystal clear with algae stains on the walls and some on the bottom, we are brushing the pool 2-3 times a day, the progress has been slow but it's good.

We finally passed the OCLT test this morning

after starting with the hth shock treatment for the first 36 hour we switched to bleach, have gone thru 8.5 gallons so far and things have finally turned for the better.

My numbers as of 6:30 this morning are
FC 10+
PH 7.8
TA 80
TH 400
CYA 30-50

I'll post my next test in a couple hours and pics

Thanks TFP for all of the great information here.

Steve H

 

[pooldv]

Nice job working through it!

 

[kimkats]

i would LOVE to see a before and after pic!

Are you telling me you started the SLAM on Thurs of THIS past week? AND only used test strips?? You must have been hitting it hard and heavy!

Please keep saving your pennies so you can get a good test kit. It will pay off in the long run when you are able to.

Kim

 

[Steve H]

Thanks, yes we have hit hard and heavy, and yes we started 3 days ago, and only using the test strips now till I can get a good test kit. My avatar pic is a before shot that was taken at night with the pool lights on, you can see how green it was back then (Labor day weekend) and worsened by the time we got started.

 

[Steve H]

11 AM test
FC 10
PH 7.8
TA 80
TH 400
CYA 30-50

View attachment 55474View attachment 55475View attachment 55476

 

[MarianParoo]

Are all those pics current?

 

[Steve H]

Yip, took them after I finished my 11 AM test this morning.

 

[duraleigh]

You will need to start brushing the stained spots.....probably with a steel brush. That's a lot of staining to remove and your FC must be kept high.

You did not pass an OCLT. That cannot be done until you get a kit that will measure FC in .5 ppm increments.

 

[Steve H]

Hi Dave, I brush the stained areas 2-3 times a day, at least my OCLT did not drop below 10 overnight so it was a good start, having to work within my current meager budget next week I will be picking up a hth liquid kit to keep things going it should give me some more detailed readings until I can afford a good test kit.

 

[Steve H]

8 PM test
FC 10+
PH 8.4
TA 80
TH 400
CYA 30-50

added another gallon of bleach, the algae stains are slow to remove but making progress.
will be glad when I can get a good kit, but for now progress is being made.

one thing I've not reported is the water temp, which is hanging at 58-60 degrees, I'm guessing that the cooler temp is inhibiting the algae kill a bit thus the reason for the slower progress.
can you knowledgeable pool folk pipe in on this factor?

 

[MarianParoo]

Instead of buying an intermediate testkit, I suggest you save those bucks towards a recommended kit.

Not only will that give you the accuracy you need for the FC/CC, but also the CYA which determines the FC for a proper slam.

 

[needsajet]

Welcome to TFP and good job learning the ins and outs of TFPC.

It should be easier and faster to SLAM in colder water, but you need 20 ppm FC if your CYA could be 50.

All due respect to budget, get a TF100 kit and XL option. You're going to need it anyway and basing a SLAM on suss testing is making the SLAM cost you more in other ways (pump run time, total bleach needed, etc.) You'll get the money back from buying the test kit very quickly, probably before next swim season.

A few days of propane pool heating will cost you more than the test kit.

 

[kimkats]

Instead of buying an intermediate testkit, I suggest you save those bucks towards a recommended kit.

Not only will that give you the accuracy you need for the FC/CC, but also the CYA which determines the FC for a proper slam.

In this case I have to disagree. We need to know the CYA ASAP so he can keep ahead of the algae. The kit he is going to get does test the CYA so it is better than the strips he is using now.

He is doing a great job with what he has and his budget constraints with a move and new job. He is very aware he needs a "good" test kit and will get one when he is able. Until then I say he keeps doing what he is doing.

Kim

 

[Steve H]

Thanks Kim, the results so far are nothing short of awesome considering what I am working with at the moment, if were not for this site I still be looking at a green pool.

 

[xyz]

How about the DPD XL at TFT for 16.50. And CYA for 8? Not too expensive and accurate.

 

[kimkats]

How about the DPD XL at TFT for 16.50. And CYA for 8? Not too expensive and accurate.

Good idea but he will also need the tubes...it all starts to add up THEN add on shipping and he will be better off waiting until he can get the whole test kit.

I THINK he will be okay getting the "baby test" kit until he is able to get the whole test kit.

Kim

 

[Steve H]

The pool is looking better, still lots of scrubbing to do yet, but all of the numbers are still holding, going to work on getting a manual vac to clean the gunk from the bottom. hopefully I can get a good kit ordered this weekend or early next week.

FC 10+
PH 7.8
TA 80
TH 400
CYA 50ish

Thanks for all of the advise, it place has been an amazing help!

Steve H

 

[needsajet]

Assuming your 10+ number for FC is because you're using the OTO scale (the one that starts out with yellow), you might find this helpful while you're shooting for 20:

OTO Scale after reviewing posts from JasonLion and Duraleigh:
Barely yellow 0.0 to 2.0 (any yellow indicates the presence of chlorine)
Light yellow 2.0 to 5.0
Dark yellow 8.0 to 10

And from ChemGeek, based on his review of many posts here and the PoolForum
Dark yellow 5.0 to 10
Light orange 10-20
Dark orange about 25
Brown 35+

And from Chiefwej
Dark yellow 8-16
Orange 15-30
Brown 25-50

*note that this is all approximate and a drop-based FAS-DPD test is much preferred

 

[xyz]

Also, take your water, dilute it 2:1 and see what that gets you.

 

[duraleigh]

Diluting the OTO chlorine test is an exercise in futility. The OTO test was never intended to be precise and it is not. Diluting it makes if woefully inadequate and any results you get are pretty worthless.

OTO is used to detect the presence​ of chlorine and give you a rough idea as to how much is there. Assigning it a parts per million values after dilution is not adequate.