Swamp Slam Beginner

Jump to latest Follow Reply
T

travelgravel

Member
Mar 19, 2021
7
Columbia, SC
Hey Everyone, I just had my test kit come in today and am going to test my Water tomorrow morning and begin the SLAM process. I am currently dealing with a neglected pool of two years. I have gotten all of the leaves out( as much as I can). I was going to the pool store and buying burnout and algaecide until I stumbled upon this forum. I have gone from a very deep green to a teal-ish green, but I still cant see the shallow end. I have read the abcs of pool chemicals and pool school, but still have two questions.

1. We have a sand filter. I see it mentioned that the pool should be vacuumed each day. Is this to waste or through the filter? I have never vacuumed through the filter before. The pool store always mentioned vacuuming to waste to keep the dead algae out of the filter.
2. I see it mentioned that you can turn off your SWG during the slam process. Do I have to?

Thanks in advance! I will be updating tomorrow with my test result.
 
Welcome to TFP.
Others will jump in with more details but best to vacuum to waste as to get rid of algae directly.
You should also use liquid chlorine (LC) to SLAM as that will raise your FC ppm the quickest. You can purchase at pool store, or WalMart or Home Depot. Try to get 10% or higher because the lower the % of sodium hypochlorite the more LC you will need. Have you looked at the FC/CYA Levels chart to match your CYA level to the desired SLAM level for FC ppm? You will need to test every 3-4 hours to maintain your FC up at SLAM level thus the need for LC.
Suggest you test your fill water as well because if you vacuum to waste you will need to add water as well which will not have any FC but will have TA and CH. So you just need to understand what may happen as you add water.
Also, ensure your pH is at 7.2 before you SLAM. Once your FC gets above 10ppm your testing for pH will not be accurate thus the need to start with a low pH now.
Hope this helps you get prepared.
 
Welcome to the forum!
Herman has you on a good path. Run a full suite of tests and post them up here. You might consider getting the PoolMath app as that way you can store your data (Premium version) and also use the app for calculating chemical quantities.
How much algaecide have you added? What was the algaecide?
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry.
 
HermanTX said:
Welcome to TFP.
Others will jump in with more details but best to vacuum to waste as to get rid of algae directly.
You should also use liquid chlorine (LC) to SLAM as that will raise your FC ppm the quickest. You can purchase at pool store, or WalMart or Home Depot. Try to get 10% or higher because the lower the % of sodium hypochlorite the more LC you will need. Have you looked at the FC/CYA Levels chart to match your CYA level to the desired SLAM level for FC ppm? You will need to test every 3-4 hours to maintain your FC up at SLAM level thus the need for LC.
Suggest you test your fill water as well because if you vacuum to waste you will need to add water as well which will not have any FC but will have TA and CH. So you just need to understand what may happen as you add water.
Also, ensure your pH is at 7.2 before you SLAM. Once your FC gets above 10ppm your testing for pH will not be accurate thus the need to start with a low pH now.
Hope this helps you get prepared.
Click to expand...
That's a good idea. I'll test the water coming out of my hose as well. I will run by the hardware store tomorrow morning to pick up some liquid chlorine.


mknauss said:
Welcome to the forum!
Herman has you on a good path. Run a full suite of tests and post them up here. You might consider getting the PoolMath app as that way you can store your data (Premium version) and also use the app for calculating chemical quantities.
How much algaecide have you added? What was the algaecide?
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry.
Click to expand...
I used this algaecide which contains 13% copper sulfate pentahydrate. So it seems I need to lower my PH to 7.0 to prevent staining? This algae has been in the pool so long I'm not sure how much worse it could get :LOL: I also read that because we have a SWG we will need to keep our CYA a little higher.


The last time I went to the pool store my numbers were
PH: 7.6
TA: 126
Calcium Hardness: 64
FC: .1
TC: .2
CYA: 5
They also mentioned that I needed 386 pounds of salt as the salt levels were very low.

I'm excited to see what numbers I come up with tomorrow, but I don't see a way to check the salt level with my test kit. Might need to rely on the pool store for that one. They did mention its not worthwhile to add the salt until I clear the majority of the algae bloom ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Any more thoughts on my vacuum to waste question? I was looking in this thread and saw this

gonfishin said:
You have a sand filter so you don't need to vacuum to waste unless you are either trying to lower the water level & vacuum at the same time or vacuuming up gunk because you used floc.

The sand in the filter catches the dead algae and other things. You use the backwash (followed by rinse, if available) to get the "gunk" out of the sand when pressure rises on the filter.

I agree with Tex, focus on killing the algae then worry about getting the dead algae out of the pool.
Click to expand...
I thought that vacuuming was a critical part of the SLAM process along with brushing?



Thanks everyone for the help! I'm really looking forward to having a pool again this summer. That reminds me I also need to turn my attention to the back yard grass :brickwall:
 
travelgravel said:
Around 42 ounces over the last two weeks.... That's probably not great huh?
Click to expand...
No. That is over 2 ppm. At 0.3 ppm copper you can start to see staining.

I would suggest a complete exchange of the 17000 gallons of water in the pool to fresh prior to starting.

Draining - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

You have a vinyl liner so you cannot drain. Read the Exchange part of the article above and let us know your questions.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Casey
You also need to have CYA of 30 and slam accordingly. Don't go above 30 as it'll cost you more chlorine to get the same job done.
You can vacuum through the filter and backwash once in a while. For starters give a good backwash and note psi gauge pressure. So that will be your clean filter pressure. When the reading rises 25% of the clean pressure it'll be time to backwash. Make sure the gauge starts at zero when the pump is off indicating a working gauge.
 
mknauss said:
No. That is over 2 ppm. At 0.3 ppm copper you can start to see staining.

I would suggest a complete exchange of the 17000 gallons of water in the pool to fresh prior to starting.

Draining - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

You have a vinyl liner so you cannot drain. Read the Exchange part of the article above and let us know your questions.
Click to expand...
That's not great to hear. My pool water temperature is 59.5 degrees Fahrenheit and the water in my hose is 59 degrees. So the pump needs to go in the deep end and I can fill from the shallow end skimmer. I'm struggling to find my area's regulations of what to do with the water as I am draining.

Any suggestion on a good pump and the time it will take?

How bad is this staining? If I am planning on replacing the liner in year or two is it worth it to exchange the water?
 
It will turn the liner various colors. Is there any staining now? It is just aesthetic. So if you do not mind dark, splotchy liner stains, no need to drain.

I have a 1/2 hp Superior sump pump off Amazon.

Your water temperatures are equal. The exchange will not be very efficient but you are just trying to dilute the system to reduce the copper.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
mknauss said:
It will turn the liner various colors. Is there any staining now? It is just aesthetic. So if you do not mind dark, splotchy liner stains, no need to drain.

I have a 1/2 hp Superior sump pump off Amazon.

Your water temperatures are equal. The exchange will not be very efficient but you are just trying to dilute the system to reduce the copper.
Click to expand...
It's not turning colors that I can tell, but my visibility is pretty low with how cloudy the water is. I'm a little conflicted due to the age of the liner. It's due for a replacement in a year or so. I think I will try to get the visibility a bit better in the pool and then see if I can live with the stains or not.

I ran my tests this morning.

FC: 0 ppm
CC: .4 ppm
PH: 7.4 (calculated I would need 31.22 fl oz of muriatic acid to bring PH down to 7.0 using k2006 booklet and confirmed with Pool Math)
TA: 52 ppm [EDIT: this is actually 130 ppm. I multiplied by 4 instead of 10.]
CH: 170 ppm
CYA: I filled up my test kit and the black dot never disappeared so essentially zero according to my test kit.


I used the Pool Math app and it seems I need 9 lbs and 15 oz of CYA to add.

[EDIT: I was using 70 ppm for my required CYA level, but after reading more it seems I need to be between 30-40 PPM for the SLAM process. This brings me down to 4lbs and 4 oz of dry stabilizer.]

Questions:
1.I think I should handle the CYA level first and then lower the PH for the SLAM process. Is this correct?
2.Do I need to worry about my TA being on the lower end of the scale? It seems that the addition of the muriatic acid to lower the ph will also affect this.
3. Almost 10 lbs of CYA seems like a lot to put in a sock. I suppose a different cloth would work? It just needs to keep the granules from going straight to the filter?
4. Once all of these are handled I can begin to add the bleach to raise my FC levels. At what point do I add the ~400 lbs of salt I need in my pool?
 
Last edited:
1. Get 30 ppm of CYA in the water for the SLAM
2. It is not possible to test a TA of 52. I suggest you review the test directions.
3. Re calculate your CYA amount. I come up with just over 4 pounds for 30 ppm.
4. Once you have started the CYA dissolving, start the SLAM Process. Assume you have the 30 ppm CYA in the water. Do not worry about the salt until you pass the SLAM criteria.
 
mknauss said:
1. Get 30 ppm of CYA in the water for the SLAM
2. It is not possible to test a TA of 52. I suggest you review the test directions.
3. Re calculate your CYA amount. I come up with just over 4 pounds for 30 ppm.
4. Once you have started the CYA dissolving, start the SLAM Process. Assume you have the 30 ppm CYA in the water. Do not worry about the salt until you pass the SLAM criteria.
Click to expand...
You are correct. I multiplied by 4 instead of 10. This brings my TA to 130 ppm. I have that much Stabilizer on hand which is good. I am running out to the hardware store now for the liquid chlorine/bleach and some muriatic acid.

I am a little unsure about my TA level. The booklet with my test kit says the ideal range is 80-120 ppm and TFP in this article says it should be in the 60-80 range for SWG. Is this a major concern before the SLAM or something I can handle after all of the algae is dead and gone? It seems difficult to get this to the proper level. If I understand correctly I will need to lower the TA with muriatic acid which will lower the PH and then I will need to bring the PH back up if it falls too low? This can be done by aeration.
 
TA is not a major issue. As you maintain your pH (after SLAM) you will lower the TA over time.
 
As an update, I started the SLAM on Saturday afternoon after putting the CYA in a T-shirt and placing it in the skimmer. Checked my levels and kept FC at 12 until Sunday night. I brushed and vacuumed twice on Saturday and twice on Sunday. I noticed yesterday afternoon that the water level was dropping and this morning the water level was down quite significantly, almost below the skimmer. I have turned off the pump and I guess I'm going to let the water keep draining until it stops so I can see where the hole in the liner is. I didn't notice any air in the lines so I don't think it is a pipe issue. Very frustrated and disappointed, but I knew this would happen eventually. The liner is very old. Any suggestions welcome.


[EDIT: Also monitoring to see if the water level continues to drop with the pump off. Not sure which is worse :scratch:]
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply