Target ph or CYA first

[hirenkg]

After opening the pool today, it is really dark green. So, I have done vacuuming using the waste setting. Post that i started running the robot. I will try to scrub pool tomorrow. Below are the water test readings, Please let me know should i target Ph or CYA first before starting the SLAM process or testing for ammonia(every 10 minute test of FC).

FC - 0,
CC - 0
Ph - 8.2 or 8.4
CYA - 0 hoping the agent is still in good condition.
TA - 200+ as water showed red color

Also, Is it Okay to start with powdered shock instead of bleach when you open the pool?

Appreciate all your help.

 

[Sunny Blues]

I swear this post looks absolutely identical to another one from recent days.

Myself, I would add chlorine first. Your green water will probably eat through your chlorine so you want SLAM levels constantly all day every day until it is clear. So get that going. Shoot for maintaining 10ppm chlorine constantly. Then in between dosing chlorine I would bring the pH down with some MA. Your alkalinity is too high so the MA will reduce that too, but you need to do it in stages. Calculate how much MA needed to bring your pH to 7.2, add that and then wait for the ph to rise again to 7.8 -then repeat that again, and keep doing that cycle until your TA is at most 100. There is a “lower your alkalinity” thread that explains the process. Lower Total Alkalinity
You don’t want to do that first tho because it’s going to take a while to complete and you need that chlorine now. But after you start with chlorine you can get started on the pH/TA.

You can also add stabilizer if you want to bring your CYA to 30ppm to assist your chlorine, but don’t go higher than that until your water is clear and you no longer need to slam. Follow the chart below for slam levels based on your CYA levels. Right now it is 0 and your pool is green, so that’s why I said to aim for 10ppm slam to start out with.

 

[pjt]

testing for ammonia

You would have high CC and low pH. Your test results don't suggest ammonia.

let me know should i target Ph or CYA first

You can do both, no need to wait. Once your pool can hold FC, add 30 ppm CYA.

Follow the SLAM instructions carefully and completely:

SLAM - Shock Level and Maintain

We’ve all had to deal with a green pool. Clear algae from your pool with a SLAM! Read here to use shock level and maintain to clear your pool.

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[hirenkg]

I have completed with addition of Liquid Chlorine, and pH down, Now Night loss is 2 ppm. Alkalinity was in fact near zero after second testing, so, I have added baking soda, and now is cloudy and blue. Shooting for maintaining 10ppm chlorine constantly, as i noticed 5 ppm loss in the day.

I am thinking to target CYA stabilizers at last for now, after checking if no loss in the night.

 

[pjt]

pH down

Use muriatic acid instead.

Alkalinity was in fact near zero after second testing, so, I have added baking soda, and now is cloudy and blue.

Something is wrong here if you started with TA 200+. I would suspect testing error.

Shooting for maintaining 10ppm chlorine constantly

What's your CYA level? For a CYA of 30, SLAM FC is 12.

I am thinking to target CYA stabilizers at last for now, after checking if no loss in the night.

Run the SLAM until completion. Don't rush. Make sure you meet all of the exit criteria before bringing up your CYA level.

 

[hirenkg]

Something is wrong here if you started with TA 200+. I would suspect testing error.

Yes. I rechecked now after first dose of baking soda - 12lbs, it now shows 30ppm for TA. So, I will continue adding two more same doses till it reaches 75.

What's your CYA level?

My CYA is 0. I just added 2 powdered shock to reach 10ppm CL level. Wonder why i see chlorine loss on a rainy day? I may need to add 6 lbs of stabilizer when i am done.

CC - 0 pH-6.8

 

[pjt]

Yes. I rechecked now after first dose of baking soda - 12lbs, it now shows 30ppm for TA.

Then you didn't start with a TA of 200+.

I will continue adding two more same doses till it reaches 75.

Add enough to get your TA to 60. What's the TA of your fill water?

My CYA is 0.

You should have CYA 30 for your SLAM.

I just added 2 powdered shock to reach 10ppm CL level.

Increase FC with liquid chlorine.

Wonder why i see chlorine loss on a rainy day?

You will have FC loss every day. Hot summer days will have high FC loss. Cold winter days will have almost no FC loss. UV, bather load, and organics (algae, etc.) will consume FC.

pH-6.8

pH test is invalid with FC over 10. That's why it's important to check and adjust pH before starting the SLAM.

 

[hirenkg]

i started with 0 alkalinity.

Add enough to get your TA to 60. What's the TA of your fill water?

How to calculate TA of the fill water? In the beginning, i had to add around ~10lbs of pH down to bring it from 8.4 to 7.2 before starting SLAM.

Here are the readings in the morning. CL 12.5 CC ~1.0 TA 40 CYA 0

No Chlorine loss in the night. Though I can not see the bottom as water is still cloudy blue.

 

[pjt]

i started with 0 alkalinity.

TA - 200+

Your first post said 200+, which is causing confusion.

How to calculate TA of the fill water?

Run the TA test on your tap water.

i had to add around ~10lbs of pH down

Stop using pH down. Use muriatic acid to lower your pH.

TA 40

Add a little baking soda to get your TA to 60.

CYA 0

Add some stabilizer to get to CYA 30.

No Chlorine loss in the night. Though I can not see the bottom as water is still cloudy blue.

Maintain the SLAM until all of the exit criteria are met.

 

[mknauss]

i started with 0 alkalinity.

If that was true, the pH was 4.5.

 

[hirenkg]

My Tap water TA is 100. What does this mean?

I lost almost 9 ppm CL today though.

Started adding stabilizer in both the skimmers for now, Can i still backwash after two days, as water pressure is little low now?

 

[mknauss]

Use the sock method to add CYA.

Your fill water TA means if you add water to the pool, the TA will rise.

 

[pjt]

I lost almost 9 ppm CL today though.

Contaminates consume FC. Keep topping up the FC to SLAM level. The more often you top up, the shorter the SLAM.

Can i still backwash after two days, as water pressure is little low now?

Do it when your filter pressure is 25% higher than clean filter pressure.

 

[wireform]

My Tap water TA is 100. What does this mean?

I lost almost 9 ppm CL today though.

Started adding stabilizer in both the skimmers for now, Can i still backwash after two days, as water pressure is little low now?

You need to add the granular CYA via the sock method in front of an active return jet. Any granular via the skimmer can take up to a week to be fully in the water and that would mean NO backwashing for one week. Well with a slam in progress you're just wasting the CYA that way. You may be loosing lots of your FC to UV degradation thats why it's of utmost importance to have the 30 CYA done before the slam once you've made sure that FC holds above 5 after 10 minutes.

 

[hirenkg]

All these comments are sooo much helpful. Thank you for the detailed understanding. Hopefully, I should be good without backwash for a week.

 

[hirenkg]

Good to see my CYA levels are up now, CYA - 32, and Chlorine is holding up at 11.5 through the day. Water is crystal blue. So, I have added little DE so that it gets clear at deep end. Should I add 12 lb of baking soda to reach level of 90 for TA, as it will be raining next week?

 

[pjt]

Chlorine is holding up at 11.5 through the day. Water is crystal blue. So, I have added little DE so that it gets clear at deep end.

Keep maintaining SLAM FC until you meet ALL of the exit criteria and end the SLAM...

Should I add 12 lb of baking soda to reach level of 90 for TA, as it will be raining next week?

No. Your current TA of 60 is great. TA down to 50 is perfectly fine. A non-trichlor pool will probably never need baking soda.

 

[hirenkg]

I noticed bit of algae coming back today on stair case and little inside the pool with FC of 8.5 ppm, So, I am planning to add back bleach until i really see the bottom, both at near and far end.

I guess my CC should be 0 for a week and under SLAM to justify myself it's done.

CYA - 35, pH - 7.2 CC - 0.5

 

[wireform]

I noticed bit of algae coming back today on stair case and little inside the pool with FC of 8.5 ppm, So, I am planning to add back bleach until i really see the bottom, both at near and far end.

I guess my CC should be 0 for a week and under SLAM to justify myself it's done.

CYA - 35, pH - 7.2 CC - 0.5

You're not done if the water isn't clear even IF the numbers were to hold.

 

[proavia]

Any CYA measurement between multiples of 10 are rounded up to the next higher multiple.
CYA reading between 30 and 40 is rounded up to 40.
SLAM Process level for CYA 40 is FC of 16.