I have been testing at about 10pm (well after dark) and testing at 6:30am (before sun up). I tested CYA on Saturday and it was between 30 and 40. I have been putting Diver Dave in and running it all day every day and taking it out overnight, there's nothing in the pool. But I'm still having to put in 3 to 4 bottles of 10% bleach daily and just cannot pass the OCLT. I don't know what else to try/do!
Took the cover off pool and it wasn't pretty - starting SLAM but CYA question
- Thread starter erivette
- Start date
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,854
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Wow!I know! So why can't I pass OCLT? I'm still using 3-4 bottles of 10% bleach per day. It doesn't make any sense. I'm not putting the ladder or anything back in until I'm done with SLAM. I don't know what to do!!!
Have you checked your skimmer(s), return eyeball(s), main drain? That is a lot of overnight loss with no visible algae or cloudiness.
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,854
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Okay then, let's re-cap. You started on 14 Mar, having to kick ammonia's rear first. You then started the SLAM, and after about one week you’ve transformed your water to crystal clear. But the OLCT is still failing. That has to be from one of two things: Excessive FC getting used-up, and/or testing error. We know from experience that FC will get used by the sun (which doesn't apply to your OLCT), or something organic. If we rule-out testing error, there still has to be algae in the water somewhere. Even when it's clear? .. yes. That's why the three criteria. Many people have quit their SLAM early only because everything looked good, then the green came back a few days later. So if you are testing accurately, then there must still be some residual organic material somewhere. But here's a thought ... you said your CYA was 30-40 last time right? So if we round-up your estimated CYA to 40, then your SLAM FC would actually be 16. Perhaps that is one reason for the delay? That extra FC might be the knockout punch your pool needs.
As for the testing, you probably feel like a pro by now after all the FC tests. But when you're counting 20-30 drops each time, it can be exhausting real fast, so be careful. Try be extremely consistent with your testing. Examples include: Pull your sample water from the same spot in the pool each time, fill the tube precisely to 10ml, same sized (hefty) scoop of R-0870 powder, and make sure each R-0871 drop is a full drop while holding the bottle vertical.
Since you’re doing your OCLT in conjunction with your current SLAM, I would suggest your SLAM FC should be 16 based on the CYA. That should be your OLCT starting point as well. For now, you may simply have some residual material on a pool surface that needs little more scrubbing, or perhaps some residue in the filter/pipes that the slightly higher FC will neutralize. No doubt you are on-track from that last pic. But the testing doesn’t lie (unless we make an error
), so hang in there.
As for the testing, you probably feel like a pro by now after all the FC tests. But when you're counting 20-30 drops each time, it can be exhausting real fast, so be careful. Try be extremely consistent with your testing. Examples include: Pull your sample water from the same spot in the pool each time, fill the tube precisely to 10ml, same sized (hefty) scoop of R-0870 powder, and make sure each R-0871 drop is a full drop while holding the bottle vertical.
Since you’re doing your OCLT in conjunction with your current SLAM, I would suggest your SLAM FC should be 16 based on the CYA. That should be your OLCT starting point as well. For now, you may simply have some residual material on a pool surface that needs little more scrubbing, or perhaps some residue in the filter/pipes that the slightly higher FC will neutralize. No doubt you are on-track from that last pic. But the testing doesn’t lie (unless we make an error
), so hang in there.I will make another bleach run, brush the sides and scrub the skimmer and return eye, and start maintaining a minimum of 16 and see if that doesn't knock out the last of the little buggers. Thank you so much for your wisdom and encouragement!!!
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,854
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Don't mind all those people when they stare at your shopping cart full of Bravo bleach at HEB. Once you tell them it's for your pool they'll be jealous. :colors:
Nothing can substitute for manually brushing a pool when performing a SLAM. Pool cleaners help with decent scrubbing and even improving circulation, but there's nothing like a brush on every surface that needs it. Scrub out those skimmers (a toilet brush, preferably new and only for the pool , works very well) and take out those eyeballs and hit em with the brush as well. Scrub the spots in the pool that would be the usual suspects, corners, nooks, crannies, etc.
, works very well) and take out those eyeballs and hit em with the brush as well. Scrub the spots in the pool that would be the usual suspects, corners, nooks, crannies, etc.Two weeks in and I still can't pass OCLT. I'm using 3-4 bottles of bleach per day. I'm brushing the pool. There is nothing in the pool. I've checked return eye and skimmer. Pool is crystal clear. But I have kept up SLAM because I can't seem to pass OCLT. CYA 35-40 and keeping above FC 16. Any ideas?
Attachments
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,854
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Amazing. Looks so nice too. Your pool is a straight-forward (round), AGP correct? Other than perhaps a skimmer, return jet(s) and ladder, just the pool? I'm pretty sure you've been backwashing the filter too right? The only thing holding you back has been the OCLT now right? So please humor me (us) .... describe exactly how you are performing and measuring the OCLT. Be specific please so we can compare notes to see if there's something (anything) from a testing perspective that may explain the OCLT failure.
Lets see if there's something we're missing there before we go any further. You must be exhausted, but I have to say the water looks fabulous.
Your pool is a straight-forward (round), AGP correct? Other than perhaps a skimmer, return jet(s) and ladder, just the pool? I'm pretty sure you've been backwashing the filter too right? The only thing holding you back has been the OCLT now right? So please humor me (us) .... describe exactly how you are performing and measuring the OCLT. Be specific please so we can compare notes to see if there's something (anything) from a testing perspective that may explain the OCLT failure. Lets see if there's something we're missing there before we go any further. You must be exhausted, but I have to say the water looks fabulous.
Have you back washed very much? Not sure if something could be lurking there with all that chlorine running through, but it's a thought..... With a sparkle like that, it looks like your actual filtration is good.
Oops, saw after posting that was asked above.
Did you test the CYA, or base it on what you added?
Oops, saw after posting that was asked above.
Did you test the CYA, or base it on what you added?
I took the ladder out and scrubbed it and am not putting it back in until I pass OCLT. 30' round AGP, nothing in it but skimmer and return eye at this point. I've been brushing once or twice a day every day. I also run Diver Dave daily. Pump has been on high non-stop for two weeks (a little afraid of my GVEC Bill). Testing - I put bleach in about 8-8:30pm. I test right about 10pm. I always get the water from the same spot. I fill the 'chlorine only' tube up to 10, place it on the speedstir and drop in the magic bullet that makes it spin, I pour in a heaping blue scoop of powder, it turns dark pink, I hold the r-0871 bottle vertically over the tube and count drops, then I put in 5 drops r-0003 and if it doesn't remain clear I put in more drops r-0871 until clear. My count last night was 38 drops for FC 19 and 0 drops for CC 0. At 6:30am (still dark) I repeated the test and I had 34 drops for FC 17 and 1 drop for CC .5. I have a few times done the tests twice each at night and in the morning to ensure I was getting the same reading. hopefully I didn't leave anything out. Oh yes I have back washed when pressure increases by 10% but it hasn't changed in about a week.
- - - Updated - - -
I've tested the CYA two separate times and on each occasion poured the sample back and forth a few times to confirm what I was coming up with. Each time it was never below 30 or above 40.
- - - Updated - - -
I've tested the CYA two separate times and on each occasion poured the sample back and forth a few times to confirm what I was coming up with. Each time it was never below 30 or above 40.
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,854
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
This may not be a technical issue, it may just be the way I'm reading it. Above you stated
So I want to make sure that for your FC test, you are only adding the R-0870 power, then the R-0871 drops. Once it goes from pink to clear, take that number and divide by two - DONE. Correct?
Okay, now here's the other thing, and I personally did the same thing. No kidding I went through TWO full bottles of drops until another expert got me back on track. Here it is .... "More is not always better". By that I mean that if your SLAM FC is 16, try not to go higher than that for your first bedtime OCLT test. That's because our FC is designed to acclimate (bond) with a specific amount of CYA in the water. Even though there is no sun at night, going too far over your CYA-designed FC level can still lead to excessive FC loss - even in the dark. It happened to me for several days in a row. The very first time I let my FC come down to the exact FC SLAM level, I passed because there was no "excess" FC that couldn't bind to the CYA. I remember those nights/mornings all too well.
In your case, 1 or 2 drops is everything.
Maybe tonight, try a bedtime FC of 18, verify it after you've added bleach and the sun is down. Then hopefully tomorrow morning it will be very close. Besides pulling water from the same place as you have already been doing, keep the pump on the same speed. BY the way, I'm a GVEC customer too, so low speed is fine if you have it. Let's try that and see how it goes tomorrow.
Oh, and just so you know ... when I couldn't pass my SLAM, because my CYA was at 70, so I was supposed to maintain an FC of 28, but I was going over to something like 34-35. I needed a calculator to count my drops. Ugh.
As we know, adding the R-003 drops is only to record your CC.
So I want to make sure that for your FC test, you are only adding the R-0870 power, then the R-0871 drops. Once it goes from pink to clear, take that number and divide by two - DONE. Correct?
Okay, now here's the other thing, and I personally did the same thing. No kidding I went through TWO full bottles of drops until another expert got me back on track. Here it is .... "More is not always better". By that I mean that if your SLAM FC is 16, try not to go higher than that for your first bedtime OCLT test. That's because our FC is designed to acclimate (bond) with a specific amount of CYA in the water. Even though there is no sun at night, going too far over your CYA-designed FC level can still lead to excessive FC loss - even in the dark. It happened to me for several days in a row. The very first time I let my FC come down to the exact FC SLAM level, I passed because there was no "excess" FC that couldn't bind to the CYA. I remember those nights/mornings all too well.
In your case, 1 or 2 drops is everything.Maybe tonight, try a bedtime FC of 18, verify it after you've added bleach and the sun is down. Then hopefully tomorrow morning it will be very close. Besides pulling water from the same place as you have already been doing, keep the pump on the same speed. BY the way, I'm a GVEC customer too, so low speed is fine if you have it.
Let's try that and see how it goes tomorrow.Oh, and just so you know ... when I couldn't pass my SLAM, because my CYA was at 70, so I was supposed to maintain an FC of 28, but I was going over to something like 34-35. I needed a calculator to count my drops. Ugh.
Yes, I record FC before adding r-0003 to record CC. I will make sure tonight I have no more than 18FC when I begin the OCLT. I lived in Marion many years ago. Now I am just a few miles from you in Cibolo. That's another thing, my overnight loss is about 2, but I'm losing at least 8 or so during the day. It's not hot enough here yet for that large a drop daily. For years I've used about 1 bottle of bleach per day. But I'm hoping once I can pass OCLT that the daily usage will decrease as well. Thank you very much for helping!!!
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,854
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Oh yeah, we'll work on that CYA and stuff after the OLCT. A gallon a day is too much, even for a clean pool. Even though the "recommended" CYA is 30-50, some folks who live in the sun's hottest latitude have to go a bit higher to protect their FC from the brutal UV rays. Yes, it means a higher SLAM level (if needed) but we try to avoid that by always maintaining the proper FC level. My pool likes a CYA between 60-70 since it's in full sun out in the country. So I'm able to keep bleach additions to about 1/2 gallon (2-3 ppm) per day. So once we get your OCLT done, we can talk about those options. Good luck!
Throwing this out there............do you have a weir door on the skimmer? It is the little door that folds back to allow water and leaves into the skimmer basket but will float up when the pump is off. If you do look at that door REAL close.......any cracks or holes? We had one where that is where the algae was hiding.
HUGS! You will get this!
Kim
HUGS! You will get this!
Kim
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,854
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Okay, don't leave us hanging too long. We have to know ...... how did your OCLT go?
I do have a door on skimmer but it's not on right now. Sorry for delay, I had to go into office today and not work from home so I've been gone all day. I lost 1.5 FC overnight and had CC .5 this morning. Between 6:20am and 4:30pm I lost another 3 FC. My overnight FC loss is slowly decreasing. It's overcast here today which I think is why I only lost 3 FC all day. I'm going to go brush it and try again tonight. UGH. I'm curious does the speed of the drops alter the FC reading? I'd rather not waste a lot of solution to test it and I'm sure someone knows. I'm just thinking that if the drops should be added slowly then maybe I'm not really at shock level but close. i.e. Drops quickly results in FC 18 but drops slowly results in say FC 14. I would think its the amount of solution that matters and not the duration of the addition of solution. Just grasping at straws here since I cannot pass OCLT still.