I know that using Dichlor during a SLAM is frowned upon on here because DIchlor slowly adds CYA to the pool and it lowers the PH. Is there any reason why it shouldn't be used BEFORE starting a SLAM if PH is super high and CYA is low if I only add enough to increase CYA to 30 and it won't lower PH below 7.6 according to the pool math calculator? It looks like the PH in our pool is 8.6 and CYA is 20. TA is around 45. CC is 1.0 and the water is cloudy and light green and the bottom isn't visible. I didn't test calcium since calcium reagants are expired. According to the pool math calculator, 3 pounds of Dichlor shock will increase the CYA by 9 and will decrease the PH by .38. This should increase the CYA to around 30 and will decrease the PH to around 8.2. I would then need to decrease the PH to 7.6 with muriatic acid before starting the SLAM, unless there is a problem with adding muriatic acid a few hours after adding Dichlor. I'd like to get the CYA to 30 as fast as possible, so it seems faster and easier to use the Dichlor that I already have instead of messing with stabilizer in a sock. Another advantage to me is that I won't have to add as much muriatic acid to the pool since I hate handling it.
Using Dichlor to lower PH and increase CYA before starting a SLAM
- Thread starter poolnewbie4
- Start date
We preach to know what you're doing, and why. The Dichlor seems to check multiple boxes for you at the moment, with no downsides.
Did you use the acid demand test for the 8.6 PH, or a ph meter ? It seems suspect with such a low TA.
Is the FC over 10 ? That may skew the Ph test.
Did you use the acid demand test for the 8.6 PH, or a ph meter ? It seems suspect with such a low TA.
Is the FC over 10 ? That may skew the Ph test.
FC was only 1 ppm when the FC was tested. I used the acid demand test. Test showed that I would need roughly 2.29 quarts of muriatic acid to lower the PH to the desired amount. Since I need to increase the CYA too, I thought I'd use Dichlor to get the CYA to 30 and lower the PH some at the same time. Since I will have to add some muriatic acid to get the PH down to 7.6, how long do I need to wait after adding the dichlor before I will get an accurate result on the PH? And how long do I need to wait after adding the Dichlor to add the muriatic acid?
30 mins with good circulation. Brush well while you wait, because a larger add might collect on the floor.
After 30 mins it will be good to test and add MA as needed.
