Volley Ball court or Horseshoe pit

[daveinnc]

Ok. Thanks. Going outside to "Bump"

- - - Updated - - -

So, what about the high Ph and Alk? Should I treat for that?

 

[zea3]

You can take care of the TA and pH after the slam.

 

[daveinnc]

Ok. Thanks Zea3

 

[spinPHD]

Dave, you're doing a great job. You're gonna get this, and once SLAM is over you will see that the effort now is worth it.

 

[daveinnc]

Thanks, SpinPHD! I am trying to get to that volleyball setup that Richard320 showed me at the beginning. At least I can see the bottom now so I can tell I am making progress. Just got done vacuuming and adding 2 more gals. This winter I will have a cover and lay it up right for the off season so it won't be such a pain in the butt next spring.

 

[spinPHD]

Thanks, SpinPHD! I am trying to get to that volleyball setup that Richard320 showed me at the beginning. At least I can see the bottom now so I can tell I am making progress. Just got done vacuuming and adding 2 more gals. This winter I will have a cover and lay it up right for the off season so it won't be such a pain in the butt next spring.

It one of the benefits of living where I do, you never have to go through a close. On downside, I have to keep it maintained all year so I never get a break from the skimming and vacuuming.

 

[daveinnc]

Can anyone tell me how long a SLAM takes? I am just trying to figure out how many more gals of Chlorine to buy. I would think that everything is dead in the water. How much of a drop in FC can I attribute to the Sun?

 

[Razorhog]

Can anyone tell me how long a SLAM takes? I am just trying to figure out how many more gals of Chlorine to buy. I would think that everything is dead in the water. How much of a drop in FC can I attribute to the Sun?

There is no set time for a SLAM completion because each pool and situation is different. Mine usually takes 5 days from green swamp to clear blue.

 

[daveinnc]

Thanks, RazorHog, 9 Days and counting........

 

[daveinnc]

Ok. I am going to say........
THIS POOL IS CLEAN AND CLEAR!!!
I did the OCLT last night and had ZERO drop in FC!! I used the 25 mL method so I would be more precise. Came up with 3.6 ppm at 8 pm. This morning at 7 am it was the same.
So what is the next step? Allow the FC to drop to .3 to .5? Then address the Ph and Alk?
Also, how long should I run the filter now. It is NICE not to have that thing running 24/7.

 

[zea3]

You know I have to ask, what are your current test results? What to do next hinges on what those numbers tell us.

 

[duraleigh]

Hi, Dave,

I am late to this thread and just now skimmed it but will make the following observations.

Your SLAM appears to be done.....
1. Your Pool water is crystal clear with no visible sign of algae
2. You passed the OCLT losing not more than 1 ppm of FC
3. Your CC's test is either .5 ppm or 0 ppm.

So now you maintain the pool with enough chlorine to keep the appropriate FC/CYA relationship. You can find that chart in Pool School

Use PoolMath right on this site to calc all you doses.

Please read "The "ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry" up in Pool School....you are missing some of the basic information

 

[JoeSelf]

If your CYA is still 80 you need to raise FC level. see the chart Pool School - Chlorine / CYA Chart

 

[daveinnc]

Thanks everyone for the responses. Here are the current conditions(Target)
Ph 7.6(7.5)
CC 0.2
FC 2.4(6)
Alk 200(100)
CH 50(300)
CYA 40(55)

Based on the chart, FC should be kept between 5-7 ppm?
Plugging those numbers in the Pool Math sheet:
Add 96 oz Bleach to raise FC to 6 ppm
12 oz muriatic acid to lower Ph and ALK, aerate to raise Ph back up. Repeat as needed.
Then, 498 oz of Calcium Chloride
All of that makes sense to me except the Calcium Chloride. Am I adding Salt to the water? Why would I be adding Salt to a freshwater pool? What effect will it have on the rest of the chemistry by adding that much?

 

[rjbergen]

Thanks everyone for the responses. Here are the current conditions(Target)
Ph 7.6(7.5)
CC 0.2
FC 2.4(6)
Alk 200(100)
CH 50(300)
CYA 40(55)

Based on the chart, FC should be kept between 5-7 ppm?
Plugging those numbers in the Pool Math sheet:
Add 96 oz Bleach to raise FC to 6 ppm
12 oz muriatic acid to lower Ph and ALK, aerate to raise Ph back up. Repeat as needed.
Then, 498 oz of Calcium Chloride
All of that makes sense to me except the Calcium Chloride. Am I adding Salt to the water? Why would I be adding Salt to a freshwater pool? What effect will it have on the rest of the chemistry by adding that much?

Hey Dave, I just read through the thread. Sounds like a rough time clearing the pool, but glad to see the SLAM finally got it clear.

Your numbers are looking decent now. Be sure to review the Recommended Levels page. Also, keep an eye on the Chlorine/CYA chart.

Your FC does need to come up to between 5-7 ppm. If you use 8.25% chlorine bleach, somewhere about 96 oz. will do it.

Your pH is fine at 7.6. Do not add any muriatic acid (MA) at this time unless you're going to attempt to reduce TA by dropping the pH to 7.0-7.2 with MA and then aerating (aim the return jet so it shoots in the air and sprinkles back down on the pool) to raise the pH.

Your TA is pretty high. If you decide to lower it, you will then add the MA and aerate. I'm seeing a much higher MA dose than 12 oz. though.

Your CH is alright for a vinyl pool like you have. You can raise it if you wish. Calcium chloride is not the salt they use in salt water pools.

Your CYA is fine at 40. If your pool sees lots of sun, you may consider upping it to 50.

It sounds like you're getting the hang of it and know where to look up the recommended values and how to use Pool Math. Together, those will keep your pool crystal clear.

This is my third year on TFP method and the past 2 years all I've added to open the pool was chlorine and borax to raise pH slightly since my tap water is about 7.2. The water was perfectly clear under my winter cover when I pulled it off in the spring. Keep following the method and you'll be set.

 

[daveinnc]

Ok. What should I do about the low CH?
Ok. never mind. Just checked the Recommended Levels page as you suggested. I am not going to worry about CH.
Is the ALK ok?

 

[daveinnc]

Thanks, rjbergen. I think I am going to get a beer and float around......
Any ideas on how to play a game of horseshoes IN the pool??

 

[zea3]

As for the TA, we really only worry about adjusting it if the pH is unstable. As long as the pH stays in the 7.2-7.8 range it is fine. Watch the pH by testing it daily for a week, and if you see it rise quickly then you would lower the TA to help stabilize the pH.

 

[daveinnc]

Ok. Thanks, Zea3. The few times I tested Ph during the SLAM, it stayed pretty stable. I know that the high FC levels give a false report, but it seemed to be ok. I just added a gal of chlorine, going to filter overnight and see what the results are in the AM.
...What would cause the Ph to spike?
I also noticed that, during my daily backwash, the time it takes to clean the filter is decreasing.

 

[zea3]

The rise in pressure in the filter should slow down as the pool clears. You shouldn't have to continue doing daily backwashes, just wait until there is a 20% rise from the clean pressure reading.

You should not see big pH swings after adding bleach. Things that cause pH to rise are aeration, either through mechanical means or outgassing, and adding chemicals that alter pH. Extremes in TA levels make pH more susceptible to rapid rises and falls. Each pool has its own sweet spot where the pH stays stable, usually that is when TA is between 70 and 120. If the pH stays good without adjusting TA, then there is no need to mess with it.