VS Pump speed

Jump to latest Follow Reply
Well, I have to honest with you about test strips. If they will burn long enough to heat up a hot dog, that's about all they're good for, although I suspect the fumes might be dangerous. I'm not going to say a pool is safe based on test strips or pool store.

Chances are that you do have some CYA in the pool, that's good. If it were mine, I'd assume 40 ppm CYA for now. For that level, your minimum is 2 ppm FC for swimming, so safe in that respect. pH sounds fine as well (I'm ignoring the test strip).

So for using it this weekend, those are the aspects I would consider if it was mine.

The shock level for beginning to kill algae would be 16 ppm FC, which is 9 litres of 12.5% pool chlorinating liquid. If you won't be swimming, it would be fine to do that to get started on killing off the algae, but I wouldn't rely on it for considering the pool swimmable until you have a proper test kit.

The "4-in-1" test kit I'm thinking of has drop based testing. I've been searching canadian websites and everything shows out of stock (perplexing), but here's an example: 5-Way OTO, Chlorine/Bromine, Alkalinity, Acid & pH Pool Test Kit
 
oh yeh... the pool cover. Yes, you can use it, and in case it's harboring algae it's probably good to kill it off as well.

Just be aware that the chlorine in the water is always very slowly degradng the plastic in the pool cover. The higher the chlorine the faster it occurs. It's just a lifespan issue, and covers generally degrade fastest from sunlight anyway, so likely not a big factor. The bigger factor with covers is that they're hard to keep squeaky clean, so can add to the challenges of ridding the pool of algae. Definitely a must to keep heating cost reasonable, so just something you have to manage.
 
Ok, thanks for the info. Yeah, I can't wait for my test kit to arrive.

So, why exactly is the deep end still somewhat opaque? Like I said, the shallow end looks perfectly clear but the deep end, I could barely see the drain intakes after vacuuming.

The FC (according to the test strips) has been dropping, I'd say it's closer to 1ppa right now. I was thinking of adding 5L tonight and another 5L tomorrow morning but what do you think? Sounds like you're saying I should add ~9 tonight?
 
Well, ya cant know 'til ya know, as they say, but "probably" you're seeing dead algae "carcasses" (bleached out remnants). It's most visible in the deeper water because you're looking through more water, and the suspended particles obscure that much more.

Yep, I would add 9 litres overnight,, and see how it goes. Brush the pool and leave the pump running, at RPMs low enough that your sleep isn't affected. By the way, what % sodium hypochlorite is your pool chlorinating liquid?

As far as backwashing, use the 25% rule and allow the filter to get dirty. If your clean pressure is (e.g.) 10 PSI, then don't backwash until you see 13 PSI. A slightly dirty filter will remove more of the floating particulate than when it's clean. Vacuuming is great by the way, because the "carcasses" sink to the bottom over time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: KevinBond
KevinBond said:
So, why exactly is the deep end still somewhat opaque? Like I said, the shallow end looks perfectly clear but the deep end, I could barely see the drain intakes after vacuuming.
Click to expand...
The vacuum stirs up as much as it sucks up. It’s more noticeable in the deep end because you are looking through 2-3 times as much material/ algae/ gunk. There is simply more in the way between A and B.
 
  • Like
Reactions: KevinBond and needsajet
One little trick for vacuuming is to put the vacuum and pole (fully extended) in gently down to the deepest point, then hook it into the skimmer. Sit down in a comfy chair, crack a beer, and then maneuvre it around nice and slowww.
 
Ok, so I added the 9L last night (24 hours ago). 12 hours later it was maxed according to the strip (10ppm+). Just tested again now and it looks to be ~5ppa. What do you think? Should I add anymore tonight? It's looking clearer but not crystal clear.
needsajet said:
One little trick for vacuuming is to put the vacuum and pole (fully extended) in gently down to the deepest point, then hook it into the skimmer. Sit down in a comfy chair, crack a beer, and then maneuvre it around nice and slowww.
Click to expand...
So start in the deep end? I'm going to vacuum tomorrow morning so I'll try this!

My plan is to start heating the pool 10-15 degrees tomorrow and start putting the solar cover on overnight. You mentioned there might be algae on the cover that will need to be killed. Should I add anymore liquid chlorine at some point (like before I put the cover on)?

BTW, my test kit is almost at the border so hopefully I will get it next week!
 
Yes, I'd add another 5 litres this time. Sorry I'm late getting back to you.

You can vacuum the bottom in any pattern, but just as slow as you have time for. Leave some time for brushing the pool after the vacuuming. Daily brushing really helps with algae annihilation.
 
needsajet said:
Yes, I'd add another 5 litres this time. Sorry I'm late getting back to you.
Click to expand...
No problem, I didn't add any last night.

This morning the FC looks to be ~3ppm. Should I add any this morning or wait until tonight? Pool store told me not to add during the day...
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
KevinBond said:
No problem, I didn't add any last night.

This morning the FC looks to be ~3ppm. Should I add any this morning or wait until tonight? Pool store told me not to add during the day...
Click to expand...
Yep, go ahead and add 7 litres. Likely a bit more tonight before overnight.

Makes no sense whatever to not add FC during the day. I'm not a fan of pool stores haha
 
You can swim safely in a pool with FC up to shock level based on your CYA as long as you can see the deep end and pH is in the 7's. If you're assuming your CYA is around 40, then that FC number would be anything under 16ppm.

If you're still a little cloudy, I'd add chlorine right away up to near that number. By the time you go swimming it will have burnt off some of the FC and hopefully cleared your pool even further.
 
  • Like
Reactions: needsajet and KevinBond
Generally speaking, no chems are added just before backwashing because of course some get pumped out and get wasted. Relative to your volume though, backwash is probably very minor (approx 200 gallons for 2 minutes backwash and 1/2 minute rinse, from 19000 gallons = around 1%, so not a big deal.

One exception is CYA which gets caught in the filter and takes a day or two to dissolve, but not an issue at present. You can do the work in whatever order you find handy.

I would probably brush after the chlorine is added. Brushing is great for full mixing, and also you're exposing the algae to max chlorine.
 
  • Like
Reactions: KevinBond
needsajet said:
I would probably brush after the chlorine is added. Brushing is great for full mixing, and also you're exposing the algae to max chlorine.
Click to expand...
This was a good call. Today I vacuumed, back flushed, added chlorine and brushed the walls. This made it really cloudy but it's starting to dissipate and I'm seeing more build up of I guess dead algae on the bottom.

Looks like I won't be getting my hands on the test kit until mid-late next week. In the meantime, what should I be looking for during this SS process? The chlorine not to drop much overnight? When should I restart my SWG and what level should I set it at (it was at 50% when I turned it off)?
 
Ideally, yes, because that would mean that algae is eating the chlorine overnight. I would dose at or close to shock level and see if the chlorine starts holding a little. If it keeps dropping consistently, keep adding until you notice it slow down. Sort of a flying blind SLAM cause you don't have exact numbers on the CYA.

I would leave the SWG off completely until you finish the SLAM after you get your test kit. SWG's are good at maintaining FC in a clean pool. They aren't great at raising the FC level in a hurry or combating algae that's still in the pool. Stick with the liquid chlorine for that. Once you finish the SLAM by passing the 3 criterion, you can let your FC drop down to your target level, add any CYA if you need to, and then let the SWG join the party.

How many hours a day are you running your VSP? It all depends on run time. I run mine 24/7 and run my RJ45+ at around 15 -20% on a 20k gallon pool with my CYA at 70 in San Jose. It seems to keep up just fine, with plenty in reserve when it starts to really heat up.
 
Last edited:
If you run the pump 24/7 after you hook up the SWG, you definitely won't need 50%. I would start at 25 or 30% and check your FC daily for a week or so and see if the FC stays steady, climbs, or falls and adjust up or down accordingly. Be prepared to rev it up a little once the heat picks up of course. Once you get it dialed in and learn how much FC your pool uses daily, you can back off the testing to every 3 or 4 days. It will be that easy.
 
You seem to be developing a remarkably good sense of your FC level from the strips, which is really helpful. The numbers you're quoting including approximate ones are right around where I'd expect them to be if you were able to test properly. So the Sustained Shock is going great. Well done.

I can see both sides - considering you're getting a good handle on things, leaving the SWCG off is likely best (why mess with a good thing, right?)

When I'm slamming, I do use the SWCG, because I'm lazy and hate buying so much heavy chlorinating liquid, haha. Main point is you seem to be gaining a very good understanding of what's happening, so do as you see fit. The SWCG absolutely must be off when you get to the OCLT later on.

Is the sound level OK from the pump for sleeping?
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
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