What am I battling???

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Debbie17

Active member
May 18, 2021
29
Middleton, MA
Pool Size
30000
Surface
Vinyl
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
Hello! I live in the Northeast and just opened my pool on Sunday (second year, second time in my life 🤣). First thing I did was adjust my TA, PH and CYA to appropriate levels then began my SLAM. I’ve been brushing daily, vaccumed and cleaned the filter. My pool has been crystal clear for 3 days and my CC below .5 yet I’m still losing about 4ppm FC during the day and 3ppm FC overnight. What could I possibly be battling??? Could mustard algae be the problem and would it cause such loss in FC? I’ll attach some pictures of the pool the day I opened and a picture of it today. I suspected mustard algae because of the color. I plan to super chlorinate once I pass the OCLT just in case. Any thoughts or opinions? Maybe I’m just being impatient 🤷🏼‍♀️.

Current Test Results
FC 12.8
CC .2
PH 7.4
TA 80
CYA 30
 

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Debbie17 said:
Hello! I live in the Northeast and just opened my pool on Sunday (second year, second time in my life 🤣). First thing I did was adjust my TA, PH and CYA to appropriate levels then began my SLAM. I’ve been brushing daily, vaccumed and cleaned the filter. My pool has been crystal clear for 3 days and my CC below .5 yet I’m still losing about 4ppm FC during the day and 3ppm FC overnight. What could I possibly be battling??? Could mustard algae be the problem and would it cause such loss in FC? I’ll attach some pictures of the pool the day I opened and a picture of it today. I suspected mustard algae because of the color. I plan to super chlorinate once I pass the OCLT just in case. Any thoughts or opinions? Maybe I’m just being impatient 🤷🏼‍♀️.

Current Test Results
FC 12.8
CC .2
PH 7.4
TA 80
CYA 30
Click to expand...
Losing 4ppm of FC during the day is high/normal but losing 3ppm at night is not. How sure are you about the CYA level?

If you are in the middle of a SLAM, you are already super chlorinating so no need for more of it. You may just be near the end and need a couple more days. How often are you testing and dosing the FC back up to SLAM level? If you can do it every 2-3 hours that makes it go the fastest. Slower intervals can still work it just takes longer.
 
There is algae in your ladder. Ask me how I know. I bet you $5, that if you take the ladder out, you will pass oclt.

Take the plugs out and take the ladder apart and scrub it and inside the tubes with bleach and water.

See here with pics:

SLAM, Rain, Dissapointment.

In the middle of SLAM. Pool clear CC = .2. 2 nights ago OCLT FC loss was 2.5ppm. Next night, OCLT FC loss was 1.5ppm. Last night was 3ppm loss. It rained all night. Must have brought a lot of chlorine eating Crud out of the air. So disappointing.
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
PoolStored said:
There is algae in your ladder. Ask me how I know. I bet you $5, that if you take the ladder out, you will pass oclt.

Take the plugs out and take the ladder apart and scrub it and inside the tubes with bleach and water.

See here with pics:

SLAM, Rain, Dissapointment.

In the middle of SLAM. Pool clear CC = .2. 2 nights ago OCLT FC loss was 2.5ppm. Next night, OCLT FC loss was 1.5ppm. Last night was 3ppm loss. It rained all night. Must have brought a lot of chlorine eating Crud out of the air. So disappointing.
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
Click to expand...
Thanks for sharing your story. I will definitely check out my ladder. I don’t think that would be the case because I didn’t install it until after I began my slam but maybe there is algae growing in there from last year that I’m unaware of????? Our pool lights are fibre optic and can’t be removed but I’ve scrubbed over them. Such a mystery.
 
Bperry said:
Losing 4ppm of FC during the day is high/normal but losing 3ppm at night is not. How sure are you about the CYA level?

If you are in the middle of a SLAM, you are already super chlorinating so no need for more of it. You may just be near the end and need a couple more days. How often are you testing and dosing the FC back up to SLAM level? If you can do it every 2-3 hours that makes it go the fastest. Slower intervals can still work it just takes longer.
Click to expand...
But if Mustard Algae is the problem, don’t I need to raise to MA level after the SLAM?

I’m testing/ dosing 3x’s per day so that could be why it’s going slower like you suggested. Praying tonight is the night I pass the OCLT!!! Although, I lost 5ppm during the day which seems high so I’m not sure the end is in sight yet. Last year I opened to a disgusting swamp and I was done with a SLAM in 4 days. I thought for sure I would’ve passed by now because the pool is and has been crystal clear. So strange.
 

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I still think something is lurking. Go out and look at your pool. I was like you for three days. Just happened to glance at the ladder and thought...those things are hollow. Slam over next day. Have you scrubbed around the plastic piece that holds the liner around the stairs? I had a BUNCH there.
 
MITBeta said:
You'll wonder how you ever lived without it.
heikejohn said:
One year my CYA broke down over the winter and I was battling ammonia for a while.
That took a lot of bleach!!
You might have the same problem?
Click to expand...
My CYA was below 30 when I opened so I couldn’t get a reading until I added stabilizer. Same happened to me last year. I thought it was normal for CYA to drop low over the winter. I’ve never heard of this issue with ammonia. Does TFP have a protocol or way to test for this? How did you identify and overcome it?
Click to expand...
 
PoolStored said:
I still think something is lurking. Go out and look at your pool. I was like you for three days. Just happened to glance at the ladder and thought...those things are hollow. Slam over next day. Have you scrubbed around the plastic piece that holds the liner around the stairs? I had a BUNCH there.
Click to expand...
You are right, I’m definitely missing something. I checked the ladder and there was nothing concerning but left it out for now. I’ll have to get out there tomorrow and examine again and maybe get a second set of yours that can see what I’m not. I’m pretty sure I’ve been thorough with the brushing especially around the stairs. I bought new brushes today and will throw out what I’ve been using to see if that makes a difference. Thanks for your help. Im going to keep at it.
 
Look at this picture below. Stairs are white. See the slightly yellow strips that outline the stairs and the liner joint. I had a bunch of algae on either side of that retainer/seal. Had to get it with a small brush, but it was visibly green. Yeah, take a bunch of pictures that are anything but vinyl. I also had a bunch in an unused (now rehabbed) skimmer. Gross.

Slam alone won't get these area. Algae creates a biofilm to protect itself. Scrubbing breaks that film allowing the sanitization process kill the Algae.

1651884794506.png
 
PoolStored said:
Look at this picture below. Stairs are white. See the slightly yellow strips that outline the stairs and the liner joint. I had a bunch of algae on either side of that retainer/seal. Had to get it with a small brush, but it was visibly green. Yeah, take a bunch of pictures that are anything but vinyl. I also had a bunch in an unused (now rehabbed) skimmer. Gross.

Slam alone won't get these area. Algae creates a biofilm to protect itself. Scrubbing breaks that film allowing the sanitization process kill the Algae.

View attachment 407458
Click to expand...
Thank you. I have the same set up and trim pieces. I will take a close look at all of your suggested places and take close up pictures. I’m determined to find it.
 
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Debbie17 said:
Thank you. I have the same set up and trim pieces. I will take a close look at all of your suggested places and take close up pictures. I’m determined to find it.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, I had to get in with goggle to see it around the stairs. Would be a cold task in MA right now... LOL...
 
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