Yet another first-timer with no clue what he's doing...

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You'll be fine with the bleach (FC). I'm afraid I'm no help in the automation department. Hopefully you'll crack the code on that one. As for the mice ... yeah, their little legs don't make for very good swimmers. I got one out last week as well .... and a snake. :)
 
It sure could be. Having the SWG on during a SLAM can be looked upon as insurance to keep FC going with the bleach, or can be seen as extra work for the cells since the bleach is doing its thing anyways. Some folks find it a nuisance and just get confused when doing their bleach calculations as well. Personally, I would give it a break if possible.
 
One more question for the moment: Doesn't seem like I'm getting a ton of action on the skimmers. Should there be a decent suction? To be fair, the water level is just above the top of the skimmer holes, so maybe that's a factor? Both skimmers are open, plus the main drain. Seems like everything's working decently (minus the automation), but would have expected to see stuff in the skimmer baskets, and just not much going on there. Manually cleaned most everything from the top by now, but thought the baskets would have helped.

I haven't done a vacuum yet (just added CYA, don't want to backwash just yet), but wondering if I'll have good suction if I try. Yes, can shut one off, plus the main drain to almost closed to try and force that one to pick up the slack, just seemed like I'd get more.

They pressure tested when they blew the lines in the fall, so no leaks that we know of. Just not super familiar with the system yet.

And no point of drowning a robot until more of the gunk is off of the floor, right? I don't want to overwhelm the little guy with sludge. I've been having decent success with the leaf rake (if you count 2 wheelbarrows of slime as 'success' :) ), but know there's more in the deep end I can't see/find just yet until I can see deeper down.

Hesitant to do too much more deep dredging just now, as doing it blind just seems to push junk right onto the main drain and quickly raises the pressure. Didn't want to backwash just yet while the CYA soaks my old gym socks.
 
Keep scooping as much as you can. That's the only way to get it out and it will reduce the amount of bleach you'll need to get it cleaned up. It's murder on back and shoulders but worth the effort. You've got to stir things up and get the gunk off the floor. It will look worse before it gets better.
 
Yeah, ran another scoop/brush cycle when I got home. Thankfully the weekend is here, so I can spend more time the next two days trying to keep this progress.

Pool has claimed another life: a Chimpmunk this time. Getting worried that it's developed a taste for blood, and is increasing the size of it's prey :)

Also, the FC didn't survive the day. Was high this morning (16), testing showed I had about 1 when I got home at 5pm. the Maintain part of SLAM is tough when not home at the beginning stage. On the plus side, the pool looked decent, little more clear than the day before. Just dumped another 3.25 bottles of bleach in there to bring me back up again. I'll check it right before bed and then in the am and hopefully be able to better hover in a good range for the next two days instead of a yoyo of kinda high and then dissipating while I'm at work. Also still gunk in the pool I'm working on, so not a shock that the bleach isn't holding that long yet.

the CYA in the sock didn't really seem to be cutting it, there was not as much soaked out as I'd have thought. Tried squeezing, swirling it around, etc. but eventually got tired of it. Had 8 lbs to get into the pool, maybe a lot for the 4 socks to handle. Dumped them into a bucket one at a time, and swirled with pool water, stirring until dissolved, and then just dumped the mixture into the filter. Assume that gets me where I need to be, and now I at least know it's in the system. Assume that contributed to the bleach not surviving.

Going to be a long process, but feeling ok so far. I'll just wait for my first big setback to panic. :) I expect it will be that the pool guy tells me I'm into the automation system for some serious money with a new control board and screen/button controller. In reading the manual (online, the previous owner didn't leave me squat), it looks like I'm rigged for a wireless controller as well, I just don't have one. I'd buy one and see if I can use that vice fixing the local controller for now, but don't want to be into that for decent money if I end up having to replace the local controller and board and it ends up not compatible with whatever remote one I pick up...

- - - Updated - - -

Today's Pics (before scrubbing and stir-up):

IMG_2171.jpg


IMG_2170.jpg
 
That's looking a lot better. I'm a little concerned about your pool's bloodthirstiness though. Mine claimed a ground squirrel a week ago, and then I managed to save a lizard from its grasp not longafter. Might have to hire a pool shrink.... ;)
 
On the plus side, no new lives claimed this morning. Perhaps the chimpmunk was enough for now?

This automation thing is a killer. The 8pm shutoff I can deal with, as just remember to get it before bed. It also has one overnight, around 330am maybe? Going to spend a couple hours minimum off because of that one each day, and can't figure out how to do anything about it. And until I get it fixed, can't really go anywhere for a weekend or anything, the pool will be off the whole time. Ugh.

Water's up and moving again, so will check bleach and top it back off if needed shortly. Hoping the lack of sunlight and the CYA finally getting into the system will mean it starts to hold better. Will plan on trying to run my first vac today as well; have limited myself to manual scooping and brushing so far.
 
Test results are in!

I had overshot last night (almost 18), and this morning I'm at 15.5. 2.5 drop overnight doesn't seem terrible at this stage. Not adding more, will let it coast a little this morning and see if I can maintain above 12 for the day.
 

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14.5 about an hour ago, so just brushed and let it coast. Will check again late afternoon and see where we are. Finally got the last 2 lbs of CYA in there, so hit the 10 lbs it was calling for.

Tried using the vac, could be my technique isnt that good. Didn't seem like it was doing a ton for me, even with just the one skimmer on and the main drain mostly closed. Got one skimmer basket full, but not much more. Expected it to pull more. May be time to think about a robot and let him figure it out instead. :)

dug into the automation, no noticeable issue. Still not sure it it's a bad cpu or just the control/display unit itself, hoping the pool guy comes early next week to diagnose. Still can't figure out how to stop the timer without the screen :)
 
And at 645pm:

FC - 13.5
CC - 0.5-1 (it was close, kinda inbetween)

Looking like the CYA has taken hold, I'm getting a nice gradual decline in FC vice the big drops I was seeing upfront. In theory I've scooped most of the gunk, and we're seeing algae die-off as well, I guess. Unless I'm misreading the situation, this looks like good progress. Especially considering the pool was closed for 3 years or so and i have no idea what I'm doing. Probably helping, I guess, as I'm running with whatever you guys throw my way and not bringing any bad 'knowledge' into the equation.

No picture, but the water is still a cloudy green-ish shade. Seems to be improving. Can see enough to tell that I don't have the big black areas on bottom anymore, at least in the shallow end. Deep end is still tough, but just scooping and/or brushing as best I can to keep things moving down there.

At 13.5, should I toss a little more bleach in for the evening, try to bump it up 1 or so? It's above SLAM, just want to make sure it stays there for good. I'm still stuck with the pool shutting itself off for a couple hours in the early morning, so it'll sit from like 330-630 or so before I wake up to fire it back up...
 
I have NO idea about this so ask before you do it!!!! Can you bypass the auto system so the pump is just on/off? Just something to think about for now.

You are doing a great job! The pictures show GREAT improvement!

Here is your SLAM schedule for when you have to go to that thing called work (boo, hiss LOL)

-morning's first cup of coffee=test, dose

-Home from work-take shoes and good clothes off=test, dose

-After dinner drink=test, dose

-before bed=test, dose

Kim:cat:
 
I don't know about bypassing the system, no obvious way of doing so. I DID have luck last night with blindly putting it into a service mode so that it bypasses the timer, though. Not sure I can repeat it every time, but I guess i'll know that if it didn't shut off at 8pm, it won't shut off in the middle of the night.

Test says 13.5 after the overnight, should have been around 15 at 7pm. Looks like it's stabilizing, and not eating the FC as fast. Guess that's good. Visually, improvement continues, so that's encouraging. I'm not going to put any bleach in for the moment, but will go back out in a few hours and check/dose it then. I guess i was expecting bigger FC drops. Not complaining, but does the progression I'm reporting sound right?

Figuring during the week, I can do my usual 6am drill, get it up to around 14-15 and let it coast for the day. Check around 5, and once before bed. See how that works, hopefully able to keep it high enough without overshooting it.
 
Maybe an odd question, but where would I GAIN FC from? Just tested and seems like the new number is 15. I didn't add any from this am when it was 13.5. This test was done after scrubbing, little dredging, and a backwash/rinse cycle. Would stirring things up and draining a little water account for it?

CC looked to be around 1.5 as well.

Thoughts?

Otherwise, the SLAM continues. Still stirring things up, and water is at least looking better at the shallow end. Still tough to say at the deep end, but seems like it's improving at least...
 

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