Clearing algae

Jump to latest Follow Reply
Status
Not open for further replies.
Re: main drain has dirt and debri sitting in the bottom-no suction?

Kim, thx for the clarification! yes I meant get the FC down to 5, not the CC. I'm a bit too literal, so, when you say 30 minutes after it's dark outside to test, how picky is the test? can i do it an hour or 2 hrs after? Does dark mean DARK or pretty dark out and no sun hitting the pool, anymore. I'm just a bit of a perfectionist. :) Swimming today shouldn't make the CCs go up by much, right? unless we are gross ha ha. or full of sun block and sweat and the such? my son wanted some neighborhood kids over and I told him not while I'm SLAMing but that they could go in later.
 
Re: main drain has dirt and debri sitting in the bottom-no suction?

My last post was to Kim and I just added that as an edit. Proavia, thank you for the detailed info about what times of day/eve to check... I am confused now, though, because if I am understanding correctly, proavia and Kim are recommending two different things. PRoavia is recommending to add more chlorine now and Kim is thinking as long as there is 5 or so FC I'm good. We have added gallons of chlorine over the past week to a crystal clear pool and I want to make sure I'm understanding clearly, is there a difference of opinion. Proavia, you had mentioned a couple of times that you were waiting for a couple of more experienced people to jump in in regards to other things so with Kim being a moderator I'd also like to hear a response to this.

I do recognize that we had algae before because we did not have enough chlorine in the pool but for a while before getting algae I would check levels at times and it would read zero. I am not denying my pool needed more chlorine but it basically had none. Maybe the lack of having enough acid in the pool caused an imbalance in the pH or for the cell to not function properly? Maybe I had algae that i couldn't see and that was eating up the chlorine. A couple of things that I"ve learned from this is that I have to check my pool daily, I may have to add chlorine, I have to be diligent about acid, and I know there's more to learn regarding other possibilities for less calcium (or is that simply keeping my acid levels in balance as I read on this site a year ago)?

Is there a TFP standard for knowing how much chlorine to add or how do I come to that conclusion? Proavia, could you pls clarify, what are the recommended levels? Are you saying i always need to add 12 ppm when it's this hot outside and any less than that is dangerous or is that just for the SLAM? I'll go back and try to read about the SLAM a bit more but it's another busy day.

You also mentioned a study. Any studies regarding chlorine would be great. The main thing that's throwing me off at this point is the discrepancy with the opinions and I value both of your opinions and thanku both for your help along with any others who have and want to join in!
 
Re: main drain has dirt and debri sitting in the bottom-no suction?

Eczema - here's a link to an article at Time Magazine that I found in a thread here on the site....
Study: Baths with Bleach Help Kids' Eczema - TIME

If you search the TFP site for eczema, you will find a bunch of posts - with varying results. Use the search box at the upper right.
_____________

Personally, I'd use just after sunset and just before sunrise. This will give you almost 10 hours to see how much chlorine you lose overnight.
Here's the reference I use for the OCLT: Pool School - Perform the Overnight FC Loss Test (OCLT)

The measurement tonight and in the morning need to be very precisely done. If you even think you may have messed up, do the test again to be sure. Better save than sorry.

When you do the test tonight, please post the results here ASAP so we can see if we need to have you tweak something.
 
Last edited:
Re: main drain has dirt and debri sitting in the bottom-no suction?

In reference to the normal recommended levels - you need to maintain FC above minimum at all times. Never let it go below the minimum FC for your CYA level. Target level is just that, a level to shoot for. In our intense heat and sun, i sometimes need to shoot for a little above target so that my levels do not drop below the minimum for my CYA level. How much I lose in a normal day for my pool may be a different number for others pools. I take the normal loss per day and also factor in bather load, if the wind is blow junk into my pool or not, heat, etc. into what my target will be. Remember, I dose manually - I don't have a SWCG to automatically add FC for me. If I'm going to be gone for a few days, I will bump my FC up more before I depart - and plan on the higher target allow me to be away. One of the first things I do when I return is test FC and adjust to above my minimum for my CYA level.

I was also referring to swimming while SLAMing - any FC level between minimum and shock level is safe to swim in.
__________

Oh, I also have a PM in to Kim asking about the sunset or sunset+30 minutes. I had always heard as long as there was no sun on the pool - so sunset and sunrise make sense to me.
 
Re: main drain has dirt and debri sitting in the bottom-no suction?

Here is the link to our official OCLT:

Pool School - Perform the Overnight FC Loss Test (OCLT)

This was researched and many experiments were done to come up with these guidelines. We try to keep some wiggle room in all we say here due to every pool and life being so different. I am sorry I did not post this link from the start :(

Here is the guidelines for levels in the pool:

Pool School - Recommended Levels

Again there is wiggle room for each pool depending on their area, bather load, work times ,ect. Once you are done with the SLAM (I REALLY think it will be tonight!) we will work on finding what YOUR pool likes as far as levels.

What is weird is you came here for help on your cleaning system but ended up doing a SLAM :shock: Maybe we will be able to get back on track for the system tomorrow!

Kim:cat:
 
Re: main drain has dirt and debri sitting in the bottom-no suction?

i had to leave earlier so didn't get to read posts and haven't added more chlorine. the kids did go for a swim and their eyes burnt. I"ll be interested to see what was discussed if anything regarding the difference in recommendations later tonight. For now tested 3 times. first time i thought it took 13 drops but i went slower the other two times and was 15 drops so FC is 7.5 and 1 drop for CC which means CC is .5. pump is running, salt is off. thanku!
 
Re: main drain has dirt and debri sitting in the bottom-no suction?

Good job on the testing! Slow and steady always works best.

Evening FC = 7.5 and CC = 0.5

Fingers crossed for 6.5 or more in AM.

Set your alarm - sunrise comes early at 5:18 am tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing your result!

Have a good evening :rockon:
 
Re: main drain has dirt and debri sitting in the bottom-no suction?

I've been following along and hope this is helpful.

Kim and Proavia both gave good advice on the OCLT. The procedure says after sunset and before sunrise. Kim allowed for darkness because she knows you're a night-owl. Proavia went by the procedure as written. Either way is fine for the nighttime one.

Proavia wants the morning test before sunrise, per the procedure, again, Kim knows you're a night-owl, so was allowing that to be a little later, but it must be before the slightest sun has hit the pool. Some people like to stick to sunrise for the test, and that works the best, but both work.

Both Kim and Proavia want you to keep the SLAM going until you pass the criteria which indicate the SLAM has done the job.
 
Re: main drain has dirt and debri sitting in the bottom-no suction?

Itchy or burning eyes can be caused by a lot of things. Low pH and high CC are the most common pool water chemistry reasons, along with lack of salt, which would not be the case in your pool.

Learning not to rub my eyes was a life-changer for me. Once I got this straight ("blink, blink, blink") I now never get sore eyes after swimming, or in the shower anymore, other than for an instant. I always thought my red eyes after a shower were from shampoo and soap. Anyway, here's an article you might enjoy. It really changed things for me!
Swimming Teaching: Bloodshot Eyes After Swimming or Sore Eyes From Swimming?
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Re: main drain has dirt and debri sitting in the bottom-no suction?

i'll post again and read later but right now i'm wondering if the high levels of chlorine could contribute to my kids nausea and headache. my 11 yo got out of the pool after 20 min today with a headache and now feels like throwing up. he said he's been drinking enough water so i'm not sure if it's heat exhaustion. my daughter's been complaining a lot of burning eyes and they are red. hoping we're done the SLAM tomorrow!
 
Re: main drain has dirt and debri sitting in the bottom-no suction?

Having a headache and nausea sounds more like it's heat related.

Before I retired last year, I worked outside for 8+ hours a day, 5 days a week for 25 years. All of it during the day and in Arizona summers. Heat related illness can sneak up on anyone really fast. I've seen people outside for less than 10 minutes at mid-day get heat exhaustion and some even progress to heat stroke quite quickly. It's certainly nothing to mess with.

Ask him if he was drinking cold water (like with ice cubes) or was it more like cool water (inside room temp or "cool", not "iced cold). At least for me, drinking iced cold anything when I'm outside in the heat makes me a bit queasy. It's even given me stomach spasms and headaches. "Cool" water and other beverages work a lot better for me in the heat.
 
Re: main drain has dirt and debri sitting in the bottom-no suction?

thanks everyone. I'm reading and falling asleep now that I'm sitting. dealing with sick kids, killed the brown recluse, killed a black widow and found a rat in the laundry room. dad visiting decided to tear the laundry room apart and we set out traps. daughter's been up complaining of her eyes hurting and my son's headache lead me into reading about dry drowning and other things to worry about. wow this pool has been alot of work. (I won't go into how my 7 yr old almost died last summer due to falling in one of the plumbing holes as the build was drawn out and she broke a mirror next to a major artery that was at the construction site. off to get ready for bed as I have to work tomorrow, too. i'll keep reading and looking forward to gaining a better understanding, yet.

- - - Updated - - -

and my other post erased when i went back a page. proavia, my son doesn't drink ice cold water and he said he had just had a glass before swimming. could be a bit of heat exhaustion. i dont know as he was cold when he got out of the pool so he'd jump back in. they were doing lots of splashing which is why i don't want to rule out chlorine or other things... With family visiting and staying in a hotel they take the kids to the hotel with the AZ cranked down to sixty-something. i wonder if that's messing them up. thx! more tomorrow
 
Re: main drain has dirt and debri sitting in the bottom-no suction?

proavia said:
Good job on the testing! Slow and steady always works best.

Evening FC = 7.5 and CC = 0.5

Fingers crossed for 6.5 or more in AM.

Set your alarm - sunrise comes early at 5:18 am tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing your result!

Have a good evening :rockon:
Click to expand...

u mean 6.5 or more? 6.5-7.5 is what i'm hoping for, right? if not, i'd understand needing more chlorine at that time but i'd be surprised. we'll see! thx much

Mod note: fixed less to more
 
Re: main drain has dirt and debri sitting in the bottom-no suction?

SLAM completed. #s didn't move. FC= 15 drops = 7.5 and one drop for CC = 6.5. now, next steps and to identify what I originally came here for... Yeah. I saw i got an email response from the pb but no call about scheduling. back to bed for a bit and i'll check the email later. yes, I'm more of a night owl although it's nice and quiet, but a bit more sleep for now since i have to work today. :) thx
 
Re: main drain has dirt and debri sitting in the bottom-no suction?

Excellent!

Remember to not let THE FC drop below the minimum for you present CYA level.

I have an appointment this morning, but will post later about the next few steps. For now, you can set the SWCG to 50% and let the pump run on its normal schedule. And if your driving by Walmart on your way to/from work, stop and grab another 4 pounds of stabilizer (yup, you will be raising your CYA to help your SWCG in maintaining the correct FC level). More later....

Again - congrats!
 
Re: main drain has dirt and debri sitting in the bottom-no suction?

outdoorsgal said:
i'll post again and read later but right now i'm wondering if the high levels of chlorine could contribute to my kids nausea and headache. my 11 yo got out of the pool after 20 min today with a headache and now feels like throwing up. he said he's been drinking enough water so i'm not sure if it's heat exhaustion. my daughter's been complaining a lot of burning eyes and they are red. hoping we're done the SLAM tomorrow!
Click to expand...

Yes chlorine at high levels is absolutely toxic. I do not get in the pool or allow my kids to swim if chlorine is over 5ppm. I would finish the slam and let chlorine levels come down before swimming.

Mod Note: This statement is false when taken out of context of the [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA], please see post #135 below.
 
Re: main drain has dirt and debri sitting in the bottom-no suction?

proavia said:
Excellent!

Remember to not let THE FC drop below the minimum for you present CYA level.

I have an appointment this morning, but will post later about the next few steps. For now, you can set the SWCG to 50% and let the pump run on its normal schedule. And if your driving by Walmart on your way to/from work, stop and grab another 4 pounds of stabilizer (yup, you will be raising your CYA to help your SWCG in maintaining the correct FC level). More later....

Again - congrats!
Click to expand...

PRoavia, I'll wait to learn more about the balance of CYA/chlorine levels. I never fully understood this and if I am raising my CYA to match a high amount of chlorine I don't want to raise my CYA anymore and want to learn more first. I have not been comfortable with and can't imagine I will ever be comfortable with a high level of chlorine. I dislike my pool now and the kids don't want to swim either. I'll look forward to an explanation of where this is going. I've decided I am sticking with lower levels of chlorine. I think the pool company said 3 and would have to go back to look at my previous kit. My son still has his headache today and my daughter was up til midnight complaining of her eyes burning not to mention what I've read about chlorine being a carcinogen. My intentions always have been and still will be to maintain a pool with the lowest level of chlorine as possible. If I need to have the CYA and chlorine balanced I will use my chlorine as a baseline and then match the CYA to that. I can imagine there may be times I need to raise the chlorine. That's what most people do, right? They shock their pools as needed? I need to read more I think but so far I'm not clear on what was wrong with the pb's method of keeping the pH and chlorine at their recommended levels. Since we never did a good job of that I never got a chance to see if it'll work. I look forward to hearing you out. Thank you.

- - - Updated - - -

azjoshers79 said:
Yes chlorine at high levels is absolutely toxic. I do not get in the pool or allow my kids to swim if chlorine is over 5ppm. I would finish the slam and let chlorine levels come down before swimming.
Click to expand...
azjoshers79. Thanku. that's always felt and I think at this point I need to go back to following that. I won't leave it at zero, but will leave it lower than 5.

- - - Updated - - -

azjoshers79 said:
Yes chlorine at high levels is absolutely toxic. I do not get in the pool or allow my kids to swim if chlorine is over 5ppm. I would finish the slam and let chlorine levels come down before swimming.
Click to expand...

how long should it take for the chlorine to get below 5 now that we've added the CYA? I miss my pool. :(
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Status
Not open for further replies.
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