High Stabilzer levels still

[mikemedic]

Ok, I have a question. I started weaning off the trichlor tabs and using more bleach at the end of last year. I tested the levels before winterizing and got a reading at about 120-130. I know its too high and to keep my chlorine levels higher to compensate. So I drain about 1/4 of the water out to winterize( at least 3-4 inches below my skimmer( 16x32 inground with 8 ft deep end, est 22,000 gallons of water). I was hoping this spring I would have lower levels. I have a safety cover and looks like my water levels are back up to about normal with all the snow and rain we get here in West Virginia. I was hoping my cya levels would go down but ons sunny day I tested and they seemed to be the same. I can't pump out nor really want to pump out 1/2 the pool water cause I will be running the water into my leech bed of my yard and down the neighbors hill. I have no ther option where to route the water. So if I continue to use bleach and maybe a trichlor every so often will my cya levels naturally go down from the sun or can someone suggest something or just keep my chlorine levels higher as I have been doing? My pool is a vinyl inground pool.
Thanks in advance
Mike

[mwsmith2]

Well, if you want to get your cya levels to go down, don't put ANY trichlor tablets in there. Usually, rains will serve to dilute the cya, but using the tablets will put more back in. With your levels at where they are, I can't think of any reason to use tabs for a good long time.

Michael

[duraleigh]

Hi, Mike,

Take SOME comfort in the fact that you know your CYA is lower simply because the rainwater has diluted your pool.

No way to get it our short of draining. I'd just keep my Cl level high this summer and let the CYA work itself down.....which it will eventually.

Dave S.

[CarlD]

You got your answer. Do NOT use Tri-chlor at all ever again until your CYA levels are BELOW where you want them. Just use bleach. The purging and replacing of water over the summer will lower CYA levels (but not evaporation).

[mikemedic]

thanks all for responding, So tell me on the average how much chlorine do we use per week. My pool is 16x32 with 8 ft deep end. I estimate at about 22,000 gallons. I know I need to test often, just wanted to know an estimate from one of the pros who use it all the time.
I have the bleach calculator also. Great tool
Thanks again
Mike

[aylad]

My pool is roughly 29K gallons IG, and I keep my CYA at 89-90 (intentionally), and my Cl stays around 8-9. My pool receives moderate to heavy usage daily during the summer. I usually add a 3 qt jug after the swim day is over, and I shock it on the weekends. On less busy weeks, I add one of the big WalMart jugs about every 3 days.

Janet

[Jimmy C]

Last year I posted an idea that I never tried. It was to use pool water rich in CYA (mine was 120) to feed my lawn sprinkler system. Then top up the pool with city water. Over the course of the summer the CYA should steadily drop as the pool is diluted so long as no more CYA is added.

Doing this job in theory will work. In practice this inter-connects two systems in a way that could get complicated, and no pool or sprinkler company would work on it if there ever was a problem.

Doing this manually on a dry summer day is an alternative where your lawn will love that pool water, and you can keep topping up the pool with a hose. You will need a draining pump for the pool, or use the backflush line on your filter.

Jim

[duraleigh]

Hi, Jimmy,

I like that idea!! You would need to be cautious to make sure the grass likes the pool water but I'll bet it would do fine.

You could even start with a "test" 3' x 3' area of your lawn for a couple of weeks to make sure there was no immediate damage. Long-term concentrations of CYA might be an issue but I doubt it.

I think you're on to something.

Dave S.

[mwsmith2]

So tell me on the average how much chlorine do we use per week.

No one can really tell you this. That's why there's test kits! :D

Michael