CYA levels

[dubbedout]

I just emptied and refilled my 25k Pebble tec pool a few months ago because the CYA levels were so high. Once the pool was filled I used 2 gallons of Leslie's "Instand conditioner" to get the CYA up to around 40-50. I've been using Dichlor (Chlor Brite) and Trichlor tabs for chlorine and my CYA levels have doubled just in a few months. I don't want to have to empty and refill anytime soon but on the route I'm on I will have to. I'm thinking of switching to cal-hypo (Power Powder Plus from Leslie's) to keep my CYA levels from climbing.

Just want to make sure I'm making the right switch. I knew the Chlor Brite was stabilized chlorine but didn't realize that it would make my CYA levels go up so quick.

Thanks!

[BigDave]

What kind of filter do you have? How do you use the tabs and dichlor?

[dubbedout]

It's a Hayward sand filter. I use the tabs in a floater, and the distribute the powder dichlor whenever FC is low.

[BigDave]

If you have no chance of having any dichlor or trichlor in your skimmer, pump, filter, heater, or feeder or anywhere but in the pool, you can slowly dose cal-hypo into the skimmer - it will dissolve on the sand bed and leave it's calcium precipitate there. But Remember - NO trichlor or dichlor anywhere near the circulation system - Cal-hypo and stabilized chlorine have a surprisingly energetic affinity for each other. We don't want your filter to go BOOM after all.

[dubbedout]

I just got back from Leslie's to get my water tested (for a more definite # for CYA). They got a 117 which is pretty close to what I was getting. They recommended staying with the stabilized chlorine rather than switching to cal-hypo. They said the CYA would be fine and that I don't want to add more calcium to the pool.

Full test results:
FC 5.99
CH 275
CYA 117
TA 143
PH 7.9 (I just added 32oz muriatic acid)

[Watermom]

You definitely do not want to continue to use any form of stabilized chlorine. You do NOT want your CYA any higher. Your CH reading is fine at 275. Why not use use bleach? It won't add more calcium nor more CYA.

You also should consider getting a Taylor K-2006 or 2006C (link in my signature below) so you can test your own water. Pool store testing is often not very accurate.

[dubbedout]

I do have a K2006 kit, but I wanted to see what my CYA levels were exactly. Since on the CYA test I lost sight of the black dot right before the water line hit the 100 mark. Maybe I'm just too unsure of my own test results (I'm a new pool owner, just bought this house 1 year ago).

I'm leaning towards bleach now. I was hesitant before having to lug around the plastic jugs as its more convenient to have 50lbs of the granules readily available in the garage. But I've learned that no matter what I use (besides bleach and LC) I'm always going to get something else other than chlorine in my pool...whether it be CYA or Calcium.

I'd like to finish out the remaining Dichlor I have left but don't want to risk raising my CYA any higher. The pool guys said don't worry about the high CYA...I know better. Thinking I'll make a run to Sam's club tonight and grab some bleach. I see they have a 3 pack of 121oz concentrate for about $9.

[Watermom]

Sounds like a good plan. Keep us posted how things are going.

[dubbedout]

Happy to say I picked up 2 cases of bleach last night from Sam's. I used the pool calc to tell me how much to add to raise my chlorine to where I wanted it and it was spot on. Very happy so far. $9 for a case of 3 121oz bottles of bleach ain't bad!

I do have a question thought pertaining to my pH and TA. I used muriatic acid on 6/11 to lower my pH (it was 8.0) and I got it down to 7.4 and the TA also went down from 170 to 140. I've been keeping a close eye on the pH and it's climbing everyday. 6/12 I tested and it was up to 7.6 and today its up to 7.8. I tested the pH of my fill water and its high...at least 8. Am I just going to be stuck with adding acid to my pool every other day?

Thanks!

[BigDave]

The TA will move down as you add acid. The pH rising trend will slow as the TA comes down.

[dubbedout]

What should my goal TA be?

[Watermom]

80-120 or so.

[dubbedout]

Well I got my pH down to 7.2 but TA is still at 140. But now the water is no longer crystal clear..back to cloudy. Is the pH too low? Seems like my sweet spot was 7.4-7.6 when it was crystal clear. I've been running the pump all afternoon with it aerating. We're having a party today and wanted the pool looking perfect but oh well.

[Watermom]

7.2 is fine. But, you don't want it lower.

What is your chlorine level? Cloudiness may indicate an impending algae bloom. Since your CYA is really high, you'll have to run high chlorine levels or you are gonna continuously have algae problems. (If you haven't already done so, read the Best Guess Chlorine Chart in my signature below.)

[dubbedout]

I think you hit the nail right on the head. Water now has a green tint to it and getting worse. My CL level was a 8, so now im dosing with 8% bleach to raise it to 25 (per the best guess chart for the shock value).

[dubbedout]

Water is still greenish, tested and got a 22ppm for CL and pH is back to around 7.5 and TA 130. I need to make another bleach run, but I'm curious how long it will take to clear up with keeping the CL at 25 and running pump 24/7?

[Watermom]

There is no way to predict that. See if you are losing chlorine overnight. Test it this evening after the sun is off the pool and then again in the morning within one hour of sunrise. Report back and tell us how much chlorine you lose overnight.

Two questions for you:
1. What was the source of your fill water?
2. Check the ingredients on the trichlor tabs you used. Does it list copper as ingredient?

[dubbedout]

I added another gallon of bleach after testing, will test again to see how high CL went up. My fill water is city water, it's on an automatic fill system. Right now the pool doesn't look as green as before, now just really cloudy. I've got a skimmer sock and I'm cleaning it twice a day as it's turning pretty green throughout the day, also have some scum balls that I'm having to clean daily as well. I also brushed the walls today as well.

As far as the prior chlorine I was using its Leslie's 3" Jumbo tabs. The label only says "Sodium dichloro-s-triazinetrione dihydrate 99%, Other ingredients 1%" So i'm not sure what the "Other ingredients" are. The trichlor was Leslie's Chlor-Brite and the label says "Trichloro-s-triazinetrione 99%, Other ingredients 1%". I discontinued use of both of those when I switched to bleach.

[dubbedout]

Ok, tested last night and early this am and had no change in chlorine. CL was at 21ppm at 8pm and just tested at 645am and was still at 21ppm. Water still very cloudy. pH is 7.6.

[Watermom]

Does it still look greenish or just cloudy now?

[dubbedout]

Each day it's looked a little less green..Today I would say its just really cloudy. The pump has been running 24/7 since Sunday. The scum balls and skimmer sock are still turning green, cleaning both about twice daily.

[Watermom]

Ok. Keep the pump running 24/7 and backwash any time the pressure rises 8-10 psi over your clean filter pressure.

[dubbedout]

I just want to say THANK YOU! If it weren't for this forum theres no telling how bad this could have gotten and how much $$ I probably would have spent at the pool store trying to fix it. All it took was a good shock with the bleach! I'm still cleaning the scum balls and the skimmer sock as their still turning green but the water is 100% better already.

I wish I would have taken a before shot, but here's the pool as it sits right now.

http://i.imgur.com/lqmz23al.jpg

[Watermom]

That is such a pretty pool!

[dubbedout]

Thank you! It looks even better today. Its hard to believe how green it got in such a short time, even when the CL was at 8ppm. I'm extremely thankful for your help and am going to go ahead and subscribe to the forum, hopefully that little bit helps.

http://i.imgur.com/5aqOLjfl.jpg

[Watermom]

I'm extremely thankful for your help and am going to go ahead and subscribe to the forum, hopefully that little bit helps.

Thanks! We would appreciate that very much! Glad we could help you!

[dansdad]

I had .2 cl in my pool 8.2 ph absolutely no cya. I have I
1 gallon of instant cond. and I just added 1 gallon of 8.25 bleach. Should I wait till tomorrow to add the conditioner or do it tonight. Thanks Dave I should say I have not added the cond as yet

[BigDave]

I think this post belongs in another thread.

[dansdad]

Thank you will do

[Themadczar]

$9 for a case of 3 121oz bottles of bleach ain't bad!

For future reference, comparing bleach prices is tricky since there are several variables (price, quantity, and concentration) so sale prices can be deceiving. But there is a simple calculation that enables a quick, accurate assessment. Price/ounces/concentration. So for your bleach, $9.00/363 ounces/8.25%= 30 cents per ounce of chlorine. As a point of reference, I by bleach at Aldi at about $0.21/oz, and if I remember correctly, Walmart's regular price is around $0.28/oz. I recently found pool chlorine on sale at Menards for $0.14/oz! If you can remember to start with the price then divide by quantity and concentration, you can always compare prices and know on the spot if a sale is really a good deal (I rarely find even sale prices that beat Aldi here in NW Indiana).

[dubbedout]

Thanks for that Temadczar! I just recently started purchasing 10% LC from a local pool dealer for $5 for 2 gal. So with that formula I'm at about $0.20/oz.