Can you maintain a stable CYA and use an inline chlorinator?

[lauraleellbp]

This specific question is a continuation of my initial thread/discussion with Watermom (thanks bunches for all the feedback, BTW ;) ) here http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php/23812-Hello-from-Tampa-FL

So for those of you who do run inline chlorinators, how do you address the eventual accumulation of CYA?

[lauraleellbp]

No one?

How about a related question... how much would using trichlor tablets be expected to raise CYA levels?

I realize this is going to be different for every different situation- I'm not looking for an exact mathematical answer. Just a general "using trichlor tablets in an Pentair inline chlorinator could raise CYA anywhere from xxx to xxx per month/year" or something along those lines would be fantastic.

I mean, if we're only talking a few ppm of additional CYA per season- that's manageable. If we're talking 10ppm per month... that's something else.

[BigDave]

How many ppm of chlorine are you using daily? Trichlor will add 6ppm CYA for every 10ppm FC it adds. It will also push down pH so be sure to have Borax on hand to bring it back up. Also be sure to raise you chlorine targets as the CYA level increases.

[lauraleellbp]

I *just* brought my CYA from 0 to 70 ppm, and am still working on defeating a persistent algae bloom, so I don't yet know what my daily chlorine consumption is going to be. 6ppm CYA to 10 ppm FC is not what I was hoping to hear.

Hmmm

Does no one use inline chlorinators and maintain high CYA?

[BigDave]

You will need an unstabilized source of chlorine to win the algae battle.

[lauraleellbp]

Yep, I'm just using bleach now that my CYA is high. I had 0ppm before I used dichlor to bring that up.

I'm in the process of upgrading my filter, so having to re-do my plumbing. Trying to decide whether or not to install a Pentair inline chlorinator. I'd really like to automate chlorination somewhat if possible, due to an irregular work schedule. Trying to figure out if there's a way around one increasing CYA too badly.

[BigDave]

SWCG is a good fit if your pool (and budget) can accommodate. There is a device called the liquidator that may be OK - I haven't heard of any successes with it. Another option is: use trichlor when you're away and keep chasing the required FC for the CYA levels you reach.

[Watermom]

SWCG was one thing that was discussed as an idea in her previous thread. (It is linked up above in the first post in case you didn't have an opportunity to read it.)

(Lauralee, I like the avatar.)

[lauraleellbp]

Thanks, both of you. :)

And Watermom- I've been an aquarium hobbyist for 30+ years and Cardinal Tetras are my favorite fish. Figured that would be a sort of appropriate avatar for here, too lol

I don't like the idea of my CYA increasing at the rate it looks like it will if I go with the inline chlorinator.

So I guess this boils back down to whether or not I want to spring for a SWCG. I was all about the SWCG till I realized that the warranties have gone down so much and the cells have to be replaced so often... and that I'll probably need to hire an electrician to wire it. My dad's a retired contractor so he's helping me with plumbing in the new filter, but I'm not confident I want him doing electrical work this close to water (don't know if he'd volunteer to do it anyways...). I'm comfortable with a lot of DIY, but electrical work always just makes me nervous. Totally out of my own Scope lol

Got some thinking and number crunching to do.

[TomC]

Ok, at the risk of being the opinion which goes against the flow of this board, I use an inline chlorinator with the 3 inch trichlor tabs. I think it's a Pentair Rainbow 320, it fits about 11 tabs at a time. I do it for convenience and the fact that it's within my comfort zone since I've maintained pools this way since I was about 14. I shock with bleach, but maintain my FC residual with the tabs. By the end of the season my CYA is approaching 65-70 ppm. My water ( after the initial clean up ) is always crystal clear.

My pool gets a lot of use, so there is a lot of splash out, and it's pretty windy, so I get a lot of evaporation. The only downside of using the chlorinator with the trichlor tabs, for me, is that the ph will drift downwards as the season progresses, so I always have baking soda and borax in the shed to stabilize and raise the ph.

I've never admitted this on this forum before, because I feel like an idiot, but.....when I open my pool at the end of May, my CYA is gone. I don't know why or how but it's pretty much at zero. So I never have an issue with my CYA being too high.

I see that you're in Tampa, so you probably never close your pool. So whatever strange alchemy occurs in my pool over the winter to degrade my CYA won't happen in yours. I think if I were in your position and based on the size of your pool, I would chlorinate with bleach and use the trichlor tabs when away on vacation. Good luck!

Tom

[BigDave]

@TomC: I don't think anyone here is opposed to trichlor or inline feeders. The issue is that trichlor adds 6ppm CYA for every 10ppm FC and you have to increase target FC as CYA increases. This can be a little hard to grasp, setting a CYA level and maintaing the matching FC is eaisier to teach. A common trichlor scenario is the Green August Pool. A great many pools turn green late in the summer because thier owners are trying to maintain a FC level that's too low for the CYA that's built up.

Your experience of losing CYA over the winter is also common. There are bacteria that consume CYA and release nitrogen compounds sometimes as ammonia. This CYA consumption can happen quite quickly once FC is depleted and the bacteria is allowed to grow. You may or may not have observed that sometimes it take alot - ALOT of chlorine before chlorine will hold in the spring. This is often the result of ammonia formation.

[TomC]

Thanks Dave, that explains it then.

Tom

[JimK]

.....

So I guess this boils back down to whether or not I want to spring for a SWCG. I was all about the SWCG till I realized that the warranties have gone down so much and the cells have to be replaced so often....

I've been through 10 complete seasons with our SWCG. So far I've had to replace the cell one time (though I suspect our current cell may need to be replace later this season or next season). I did a quick calculation and figured we spend about $150 a year using the SWCG, that includes the initial cost of the system as well the cost of one replacement cell.

Used appropriately (ie - used to maintain CL levels only), over time I'm not finding using a SWCG that much more expensive than traditional methods, but it offers the advantage of convenience. Also, it makes it easier to control CYA and CL levels separately.

I've also found that by adding borates (about 60ppm) and keeping my TA about 70-80, I no longer have to add muratic acid to keep pH down (SWCG operation can cause the pH to rise). It's very rare that I have to adjust pH.

Personally I really like having the SWCG and would go with the same system again if I had it to do over again. :)

[lauraleellbp]

Yeah, the issue for me is that I don't ever close my pool being in Florida. So my CYA would just keep climbing and climbing... and I'd need more and more chlorine.

So I'm back to deciding if I want to go the SWCG route or not.

Which make/model do you have, JimK?

[JimK]

Yeah, the issue for me is that I don't ever close my pool being in Florida. So my CYA would just keep climbing and climbing... and I'd need more and more chlorine.

So I'm back to deciding if I want to go the SWCG route or not.

Which make/model do you have, JimK?

Aqua Rite. I believe it's currently made by Hayward.

http://www.amazon.com/Hayward-AQR15-Electronic-Chlorinator-40000-Gallon/dp/B002WKJ5ES/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1402717941&sr=8-2&keywords=hayward+salt+system