We just recently purchased a home in southwest arizona with a 18,000gal inground plaster pool with a self-cleaning system and fun bubble. The filter and cleaning system runs nightly from 9pm to 4am. The water is crystal clear. The only thing we have done to the pool is put tablets in the floating dispenser (maybe 12 total=3 a month). Since swim time is here we swept down the sides, cleaned out the baskets and backwashed the system. We decided to take a water sample to the nearby pool store for testing. Here are the results:
FAC:8
TAC:8
CYA:170
TA:170
pH: 8
TDS:2400
The pool store said we had to drain our pool to solve the CYA problem. Not likely now since the temperature here in Arizona is now above 80 and on the rise. I came home and removed the tablet dispenser from the pool because he said that the tablets only add to the CYA. I put 2 cups of muriatic acid in the pool last night when the pump came on and plan to put another 2 cups in tonight and more tomorrow night until pH level goes down.
I guess my question is: did I do the right things? If I don't use the tablets, what should I use, when and how much? Will the CYA number be okay if I maintain a chlorine level around 8? Will I eventually have to do some draining to lower that number and if so, can it now wait till the winter months?
Thanks so much for any help!
Deb