Dubosity's Thread: Lost in Cloudiness/Mustard Algae Hell

[Dubosity]

I don't know if I should keep this thread going or start a new one. Forgive me if I've chosen incorrectly.
My husband is pushing back on the use of bleach AND whether to drain/refill. His arguments are 1) we spent $80 on the bucket of trichlor tabs and we have enough to last the rest of the season 2) we're currently renting the house and don't know how whether we'll end up buying it or not, and 3) it's going to cost at least $100 to partially drain and refill. I have 3 questions:

1) If I drain/refill enough to bring the CYA to 40-60 ppm, can I go on using the trichlor for the rest of the season? (I"m in N Central Florida where the season can run through the end of Oct.) Will the levels rise back that fast?

2) If I'm able to convince him to go with bleach, how do I know the amount needed for my 30K gal pool and how often it must be added? (I realize I would be maintaining a different level depending on whether we end up renewing the water.

3) If we decided not to exchange the water, so that I need to maintain about 8 ppm of chlorine, how do I reliably test the pH? Can I count on the directions in the Taylor kit (ie, dilute the sample with tap water before testing)?

Sorry to be such a pain. I did try to glean everything I could by reading through just about every post on the site, but I didn't really see anything that specifically answered these questions. Thanks for your patience.
Debra

[madwil]

1- each 10 ppm of chlorine from pucks gives I think 6 ppm CYA, or stabilizer; it can add up really fast, trying to maintain FC high and such- I would save the pucks and only use when leaving for several days, like vacation, and use bleach for daily maintainance
2- 1 gal, 6% bleach will add 2 ppm FC to your pool approximately. At your CYA level, you need to keep it I think 8-12 range; if you hit 12, it'll probably go down 2-3 points each day to sunlight (how much you lose increases as your level increases. at CYA 100, I think you lose 20% in full sund; but every pool is different, this is just a guess on my part!)
So 1 gal bleach a day, maybe... (I use 1.5 gal every 3-4 days with CYA 30)
3- At FC 8, you should be able to get pretty good pH readings- its above 10 that the FC really screws with the pH readings. So you monitor pH as your chlorine goes down, add acid/borax to adjust, and add your chlorine; Don't let your FC below 8, though; it's an invitation for algae blooms at your CYA...

[PoolDoc]

I were in your situation, I would

#1 - Buy the Taylor kit -- you MUST have a way to test high chlorine levels
#2 - Use your tabs as you husband prefers BUT use my "Best Guess" table to set, and the Taylor kit to measure, your chlorine levels
#3 - Re-visit that decision if you end up with the house after the summer.

One caution: if you have the pool next spring, and let it get slimy this winter, you could open to an impossible situation in 2012. Stabilizer is sometimes biodgraded to ammonia, and with your high levels it would literally take 100's of gallons of bleach to get rid of the ammonia, if all the CYA were converted to ammonia.

Ben

[Dubosity]

Once again, you've come to the rescue. Thank you sooo much! I now feel I have all the info I need to come to a mutually agreeable solution.

P.S. I did purchase the K2006 kit...just waiting for it to get here. And we don't cover the pool in winter so I'll be maintaining the chlorine even then...just perhaps so high.

[aylad]

You still will need to maintain the chlorine at the higher level with the higher CYA--but you'll find that as the water temp drops, so will the rate at which your chlorine does. I keep my pool open year round but during the summer I add the large jug of WalMart bleach 3-4 times a week, but once the water temp gets below 60 or so, I only have to add it 1-2 times a week to keep the chlorine in the recommended range.

Janet

[Dubosity]

After much discussion, we've decided to exchange water. We drained almost 1/2 the pool and are now refilling. We just didn't want to stay in the high-CYA/high-chlorine cycle! Hopefully, this will be enough to bring the CYA down to an acceptable level.
Any wisdom you can share about the steps I need to be thinking about while it's filling and/or just after it's done? Or, shall I look at some of the threads dealing with having a "brand new pool"?

[Watermom]

Test after you refill and post numbers. It doesn't hurt to look at some of the threads with "brand new pools" but remember, yours is going to be a different situation. Brand new fills have NO cya in them, so the procedure to get them up and running is going to be different than for you. When you post with your numbers, we'll advise you on next steps.

[Dubosity]

Gotchya. :-). Thanks!