Best CYA Level for Lots of Sun - Location Hawaii

[aylad]

I'm in Louisiana, which is hardly Hawaii, but my pool is in full sun all day in 90-100 degree temps, and I keep my CYA at 80-90. This generally requires the addition of 2 gallons of bleach twice weekly, even in the summer when I have a pretty big kiddie swim load.

janet

[smallpooldad]

Chazas,

As you lived in Hawaii what was your daily chlorine consumption assuming you used liquid and what was your CYA, adjusting your figures for a 10,000 gal pool? This will then give me some idea as to what is normal.

Did you need to put acid in every day to bring the ph down or did you just let it maintain a higher level?

Looking forward to your reply and thank you for your post.

[chazas]

I don't have my "pool book" any more, but to the best of my recollection I ran the pool at around 40-50 PPM CYA.

I tried to keep a minimum FC reading of 3 PPM. I had a 17,000 gallon pool. As best as I can recall, I think I used a couple of the smaller bottles of bleach every 3 or so days. But I don't remember exactly - it's been about a year and a half and I don't have a good memory for numbers.

Bleach did keep my pH on the increase - to the best of my recollection, it would usually go up to 7.8 or a little more during the course of the week, and I'd add about 3 cups of muriatic acid (available from the Ace hardware store on Kaimuki) on the weekend, which would bring it down to 7.5ish. The only time I ever had to worry about increasing pH was when I returned from a vacation after having used a floater with pucks. But I tried to avoid that because it tended to increase my CYA pretty dramatically.

Honestly, I don't think being in Hawaii should impact your pool care regimen too much - summer on the Mainland can have much more extreme conditions.

[smallpooldad]

With CYA now at 50 ppm, CL is dropping from 5-3 over 24 hour period. This requires 40 oz bleach a day or 2gals and 24 oz a week. I am planning on raising it to 60 ppm to see if that further reduces the chlorine need. At that point I will not raise it any higher.

Add 8 oz a day of muriatic acid to keep the pH at 7.3-7.4 for iron stain control.

Will advise on results.

[DavidD]

Boy that's ridiculous. If I were you, I'd trade my house and pool even for one in say, middle Tennessee and let that poor sap deal with it......
Interesting enough, I have raised my CYA to 50 as well and have noticed identical FC loss as you, about 2 ppm a day on a cloudless day. This surprises me as I thought the UV degradation would be slightly higher at the lower latitude. Let us know how 60 works for you.

[grangerhj]

I am glad to see a post from another Louisianian- the high temperature in south louisiana since April coupled with a CYA over 160 has given me fits! I have lowered my cya to around 90 but I find that I am stuggling to keep my CL at 3. Ideally I should be keeping it around 10 correct? I am adding bleach everyday- 1/2 to 1 gallon. TA is 150 Ca 250 PH 7.3 FC & TC both 3- any suggestions

[Watermom]

You didn't say how big your pool is, but adding 1/2 to 1 gallon each night isn't necessarily all that much. I have a 24 ft AG and cya around 40 and I add 2-3 qts. per evening on most days. With a cya of 90, you're gonna have to add enough bleach to get the cl where you need it or you're gonna have a green pool to deal with.

[grangerhj]

I am sorry, I have a 12,000 gallon fiberglas pool. I am glad to hear that you add that much each day because I thought I was adding a lot= now I think I might not be adding enough. Thanks so much

[Watermom]

Have you considered doing another partial drain? If you exchanged 50% of your water, you would lower your cya to about 45 which is ideal.

[grangerhj]

I am about to have the big one. Just got back from local pool store having my water tested. They tell me that my CYA level is back to 135! Impossible I say since I have totally stopped using any stabilized chlorine products. Maybe, if I have been brushing my pool there was CYA on my pool walls which is now in the water- was the reply I got.
Please tell me this makes sense. I love my pool- my idea of heaven is a good book, a cold drink and my pool. But this summer has been a nighmare trying to lower my CYA levels. I would never have known it was elevated if I had not bought a container of test strips for the first time. No one has ever told me to test my stabilizer levels. I tested for choline and free chlorine, ph, alk.... and if I took water to my pool installer then he tested it including hardness.... but again no one mentioned CYA!!! So imagine my horror when a new pool place tested it and told me my level was 160 ( this morning she told me it could have been higher but that is the limit that they test)
Since I have a fiberglas pool and the installer told me not to lower it more than 12-15 inches at a time, emptying has not been an option. I have done a partial empty 5 times. Oh well, I quess I will now do at least 2 more before I have my water tested again. I have Ben's kit on order so I have to rely on the store. I used a Walmart HTH kit but have run out of CYA reagent.
Until I get my CYA level down all I can do is keeping adding Bleach (3qts at least a day) to maintain some FC so that we can swim. (I have not been able to get the cl level above 10 and of course it immeadiately begins dropping) Any other suggestions?