Looking for pool shocking information from Ben Powell.

[Watermom]

Next question are the chemicals good for more that one year in the K2006C?

Yes.

Also, your stabilizer could actually be much higher than 100. Tests can't differentiate readings past that value. Order the K-2006 and then run the CYA test on a diluted sample. Take one part pool water and mix it with one part distilled water. Use that water for the CYA test and then multiply the results by 2. If you still get a reading of 100, repeat it but use one part pool water and two parts distilled water and multiply the results by 3. That will help to give a better idea of what your CYA level actually is.

[PoolDoc]

I'd recommend starting with a 1:3 dilution (multiply x 4). He'll use up his CYA reagent getting there, otherwise. (One of the weak points in the K2006A is that it contains only 6 x CYA tests.)

[burtom]

Thank you everyone I have ordered the K2006A kit and will be back with results.

Tom

[Watermom]

Good deal!

[burtom]

Hi Everyone:

I did my testing with the kit and the results are:
1.6 PPM Free Chlorine
.2 PPM Combined Chlorine
7.7 PH
160 PPM TA
140 PPM Calcium Hardness
228 CYA

Thanks
Tom

[PoolDoc]

That's a really odd reading for the CYA. How did you get that result?

Here's the Taylor video: K2006 Cyanuric acid (CYA) test

Check again, and if that result is correct, you need to read the Best Guess page, linked in my signature, right away.

Good luck!

[burtom]

That's a really odd reading for the CYA. How did you get that result?

Here's the Taylor video: K2006 Cyanuric acid (CYA) test

I added 3 cups of distilled water to 1 cup of pool water and did the test as described. 7 mL of the diluted water and 7 mL of the agent and multiplied the point where I could not see the black dot by 4.

Thanks
Tom

[PoolDoc]

results are:
FC 1.6
CC 0.2
pH 7.7
TA 160
CH 140
CYA 228

Ok. Well, your water is OK, except for the super high CYA. Here are your options, 2 with draining, and 2 without:

1. Drain and refill. This is NOT recommended on a 20 year old vinyl pool.

2. Do an in-pool drain and refill. Slow and requires a vinyl winter cover that's about 12' wider than the pool on all sides.

3. Run a HiC2 pool -- high chlorine to compensate for your high CYA. That's OK, but it means NORMAL chlorine levels will be around 15 ppm on your pool and shock levels will be about 30 ppm. This should be pretty easy with the K2006, so long as you have no algae. But, to get rid of algae might require FC = 60 ppm!

4. Run a sorta HiC2 pool -- high normal chlorine (15 - 20 ppm) but with sodium bromide and polyquat on hand to use, instead of having to push FC levels to 30 or even 60 ppm.

If I were you, I'd opt for #4, but it's up to you. Regardless, with options #3 or #4, you don't want your CYA level to keep climbing, so you've got to switch to bleach (or 10 - 15% 'liquid pool chlorine', if it's available) OR calcium hypochlorite granular. Using calcium will require special methods -- not hard, just different -- to avoid replacing high CYA levels with high calcium levels.

One HUGE downside to the HiC2 method: if you let your pool get slimed over the winter, there is an good chance that the CYA will be converted by bacteria to ammonia over the winter, leaving you with so much ammonia that it would literally take 400 ppm FC to clean up in spring. So, you can NOT allow the pool to slime over the winter. Closing clean, plus using repeated polyquat doses over the winter, plus Minnesota temps should make this easy, if you just pay a bit of attention to the pool after closing.

Lemme know what you want to do.

[burtom]

Hi Ben:

The pool is 20 years old but I did have the liner replaced last year so I would like to hear about option 1 at least and what it consists of if the new liner helps. The question I have is how did the CYA get this high? Was it using the Trichlor shock and Trichlor tabs? I mean the water in the pool is only 2 years old. What steps should I take to keep this from happening again assumine we get it straightened out?

Thanks
Tom

[burtom]

Hi Ben:

I guess I would also like infomation on 3 and 4 like what special procedures with the Calcium Hypochlorate and will the CYA ever drop?

Thanks
Tom