Very high CYA levels, HELP!

[Mindiv]

I'm completely new to pool ownership but I'm having to learn quickly. Here is my problem. We opened the pool for the first time (closed by previous owners) and are now having issues. The pH was really low at 6.2, clearly no chlorine and they had been using copper for algae and left us a bottle and told us to dump it in on opening so we did. Now I have shocked, and been raising the pH but now my CYA levels are suddenly sky high at 150. Turned off the chlorinator and raised the chlorine level with bleach (it was only 2).

So here is where I am.

35,000 gallon, in ground vinyl pool with no main drain (thanks previous owners) just skimmers.

Free chlorine is 5.0
Combined chlorine is 0.4
pH up to 7.6
TA 180
CYA 150

Water is crystal clear.

Chlorinator off, using bleach (much to the pool companies disagreeing) to keep chlorine around 5.

Back flushing and wasting with vacuuming but I can only empty to bottom of skimmers and more importantly I can only fill off my well...VERY slowly.

So here is my question. I know I have to replace water. The pool companies insist simply converting to liquid chlorine of some sort and doing the usual backflushing but with vacuuming to waste that I can slowly lower the CYA and that will be enough over the summer so as not to stress my well. But both of these companies also insisted that high levels of CYA wouldn't effect my needed shock levels and that "4 bottles of liquid shock" would be enough (mind you they didn't even ask what my current chlorine levels is).

Is this true or do I need to find a way to empty more with a submersible pump and some how get a pool water company into my backyard? Can I just keep going and shock as needed for blooms or is this going to be a never ending project?

I'm petrified every time I go outside that my pool will be green and I'm a full two weeks into pool ownership with my first major crisis.

THANK YOU!!!!
Mindi

[PoolDoc]

You can run your pool successfully with either bleach (or 'liquid chlorine') OR calcium hypochlorite, without draining, and without getting algae.

BUT . . . . to do so you have to move firmly to the BBB method and completely turn your back on pool store chemistry.

To start, read the 'Best Guess Chlorine' page, till you understand it, or at least till you can do what it says. And, order a K2006 test kit, because you cannot maintain the chlorine levels you need, without it. There are links to both the Best Guess page, and to Amazon K2006 ordering, in my signature.

Meanwhile, use bleach or liquid chlorine. To use cal hypo, you'll have to get a calcium hardness test result from the K2006, and tell us what sort of filter you have.

[Mindiv]

OMG, THANK YOU!! After reading I'm a believer and completely understand. BBB here I come!

Ok, so I do have the K-2006 and my filter is a sand filter. Not sure of the size but big, up to my waist and the pool company that was out to look at our heater thats not working said the filter was oversized for the pool.

Bumping my chlorine up to 8+ per the Best Guess Chart using the Pool calculator. The CYA was greater than 100 on the black dot test and on my strips that had 100, 150 and 300 it was squarely on 150. The pH, FC and CC were off the K-2006. I just did the hardness and its 210. We have really hard water here and the hose comes off before the treatment system to save the system a bit. We do as I mentioned have a heater but we are vinyl.

I might actually sleep tonight and not dream of green pools. THANK YOU AGAIN BEN!!!! I'm practically in tears I'm so happy. You made my day, week, month and probably summer. Any additional ideas will make my year. This is now my go to forum and time to start reading the archives.....

[BigDave]

Test strips for CYA are nearly useless. You can test for high CYA levels with your K-2006 by diluting the sample with tap water. Mix equal parts pool water and tap water then test the mix for CYA and multiple the result by 2.

[Mindiv]

Thank you Big Dave! Repeated with the K-2006 and got 140-150 (70-75 diluted) for CYA.

[Mindiv]

Trying to explain to an old friend why high FC levels with high CYA isn't as irritating as the same FC level with lower CYA. Just trying to convince them that my pool is indeed safe! It is amazing to me how many people don't know that high CYA levels require higher FC levels.... Any references? I tried a search with no luck.