What to do first? CYA > 200 ppm

[PoolLizard]

Good.

The fact that you have a DE filter with a slide valve means vacuuming to waste would be difficult -- you'd have to add some valves. That makes it impractical to use the whole pool lime-softening technique, at least for now. But there may be some intermediate steps you can follow.

One point I should emphasize is that the so-called BBB method I originated (I came up with the method, not the name) is not literally bleach / borax / baking soda: rather those products are more symbolic of the approach of using the easiest, cheapest and best way to care for your pool. And one of the fundamental points of the BBB method is that you have a POOL, not a 'set of test numbers'. So, we don't worry too much about numbers, when they aren't causing a problem.

Unlike pool stores, who want to sell chemicals, we try to avoid fixing what's not broken!

In your case, if you have no tile-line scale . . . you are NOT having a calcium problem, even if your level IS 560 ppm. So, let's get more accurate info on your numbers, raise the chlorine, and then re-assess.

Okay, I just got done dumping 442 ounces of 6% bleach into the water. How long do I wait before I do a chlorine test? The pump is running at 3110 rpm right now.

Oh, I do have a scale ring. Plus, I think I have scale buildup on the bottom too. I'll see if I can get some pictures of the bottom.