What to do first? CYA > 200 ppm

[PoolLizard]

Before you drain, you need to decide whether you want to do lime-softening to remove calcium. If you do, you'll end up draining and replacing a foot of water, as part of that process. What I'd recommend is that you follow this sequence:

1. Raise your chlorine level and keep it there

2. Retest with the K2006, to verify the high calcium, and to do the dilution test on the CYA

3. Report how the calcium arrived in your pool. This is very important -- it will do no good to remove some calcium, if it's just going be added again, somehow or other.

4. Make SURE you understand the Best Guess page, and then let me explain what it requires to run the HiC2 method (high CYA / high chlorine). If you do NOT want to do this, and your CYA is actually > 200 ppm, you'll have to drain 75% or more at one time in order to use more standard chlorine levels.

5. THEN look at all this info with me, and make some decisions about what to do. BUT, it's important to get the chlorine up NOW, so you aren't forced into dealing with an expensive, time-consuming, and ultimately wasteful algae problem.

Okay, I'll go ahead and raise the chlorine level up today. And I'll check the CYA using the 10ml sample method.

I'll let you know when that's all done.

Thanks!

[PoolDoc]

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.

[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.

[PoolDoc]

2 hours should be plenty, to wait. It sort of depends how your pool's circulation system is set up, but regardless, 2 hours should be enough.

Pictures of both tile & bottom, if you can, please. Post them, or links to them, using Webshots, Flickr, Google Drive, etc, or email them to poolforum@gmail.com. To take the pool into a scale-removing state will be a bit tricky, but I've thought of a way that may work.

Also, take pictures of your equipment. PacFab changed their name to Pentair a long time ago; how much like your filter is this one: http://www.pentairpool.com/pool-pro/...filters-61.htm ?

[PoolLizard]

Here are some pictures:

Complete pad:

http://i1093.photobucket.com/albums/...l/P1000708.jpg

Filter:

http://i1093.photobucket.com/albums/...l/P1000710.jpg
http://i1093.photobucket.com/albums/...l/P1000711.jpg

Pump:

http://i1093.photobucket.com/albums/...l/P1000713.jpg

Scale:

http://i1093.photobucket.com/albums/...l/IMGP0254.jpg
http://i1093.photobucket.com/albums/...l/IMGP0253.jpg
http://i1093.photobucket.com/albums/...l/IMGP0252.jpg
http://i1093.photobucket.com/albums/...l/IMGP0251.jpg

Hope this helps.

Will go test water now.

[PoolLizard]

At 13:45 pm my time, the FC level is now 5.5.

Adding more bleach. And testing CYA.

[PoolLizard]

At 14:30 the CYA = 240. I mixed 7ml of pool water with 14 ml of tap water. Took 7ml of that for the test. Reading was 80. 80 x 3 = 240.

Also, added another 128 oz of 10% bleach.