Off the Chart Cyanuric Acid

[BnaRealtor]

Do I need to drain my pool? Levels were just as high last year and didn't have any issues with cloudiness.

[Watermom]

We really need some numbers taken with a good kit to be able to offer advice. If your CYA is off the chart, you're going to have to run higher chlorine than most kits can read. Go to the test kit link in my signature below and order a Taylor K-2006 or 2006C (better buy). When you repost with your numbers, give us details about your pool. Type of pool and volume, type and size of pump and filter. Then somebody here can try and help you.

You do NOT want to totally drain a pool.

Welcome to the Pool Forum!

[BnaRealtor]

I have a Taylor Kit. Pool is a 1978 plaster about 30,0000 gallons
500 lb Hayward filter and 1 1/2 hp motor

Test results before adding liquid chlorine yesterday were as follows:

FC. 2.8
CC. 1.8

PH 7.2
Alk. 70
CH 260

Sorry if some of these answers are not what you were looking for...newbie here. :-)

[PoolDoc]

Mom is correct, generally: it's dangerous to drain pools, and tends to destroy liners. But an old heavy concrete pool is usually an exception, unless it's located in a flat swampy area.

Whether you SHOULD drain or not, is another question. Your numbers don't indicate that . . . but then you didn't include your CYA ppm.

Order a K2006 kit - which you will need anyhow -- and test your CYA level: http://pool9.net/testkits/

. . . . membership upgraded.

[BnaRealtor]

PoolDoc-

I do have the k2006 kit. The CYA level is so far above to 100 level it doesn't have a reading... Also I shocked my pool this week with liquid chlorine and now the pool has a slimy feel to the water. There was a small amount of green algae so I am wondering if that's what has caused the slimy feel? Should I raise the FC again? Or will the filter eventually clean it out?
I had these high CYA numbers last year (my first summer with the pool) and never had any issues.

[Watermom]

Can you run another set of current readings. How much liquid chlorine did you add and what percentage sodium hypochlorite was it? When did you add it? To clear a pool, you have to maintain shock level until you can go from sundown one evening until within one hour of sunrise the next day without losing more than 1ppm of chlorine AND you have no greater than 0.5ppm of CC. If you just shock the pool once in awhile, it won't clear the pool. Consistency and getting the chlorine high enough are key.