Quote Originally Posted by Cstaines View Post
Getting some pretty foam with the aeration though. Should we be concerned about that?
It probably indicates some remaining unoxidized 'goo'; while this is the case, your water may be unpleasant to swim in. The solution to most of these issues is sustained high chlorine + sunlight.

Is it ok to start using our heater?
Not with these numbers:
pH 7.6
Alkalinity 320 ppm
Calcium Hardness 220 ppm
You'll scale up the inside of your heater core badly.

Is it ok to cover, or will the high chlorine eat the new solar cover?
No, you need the sunlight, to help break down the 'goo'. It won't hurt the pool to cover at night, or on rainy days. BUT, as that 'goo' is oxidized, it will tend to form volatile chlorinated by-products. These will evaporate . . . OR accumulated under the cover, if the pool is covered. These sorts of gases CAN damage plastics.


Last, we were thinking about trying to start chipping away at the CYA with a 25% drain.
I would consider a larger drain, but I don't feel our pool could withstand it as we have a lot of ground water in our yard.
I think you don't realize how many times you'd have to drain 1/4 of the pool in order to have an effect. The chart below shows the steps it would take to get below 300 ppm, draining in increments of 10% up to 25%:



However, if you want to go ahead and try, FIRST dig a post hole on the LOW side of the pool, as close to the pool as you can get. Dig it 1 foot deeper than you intend to drain the pool. (ie, drain 1ft; dig 2ft hole). Cover the hole and wait 24 hours. If it's dry, you're relatively safe. If not, don't!

Keep in mind that this does NOT guarantee that you won't damage your liner by draining!