Test results on new pool in Tucson

[CarlD]

FBU is right. BBB has been demonstrated to work effectively thousands of times, just by our own members. Other sites have adopted the term and the method and their members, too, have found it effective.

But ultimately, the responsibility for YOUR pool rests with you. We can't fix it. We can only offer advice based on our experience and the information you provide. You have to do the "heavy lifting", test your water, add the chemicals, vacuum and brush. You can choose to take our advice, or not take our advice.

You have a very high CYA level. If you have algae, the chemistry of pool water with a CYA of 100 or more requires shocking to 25ppm to kill algae. Once your water is clean you STILL must keep it between 8 and 15. You are at 6.

Rather than always buying bleach, several pool stores in my area sell carboys of 12.5% liquid chlorine. One dealer (one BigDave knows) has such a big turnover that his stuff, when I test it, always tests at 14%. The carboys are deposit bottles. When I buy a new one, I give him my old one and the new one, 5 gallons (equivalent of 10 gallons of 7%) is $19. I paid the deposit on 3 carboys years ago, and also bought a carboy spigot $4 years ago that I reuse. All you need is two or three bleach bottles to fill from the carboy and no recycling!

[Wilco]

well its the recycling but also the trips to the store. i did find 3 gallon packs of clorox at costco for $8.07, which is a little cheaper than the generic walmart stuff. you guys first said to shock to 15, and then 25. guess i was trying to split the difference and not use 8 gallons of bleach a day. my wife thinks im crazy. but i see that you feel that going higher will unlock this problem. i just dont understand what we are unlocking. there is no algae, the water is crystal clear, and isnt cya a stabilizer of cl? i know ots too high, but shouldnt it theoretically keep the cl up there?
anyway, last night i was at 3ppm, added 3 gallons, up to 17ppm. had to go out for the evening. rechecked this am, 8ppm. should i be adding bleach in ams as well?

[CarlD]

OK: If you don't have algae and your CC level is .5 or less, then you need to keep your FC (free Chlorine) level in maintenance mode, not shock mode. With a CYA of 100 or more, Maintenance Mode means an FC of 8-15ppm. Shock mode means an FC of 25. So if your are between 8 and 15 and your level pretty much holds overnight, with only a small loss, you're golden.

I hope that helps.