CYA question

[meade]

We have just purchased our first pool, just filled it, very new to all of this. It is a 24' AG. I just purchased a test kit (HTH 5 way). I have been reading this site non stop and have a question regarding CYA. Without this reading I cannot use the BleachCalc correctly......right? I did a quick test and the PH was good, Chlorine was very low. I could put in a 2ppm increase desired but if I understand what I am reading, I need the CYA level and Ben's chart before I can put in a correct figure? (ppm increase desired)

Also, I know reading so far I want my CYA levels around 30-40 ppm......once there it should never increase if I use ordinary bleach, correct?....and it will only decrease through water loss and adding new tap water?

Thanks........I feel like I am slowly learning......I hope!
Meade

[waste]

We have just purchased our first pool, just filled it, very new to all of this. It is a 24' AG. I just purchased a test kit (HTH 5 way). I have been reading this site non stop and have a question regarding CYA. Without this reading I cannot use the BleachCalc correctly......right? I did a quick test and the PH was good, Chlorine was very low. I could put in a 2ppm increase desired but if I understand what I am reading, I need the CYA level and Ben's chart before I can put in a correct figure? (ppm increase desired)

Also, I know reading so far I want my CYA levels around 30-40 ppm......once there it should never increase if I use ordinary bleach, correct?....and it will only decrease through water loss and adding new tap water?

Thanks........I feel like I am slowly learning......I hope!
Meade

Meade, welcome to the forum, you've done your homework. However, I think you are confusing the 'bleach-calc' by mwsmith with the 'best guess chart' by Ben, the bleach calc should give you the amount of bleach/ given strength to raise your water 'X'%, while the best guess tells you how much to raise it and keep it for a given level of cya. As long as you have a "0" reading of cya, the bleach you put in your pool will be burned off by the UV from the sun, and any 'stuff' in your pool. At 30-40 ppm, cya will help to keep some cl in the pool. Without it, you will not be able to hold a cl level in a sundrenched pool.
You are right that bleach will do nothing to your cya level and that you have to add it (cya), bought from a pool store . You've got the right idea.

[meade]

Waste..thanks for the reply, I think my chlorine (bleach) has been getting burned off quickly exactly as you stated. Once I bring my CYA up to around 30 ppm using stableizer I should then be able to look at Ben's chart (shows a 3 to 5ppm for 30 cya) and get my chlorine levels up to this target using the Bleachcalc.............correct?

One other question, if the chlorine pucks/powder have CYA in them aren't you constantly uping the CYA, I mean how do folks keep their CYA readings somewhere constant? If I am understanding it, without a proper CYA reading you cannot get a steady handle on everything else>

Thanks again, this site has really helped me.

Meade

[aylad]

Yes, your statement is correct in that when you raise your CYA, you can use Ben's chart to determine your chlorine levels.

When most of us get to the point where our CYA is where we want it, we switch to bleach for chlorination--it doesn't add any more Ca or CYA like the other forms of chlorine do.

Janet

[let_her_flicker]

I use liquid bleach most of the time. When my CYA gets near the lower range of where I operate my pool, I use 3" stablized pucks in my skimmer and when I am away, in a floater.

***Never add bleach into skimmer when you have pucks in the basket*****

Using the pucks later in season cuts down on how much acid I have to add to my pool water to keep PH in acceptable range.

[DavidD]

One other question, if the chlorine pucks/powder have CYA in them aren't you constantly uping the CYA, I mean how do folks keep their CYA readings somewhere constant? If I am understanding it, without a proper CYA reading you cannot get a steady handle on everything else>

meade,
Congratulations! Sounds like you are getting it. Here is generally what happens:

Person gets new pool and is told "Always keep one of these 3" pucks (trichlor) in the skimmer and shock once a week with this bag of shock (dichlor)" (unless they were really "had" and enticed into the wonderful world of baquacrap) Everything runs smoothly, for a while. Then the pool turns cloudy, then green so the unsuspecting person takes a sample of their water to the local pool store where, as Carl says.....
They Get Pool stored!
$250 later it is now time to close the pool and it is still a mess so they give up and cover it up. The smart ones then go looking for answers on the world wide web and find a great little web site with an almost cult like following of the Grand Master of Pools Ben "PoolDoc" Powell from Eastern Tennessee, who appears to have everything figured out (though his methods are a bit out of the ordinary, using nothing but the ordinary) and, for absolutely nothing, can help you turn your swamp into the most beautiful water you have ever had simply by reading his comments on poolsolutions.com and it's sister poolforum.com! And, for a very small fee, you can post specifics about your individual questions/problems for an almost immediate response from one of his world famous, super helpful and delightfully intellectual moderators or one of his eager followers such as I.

Now the not so smart ones go back to the pool store for more B.S. (barnyard slush) and drop another wad of cash.......

Dave