Need encouragement.

[CarlD]

Shelly,
I think you are getting good advice here. The excessive UV you are exposed to up there may make you an ideal candidate for running a high CYA pool. There are definite advantages to doing so, that, in your situation, probably outweigh the dis-advantages.

One of the moderators, aylad, runs a high CYA pool very happily since her location normally would also burn off a lot of chlorine.

So if your raise your CYA to the 60-90 level, you'll need to maintain a residual FC of 5 to 10ppm, and shock to 20ppm. On the other hand, once it's established there, you should find yourself maintaining the residual easier with less chlorine smell.

If you decide to do this, my general rec is that you do it slowly--raise CYA to 60 first (it will take a week) and see if you can hold your residual there. If not, go to 70, etc.

I hope Janet (aylad) will step in at this point because she can advise you better than I can.

[ShelleyAnn]

Thank you, thank you, thank you everyone for your posts.

Almost couldn't sleep with the anticipation of testing before the sun hit the pool this am. I just caught it at 7:15! It did not fall. If it did, it was .5 when last night I thought it might need 1/2 a drop of FAS-DPD #2 after all and added one more for a total of 13 drops. This morning was a solid 12 drops for 6ppm. No CC at all.

I add approximately 1/2-2/3c of Borax every 2-3 days to keep PH at 7.4. Yesterday morning I was at 7.7, for the first time ever because I was heavy on the Borax the day before (that's how I get mad at my pool I guess) This morning, it's down to 7.6 so I loose about .1 a day or so.

Regarding organics...I think I saw a leaf in the pool...once, but I dove in fully clothed to keep it from actually reaching the bottom of the pool...wouldn't want it to throw off the balance of the water or anything

Regarding CYA. I'm pretty sure mine has fallen fairly significantly. I started off adding 3lb to a new pool in April and it got to 30. After the hail storm I added another lb to get it up to 40 (hoping it would help in the long run) and I believe I did notice it got cloudier, maybe up to a full 40. Now I believe it's 25-30. I did drain 2-3" during the last storm, but I'm not thinking that's enough to cause this. Does high CL for long periods do this? I've only been working on the pool for 2.5 months, but I'm sure I remember a time where I only had to add 2 or 3 quarts of bleach every other day to get the ole OTO up to 3-6/5-10. Ahhh, those were the good old days.

Thank you all for your expertise and patience. It's helping for sure.

Shelley

[CarlD]

CYA does not break down or mysteriously leave, generally. You either have to dilute to get rid of it--if your CYA is 100, you have to dump 50% of your water to get it to 50--or take the "nuclear option"--which you don't want.

You have to let your pool turn into a swamp, full of algae, frogs, mosquitoes, etc. for a month or two, then clean it up. That will consume the CYA, but leaves you with a nasty mess, algae and lots of ammonia in the water. Definitely not worth it!

[duraleigh]

Shelly Ann,

Regarding organics...I think I saw a leaf in the pool...once, but I dove in fully clothed to keep it from actually reaching the bottom of the pool...wouldn't want it to throw off the balance of the water or anything

Nice work! You cleverly avoided what could've been a major problem. As your experience grows, you will learn to leap from the side of the pool and snag 'em mid-air.....just can't be too careful, ya' know?

Serious note....your pool sounds to me like it needs someone swimming in it....not much else.

[DavidD]

ShellyAnne,

Please don't get upset at what I'm about to say. I assure you I mean no ill intent (I always hate when people say this and usually get pissed off right away Hope you're a little more level headed than I ).

I think you are worrying entirely too much and may be trying to micro manage your pool. Remember it is supposed to be a point of enjoyment for you yet it sounds as if it is worrying you to death!. Let’s look at the facts.

1. Your pool is clear and looks great by your own account
2. Your chem.’s are in line.
3. You do not have any CC's.
4. Your chlorine seams to hold perfectly over night.
5. You do not have algae.

I really believe the chlorine you smell is probably amplified by the fact that you are keeping it at shock levels. It has to go somewhere so in the day UV uses it up and at night you probably loose some in evaporation hence the "smell". Yes, I have heard the general rule "If you smell it, you need more" however I believe that refers to a strong smell which is really subjective. I also firmly believe that a good test kit is far better to rely on than any human sense other than maybe sight. I am no expert (except in the eyes of my family and friends and that is onlybecause of this forum and every one here ) but these are my observations from afar. My advice would be to let the FC drop back down to the 3 to 5 ppm range, enjoy and if there is a problem, address it then. Meanwhile, jump in, have a good time and post some pictures of your "success story".
Stay ahead but don’t let it push you.

Dave

[ShelleyAnn]

Everyone will be pleased to hear that not only I, but my neighbor and her 4 boys swam in the pool today! (cheering audible from here). There is a spring in my step and someone actually heard me laugh!

Dave - I totally agree with you...on all points. I am not angry in the least and only want to hug you.

Janet - I can't wait for the CYA I added this morning to dissolve and try it out The idea of testing once every morning and not 6 times a day and adding chlorine twice a week and not 6 times a day brings a smile to my face even now. Yeah, ok, I want to hug you too.

CL at 6:30pm: 3.5a drop of only 2.5 the entire day vs. 8 yesterday and Lord only knows what the day before I was adding it so fast.
CC: 0
CYA - Added 1.5lb this am
PH dropped a whopping .2 to 7.4 since this morning --just bought another box of borax--could this be from the CYA addition?

I believe, Dave, you are totally correct when you say CYA can only bind so much and at the high levels it just burns off rapidly. Ya gotta smell that happening right. At 3.5ppm I can't smell a thing. Duhhhhhhh.

Since turning over my new leaf of relaxing and enjoying the water:
1. What ppm should I bring it up to tonight?
2. When SHOULD I shock?
3. Are there always signs--measurable CCs before an algae bloom?

Bless you all. I feel great!

[DavidD]

1. What ppm should I bring it up to tonight?

I’d follow “Ben’s Best Guess” and bring it up to 5 ppm.

2. When SHOULD I shock?

You should only have to shock when you have a CC reading of .5 or more. Like Steve mentioned earlier, twice a year would not be unusual. I’ve yet to really shock my pool yet this year. Only once have I even had it above 8 or 9 and that was to burn off all the sunscreen after a busy day of fun in the sun. Since I also use a few pucks a month, my CYA is approaching 40 so I very well may have to shock soon with the heavy use and warm 86+ degree water. Maybe I’ll even use up some of the poly quat left over from last year.

3. Are there always signs--measurable CCs before an algae bloom?

I want to say “usually” however I honestly have never had algae so I really can’t say. Fortunately, I found this place while my pool was being built. I have helped friends with algae and they always have had 1 ppm of CC or more.
Happy swimming!

Dave

[aylad]

Shelly Ann,

It looks to me like you may be a candidate for a higher CYA pool, like CarlD suggested, because if I'm reading this thread correctly, you're still losing a good bit of Cl during the day but not during the night....

My pool is in full sun 12 hours a day also, so I run my CYA up to the 80-90 mark and run higher chlorine levels. Pool stays clear, and I only add bleach about twice a week. Even though the best guess chart recommends 5 minimum and 10 max, I tend to keep my Cl around the upper end of that--usually 8 or 9 ppm. By doing that, it takes 3-4 days before I drop down to 5 and need to up it again. Most people will tell you that it's too high, but in a pool that gets full sun all day every day, it's working well for me. If I were you, and if the chlorine loss is during the day but not at night, I would try bumping it up to around 50 and see what that does to your chlorine consumption. If it slows down, then bump it up about 10 ppm at a time until you get to a point that works for you.

Janet