What to do first? CYA > 200 ppm

[PoolDoc]

OK, time for a decision. You have two options.

1. You can run a HiC2 pool (chlorine above 10 ppm, dosing 1x per week, etc) AND you can work on lowering your calcium by adding soda ash slowly upstream of your filter. Each time you do this, you will collect some calcium carbonate on the filter, but some more will cloud the pool. You'll have to turn the pump off for 12 - 24 hours to let the calcium settle, then vacuum it up and clean your filter. I'm not sure how much calcium you'll be able to remove on each pass.

OR

2. You can drain most of your pool and refill. To reach CYA = 80 ppm, you'll need to drain 2/3 of the pool. This will also lower your calcium hardness to around 230 ppm. This would be easiest; but whether it's best depends on your preference and how much water costs there. Obviously, the first option will be cheapest, even when you allow for spending $100 on soda ash, acid, and extra DE.

[PoolLizard]

OK, time for a decision. You have two options.

1. You can run a HiC2 pool (chlorine above 10 ppm, dosing 1x per week, etc) AND you can work on lowering your calcium by adding soda ash slowly upstream of your filter. Each time you do this, you will collect some calcium carbonate on the filter, but some more will cloud the pool. You'll have to turn the pump off for 12 - 24 hours to let the calcium settle, then vacuum it up and clean your filter. I'm not sure how much calcium you'll be able to remove on each pass.

OR

2. You can drain most of your pool and refill. To reach CYA = 80 ppm, you'll need to drain 2/3 of the pool. This will also lower your calcium hardness to around 230 ppm. This would be easiest; but whether it's best depends on your preference and how much water costs there. Obviously, the first option will be cheapest, even when you allow for spending $100 on soda ash, acid, and extra DE.

I did some calculations on water cost based on my last water bill, and it seems that it wouldn't be as costly as I had feared. I'm going to verify that with the Water Co tomorrow. If I'm right, then I'll be doing a drain and refill sometime this week. If my estimates are correct, it would cost around $120 to completely drain and refill. Does that sound reasonable, or am I way off?

On my bill, 1 unit = 100 Cubic Feet of water = 748 gallons. According to my last bill, 1 CCF (748 gal) = $4.55. 20,000 gals divided by 748 = 26.74. 26.74 X $4.55 = $121.66.

I hope I'm right.

[PoolDoc]

If you can drain and refill for ~$120, that's definitely the way I'd go. Because you have some scale, I'd recommend doing a 100% drain, and NOT adding any calcium or alkalinity (baking soda) for awhile. If the pH is too low, use borax to raise it. That way, you have the option of running a low calcium low pH pool long enough to soften and then remove the scale.

I would call the water company though -- they can have some funky ways of calculating bills. And, get the name and position of the person who helped you. That way, if you get a bill next month for $400 because of some bill-calculating funkiness, you can credibly do the whole, "But sir, I was told by your staff . . .", etc. routine.

[PoolLizard]

If you can drain and refill for ~$120, that's definitely the way I'd go. Because you have some scale, I'd recommend doing a 100% drain, and NOT adding any calcium or alkalinity (baking soda) for awhile. If the pH is too low, use borax to raise it. That way, you have the option of running a low calcium low pH pool long enough to soften and then remove the scale.

I would call the water company though -- they can have some funky ways of calculating bills. And, get the name and position of the person who helped you. That way, if you get a bill next month for $400 because of some bill-calculating funkiness, you can credibly do the whole, "But sir, I was told by your staff . . .", etc. routine.

Thanks. Yeah, I'm definately going to verify my estimate with the Water Co before I drain. I know their address, I'm going to go right into their office and have a chat with them.

[PoolLizard]

It looks so good, I hate to have to drain it!

P1000718.JPG

[PoolDoc]

Well, it's still your call. I assume that algae is not the problem in the desert that it is here, where every tiny breeze carries spores.

Contrary to pool industry literature, there's nothing wrong with running a HiC2 pool, if you understand what you're doing.

[PoolLizard]

Well, it's still your call. I assume that algae is not the problem in the desert that it is here, where every tiny breeze carries spores.

Contrary to pool industry literature, there's nothing wrong with running a HiC2 pool, if you understand what you're doing.

Algae has been a slight problem. I think only because I didn't know what I was doing, not knowing about CYA, until just recently. If my water cost estimate is close, I'll go ahead with the drain/refill because I want the chemistry to be right, and to try to get rid of the scale.

[CarlD]

Oh, just so you know, the cheapest way to get Soda Ash is to go to your grocery store and buy Arm and Hammer WASHING Soda, in the yellow box (not baking soda). Washing Soda is IDENTICAL to the pool store pH raisers but costs far less--around $.80/lb here in NJ. pH Raisers like pH Up! are nothing but Sodium Carbonate...Washing Soda.

That may well change your cost basis for the soda ash method.