Spring opening...trying something a little different

[The Raddish]

Well, my numbers are somewhat puzzling this morning.

I put in two and a half of the big bottles of bleach last night, and this morning this is what I had:

FC = 0
CC = .5 (actually a bit more, but not quite 1.0)
PH = 7.2
TA = 130
CYA = 0 <-- I tested this three times, came up zero every time. If anything, the black dot got bigger.

I'm at a loss as to the CYA number. The reagent was newly purchased at the end of last season so should be fine.

I dumped in another two and a half big bottles (about 1.5 gal?) of 6% bleach and turned my return to bubble up. I'll add some borax this evening to get the PH up, I was very happy at 7.8 last year all year.

Why the loss of CYA though? I was a bit over 40 at closing last year, and drained about 14" of the pool so it shouldn't be zero, should it?

Also, my bug didn't get the whole bottom of the pool last night so I left it in today. I think the current was a bit too strong as it kept the bug pushed to one side. I turned the return facing upward so that should quell the current today and I hope the bug will get the whole pool by the time I get home from work this evening.

Any suggestions?

[aylad]

Well, my numbers are somewhat puzzling this morning.

I put in two and a half of the big bottles of bleach last night, and this morning this is what I had:

FC = 0
CC = .5 (actually a bit more, but not quite 1.0)
PH = 7.2
TA = 130
CYA = 0 <-- I tested this three times, came up zero every time. If anything, the black dot got bigger.

I'm at a loss as to the CYA number. The reagent was newly purchased at the end of last season so should be fine.

I dumped in another two and a half big bottles (about 1.5 gal?) of 6% bleach and turned my return to bubble up. I'll add some borax this evening to get the PH up, I was very happy at 7.8 last year all year.

Why the loss of CYA though? I was a bit over 40 at closing last year, and drained about 14" of the pool so it shouldn't be zero, should it?

Also, my bug didn't get the whole bottom of the pool last night so I left it in today. I think the current was a bit too strong as it kept the bug pushed to one side. I turned the return facing upward so that should quell the current today and I hope the bug will get the whole pool by the time I get home from work this evening.

Any suggestions?

It's a fairly common, although not completely explainable, phenomenon that CYA does sometimes disappear over the wintertime. Watermom experiences that, but I don't. The best explanation I've seen for it seems to be that algae actually breaks down the CYA that' in the pool, causing your levels to plummet. Sounds like you need to continue to shock it, and add some stabilizer but remember it takes a long time to dissolve, so I wouldn't retest for it or add more for about a week.

Janet

[Watermom]

I usually lose all my cya over the winter, but keep clear water. No algae upon opening in the spring. This year, I didn't lose it all. I closed with a cya reading probably around 40-45 and opened with it around 25 or 30. Who knows why it was different this year?

While you are fighting to clear your water, I'd leave your ph alone. Chlorine seems to be more effective when the ph is a little on the low side. Just make sure it doesn't drop any lower. At 7.2, you are fine. Then, you can bump it up a little when your water clears up.

[PhantomAndy]

Good idea on filling first.

I have an 18x36 IG with a solid cover (with mesh drain in the center) so the rain drains into the pool all year long. I have to pump water off constantly throughout the winter (usually 3 or 4 times, about 6 inches of water each time).

In the spring, I leave the water level high (higher than my usual operating level - almost to the coping). It makes removing my very heavy (over 100Lbs) solid cover easier, and gives me plenty of free water to vacuum to waste with.