CYA levels keep declining...

[Sparkle]

Sure, I guess I'm saying there's an implied drop because I've been adding CYA but the level isn't going up.



Understood - my question about evaporation was actually referring to water in the pool and the bucket leak test JVTrain referred to above. However, you are pointing out why I'm confused on my CYA levels - it's not lost to evaporation, so where the heck is it going? Sounds like it's either a leak (which I'll check, but I honestly think is unlikely) or something is consuming/breaking down CYA (which I previously didn't know was possible, but sounds like it might be).

I think your first step should be to verify that you actually are losing CYA. There is no point in looking for a leak if you're not actually losing anything. So, you should measure a CYA increase first rather than assume that there is a drop just because you didn't see an increase.

One possibility would be to try a different brand or batch of stabilizer, in case HTH sold you something that didn't contain CYA.

 

[mmirav]

I have tried the cya from backyard pool store. So far so good. It does come in a plastic bag in a box but I had a leftover cya tub. And it does seem to be more fine and powdery than other brands I've used. As of now I would purchase it again.

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[lvrpl]

I think your first step should be to verify that you actually are losing CYA. There is no point in looking for a leak if you're not actually losing anything. So, you should measure a CYA increase first rather than assume that there is a drop just because you didn't see an increase.

One possibility would be to try a different brand or batch of stabilizer, in case HTH sold you something that didn't contain CYA.

Fair point. I'll get a different brand of stabilizer in the next few days and add it, and then measure a few days later to see where my CYA is coming out to make sure it's actually going up as much as it should.

 

[lvrpl]

So as someone pointed out above, I just wanted to verify that I don't have a water leak somewhere. I'll do the bucket test they mentioned - put a bucket on the steps, fill it to the same level as the water, and then see if the water levels are different after a day or so.

One question: will evaporation equally affect the bucket and the pool to ensure that doesn't drive some difference in water levels?

 

[jblizzle]

That is the entire point of the bucket test ... the water should evaporate at the same rate from the bucket and the pool. Ideally you want the bucket nearly full so there is no wind shielding.

 

[chem geek]

The bucket should also be at the same temperature as the pool water. One can do that by having the bucket on a step or platform in the pool, if possible.

 

[BuckeyeChris]

Fwiw the last few times I've added two tabs of hth brand tabs to the floater, my cya had risen maybe 6-8 ppm two weeks layer. This last time I used tabs from leslie's and the cya went up 12-15.

- - - Updated - - -

Which, if consistent, mean I might just be able to uses hth tabs all the time!

 

[chyvan]

I used tabs from leslie's and the cya went up 12-15.

IMPOSSIBLE! The clerks at Leslie's told me that their tabs have no to very little CYA unlike all those other brands out there.

 

[Crackerjack4u]

Hey now, I went to our local Leslie's just the other day, and they had an entire group of seasonal workers hired to sit in the back, and pick the CYA out of the chemicals in their pucks LOL.

 

[BuckeyeChris]

yes I am the opposite: I WANT pucks with lots of CYA. Maybe I should hunt down some dichlor.

 

[JVTrain]

Dichlor would certainly be a way to add CYA quickly. Every 10 ppm FC added gives you about 9 ppm CYA. Normally it's more simplistic to add one chemical species at a time but for someone who has a good handle on what each chemical will do to their pool, use what works for you.