Where to start to move away from trichlor w/ sky-high CYA

Jump to latest Follow Reply
N

Not4You

0
Oct 26, 2015
26
Queen Creek, AZ
Pool Size
12200
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
Hello,

Great forum, been lurking for a bit.

I have a pool that's almost 2 years old, have gotten somewhat lucky that I am just starting to have issues using trichlor tabs. Yes, planning to stop using them. Have never replaced water either.

Major issue is that I work and stay out of town all week and cannot switch to daily liquid chlorine dosing and testing very easily... No SWG in the plans with a travertine deck either.

That issue will have to be dealt with at a later date.

In the meantime, I'm looking for where to start to begin to get the water in better shape before I drain water to reduce the super high CYA level this winter. It's finally cooling down here, so that will help require less chlorine.

Can I over-chlorinate to not have to test it every day after I get an idea how much chlorine loss I see per day? I am planning to be home for about 5 days straight later this coming week. Maybe then I can have someone add a set amount daily to keep up the FC level.

Thanks for any assistance. Here are the numbers I got today using my new K-2006C test kit.

I will add liquid chlorine to raise the FC to at least 4 (or higher?) later tonight or early tomorrow based on suggestions. I do understand that FC is way too low especially given the CYA level. Just can't bring myself to toss more tabs in there.

FC 2
CC .2
PH 7.2
TA 70
CH 820
CYA >200
 
You are going HAVE to drain asap to have a hope of getting a handle on your FC need.

Do a search on this.............. liquidators. This might be just what you need! Use the search button on the TFP home page.

Kim
 
Not4You said:
Hello,

Great forum, been lurking for a bit.

I have a pool that's almost 2 years old, have gotten somewhat lucky that I am just starting to have issues using trichlor tabs. Yes, planning to stop using them. Have never replaced water either.

Major issue is that I work and stay out of town all week and cannot switch to daily liquid chlorine dosing and testing very easily... No SWG in the plans with a travertine deck either.

That issue will have to be dealt with at a later date.

In the meantime, I'm looking for where to start to begin to get the water in better shape before I drain water to reduce the super high CYA level this winter. It's finally cooling down here, so that will help require less chlorine.

Can I over-chlorinate to not have to test it every day after I get an idea how much chlorine loss I see per day? I am planning to be home for about 5 days straight later this coming week. Maybe then I can have someone add a set amount daily to keep up the FC level.

Thanks for any assistance. Here are the numbers I got today using my new K-2006C test kit.

I will add liquid chlorine to raise the FC to at least 4 (or higher?) later tonight or early tomorrow based on suggestions. I do understand that FC is way too low especially given the CYA level. Just can't bring myself to toss more tabs in there.

FC 2
CC .2
PH 7.2
TA 70
CH 820
CYA >200
Click to expand...
Hello and welcome to the forum.

If your CYA is indeed over 200ppm there is really no other option here but water exchange to lower it. At 200ppm CYA, you need to maintain a minimum of 15ppm FC, with a target of 22-25ppm. When the pool turns green with algae, you would (theoretically) need to maintain 80ppm FC. All this is based on a CYA of 200ppm, you report that it is higher than 200ppm.

As you can see, the pool is not manageable with that high of a CYA level.

How did you get that CYA >200ppm reading, the standard test tops out around 90-100ppm.

Dom
 
domct203 said:
Hello and welcome to the forum.

If your CYA is indeed over 200ppm there is really no other option here but water exchange to lower it. At 200ppm CYA, you need to maintain a minimum of 15ppm FC, with a target of 22-25ppm. When the pool turns green with algae, you would (theoretically) need to maintain 80ppm FC. All this is based on a CYA of 200ppm, you report that it is higher than 200ppm.

As you can see, the pool is not manageable with that high of a CYA level.

How did you get that CYA >200ppm reading, the standard test tops out around 90-100ppm.

Dom
Click to expand...

I did the CYA test from my K-2006C test kit with a 50-50 mix of pool and tap water after I first tested it with straight pool water and the dot was invisible almost instantly. The dot disappeared before I even got to the 100ppm mark with the mixture and I tried multiple times. That told me >100 times 2, so >200.

I know FC is most important and yeah those requirements will require tons of chlorine. I was wondering if pH and CH were far enough off to need attention before I can tackle the CYA water replacement ASAP. Sounds like that's a no.

Thanks!
 
My pool has pebble sheen and I'm in AZ. How do I safely drain water out of it and not damage the surface? Pool builder said never let the water go below the tile line. I understand this has to be done ASAP, just not sure how to do it correctly.

Thanks
 
While draining, you can use a hose and sprayer to keep the finish wet if that concerns you. The other option would be to do a number of small drains and fills. It will take longer and use more water, but would work over time.
 
I notice you mention that a SWG was out, because of travertine. I find that an interesting concern. Is your travertine from a local supplier? Is it really 'soft'. If you are concerned about the salt level used for SWGs, you might want to pick up a salt test and check your water. The results could be very interesting.

- - - Updated - - -

Unfortunately, I am only able to report what others have done in your situation. I have a fiberglass pool, so I don't have the same level of concern you would.

I would think, if it left too long the finish could dry out and might crack, but that has not been reported to actually happen.
 
Bob,

I have read on here along with the pool builder saying that SWGs will cause staining on travertine.

May just need to seal it and convert it eventually.

I do need to get the salt test strips to see where it is now. Borates too, even though I have not used any yet.

Thanks
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
The reason I mention the salt test is that over time, the chems we use to keep our pools clean, may have already added enough salt to satisfy a SWG. If that's true, and you aren't seeing any staining, then the concern is moot. It's really only a concern if you have a lot of splashers in the pool :)

- - - Updated - - -

But, first things first. Let's get that CYA down, and make sure you stay away from solid forms of chlorine. They aren't evil, but have to be used with a full understanding of what they do to the water. Some folks will use one or two while they are gone on vacation, or away for an extended period of time.
 
Kim,

Thanks for the kind words. I never get accused of not doing enough research, lol. Actually, I had seen the Liquidator a few weeks back after learning of the Hasa brand chlorine and saw it on their website. I did not know there were people on here using them. Sounds like something to consider, and not too expensive. Thanks!
 
Bob,

Fully understand on the CYA level, will try to do that this week, if it doesn't heat up too much.

Pool builder said people just use floaters and pucks like it is no big deal. Seems like the idea of easy helps sell pools. I'm up to the task. Feeling fortunate the pool is not green and has stayed fairly clear. May have been on the cusp of an algae bloom, but not seeing anything and will SLAM it after I exchange probably about 2/3 of the water.

Thanks
 
I have been liquid chlorine from day one, and after a year I was at 3500 salt levels, which is right where a SWG would need it anyway. I have travertine coping and pavers. We did not seal the pavers. The coping is fine. The pavers, there is some crumbling/pocking. It was "filled" travertine, and it seems that the pieces that had a lot of fill are potholing pretty good. I have no way of knowing if that has anything to do with the salt. Some of those pieces are really near the corners or the steps, where the most splash out occurs.
 
BuckeyeChris said:
I have been liquid chlorine from day one, and after a year I was at 3500 salt levels, which is right where a SWG would need it anyway. I have travertine coping and pavers. We did not seal the pavers. The coping is fine. The pavers, there is some crumbling/pocking. It was "filled" travertine, and it seems that the pieces that had a lot of fill are potholing pretty good. I have no way of knowing if that has anything to do with the salt. Some of those pieces are really near the corners or the steps, where the most splash out occurs.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info Buckeye! Of course my builder didn't say if the travertine is filled or not. I assume filled is cheaper and often used outdoors. They probably make polished tiles out of the dense stuff. It's really nice looking and doesn't get as hot as other materials, so I can deal with these issues.

When we reshape our deck, I'm going to make sure I have a bunch of extra travertine from the same lot to keep on hand, as it's guaranteed that some will need replacement eventually.
 
BuckeyeChris said:
I have been liquid chlorine from day one, and after a year I was at 3500 salt levels, which is right where a SWG would need it anyway. I have travertine coping and pavers. We did not seal the pavers. The coping is fine. The pavers, there is some crumbling/pocking. It was "filled" travertine, and it seems that the pieces that had a lot of fill are potholing pretty good. I have no way of knowing if that has anything to do with the salt. Some of those pieces are really near the corners or the steps, where the most splash out occurs.
Click to expand...

EDIT: I meant to say that NOT all the tiles with issues are near splash out. Some are a good 4 feet from the water line.
 
Have you looked into RO filtration to get your CYA down? It's more costly than water replacement but it will leave you with much better levels of CYA, CH, etc. You lose about 20% of the water in the process so you have to add that back from the tap.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply