Better way to get CYA into the pool

[eemueller]

I've been using the socks full of granular CYA in the skimmers, and squeezing the bags periodically, but it takes a couple of weeks to get enough of the stuff dissolved. Short of hanging more socks in the pool, are there other ways to get this CYA in the water? Thanks.
Eric

 

[pooldv]

I used knee highs last time and it was faster. Depends on the brand of CYA though, some dissolves noticeably more slowly. Squeezing often makes it dissolve faster.

 

[eemueller]

I've been using cotton tube socks. What about heating some water, dissolving the granules, and then pouring the solution into the pool?

 

[pooldv]

Yes, some folks have done that. I've used tube socks in the past.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Use a nylon instead of a sock, allows for more water flow in and through the CYA. Cotton socks are often too thick. The point of the "sock" is to keep the CYA in one place while it slowly dissolves, not to impede the dissolution.

Hang the sock in front of a return in the larger pool volume, it works better that way. I use a 3/4" PVC pipe to tie the sock to and some decorative rocks on the other end to secure it in place.

Finally hot water dissolution can work but it doesn't really change the solubility a whole lot. If you're really need CYA fast, then use liquid CYA. It's more expensive but you'll get faster results with it.

 

[eemueller]

I tried using nylon knee-highs, and hanging them in front of the returns instead of in the skimmer pots. Much better! Thanks!

 

[YippeeSkippy]

You can find gallons of liquid CYA at Leslie's, but it costs about double the price of granular. It is a very thick liquid but it gives you almost instant rise in your test results.

I gallon of instant conditioner will raise a 10,000 gallon pool's CYA value aprox 32ppm for $36

 

[AUSpool]

I hadn't really given it much thought and this won't help much but the CYA I have must be finely ground, 500g in 2L (sorry about the metric) mixes to a milky constancy with no lumps which I just poor into the skimmer, as long as I don't back wash I assume it will slowly dissolve in about a week.

 

[pooldv]

Actually, we should be sorry for not using metric since nearly the entire planet uses metric except us. We are very slow!

TFP does not recommend pouring CYA in the skimmer for a number of reasons. Stuck in filter, slow to dissolve in filter, we've had a few folks whose skimmer line was completely clogged with CYA, backwashed from filter. More here on adding chems to pools, Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Actually, we should be sorry for not using metric since nearly the entire planet uses metric except us. We are very slow!

I will never apologize for my English/Imperial units!! You can have my 1/32nds fractional units when you pry them from my cold dead hands

I'm petitioning the NHTSA right now to convert all speed signs into furlongs-per-fortnight...