Best way to add CYA?

[danbutter]

I have been using the BBB method for a year now. Just took the cover off two days ago (I know I'm late) and CYA seems to be about zero according to the test (never gets cloudy).
Just wondering if it is best to add using something like dichlor or trichlor or simply "conditioner".
I am figuring that I will need to add lots of bleach to keep my FC up until I have CYA in the pool so should I do both at once with one of the dichlor or trichlor types? Or will that not add enough?
I guess another problem is that I can't test the CYA often without buying reagents again.

I had a realllly high CYA at start of last year when I started BBB so I wanna be careful to bring it up slowly and not have that mess again.

thanks for any advice

 

[zea3]

You will have more control over how much CYA is added if you do it separate from the chlorine, but if you want to add both in one product go to the bottom of the pool calculator and look at the effects of adding chemicals box to determine how much dichlor or trichlor you would need to bring up your CYA.

 

[chem geek]

I would first see if you have a very high chlorine demand because the CYA could have been converted to ammonia by bacteria. If you add chlorine at night or to a bucket of pool water away from the sun and it does not register Free Chlorine (FC), then it may take a lot of chlorine to clear the pool to get chlorine to hold again. This is why it is best to either try and maintain a chlorine level in the pool over the winter or to at least close the pool when it is as cold as possible (especially below 50ºF water temp) and to open it as early as possible (again, before the water gets above 50ºF).

For your reference, 1/4 teaspoon of 6% bleach in a 2 gallon bucket of water is 10 ppm FC.

 

[danbutter]

Chlorine demand isn't bad IMO...it is dropping only around 1ppm overnight and 3-4 during the day with sun on some of the water...which with next to no cya is as I would expect.
After thinking about it there were a couple things that could have easily contributed to losing the cya last year. We started out waaaaayyy too high and did the drain refill thing to get it down. Then there was a bunch of added water...was backwashing and got distracted...turned off pump, but forgot to change valve...siphoned down to returns...yada yada.
Did the granulated "conditioner" from leslies. Found someone here talking about putting it in a sock and sticking in skimmer. I did three socks and just hung them in the pool in front of the returns. Overnight and it was all dissolved. Will wait till next week to check levels.