first Opening and a green Swamp

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Your issue is not unique. The CYA test can not measure much over 100ppm. Your CYA may have been much higher than that (like 200, if you have drained 50% and are still at 100)

Disheartening as it may be, you still probably need to drain another 50%.

Having the pool store confirm that is not a bad idea unless they use something other than the turbidity test, then I would not trust it.

Room temp is the most accurate temp to perform the CYA test.
 
Thanks,

Is the difference how the room rep is obtained going to make a difference?

I called the city and I can drain and refill for about 50 dollars. I have the pump rented tha could do it in 4 hrs. I'm wondering if that wouldn't be a good idea.

Phil
 
You need to be sure that your ground water table is below your pool. Otherwise, if you completely drain the pool it could float out of the ground.

Do the CYA test with a 50/50 split of pool and tap water as we previously suggested to see if we can figure out a little better where your CYA currently is. You may only need another 50% drain.
 
Ok,

Missed the try 50/50. I just did another sample using this method. Near as I can tell it puts the CYA in the 70-75 range.

Started the pump and will start draining. This is a Plaster pool so do I have to worry about it floating? I'm thinking I don't.

One good thing do far is the pool does look better. It was nasty yesterday with strings of stuff floating around and sticking to the sides as it drained. Today the water is cloudy but not as bad. But nothing creepy or hanging.

Pulled the filters this am and I am cleaning them. Put the other set it to run a while. This am pressure was up about 10 psi from yesterday's start.

How low should I go? Glad water is pretty cheap. I guess living 3 blocks from the Snake river is good!

Phil

.
 
Is the 70-75ppm what the test showed or after multiplying by 2 due to the diluted sample?

Plaster/Gunite pools are the only pools that have to worry about floating ... it can become a large boat if your ground water table is high. Liner pool will float the liner, but the pool will not pop out of the ground.

Read THIS for more info.

HERE are some pictures.
 
Yeah, you must be up around 140. So you either need to drain:
around 75% all at once or
drain and replace 50% twice or
smaller drain and replacements multiple times.

Until you have your CYA in the 30-50ppm range.
 
Well, one way would be to dig a hole near the pool as deep as your pool ... if it fills with water ... that is your water table :mrgreen:

The problem is it is hard to know. Although being well above a river, probably means you are OK to do the 75% replacement ... but that decision is yours.
 

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Well a pretty productive day in pool land. I drained pretty close to 75% of the water today. I'm glad I didn't return the pump early 5000 gph also takes a lot of green stuff and dirt out of the pool. I got the broom out and kept sweeping stuff up in the water and toward the pump.

When I had the water down low I started adding bleach. I estimated the gallons and dosed it to get it to shock level. As I added water, I kept the shock level going. Toward this afternoon it was loosing very little chlorine every hour or two. I should have it full late tonight and tomorrow I'll run all the tests again.

This afternoon the pool is a nice sea foam green. Still a bit cloudy but I think still dirty. There is more and more dropping out. I have cleaned the filter 3 times so far. The first time was pretty nasty, the second and third times were mostly dirt and stuff. I have been cleaning the pump strainer basket every few hours and pulled quite a bit of stuff out. The last time I cleaned it after dinner there was basically nothing in it.

All in all really happy with the results. It is soooo much better than yesterday morning. I took some pictures but not figured out how to post them quite yet. So testing in the am, I can get back at lunch, and we will keep plugging away. I am hoping to see around 50 or so for a CYA tomorrow.

If I only get it down to 60-70 I can let my little sump pump work over night and get it down and keep chipping away at it.

I did go to the pool store today and asked him to test my CYA. He used a test strip and said it was around 120. I told him what was going on and he recommended a whole bunch of things. I said I'd think about it but not right now. His solutions sounded expensive with algaecide at 29.00 a quart, and something else. So far all I have added was some muratic acid to lower the ph to 7.2 and $25.00 worth of Bleach I bought at Costco. I can't even imagine what the old pool guy we used last year would have charged to clean this thing up. I can easily see $400-500 based on what he charged last year for stuff. Cleaning the filter was $70.00.

Thanks for all the help and suggestions.

Phil
 
Not sure why those pics did not turn show up as images (or even links)...but I copy/pasted them into my browser.

Looking good so far! Keep up the good work! :goodjob:

EDIT: I re-loaded the page, and now the links are working properly.
 
That's gonna be a darn nice looking pool once you're done! I'll bet ya the pool store never will touch the sparkle you'll end up with once you're done doing it right yourself.
 
Thanks,

I edited them so they at least made links. Not sure how to make them just be pictures. I went home at lunch and tested the fc and it had only dropped from 18 - 20 in 5-6 hours. Brought it back up to 20 for the rest of the day and then I think I can start bringing things to where they are supposed to be.

Cya is down to 70 now. I'll do a few more less drastic drain and fills here later in the week. I would really like to get it to that 40-50 target. The clarity is coming along and I could actually see the main drain? There was quite a bit of dirt/algae on the bottom so I vacuumed it up. Can't wait to get home tonight and see how things are coming along. The vacuuming kind of clouded it up a bit.

This am it came up to skimmer level so now the filter can really go to town.

Phil
 
How much water do you end up replacing during a normal swim season? While lowering the CYA will help in the shock process, a level of 70 is manageable and could come down some over the season. This can happen due to splash out, backflushing, draining after heavy rain, bla bla bla. Are you still adding fresh water?
 
Hi Leebo,

No I have the water level right where I want it. Last year we probably added water about every week maybe 2" or so. The water level when I pulled the sample for the CYA was still about 6-7 inches lower than right now.

I grabbed another sample and put on my testing table inside to warm up. I'll check it again this evening at room temp.

I think I am going to run another full set of tests when I get home tonight and see where everything is at. I am really pleased where it is going now.

I need to get my cover on order and on the way. I don't plan on heating the pool for a few more weeks. I have to go back to work next Thursday so I want to get it where my wife and kids can maintain it before I fire up the heater. I am working 12 on 12 off right now. I left the helicopter with another crew in Oscoda Michigan. We'll just see where it is next week!

Headed for the house can't wait to see the pool! We bought the house and called it the Oasis because we named all the different ones we looked at. I spent way too much time last year ****** at how much it all cost and not enough time enjoying it. This year with the maine burden off my shoulders I am feeling so much better.

Phil
 
You maybe closer than you think if you added that much water then. I'd do as you stated before draining much more water in checking your current levels. The difference in normal FC levels aren't much between a CYA level of 50 (FC level of 4-8) and 70 ( FC level of 5-10)

Test again when you get home......and we'll start shocking this darn thing into submission!
 

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