Am I Doing Things Right?

[florajo]

Hi! I posted in the forum last year right after we moved into our new home with a pool (never been a pool owner before). We had a bout with yellow algae, but brushed and shocked and increased our chlorine level and we didn't have any further problems for the rest of last summer. All winter, the pool stayed clear without any maintenance (except scooping out leaves and brushing occasionally). This year, it has stayed clear until we had a major hailstorm a few weeks ago. It was full of debris and turned green. So we brushed, shocked, vacuumed, etc. until it cleared up and it's been clear ever since. I'm using a Taylor K-2006 FAS-DPD test kit. Here are my most recent test results:

FC - 19.5-20.0 (not sure I trust my testing on this one)
CC - .5 or less
pH - 7.4
TA - 85
CH - 300
CYA - over 100 (reading was halfway between 100 mark and bottom of tube)

I did an overnight free chlorine loss test last night. At sundown, the FC was 19.5-20.0. This morning, the FC was 18. (I'm not completely confident in my reading of the FC. How "colorless" is "colorless"? :? )

Here is my question: Do I need to shock? The Chlorine/CYA chart gives a REALLY HIGH level of shock for my pool's CYA reading. How much bleach does that take? In the past when we've shocked, we just added the level of 'shock' powder
recommended on the box. It seemed to work ok.

Does everything else look ok? Should my chlorine level consistently be a lot higher? When we started getting the yellow algae this year, the chlorine was at about 10. After we shocked, it was up to 20, and it has remained there for the past few weeks. We use the chlorine tablets in an automatic chlorinator in the pump. I know this adds CYA, but I have a real problem getting my husband to buy into the liquid bleach idea. I'm still working on that.

Here are the details of my pool. (I'll add them to my signature next time I post.)

IG - approx 20,000 gal - plaster - Jandy 1.5HP - sand filter - installed 2003

We're newbie pool owners and I have no confidence at all in what I'm doing. I've gotten a lot of good info from this forum! Just looking for some input about my pool maintenance. Water looks clear almost all the time. We brush every couple of days, and vacuum and backwash probably every couple of weeks.

 

[harleysilo]

If you husband insists on using the form of bleach you are currently using, eventually (now) you'll have no choice but to drain water and refill to lower CYA. Is that practical for you all I.e. cheap?

 

[Suziqzer]

You're CYA is way too high, and by continuing to add it, you're only adding to your problems.

When your CYA is high, you have to maintain a higher level of FC in order to maintain a clear & safe pool. You will be adding chlorine like crazy just to maintain.

What you really need to do is to drain part of your water (probably half) and start using liquid chlorine. If Hubby doesn't like the idea of chlorine.. you can buy liquid chlorine at the pool store (same thing you buy at the grocery just in a higher concentration)... sometimes it makes people feel better to buy their supplies at the pool store. My Hubby had a bit of a learning curve too... although I just told him to let me try and do the BBB way and if it didn't work he could go to the pool store, so far so good!

Bleach or liquid chlorine will be much cheaper than buying those pucks all of the time... might be a good way to win him over.

 

[JohnN]

You should do a dilution test for CYA to get a better idea of where it really is at. Mix 50% pool water and 50%tap water, do the CYA test, and then double the result. If your CYA is at 100, you need to keep FC at 13, and never let it drop below 8. For shocking, you need to keep chlorine at 25. To know how much bleach to add, use the Pool Calculator. For the chlorine test, colorless is colorless. Absolutely clear water, no hint of pink.

 

[florajo]

Thanks for the replies! I have finally won the debate to do a 1/2 drain, cut back on the tabs, and start using liquid chlorine. It will be a process to get away from the tabs totally. DH likes the convenience of putting in 2-3 tabs every couple of days and feels like he'll be spending a lot of time adding liquid chlorine every day.

We fill our pool from well water, so cost isn't a problem there. My concern is our pond. The pool is about 200 feet from our 3-acre stocked pond. When we backwash, it drains into the pond, which hasn't been a problem with that small amount of water. But what will draining 1/2 the pool do to our pond?

The FC reading has been around 20, but the yellow algae was back yesterday, so that helped in convincing him that we need to replace the water. I did the half pool water/half tap water test for the CYA level and it was pretty close to 200. Geez! I'm so anxious to get things to a more manageable point!

Thank you all so much for your advice and help!!