CYA Confusion

[Vandal]

I'm having a hard time with a CYA issue. I think the PB overstabilized the pool before starting up my SWG about a week ago and now the CYA level is off the chart.

The TF test kit won't measure it, so I got a Taylor strip test and it reports close to the 150 range. I know it should be down to 100 and preferably closer to 80. I'm also still dialing in the SWG and the FC level is slowly getting where I want it. It was at 8.5 then 12 now it's down to about 6.5.

I asked the PB about the CYA level and he said it should be OK because for some reason the SWG pools seem to use the CYA and they go down or stabilize over time. Everything I've read says the pool needs to be drained by about 33% (an 18,000 gallon pool) to get to a proper level.

I haven't given the PB final payment yet because there are still a few loose ends he's working on. Should I have him drain and fill the pool so the CYA level goes down, or just wait it out and see if he's right?

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

I'd make him fix it. It's most likely he's just telling you that because a) he doesn't want to admit he screwed up or b) he's repeating what he's heard, and doesn't really know enough about CYA. Sounds like he put in twice what he should have. I don't have an SWG but I don't recall reading anything like that on this forum. You lose CYA through draining, splash out, etc., or ammonia conversion, but not SWG's, from everything I've read on here.

Edit ~ 60-80 for SWG's is good levels for CYA.

Good luck!

 

[JasonLion]

The CYA level will go down over time, particularly if you have a sand or DE filter or get lots and lots of rainfall. But it could take some time before the level goes down to where you really want it, which is between 60 and 80. Casually I would expect it could take two years for the level to come down enough, longer if you have a cartridge filter.

With CYA at 150 and a SWG you want to maintain a FC level of at least 7, and preferably a little more in case the CYA level is actually higher.

It is your call on trying to get the pool builder to fix this or dealing with it yourself. Partly it depends on what the water cost is where you are. If it were me, given my fairly low water cost, I would just handle it myself. But if you are paying large sums to have water trucked in then it is clearly worth hassling the PB about it.

 

[frankthailand]

Hello Vandal
Maybe you could dilute your pool water with some tap water 50 /50 so then you can test it with the TF test kit,[reading x2 = CYA] and prove to the PB that he put to much CYA in. Then maybe he can fix it, ie pay for the water.

happy swims
Frank

 

[teppy]

I'm not sure that my pb really knew how much CYA to add to mine at startup either. I didn't either yet. After I got my test kit, I was measuring CYA at 70-80 which is not off the charts, but too high for a chlorine pool. And, it would have been higher if I had not been running my polaris for those first days. I emptied atleast 5 cups total of undisolved CYA from my zippered polaris bag over that first week or so. I ended up emptying about 30% of my pool water in March of this year. The pool was completed in November of '07.

 

[Vandal]

Thanks for the advice. I think I'll ask the PB to correct the issue before final payment. He already has to replace the IC-40 because it has a hairline crack on the flow gauge which is causing a leak.

 

[Vandal]

I know you guys won't believe this, but I swear my CYA level has dropped. I now measure it at around 100. I'm not sure if this is because the PB was right, I'm getting better/worse at measuring the CYA or I'm crazy.

 

[JasonLion]

All available tests/procedures for testing CYA levels over 90 are somewhat speculative. It is possible your level was around 100 all along or that is is still 150. This is another one of the problems with managing pools with CYA above 90, you never really know what the CYA level actually is.