Green Pool

[Zegster]

I have a green pool and was told to get the k-2006 taylor kit. I tested the CYA and it was way to high on it. So I mixed half tap water and half pool water and it tested 100. So 100x2, my CYA level is 200. I need to drain and refill probably a few times. My question is what is the safest amount to drain and how do I drain. I have a pool that's 16x32 with 8 ft deep end and 4 ft shallow end. I have a sand filter that can be set on waste. Do I shut the skimmer line and drain to waste?

Edited: For anybody who reads this. My pool store said I had a 70 CYA, when I really had a 200 CYA. For anybody going through this.

 

[woodyp]

I'd drain in 1/3 increments-refill-circulate---repeat. Do you have a bottom drain? In ground or above? Please add a signature line to your profile listing all pool specs.

 

[Zegster]

I do have a bottom drain. How far from the bottom of the shallow end do you think is 30%? 2 ft from the shallow end? How long do you think I should circulate before draining again?

 

[tim5055]

Before you go too far, you need another CYA test. If on a 1 to 1 dilution you came up with 100 again you very well could be over 200 (where I was when I started). Do the test 1 part pool water with 2 parts tap water - multiply the results by 3.

Here is a great chart by JamesW that gives you the extended dilution multipliers.

Pool water......Tap or distilled water.........Multiply result by

....1...................1................................2
....1...................2................................3
....1...................4................................5

 

[timerguy]

I have a k-2006 test kit too and the small-7ml mixing bottle that comes with it led me to a convoluted dilution process. What I suggest is to take the graduated test vial and pour pool water to the 10ml line, pour that into another plastic bottle or measuring cup. Then put tap water to the 10ml twice or three times swirl it to mix it and pour the diluted sample to the 7ml line on the small mixing bottle that comes with our kit, add reagent to the 14ml line mix it for 30 secs the drop it slowly into the test vital until the black dot completely disappears. Read the result and multiply it by the table in Tims post above. Saves on the r-0013 reagent and at least provides a close estimate of what your cya is.

 

[Zegster]

I did this and it came to 90 x 2. So my cya is 180. I am draining until the 2 feet from the shallow end. Does this sound about right?

 

[Donldson]

You can do as low as 1 foot left in the shallow end. This is enough to keep the liner from shifting. The first drain is your most important, it is the most concentrated CYA you are draining, so the more you do the first round the less you have to do after that.

 

[timerguy]

You actually need to find a level less than 90 but that should do for now. Is the 8' just the deep end or the average depth? Sorry I didn't see the 4' shallow end in the first post. But how did you come up with 21,000 gals? With an average depth of 6' pool math computes it at ~23000 gals. But no difference-- I'd leave 1 foot of water in the shadow end and that should reduce your cya by ~half. You'll want to test it again probably using that same dilution scheme.

 

[Zegster]

8 ft is deep 4 ft is shallow

 

[timerguy]

You'll want to get a sure capacity of your pool for future use of pool math tho. When I took over my pool back in 2012, the previous owner said it was a 30,000 gal pool- it Wasn't!!! No wonder I had algae blooms for over two years. That and all the solid chlorine he had been using over many years.

 

[Zegster]

If I had a bad lateral on my sand filter and sand got in my pool. And my pool wasn't filtering right, would this effect the cya test?

 

[Richard320]

If I had a bad lateral on my sand filter and sand got in my pool. And my pool wasn't filtering right, would this effect the cya test?

No. Sand is inert.

 

[Zegster]

But doesn't poor water filteration cloudy up the water and make the test not accurate?

 

[svenpup]

No. If you fill you tube with straight pool water you will find that the dot is perfectly visible. Even very cloudy pool water isn't enough to effect the test.

 

[Zegster]

If my pool has cumulated way more dirt than when it was clear. Is this sign of a bad filter (sand), or just algea dead from the leftover chlorine?

 

[Zegster]

Anybody? My pool has more silt/dirt on the bottom than before it was clear. Could this just be dead algae? Its been at a high chlorine while it was green.

 

[pwrstrk]

Dead algae will accumulate on the floor. Just vac it up. It's not a sign of a bad filter.

 

[Zegster]

How long should I recirculate before I drain and refill again?

 

[svenpup]

I am not sure I understand the question. If you mean is there a schedule to refilling the answer is no.

The reason most people have to drain is CYA accumulation caused by dichlor and trichlor use. This is the dreaded "chlorine lock" or "old water" that the pool stores invented to cover up their incompetence.

The only other reason to drain is high CH (mostly in the SW), and there isn't much to do about this other than be aware of the issue and deal with it as it arises.

 

[Zegster]

I am draining and then refilling. After I refill, I was wondering how long do I recirculate the new water with the old water, before draining and refilling again. Meaning set my sand filter to filter again.