CYA test not working

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Daf-Tekno

Daf-Tekno

0
Sep 14, 2014
90
Calgary / AB
Hi People,

I've just started up my newly-filled hot tub, and am getting to grips with a Taylor K-2006 test kit.

The various chemicals are not quiet in check yet, but the CYA is constantly coming back as "infinity"!

My test sample, when mixed with the CYA reactant, simply does NOT turn cloudy!

My 1700 L tub has had 450 mL of liquid "Stabiliser" added, and still no cloudiness to the sample!
I am worried I may end up putting too much in, but it just isn't registering on the test!

Might I have a faulty CYA test reactant..?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

- D
 
To avoid confusion could you describe your test results in relation to the visibility of the black dot. Are you saying you completely fill the cylinder and the black dot is still visible? That would be a 0 reading, not an infinity reading.
 
Yes, sorry, my water is totally clear, so black dot is always visible.

Which indeed means a reading of 0 not infinity.
Sorry, my mind's a bit mangled today!

I used liquid stabiliser, so thought it would register fairly instantly.
But even liquid stabiliser takes a week to fully register on a test, yes..?

- D
 
For the experts: (with intent of helping OP)
If a hot tub is covered most of the time (and therefore much less exposure to sun) would CYA be necessary?

Obviously if there is sun exposure, it is needed, but most people are trying to keep the tub as warm as possible with a cover to save on heating costs.

I'm not sure how the OP is operating his system, but wanted to bring that point up.
 
Looking at the MSDS for that product shows that it is inert, if it had any CYA in it, there should be some mention of an environmental impact.

I think it is just high priced salt...
 

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Sun protection is one thing the CYA does. The other is buffering the harshness of the chlorine and holding some in reserve which is still applicable for spas and indoor pools.

Are there ingredients listed on the package?
 
hoosierrun said:
For the experts: (with intent of helping OP)
If a hot tub is covered most of the time (and therefore much less exposure to sun) would CYA be necessary?

Obviously if there is sun exposure, it is needed, but most people are trying to keep the tub as warm as possible with a cover to save on heating costs.

I'm not sure how the OP is operating his system, but wanted to bring that point up.
Click to expand...
Even with a covered spa a low level of CYA (20 - 30ppm) is advisable. The instructions for spa care are covered very well HERE.
 
Griswald said:
Looking at the MSDS for that product shows that it is inert, if it had any CYA in it, there should be some mention of an environmental impact.

I think it is just high priced salt...
Click to expand...
Looking at the instructions for the product on the Natural Chemistry website:
>> 1 gallon of Instant Pool Water Conditioner raises conditioner (stabilizer) level in 10,000 gallons by 32ppm <<

it seems pretty clear that it does contain CYA.
 
Being that this was for a hot tub, I assume you did not use the entire bottle. Did you shake the bottle up very well before adding it as the direction state? If not, I wonder if the CYA settled to the bottom of the bottle and you did not actually add very much :scratch:
 
Two people have now suggested that this product doesn't even contain CYA, which is probably a distraction from the OP's problem in measuring CYA levels in his/her water.

Here is a quote from chem geek, from a June 2011 thread:
The Natural Chemistry Instant Pool Water Conditioner (which is the same as Leslie's Instant Conditioner) has been around for a while as "Instant Pool Water Conditioner" and is sodium cyanurate in a slurry. It dissolves quickly into water so is a fast way to increase CYA.
Click to expand...
 
Daf-Tekno said:
Yes, sorry, my water is totally clear, so black dot is always visible.

Which indeed means a reading of 0 not infinity.
Sorry, my mind's a bit mangled today!

I used liquid stabiliser, so thought it would register fairly instantly.
But even liquid stabiliser takes a week to fully register on a test, yes..?

- D
Click to expand...
If you still have the empty conditioner bottle, maybe there are a few drops left in there, allowing you to do a test of the CYA reagent in your K-2006 kit? For example, if you put half a teaspoon of the conditioner into a gallon of water, I think (rough approximation) that should give you CYA levels somewhere around 200 ppm -- should be very noticeable when doing CYA test procedure. This is from doing the numbers in my head, so you may want to double check.

edited: Since you're using metric system, around 2-3 ml in 4 l water would be similar -- I'm sure you get the general idea.

I know there aren't that many CYA tests in the K-2006 (roughly half a dozen), but if you're really suspicious of the reagent, this test may be worth a try.
 
You don't follow the pool recommendations for a spa since there are differences. In a spa you don't need nor want the CYA that high. 30-40 ppm CYA should be sufficient. The reason for the higher CYA level in SWG pools is to lower the loss of chlorine from sunlight because most SWGs are undersized and also to minimize the rate of pH rise by minimizing SWG on-time. For a covered spa, there should be minimal loss in sunlight (only if you open it during the day).

Also, note that chlorine maintenance in a spa is different in that you add a substantial amount of chlorine after your soak to oxidize the bather waste. In a pool the chlorine loss from bather load is normally negligible, but that's not at all true in a spa. See the sticky on How do I use Chlorine in my Spa.
 

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