High CYA, Low FC, New Pool Owner

Jump to latest Follow Reply
J

Jgilly

0
Jun 4, 2018
16
San Tan Valley, AZ
Hello all. I'm here because I've lost faith in the test strip/take sample to pool store/dump a bunch of newly sold chemicals in the pool routine. I'm new to taking care of a pool. Last year we must have gotten lucky. This year, I don't have a good feeling about the water.
I've been using chlorine pucks in a chlorinator and shocking the pool weekly with different types of shock. The pool will teeter on clear to not so clear. But it doesn't 'look' healthy to me when I look at it.
I live in AZ and have trees in my yard. It is a constant battle to keep tree debris out of the pool. That's a separate battle that I will continue to work on, but just want to give that info out just in case.
I purchased a Taylor K2006 test kit at the advice of this great site.

Here are my current results
FC - 0
CC or TC - 0
pH - 7.2
TA - 180
CH - 800
CYA - 150
Water Temp - 85

Please don't slam me. I'm new to this. I've been researching over the last couple of weeks and waited for my test kit to come in the mail before I take any further action. I see that my CYA is very high and now understand I'll need to replace the water. My wife is asking me to wait to buy a pump due to budget reasons. I can probably get one very soon if needed.

After seeing my results, any suggestions? I plan to pour in 3 bottles of bleach (recommended by the TFP app), and follow further instructions as I continue to test and as needed.

When we see that high of CYA is it a 'dire' need to replace right away? Or can we hobble this through the summer and drain/replace after?

My Pool:

  • 10,500 gallons, IG plaster/pebble, Cartridge
  • Pentair Intelliflo Variable pump, Pentair Clean and Clear Filter
 
Last edited:
You're on the verge of an algae outbreak already, if not full fledged. You can't have all that stablizer in there and ZERO FC without problems.

Do you have a main drain that you can use to drain half your water out with? How about a low spot in your area to allow you to drain via hose and siphon it out?
You also can rent drains from Home Depot for the day.

But being in AZ, in the heat, I would try this neat method of water exchange where you put the drain hose down in the deep end real low and at the same time you're pulling old water out you replace it with fresh new water from a hose in the shallow end. The trick is to make the hoses draw out and put in water at about the same rate.

That will help you clear out some of that CH also.

Maddie :flower:
 
You can exchange some water without draining.

If you place a low volume sub pump in the deep end and pull water from there while adding water in the shallow end you can do a fairly efficient exchange. That is assuming the water you are filling with is the same temperature or warmer than your pool water. If your fill water is much cooler than your pool water, then switch it. Add the water to the deep end (hose on bottom) and pull water from the top step.

The location of the pump and fill hose may change if you have salt water, high calcium, etc.
In my pool, with saltwater and high calcium when I drain, I put the pump in the deep end and hose in shallow end. The water in the pool weighs more per unit volume than the fill water from the hose.

Be sure to balance the water out and water in so the pool level stays the same.
 
I have a similar CYA figure but never have dropped to 0 FC. I know it needs to go lower but I am not going to drain it. Have you bought the liquid chlorine and dumped it in? I get mine to 12 and test twice a week, it usually drops to 8 and I just bring it right back up. Not sure how a 0 number is even possible unless you just neglect to add anything.
 
Thanks for your replies. It sounds better than what I was anticipating actually. I have to drain my pool water into a drain in the front of my home. It's about 100 ft from the pool. So, I'll work on buying the sump pump. Thanks for that info. I thought I was going to have to drain the whole pool.

As for neglecting to add anything... actually, the zero reading is coming from me waiting to get my Taylor kit and use that instead of the test strips before I put anything else in the pool. Like I said, I've been using pucks, full chlorinator all week long. Been shocking it with different types of shocks and using Leslie's magic pool formula weekly. The zero FC reading is a result of not shocking for 4.5 days. I want to convert to the BBB method, so I'm transitioning right now.

I put 3 gallons of bleach into the pool tonight. Will test again tomorrow morning. Thanks again for the replies.
 
If you have land that is lower than your pool within a hose distance away, you can get water out with a siphon, as mentioned earlier. Put one end at the low spot on your land. Take other end and hold it over a return in the pool until water is coming out the end on land. Then you can let got of the hose. As long as the hose end in the pool stays underwater and higher than the other end, water will siphon out. Voila! Free “pump.” It’s slower than a pump, but it’s free and it doesn’t have to be fast.

Easy to forget about it though bc it’s silent. Set an alarm or something to remind yourself to check to make sure you don’t drain too much water. You can probably guess how I know this.
 
Be careful if using the rental sub pumps. They are high rate. The exchange method I described above only works with low flow pumps. A 1/4 or 1/3 hp pump from Harbor Freight or Home Depot. Typically get around 6 gpm with them. You can easily match that with one hose from a spigot.

In the Phoenix area you have the option of Reverse Osmosis. More expensive.
 
I really appreciate the quick responses to my post. My HOA only allows us to drain pools into our drain in front of our home. It's about 100 ft from the pool. I think my best bet is to get a pump. There is a 1/3 pump on Amazon for $51. A 1 1/2" 100ft hose with the best reviews is the higher cost at $80. I have a garden hose that will stretch to my drain, but I'm not sure that will work well if I just get the pump. I was thinking renting a pump might cost me close to the same as buying, no?

Unfortunately my land is not lower than our pool. It actually slopes a little higher. I do back a common area run off that takes care of the flooding when it rains here (once in what seems like a hundred years), and it's tempting to siphon a hose into that run off, but it's not right to do that, so I'm not going to. :)

These are my readings today:
FC: 3.2
CC: .8
PH: 7.0
TA: 180
CYA: 150
Water Temp: 85

For now, should I be adding bleach as the pool app suggests? Yesterday it suggested 3 gallons. I did that, and the water appears much better today, as well as the readings going up slightly.
Today it says to add 2 gallons, 3 cups. The target goal is 16, which is what the target goal was yesterday. Is the CYA combating my chlorine input? Is that why it says to add 3 gallons to reach Target goal of 16, yet it really is only raising my FC level to about 3 instead of 16?
 
You can place the drain hose from the pump into your sewer cleanout. The HOA has no control over that.

I would not get that large a hose. A normal garden hose will work. You actually want a fairly low rate from the pump if you are doing the exchange.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Only use a long enough garden hose as you need. Additional length creates backpressure.

Be sure your pool pump is OFF for the entire exchange. Turn it off at the electrical breakers.
 
Jgilly said:
I really appreciate the quick responses to my post. My HOA only allows us to drain pools into our drain in front of our home. It's about 100 ft from the pool. I think my best bet is to get a pump. There is a 1/3 pump on Amazon for $51. A 1 1/2" 100ft hose with the best reviews is the higher cost at $80. I have a garden hose that will stretch to my drain, but I'm not sure that will work well if I just get the pump. I was thinking renting a pump might cost me close to the same as buying, no?

Unfortunately my land is not lower than our pool. It actually slopes a little higher. I do back a common area run off that takes care of the flooding when it rains here (once in what seems like a hundred years), and it's tempting to siphon a hose into that run off, but it's not right to do that, so I'm not going to. :)

These are my readings today:
FC: 3.2
CC: .8
PH: 7.0
TA: 180
CYA: 150
Water Temp: 85

For now, should I be adding bleach as the pool app suggests? Yesterday it suggested 3 gallons. I did that, and the water appears much better today, as well as the readings going up slightly.
Today it says to add 2 gallons, 3 cups. The target goal is 16, which is what the target goal was yesterday. Is the CYA combating my chlorine input? Is that why it says to add 3 gallons to reach Target goal of 16, yet it really is only raising my FC level to about 3 instead of 16?
Click to expand...

You added enough to get to an FC of 16 and only got to 3 because of you not having chlorine, and algae started growing in your water. You added 16 PPM to your water but it got “used up” oxidizing the organics in the water. Once you have your CUA to a more manageable level for one you’re going to need to do a SLAM Process. You could start one now but it’s going to take a LOT of bleach at a CYA of 150.
 
So, I did a drain/refill. Spent 16 hours draining and refilling at same time. 8 hours one day, 8 hours today. I've tested the water twice over these two periods and the CYA is still showing the same. I'm guessing at 150 because the dot disappears about half way to the 100 mark on the test tube.

I guess this means I need to drain more? If I keep draining/refilling at same time will I eventually see progress? Our water in this area is expensive. I'm fearing a large water bill. :-(

Side note - just for learning and to prove to myself, I tested the water coming out of my fill line, and it has zero CYA.
 
You really should not stop the process when doing an exchange. It will mix.

Also, your CYA must have been much higher than you stated. Did you do a dilute CYA test to start? See step 8 in Pool School - CYA
 
mknauss said:
You really should not stop the process when doing an exchange. It will mix.

Also, your CYA must have been much higher than you stated. Did you do a dilute CYA test to start? See step 8 in Pool School - CYA
Click to expand...

Thank you. No, I actually didn't do the dilute test. I was guessing, and I agree now, it must have been much higher than I stated. I will do that and get a more accurate number. I'll need to wait until Wednesday to test again, as I'm out of the reagent and more is on its way.

I have a question on the drain/refill. If I'm doing at the same time, how will I know when to stop? Will a CYA test be accurate 'during' the process?

Thanks again.
 
A CYA test will be accurate.

I just go by volume. My normal rate is 7 gpm. I have a 6000 gallon pool. So I go for about 14 hours.
 
Ok, I got more cya reagent.
First test - past 100
Second test - diluted as instructed and still didn't make it to the 100 mark, but got half way closer.

Third test - I filled the 9191 bottle to #7 with pool water. Then filled the remainder of the bottle to the top with tap water. Mixed. Poured out until 7. Filled reagent to #14. Results= 80. Since that bottle appears to be divided into thirds, can my test be somewhat conclusive to 80*3= 240 ppm CYA?

And if so, must I keep draining and refilling? This water bill is going to kill me. It appears that I must have been blindly putting alot of CYA in the pool over the past two years.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply