what's so bad about high CYA levels?

[KrisIL]

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Not sure why but my CYA level is at 170 right now. I have not added chlorine to my pool for 3 weeks and the water is still crystal clear. Pool uncovered 24/7 and chlorine level drop only by 1.0ppm . So far I'm not complaining.

 

[Bperry]

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Not sure why but my CYA level is at 170 right now. I have not added chlorine to my pool for 3 weeks and the water is still crystal clear. Pool uncovered 24/7 and chlorine level drop only by 1.0ppm . So far I'm not complaining.

Algae replicates long before it’s visible. Once it’s visible, you’re in for a chlorine battle…$$.

If your FC is high enough, a CYA of 170 could work. It it’ll be expensive to maintain that high FC level.

 

[Newdude]

What level FC are you maintaining ?

Did you use the CYA sample dilution test to get the 170, or the colorQ ?

 

[cdadams1223]

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Not sure why but my CYA level is at 170 right now. I have not added chlorine to my pool for 3 weeks and the water is still crystal clear. Pool uncovered 24/7 and chlorine level drop only by 1.0ppm . So far I'm not complaining.

Well, if you ended up with an algae bloom you’d have to SLAM your pool at a FC level of 68ppm! That’s a LOT of chlorine to buy and as @Bperry mentioned it would be costly. Per PoolMath that would be 14.25 gallons of 10% LC! Yikes!

 

[Newdude]

Per PoolMath that would be 14.25 gallons of 10% LC! Yikes!

To raise initially. It would require far more jugs to maintain and likely wouldn't even be possible with burn off rates at that high of an FC.

 

[Donldson]

Not sure why but my CYA level is at 170 right now.

That seems like the kind of thing one should know about their own pool. Are you not the one adding chemicals to your water?

 

[cdadams1223]

To raise initially. It would require far more jugs to maintain and likely wouldn't even be possible with burn off rates at that high of an FC.

Agreed. I’d be doing a drain/exchange. I wouldn’t want that kind of craziness in my life if an algae bloom struck.

 

[KrisIL]

What level FC are you maintaining ?

Did you use the CYA sample dilution test to get the 170, or the colorQ ?

I use the ColorQ test. Got new reagents this year. Also I'm the one adding chemicals. But at some point someone mess with my chlorinator settings and it was set to full for a week.

 

[JJ_Tex]

So I assume you are using Trichlor pucks, which contain FC and CYA? The FC gets used up while the CYA stays in your pool and builds up.

In my analogy, high CYA is a lot like high cholesterol...you may not see the impacts today, but someday you will and wish you dealt with it earlier.

 

[Donldson]

But at some point someone mess with my chlorinator settings and it was set to full for a week.

Unless there were 50 tabs in that chlorinator that all dissolved in a week (which would have also crashed your pH, so I'm calling it unlikely) your CYA didn't go from acceptable to 170 in a single week.

Sounds like poor test results.

 

[KrisIL]

Unless there were 50 tabs in that chlorinator that all dissolved in a week (which would have also crashed your pH, so I'm calling it unlikely) your CYA didn't go from acceptable to 170 in a single week.

Sounds like poor test results.

I've been using tabs all the time. Not sure why the CYA is so high. I will try another test method. But so far the chlorine levels are stable and no problems with the water. We will see how it goes. I don't want to drain it now since it's pretty hot out here and my kids been using the pool everyday. Also the water is at 88F don't want to loose that

 

[mknauss]

I have not added chlorine to my pool for 3 weeks

I've been using tabs all the time.

Those are conflicting statements. The tabs add chlorine and CYA.

 

[kellyfair]

What is your FC level, using your TF-100 kit?

 

[Jimrahbe]

@KrisIL

I have and use the LaMotte ColorPro 7.. I like it for some things and not for others..

I have found that the CYA test varies wildly depending on the batch of tablets. That said, I have never seen it be off so much that it could confuse 70 ppm with 170 ppm.

You need to use your TF-100 and double check what CYA you actually have.

Thanks,

Jim R.